Audio Branding

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  Sound Design for Storytelling with Robin Gulcher 19.08.2026 28Min.

  “I think that making images come to life with sound helps the audience with the story and with the emotion of the story. It puts them in the right place. They know what it is they’re supposed to pay attention to. We talked earlier in our first meeting about this line-of-sight editing, that is, a video editing thing that they do to get the audience’s eyes to move to what’s important on screen. And we can do the same thing with audio. We can tell them, ‘OK, this is important over here.’ And whether or not they saw it, now they know it, if that makes sense.” – Robin GulcherThis week’s guest provides sound design, mixing, and recording services for Advertising Agencies, Film/Video production companies, Publishing Companies, Independent Filmmakers, and Corporate clients, and he’s been the production sound mixer for countless commercial and film shoots over the years. Through his work at audibleRicochet, he’s rescued imperfect recordings, crafted immersive soundscapes, and helped brands and filmmakers bring clarity and emotion to their projects. And as an adjunct instructor in the Cinematic Arts Department at the Columbus College of Art and Design, he continues to further his craft, as well as the future of the filmmakers and animators he teaches.His name is Robin Gulcher, and in this episode, he shares how sound can transform the ordinary into something memorable – and why what we hear often matters more than what we see.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – Navigating the AI LandscapeOur conversation starts as Robin shares his experiences with AI sound and voices, including the surprising impact it made after one recent session. “It was a long, educational VO thing,” he tells us, “The client asked for this particular voice,… they directed it, and the voice talent sent the invoice and an AI disclaimer after the fact, and so they fired us all.” He recalls his own use of AI in a very different situation, and how it helped avoid a recording crisis. “She picked up the phone, and she was in labor,” he says about a voiceover artist scheduled to record that day. “But she picked up the phone, you know, and so what I did was, we sampled her voice, and the sentence that had this person who was coming up on stage with [a] mispronunciation, we put that in phonetically and did it a couple of times.”(13:50) – How Robin’s Audio Journey BeganWe circle back to Robin’s early memories of sound, and what inspired him to begin his career in audio. “Music was always in my house,” he says, “whether it was, you know, on the RCA phonograph or whether it was a couple of live players that stopped by the house and jammed and stuff. And I just grew up around it.” He tells us more about how he formed his remote studio, audibleRicochet, and how its timing coincided with the COVID pandemic. “Things had changed so much,” he explains, “and I had actually had facilities here at the house. And so, you know, if there was a snow day, I’d stay home and work and stuff. And it just became more obvious to me that we didn’t need that facility.”(24:32) – The Emotional Impact of SoundAs the first half of our conversation wraps up, Robin shares his thoughts on how the power of sound shapes our cinematic experience in ways we don’t fully realize. “Sometimes with sound design, you can do things that are unexpected that also help the story,” he says, “but they have to believe it, and you have to do it in a way that they’ll believe it.” He gives us an example of a memorable use of sound in filmmaking from the 2014 film A Most Wanted Man: “The talking and stuff, that faded away, and the only thing you heard was his footsteps… As he got to the door to the elevator, the footsteps stopped, and then the crowd and the background went back to normal as if we went back to reality.”Episode SummaryOur conversation about the voiceover challenges and opportunities posed by AI.An exploration of the audio techniques that help guide audience focus.Robin and I discuss how sound enhances storytelling and audience engagement.Tune in for next week’s episode as we discuss the surprising history behind why commercials are so much louder than television, why Robin advises his students against writing jingles, and what sonic logos can learn from the techniques used to create consistent cinematic soundscapes.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Sound in Advertising: Emotion, AI, and Creative Risk with Laney and Matt McCormick 12.08.2026 30Min.

  “I don’t think AI quite has us figured out yet because, as human beings, we’ll listen to sad songs to feel better. I don’t think it understands that. That’s true, it’s contrary… Yeah, I mean, I think that AI has its place. I’m not all against it, just as a matter of course, I just think that it shouldn’t replace our creativity. That’s what makes us human, and I don’t want to see a computer replace that. Yeah, I want it to clean my house and cook my meals so that I can create.” – Jodi Krangle & Laney McCormickThis episode is the second half of my conversation with music supervisors Laney and Matt McCormick as we talk about how AI music’s changing the way human musicians approach their work, striking the right balance between playing it safe and making a memorable sonic impression, and how COVID and the rise of social media have changed sound editing and our approach to sonic branding.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – AI and CreativityOur conversation continues as Laney and Matt talk about the impact of AI on their industry, such as how fast musicians who find themselves competing with AI feel they have to work. “The speed’s definitely an issue,” Matt says. “It’s not easy to crank out an authentic song, and it’s not even easy to crank out an inauthentic song. In a lot of ways, it’s even harder.” Laney notes some of the trends she’s seen in music marketing and how positive messaging is making a comeback. “I see more for that whole motivational lyrical content,” she explains, “They want rap and hip hop beat, female vocal, clean lyrics, and we see a lot of requests come in with female vocals. I think that’s really cool.”(12:45) – Trends in Music LicensingThe discussion turns to pop culture and how sound is becoming more and more important in making a strong impression. “Stranger Things has a huge budget for music,” Laney tells us, “and they’re using huge tunes, and those are, you know, those are the supervisors acting as influencers in many ways. ‘Running Up That Hill’ was a B-side, and here it is, huge again.” Matt adds his thoughts on the musical risks brands are willing to take in order to stand out. “Everybody always wants to do something different, but that’s a risk, right?” he explains. “I mean your large brands, whether it’s Coca-Cola, Amazon, Nike, Taco Bell… Are those brands willing to take, like, a really huge risk with music and with sound? And the answer for me is, I don’t know. But I don’t see it very often.”(20:00) – The Role of Sound in AdvertisingAs our conversation comes to a close, Laney and Matt tell listeners how they can get in touch, and they both share their thoughts on the power of sound and its importance in our lives. “Music specifically for me is a therapy of sorts,” Laney says. “It doesn’t matter what my problem is, what my mood is, or what activity I need to do, want to do, or have to do. There is a genre and a record that will make that easier for me.” Matt talks about sound’s ability to connect us to one another, and how it creates a common ground for people from every walk of life. “Sound moves you,” he tells us. “And it can be a common ground for everybody in a way. It’s hard to listen to an emotional piece of music and not be emotional and not feel that with the person that’s next to you or multiple people next to you.”Episode SummaryOur discussion on how AI affects human creativity in music.Laney and Matt reveal the current trends in music requests and licensing.Matt and Laney discuss why they prioritize authentic music in their work.Connect with the GuestConnect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  AI in Music Licensing with Laney and Matt McCormick 05.08.2026 34Min.

  “That’s one of the biggest things that scares me the most about composing with AI. It’s that, whatever AI model you’re on, how was it trained, and was that material copyrighted? And was there any kind of permission for that to happen? And you, as the end user, don’t know.” – Laney McCormickThis episode features a pair of guests who are passionate about helping creatives elevate their stories through music. As the founders of Scene Support Music, they specialize in pairing authentic music with visual media, ensuring that brands and stories stand out. As former music educators, they prioritize education in every collaboration, guiding filmmakers and musicians through the creative and legal intricacies of music licensing. Based in the Midwest, outside the traditional film and advertising hubs, they bring a fresh perspective to the intersection of music and storytelling. Between them, they hold multiple advanced degrees in conducting, education, percussion, and communications, but they believe their most valuable lessons come from lived experience, along with the occasional failure.Their names are Laney and Matt McCormick, and, beyond their work in music and licensing, Laney serves on the board of Women in Film Cincinnati and Cindependent Film Festival. Together, Laney and Matt continue to perform as musicians on stages across the country and internationally. If you’ve ever wondered what makes music truly move us, this is a conversation you’ll really enjoy!As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – From Teaching to Music LicensingOur conversation starts as Laney and Matt recall their earliest memories of sound and how they got into the business of music licensing. “Hearing that band play for the first time,” Laney says, recounting a memory from elementary school, “and seeing her band director, who was… very proper and wearing a black suit, and I thought, ‘I want to make that sound in this environment with those kind of people.’ Like, I want to be a band director. And that’s what I did for a really long time.” Matt shares his experience as an indie musician and how it segued into commercial music. “I remember this is the exact one where light bulbs started to go off in my head,” he recalls. “A music supervisor had reached out and said, ‘I need thirty seconds of upbeat, positive music for an apparel commercial that’s for the holidays, but it doesn’t have to be holiday music.’ And he was like, ‘money’s kind of low for it, $7,000.’ And honestly, for me at the time, and even now, $7,000, that doesn’t sound too low.”(10:00) – The Challenge of AI in MusicLaney and Matt tell us more about their role as music supervisors and how it ties into the process of music licensing. “A sync agent represents a catalog of music for licensing,” Laney explains. “A music supervisor can contact sync agents to find music and make playlists for a director, and then a clearance specialist, which is what we’re doing, like one-offs for ad agencies who will come in and say, ‘I want this specific song.’ There’s no searching involved. ‘Will you just get me the rights for that?’ And a music supervisor will use the skills of both other things at the same time.” Our conversation turns to how AI is impacting their side of the music business and the differences between traditional musicians and AI artists. “Some artists will contact us and be super odd,” Matt adds. “And it’s like, ‘Hey, I’m an AI artist,’ and I don’t want to be like, ‘Hey, AI is a bad thing. We’re not going to do it.’ And I’ve only talked to one person, but when that artist contacted me, and he’s like, ‘I’m an AI artist,’ I was like, I definitely want to have a conversation because I want to know what is going on there.”(25:00) – The Importance of AuthenticityAs we wrap up the first half of our discussion, Laney explains the different processes involved between licensed tracks and licensed covers. “That can drastically affect your bottom line,” she tells us. “Like, my cover of a Beatles song is not as expensive as the original recording. But the publishing is going to be the same whether you use the original or whether you use a cover.” Matt talks about the explosion of the licensed cover market in recent years and how it’s helped streamline the process for finding the right song track for the right client. “There are so many covers that are already out there,” he explains, “that chances are, like, if we’re working on a film and we need a cover song, my first thought doesn’t go, ‘Hey, let’s get somebody to record that.’ My first thought goes, ‘I’m going to send an email to every catalog holder that we know to see what they already have of that.’"Episode SummaryLaney and Matt share personal stories about how sound influenced their lives.Exploring the implications and challenges posed by AI-generated music.Laney and Matt discuss why they prioritize authentic music in their work.Tune in for next week’s episode as we discuss how sometimes even the best composer might not be the right composer, how vintage songs and positivity are making a surprising comeback, and what shows like Stranger Things have taught us about both following and setting musical trends.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Sonic Branding: Why Podcast Engagement Beats Downloads | Neil Cowling 29.07.2026 30Min.

  “We did a sort of special launch episode with the King, um, who’s so knowledgeable, so passionate, you know. I don’t know whether he’d just read up about it, but it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like it really tapped into something that he wants to talk about and knows how to talk about. Um, so yeah, a dream guest, frankly, in so many ways. Um, and Kate’s a great interviewer, and there are another three episodes of that after it, but yeah, it was. When you talk about sonic branding, you know, there aren’t many people in the world whose voice everybody recognizes.” – Neil CowlingThis episode is the second half of my conversation with podcast and audio promotions expert Neil Cowling as we discuss the scams and pitfalls of podcast promotion, why podcasting’s evolved a more collaborative culture than traditional radio, and what the King of England has for breakfast.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(12:28) – How Sound Influences Brand IdentityMy conversation with Neil continues as he tells us his process for building an authentic connection between a brand and podcast. “We do try and spend an extended amount of time saying, ‘What is your tone of voice? If you can imagine a celebrity that would be your dream spokesperson, who would that be? What words do you use and not use in your other communication?’” he explains. “And all of that feeds into a general vibe that hopefully when people are listening to a podcast, they’ll understand that it’s from you.” We discuss podcasting metrics, from clicks and listens to downloads, and the perils of paying for services that promise a quick boost. “Someone goes in and promises they’ll have a million downloads or that it will create an instant ROI for your product,” he cautions. “We avoid saying that because we are really talking about it as a long-term brand building exercise.”(00:00) – Podcasting With the KingWe discuss the transition from broadcast radio to podcasting in the 21st century, and why, in Neil’s experience, radio’s competitive culture hasn’t carried over to podcasting. “Radio is a real kind of dog-eat-dog medium,” he says, “partly because there are only so many radio listeners and you’re all fighting over the same time slot. Everybody wants to be the biggest breakfast show… whereas in podcasting, there’s more of a sense that somebody else’s success is not at everybody else’s detriment.” He tells us about some of his most memorable podcasting experiences, including his team’s surprise interview at Windsor Castle with not only Cate Blanchett but His Majesty, King Charles III. “Hannah had the honor of having asked the King what he had for breakfast,” Neil recalls, “you know, to test the microphone. The answer is nothing, if you’re interested. He hasn’t eaten breakfast for years.”(27:40) – Building Podcast EngagementAs our conversation comes to a close, Neil shares his thoughts on why radio ads are on the way out and what’s replacing them in the podcast market. “Radio ads are rubbish,” he tells us. “Most radio ads are done at the last minute by an ad agency who, again, thinks it’s easy. They’ve spent three months working on the TV, and they’ll knock together a radio script and push it out there.” We discuss whether pre-roll or mid-roll ads are most effective at reaching their audience, and the unique outreach that host reads offer podcast sponsors. “Give us your bullet points, give us the things that absolutely have to be in there,” he says. “But also allow a bit of levity and a bit of leeway for those presenters so that they can take what the audience already loves about them and transfer it to your brand.”Episode SummaryBalancing brand consistency with collaborative podcasting.Neil explains the key metrics for measuring podcasting success.Exploring the branding benefits of podcast collaborations.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Branded Podcasts: How Brands Earn Attention and Build Trust | Neil Cowling 22.07.2026 37Min.

  “So the answer to why is that podcasts, whether they’re audio only or, nowadays, the vast majority are including video as well, provide a depth and a nuance and a detail of conversation that is almost impossible to get anywhere else. So, you know, we live in an age where people are scanning TikTok and brands are trying to catch your attention for three seconds. And they feel like that’s a triumph. If you’ve stopped scrolling for just three seconds and looked at their thing, it doesn’t really matter if you’ve clicked through. And so, in an age where attention is so valuable, podcasting creates a level of attention that no one else except cinema can compete with.” – Neil CowlingThis episode’s guest is the founder of Fresh Air, the leading branded podcast agency in the UK and the most awarded podcast company in Europe. Before getting into podcasting, he spent years creating documentaries and promotional campaigns for some of the BBC’s biggest shows, such as Doctor Who, the Olympics, and Luther. He’s one of the UK’s leading experts in how to use audio to build a brand’s unique tone of voice, creating work that drives client results and provides entertainment for listeners. His name is Neil Cowling, and we’ll be discussing how brands can earn real attention, balance creativity with business goals, and use sound to connect more deeply with audiences.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – The Value of PodcastingAs our conversation starts, Neil shares his thoughts on when, and whether, it’s okay for podcasters to take a break, and how a comedy cassette featuring Rowan Atkinson opened his eyes as a child to the power of sound. “What I love about audio is the fact that I can write something, it comes out of my head onto a page, and then I can make it and not really involve anybody else,” he explains. “I have an idea, and all I need in order to make that come alive is a brilliant script, a great voiceover artist and some sound design.” We discuss how podcasting has evolved over the past ten years, and why more companies are embracing it as a medium. “You can tell stories of extraordinary people all over the United Kingdom,” he tells us. “And a great way to do this, and, frankly, a cheap way to do this, is to do it on podcasts, because you don’t need a big set, you don’t need a location shoot.”(12:28) – Building a Brand’s Audio IdentityOur discussion turns to branded podcasting and how it allows content creators to focus on important niche topics that might not have a chance to build an audience otherwise. “Most of the people in the world will never listen to a podcast that’s aimed at insurance brokers,” Neil notes, “but those people love it and find it super valuable. And so is a lot of this kind of brand work, and that extends to all sorts of types of organizations, like, we do lots of charity work.” He tells us why downloads are no longer the key metric and what it takes for a podcast to succeed in today’s world. “For some reason,” he says, “there’s this residual feeling that, because so many people do make great podcasts from home, that it must be easy. It’s really not. Even if you’re doing it from home, it’s really not.”(27:40) – The Future of Branded PodcastsThe first half of our conversation comes to a close as we look at the untapped marketing potential of sonic branding, particularly in social media spaces. “Some of the biggest brands in the world, you’ve no idea what they sound like,” Neil says. “They’ve thought really hard about what they look like, and there are tons of people employed to create the brand guidelines and make sure that they are guarded with their lives. As soon as you say, ’ What’s your audio brand? ’, they haven’t got a clue.” He talks about his work in such projects as the London Olympics and Doctor Who, and what Doctor Who in particular can teach us about audio branding. “The Doctor obviously changes every couple of years,” he notes. “You can change the characters, you could change the look of the TARDIS if you wanted to. If you change the noise of the TARDIS or the theme tune to Doctor Who, though, there would be a riot amongst fans of the show... It’s probably one of the best examples of sonic branding.”Episode SummaryHow podcasting creates a deeper level of engagement than other media.Neil talks about the benefits of creating evergreen podcast content.Exploring how brands can better leverage audio in their marketing.Tune in for next week’s episode as we reveal the key metrics for gauging a podcast’s success, what sets the advertising culture of radio and podcasting apart, and what Neil learned from his recent podcast interview at Windsor Castle with Cate Blanchett and His Majesty, King Charles III.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Voice Resonance: How Gravitas Builds Trust with Cynthia Zhai 15.07.2026 29Min.

  “Scientifically, it’s because that voice is vibration. So when it’s vibration, it needs a medium to be heard. Like, if we are in outer space, we hear nothing because there’s no medium to convey the sound. And then once we’re back on Earth, we have media. And when we are listening to ourselves, the sound is vibrating in the head. So, the medium, the media, they are liquid, they are solid, the bones, so that’s the medium that they are resonating in. But when we’re recording ourselves, the medium is air. And then of course, fortunately or unfortunately, when people hear us, the voice is also vibrating in the air. So that’s why I tell my clients, if you want to know how much suffering you’re putting people around you through, you must listen to yourself.” – Cynthia ZhaiThis episode is the second half of my conversation with voice coach, TEDx speaker, and best-selling author Cynthia Zhai as we discuss the value of silence in public speaking, why our recordings never seem to sound like ourselves, and her insights into the trend of AI -generated narration.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – Understanding GravitasThe second half of our conversation begins as Cynthia elaborates on the meaning of gravitas and how speakers can best convey a sense of it. “[Gravitas] just means that seriousness in the voice,” she says, “so when a leader speaks, if they are speaking with a voice that conveys this kind of seriousness, the heaviness that it gives people the impression that these leaders know what they’re doing.” We discuss the challenge of maintaining an engaging pace while speaking, and why speeches are as much about silence as sound. “One very simple example that I use in my classes,” she explains, “is when we announce the lucky draw winner. So we say, ‘The lucky draw winner is…’ After that, we pause, right? We pause so long that we are building up the suspense, building up people’s anticipation.”(12:56) – The Role of PresenceCynthia describes her four tips for speakers to keep in mind, such as the impact they have on listeners. “The first one is people have to know how their voice affects people physically,” she says. “Either they give people goosebumps or make people relax.” We discuss that age-old riddle of why our voices never sound like our real selves in a recording, and why she always asks for a recording of her clients as part of her teaching process. “When I hear myself in my head, ‘Oh, it’s so deep.’ But when it’s recorded, it’s not. Or they feel, ‘Oh, it’s so nice,’ and recorded, it’s not. They have to listen to themselves.”(25:30) – The Impact of AI on VoiceOur discussion turns to AI and its growing role in narration, and how Cynthia’s recent encounter with a voice clone of a teacher who’d passed away quickly revealed itself as AI. “The way that they’re talking, you can tell,” she says. “The more you listen, the more you can tell it is by AI because, for example, humans, when we are talking, we can say, ‘Ah, I see,’ that there’s a certain emotion that we carry where the AI, when you listen, it doesn’t.” She tells listeners how they can get in touch and offers her parting tips on becoming a better speaker. “Even if they don’t end up working with me,” she says, “I hope that this opens up some window where they realize, ‘The voice I was born with can be changed.’"Episode SummaryCynthia explains what gravitas means and how it can be developed.Techniques for effectively using silence and pauses in speech.The growing impact of AI voice clones and where they still fall short.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Leadership Voice: How to Sound Calm in Uncertain Times with Cynthia Zhai 08.07.2026 33Min.

  “I think one thing we mentioned just now, which is equanimity, that, of course, for them, they didn’t realize the word. It was also something, the word that I’ve learned over the pandemic, so I think that’s one thing where that equanimity, how you can stay grounded and centered, even if you are going through chaos, even if there is chaos in your head. So how you can stand grounded, and you can sound calm when you’re talking to people, and even also in the pandemic, a lot of times the leaders don’t know the answer either. So even if you don’t know the answer, even if you feel the future is uncertain, you can still come across as calm and certain with the people you’re leading.” – Cynthia ZhaiThis episode’s guest is a voice coach, Professional Speaker, and best-selling author. She’s also a two-time TEDx speaker, and she’s helped professionals from 56 countries across six continents learn how to speak with a powerful voice. Her name is Cynthia Zhai, and she’s been a professional speaker and coach for the past 23 years, with engagement spanning five continents in 25 countries. She’s also been on this podcast before, though it was pretty much at the very beginning of things in 2020. We had a lot to catch up on, and the topic of communicating effectively is more important than ever. If you want your voice to have more impact and influence, you won’t want to miss this discussion.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – Developing Your Leadership VoiceAs our conversation starts, Cynthia shares the memories that have influenced her career in sound, such as hearing Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. “I think that speech itself, the voice with emotion, the voice with a lot of passion, that’s what really moved me,” she explains. “Plus, later on I heard about how the speech he delivered was not the original speech. I think that’s even more impressive.” We talk about how things have changed since her last appearance on the show and what inspired her second book. “The first book came out ten years ago, 2015,” she tells us, “so now, ten years later, some new ideas have come to me. I’ve got some new inspiration, plus all the different clients I work with, so there are even more case studies. And so that’s what I did.”(12:28) – Equanimity in LeadershipCynthia tells us about equanimity and how it guides her philosophy as a voice coach and speaker. “Equanimity is a Buddhist term that means that you stay centered and grounded even in the midst of chaos around you,” she says. “Even if you feel that it’s uncertain, you feel a little bit panicked, but as a leader that, when you lead, you have to still come across as calm, composed, and certain.” She tells us why having a soft voice is no obstacle to being a powerful speaker, and her approach to helping clients overcome the doubts that keep them from speaking with confidence. “It’s because there’s something that in their mind is holding them back,” she explains. “For example, they don’t dare to take up space. They have grown up in an environment where it’s not encouraged… Or there are clients who are fearful of visibility or even authority. Once they have all these, it will affect the way they speak.”(27:40) – Overcoming Stage FrightThe first half of our discussion comes to a close as Cynthia recalls how she ended up taking her own advice about journaling to get in touch with your inner self. “I’m going to do what I have told my clients to do,” she says. “So I wrote it down, and once I wrote down all the thoughts running through my head, I felt so relieved, I said, ‘Oh, okay.’ Then I went back to sleep.” She offers her tips for overcoming stage fright and talks about the importance, particularly these days, of showing empathy and understanding in public speech. “Since the pandemic, a lot of researchers have shown, and also it’s attested by many clients as well, that people are more and more towards leaders who show compassion,” she tells us. “That’s why that compassion has become a very key element when they’re speaking.”Episode SummaryCynthia explores how compassion shapes audience perception.Discussion on the meaning and value of equanimity for leaders.Strategies for managing anxiety before public speaking.Tune in for next week’s episode as we discuss just what it means to have gravitas, Cynthia’s techniques for building a stronger connection with your audience, and how her uncanny encounter with the voice clone of a favorite teacher showed her both the power and limitations of AI in sound.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Music in Film: Why the Wrong Score Changes Everything | Jayson Johnson 01.07.2026 25Min.

  “I guess that’s encouraging, and it’s scary at the same time, because, you know, there are a lot of people in the industry that depend on the creativity that they’ve worked years and years and years to kind of master and to get to this point. And then all of a sudden, someone says, I don’t want to pay this person. Let’s just have AI do it. And, you know, it does a comparable job, if not better. So it’s something that I think as a creative, I try not to be fearful of, but I do think about it as a competitor and as an ally at the same time.” – Jayson JohnsonThis episode is the second half of my conversation with founder of Strike Five Films, Jayson Johnson, as Jayson shares his creative philosophy and advice to young filmmakers, the impact he sees AI having on the creative industries, and why the world, especially now, could use more comedy.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – The Power of Music in Film The second half of our discussion starts with Jayson’s firsthand experience with film scores and how a last-minute change to a climactic scene completely changed its tone. “We found an artist who made this really awesome song, and he was local, so he wasn’t signed quite yet, and I just approached him, I said, ‘Do you think that we could use your music?’" Jayson recalls. “And so we put that music in there, and that completely changed the dynamic of it.” He shares the advice that award-winning director Terry Zwigoff gave him, and how he only later came to appreciate its significance. “He said you just have to be yourself, and I was kind of disappointed with that answer because everyone’s looking for the hack,” he explains. “I realized that he was completely right, that… you have to be yourself and just do things that, you know, excite you. And in that way, it’s going to come across as authentic.”(12:30) – Advice for Aspiring FilmmakersJayson offers his thoughts about the AI boom and advances such as the now-discontinued Sora app from OpenAI, and his advice to young filmmakers. “I would suggest that they really think about what they want to accomplish with sound,” he says. “A lot of times people use sound as an afterthought, and I would ask them to think about what exactly they wanted to execute beforehand.” He tells listeners how they can get in touch and talks about some of his upcoming projects, including one movie genre that’s fallen out of the limelight in recent years. “I’m going to try my hand at comedy,” he explains, “because, you know, Hollywood says that comedy is dead, and I just don’t believe that. I think people need to laugh at things… You can root for the underdog and feel good leaving the theater and, just for two hours, you don’t have to think about the madness that’s going on in the world.”Episode SummaryDiscussion on how AI is shaping the future of film production.Jayson offers tips on how to integrate sound into storytelling effectively.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Film Sound Design: Why Bad Audio Makes Audiences Leave | Jayson Johnson 24.06.2026 24Min.

  “Sound is a really important part of how I make movies because I always tell people that if the sound is good and the picture is bad, then you’ll stick around to see what happens. However, if the sound is terrible and the picture is great, you’re out of there in like ten minutes. So sound is something that I always cherish. And I think that the right filmmaker who appreciates sound can really take advantage of what we think about and use, you know, the viewer’s imagination. A lot of film pictures start off in black and, you know, they just have the sound, so they really grab the audience’s attention right from the beginning. So sound is just such a powerful medium.” – Jayson JohnsonThis week’s guest is a filmmaker and the founder of Strike Five Films, an independent production company dedicated to authentic, character-driven storytelling. A graduate of Eastern Illinois University, he began his career under the mentorship of Francis Ford Coppola, working on the Wine, Daydreams & Memories tour before producing over 1,400 hours of broadcast television for Discovery ID. Since founding Strike Five Films in 2017, he’s written, directed, and produced nine short films that have screened at more than ninety festivals worldwide, earning six awards. His work has been featured in numerous media outlets and is defined by themes of perseverance, community, and creativity.He’s currently in pre-production on his debut feature, R.O.G.E.R & Me, an offbeat, heartfelt film rooted in Richmond, CA, while continuing to mentor emerging filmmakers and expand his mission of fusing storytelling, social impact, and independent artistry. His name is Jayson Johnson, and if you’ve ever wondered how intentional sound can elevate storytelling and make a lasting impact on audiences, you won’t want to miss Jayson’s behind-the-scenes insights and practical tips.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – How Sound Captivates AudiencesWe start things off with the vivid impression sound made on Jayson as a child, and how it led him to a career in filmmaking. “One of the memories I have as a child,” he recalls, “is, you know, you’re sound asleep, and then all of a sudden, the vacuum cleaner goes on… that was kind of like an alarm clock for us, you know, because we always had chores.” He tells us more about his influences growing up and how a lifelong love of movies became a calling. “When I went to college,” he explains, “I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I signed up with Speech Communication, and they had a discipline of Radio, TV, and Film. And I just tried out everything.”(11:27) – Sound Techniques in FilmmakingJayson tells us more about his early years in the industry and how a chance job opening led to an encounter with Sofia and Francis Ford Coppola. “I put out all these resumes, I don’t even know how many I put out,” he tells us. “Probably a hundred or so. No one called me except for this one place, and I said, ‘Oh, it’s a winery. I’ll go there.’ And it happened to be Francis Coppola Winery.” He recalls his work on Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, and the lessons about sound that Marin Scorsese’s classic Goodfellas taught him to apply to his own films. “We see the cars explode,” he explains, “and Scorsese wants the audience to feel the emotion of that scene by not saying anything and just adding that little pause in there and, you know, letting the audience feel the gravity of the moment.”Episode SummaryExploring how silence enhances emotional depth in storytelling.Jayson discusses the sound techniques he’s used in his films.Tune in for next week’s episode as we talk about how music can transform a film, both for better and for worse, his thoughts about the emergence of AI videos and virtual celebrities like Tilly Norwood, and why he considers sound to be the first step in his creative process as a filmmaker.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Sonic Branding: How Sound Shapes Customer Experience with Caitlyn Trevor 17.06.2026 37Min.

  “When I do see really powerful sonic branding, it’s impressive. It stands out, you know? There was one I looked at, it was a luxury airline, or it was a luxury-like experience, I want to say. They sold, like, really specific vacations to remote parts of the world that were really luxury experiences and really interesting, and they had a really cohesive sonic branding that wasn’t music. It was just an intentional sound design approach where they had a lot of the sounds of the place, and they really focused on a sense of place. So when it was in Japan, it would be the sound of that water bamboo thing, you know, really magnified. And then the sound of an old wooden gate closing, and then the sound of someone folding a paper crane, like really delicate, beautifully recorded sounds that they would shape into the commercial. And so that wasn’t music, but every single ad had the same kind of vibe of this really intentional, beautiful sound design that evoked a sense of place. And that was just so cool. And so, when I see something like that, I’m like, ‘That’s what you can do. Why are you doing random samples when you could have a really nice effect and memorable impression?’" – Caitlyn TrevorThis episode is the second half of my chat with sonic UX researcher Caitlyn Trevor as we discuss how culture can dramatically change UX impressions, the value of sound in strengthening brand, and her “Sound Effects” series on LinkedIn, exploring the link between sound and behavior.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – Making the Most of a Sonic ImpressionThe second half of our conversation begins with Caitlyn’s findings when it comes to improving on-hold UX phone design, including her discovery that less is more when it comes to automated voice updates and commercials. “You’re like, ‘Oh, thank God,’" she recalls from her research results, “But if it’s just, ‘We want to tell you about our special new…’ You’re like, ‘Oh.’ And so it was a stress thing for them every time they heard a voice, they thought, ‘Oh, someone’s answering.’ And then when it was a commercial, they were extra annoyed by the commercial.” We talk about some other sound design elements that defy common sense, such as research showing that fire alarms aren’t very well attuned to the human brain. “I found that the typical fire alarm is not the most effective,” she tells us. “You know, this kind of house alarm, like, it’s at around 3,000 Hz, really high-pitched. This is not great. A lower-pitched one around, I think it was 500 Hz, is actually more effective at waking people up.”(15:00) – How Sound Changes the Customer ExperienceCaitlyn tells us more about the unexpected results of research into our relationship with sound, including our smartphones. “When you turn off notifications completely,” she notes, “you actually check your phone more than if you leave them on because you have this like, fear of missing out… People who had their phones on mute picked up their phones 48 more times per day and spent 52 extra minutes on their phones.” We talk about what that research means for audio branding and making a positive customer impression, and we discuss the powerful, often-overlooked impact of sonic logos. “There’s an IPSO study as well,” Caitlyn recalls, “that wasn’t actually about sonic branding specifically, but the results were really flattering for sonic branding. It was something like if you have a sonic logo, it increases brand recall by, I think it was like 96%. It was really crazy.”(21:40) – The Future of Audio BrandingOur conversation comes to a close as Caitlyn shares her thoughts on the power of sound and what her research has shown about its impact on the human mind. “I think sometimes, you know, sound is such an afterthought,” she explains, “and people don’t remember that it actually has a really big impact on the experience. I think that’s becoming a bit clearer with people caring more about neurodivergence and sound sensitivity.” She tells listeners how they can get in touch, and adds her advice on how brands can make the strongest and most consistent sonic impression on their customer base. “The more time you spend with stimuli,” she notes, “whatever it is, a song, a picture, the longer you look at it, hear it, the more you like it. So when you’re doing ratings of emotion or, I don’t know, familiarity, likability, that’s going to affect it. But, you know, we know this, and somehow we don’t use it sometimes.”Episode SummaryCaitlin discusses the impact of sonic branding on client relationships.The impact of sound on brand perception, ratings, and customer loyalty.How Caitlin’s research is redefining audio branding and marketing.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  The Neuroscience of Sound: How Audio Shapes Emotion with Caitlyn Trevor 10.06.2026 32Min.

  “Our brain really prioritizes vocal signals. They’re super important to the brain because human communication is a really big priority for us as a species. It’s a deep signal in our brain, right? And so, we were seeing a stronger reaction to the screams than to the music, and that sort of makes sense. There were more intricacies to that, but I can’t really remember the exact brain areas and all that. But it was cool to see that. Yeah, it is sort of mimicking, but our brain really separates them. You know, it may still get sort of a response, a same kind of fearful response, but it’s not going to be as powerful as the voice, um, which makes sense because music is not real, right? There’s a difference between a real stimulus and this sort of artistic one. Yeah, so it was interesting.” – Caitlyn TrevorThis episode’s guest is an award-winning researcher and musician with over a decade of experience studying how people perceive and respond to sound. She holds a PhD in Music Theory from Ohio State University and has published her work in top journals. She was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship to study music and neuroscience, and she’s professionally certified in user research. As a musician, she has a Master’s in Cello Performance, has composed an award-winning short film score, and has designed sound for theater and film. At SonicUXR, she leads with both credibility and creative empathy, equipping sound teams with the tools to create more intentional, impactful audio.Her name is Caitlyn Trevor, and her work is reshaping how sound is understood, valued, and designed across industries. If you’ve ever wondered how sound really works on us, this conversation will change the way you listen.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – Lighting a Musical FireOur conversation starts with Caitlyn’s early impressions of sound, particularly the moment that sparked her love of orchestral music. “I came across on the floor like a little cassette tape and a cassette player, and I popped it in and just hit play while we were chatting, and it was the Lord of the Rings soundtrack,” she recalls. “I was a little too young when it came out, the first one, and I was just captivated by it. I mean, I was like, ‘Wow, what is this?’” We discuss the chance encounter during her musical studies that turned her focus towards music cognition and the neuroscience behind sound. “There was a lecture I went to totally by chance,” she tells us. “It was a new music theory professor, and the lecture was about music cognition, and I had never heard of it before. And I was like, ‘This is just the coolest field I’ve ever heard of.’ And I totally was on board after that.”(15:00) – Pianto Sighs and Psycho ViolinsOur discussion turns to her research on the connection between music and the brain’s primal response to voices. “In sad music,” Caitlyn explains, “there’s something called the pianto topic, which is essentially just a half-step falling motion, like, which is supposed to mimic a sigh. But, you know, that’s quite abstract… Whereas the psycho violin, you know, sounds very much like a scream.” She tells us about the birth of her daughter and how her career shifted from academia to the private sector. “I think a lot of academics are scared that’s going to happen, that it’s going to feel like, I don’t know, maybe they wasted all that time,” she says. “I was prepared that I may not be able to continue doing music cognition, and I’m very happy that that hasn’t been the case. That was surprising.”(21:40) – Putting Audio Theory to PracticeCaitlyn tells us more about her work on UX research, and how it quickly and unexpectedly led to her focus on phone trees and hold-time experiences. “They hadn’t thought about the phone tree for that,” she recalls. “They just mentioned it, like, ‘Oh, and we’re also doing the phone tree and the on-hold music.’ And I was like, ‘Wait, that would be great for me to work on… somebody needs to do UX on that [because[ it’s the worst.’" She talks about the advantage of being able to put her findings to use, something that hadn’t been so easy at the university. “What I like about my new position,” Caitlyn explains, “as opposed to working in academia, is synthesizing it in a way that’s accessible… I never really did that in academia. It was always just about supporting your hypothesis, explaining the results. But now I get to say this research shows me that we should compose it this way.”Episode SummaryCaitlin shares her journey from Lord of the Rings to the science of sound.The evolutionary origins of music and its impact on the brain.Caitlin’s work in UX research and creating a better phone-hold experience.Tune in for next week’s episode as we discuss the results of Caitlyn’s studies into on-hold UX design and phone trees, why unpleasant sounds are sometimes the better choice in automobile UX, and what she’s learned about the long-term return on investment when it comes to sonic branding.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  AI in Sound Design: Human Creativity vs Technology | Rune Eskildsen – Part 2 03.06.2026 31Min.

  “I grew up near the west coast here in Denmark, so yeah, the sea has always been there. And Aarhus is also a harbor city, so definitely there’s something relaxing about going down to the water and hearing the whistling. We implemented that in Necesse, actually. We have a water fountain that’s spatial, so that when you get near to it, you hear it rustling. You can sit by it and actually get the feeling that you’re talking about, of just, you know, [dreaming] away.” – Rune EskildsenThis episode is the second half of my conversation with composer Rune R. B. Eskildsen as we discuss the balance between AI convenience and human intuition, where the data we feed AI ends up and how it might be used, and his work on the upcoming, highly anticipated game Out of Words.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – Navigating AI and Copyright ChallengesAs the second half of our discussion starts, Rune shares his thoughts on the growth of AI and how even a simple jingle can benefit from a human touch. “It’s a story that you are trying to convey through the brand or whatever you’re making that sound for,” he explains. “Yes, you could recreate the same thing with an AI, but it wouldn’t be able to encapsulate the thoughts that we’ve spoken about.” We talk about the environmental impact of AI and the data centers that power it, and how different countries are looking to offset, and even take advantage of, that impact. “Data centers are going up,” he notes, “I just learned recently that in Amsterdam or somewhere in the Netherlands, they use data centers to heat up the city. So they build them on the ground and then they heat parts of the city.”(15:45) – The Role of Human Emotion in SoundOur conversation turns to some of the privacy concerns that have sprung up around AI, and how they affect his use of it for professional clients. “Even though it might not go anywhere, we don’t know if it’s going anywhere,” he says about prompts. “It takes a snapshot and puts it somewhere and hides it. And there might be some secret stuff, so yeah, that’s also a concern.” He discusses some cases where, on the other hand, AI has helped clients better express their needs. “I think talking about AI as a tool,” he tells us, “maybe people would do that, say, ‘This is kind of the vibe that I want to do. And I’ve made it with AI or made it myself or whatever, but now I want you to do it properly.’"(22:00) – Rune’s Advice for Product DesignersAs our conversation wraps up, Rune elaborates on the different, often subtle impact that AI and human compositions can have on listeners. “I guess that’s sort of the same,” he explains, “[as] plastic plants and real plants. And that’s definitely, you know, it lights up and there are some colors which you really can’t emulate that well, even though some of the plastic ones are good.” He tells listeners how they can get in touch and talks about some of his upcoming projects, including the indie adventure platformer Out of Words. “We have some updates coming and we’ll be on sale on Steam when we go into winter,” he adds. “So that is nice. And yeah, we have some bigger updates coming.”Episode SummaryRune shares insights on the current copyright landscape in Denmark.Discussion on the ethics and sustainability of AI in the audio industry.Rune gives tips on how to enhance sound quality in product design.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Sound Design in Video Games: From Sci-Fi to Immersion | Rune Eskildsen – Part 1 27.05.2026 30Min.

  “When I started on the project of Necesse, we had maybe thirty sound effects. I’ve made around 400, 350 sound effects, so it’s become much more immersive. You can hear animals when you wander around in the different environments. And just the feedback you get by playing the game, it’s quite nice compared to before, which were much more… maybe empty is the right word.” – Rune EskildsenThis week’s guest is a media composer, sound designer, and drummer based in Denmark. He writes music and builds sonic identities across formats, from commercials and podcast jingles to film scores, game music, and in-game sound design. He holds a Master of Science in Strategic Communication, which he applies to creative direction, collaboration, and clear, audience-first storytelling.More recently, he’s become the Composer and Sound Designer of the indie game Necesse, selling more than 2,000,000 copies. His name is Rune R. B. Eskildsen, and he bridges classical training and cutting-edge technology to tell stories through sound. This episode will give you a fresh, behind-the-scenes perspective on how sound can shape emotion, imagination, and even player behavior.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – Growing Up in a Musical HomeOur conversation starts with the movies and music that inspire Rune’s career in sound. “I clearly remember watching Star Wars,” he recalls, “and all of the soundscapes that are in, you know, just that huge universe, [with] TIE-fighters flying by and Darth Vader, that scary sound.” He shares his memories of growing up in a home that doubled as a music studio, and of studying classical music from a young age. “When I went to this special school in Denmark that is only for classical music,” he says, “and being there, being part of that, I played the French horn. At this time, I started to have ear training and music theory and all of that, which kind of led me on a path to try to make my own.”(15:00) – From Classical Music to Video GamesThe discussion turns to his work in the video game industry and how he got his start in composing video-game soundtracks. “I showed up at this incubator with game companies,” he tells us, “and I was, like, ‘This is me, I do music, I want to do music for games.’ And then some of the guys there, they said, ‘Hey, we want to work with you.’" Rune gives us a behind-the-scenes look at game development and recalls his sound work on MineRalph, a game where the soundtrack had to keep pace with the action. “So, because you gain speed if you’re, like, going down a hill or something like that, or down a hole,” he explains, “if you have high speed, the music will change into different adaptive layers.”(21:40) – Creating Immersive Gaming SoundscapesAs the first half of our talk comes to a close, Rune tells us more about his work with video games and shares another memorable project that took some outside-the-box thinking. “That was like a dystopian world sci-fi thing,” he recalls, “and that was actually mainly symphonic music. But again, it was sci-fi, so I was able to design a lot of, you know, sounds that people did not hear before.” He shares his thoughts on where indie games are heading next and how organic creativity is becoming an increasingly valuable asset in the industry. “I think in terms of trends,” he explains, “people are trying to make immersive worlds that are standing out more than just being, you know, if you use Unity... making it more creative, making your own world, making it hand-drawn instead.”Episode SummaryRune shares his early memories of sound, particularly from sci-fi films.Rune explains his journey from classical music to video game soundtracks.Discussion on current trends in game audio and the role of AI.Tune in for next week’s episode as we talk more about the influence of AI in video games and cinema, Rune’s advice to musicians for juggling the rapid-fire demands of modern freelancing, and how countries around the world are managing the environmental impact of the AI boom.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Sound Design Process: A Conversation with Kenneth Johnson 20.05.2026 29Min.

  “I think that sound drives the emotion of a scene, right? As much as dialogue, right? Sound and music, score in particular… I just think it helps to create emotion in a scene or augments the performances. Because you gotta have great performances, but great performance coupled with, you know, great sound design or a great score, it just makes you feel, it does something, it makes you tingle. It does something to you that just envelops you in that moment, right?” – Kenneth JohnsonThis episode is the second half of my conversation with sonic storyteller and founder of Artistry in Sound, Kenneth Johnson, as we talk about his experiences as one of the earliest Black sound designers in Hollywood, the changes that AI and streaming media have brought to sound design, and how horror movies in particular combine a variety of sound approaches to make a powerful impact.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – The Role of Sound in FilmOur discussion continues as Kenneth walks us through the process of sound design, from shooting script to the recording booth.“As I’m reading the script,” he tells us, “I’m sort of envisioning the project and thinking about, okay, well, what do I think it should sound like? And what can I do to embellish those scenes? And so once I’ve kind of digested that, then we do what’s called the spotting session with the creatives.” He tells us more about creating a cinematic soundscape and reveals just how little of what the audience hears comes from the action onscreen. “Everything, usually, other than the dialogue, we recreate,” he says. “Whether that’s a car race, a spaceship, or it’s by a river, everything that you hear, all the ambience, all the sound effects are redone. We’ve recreated that whole soundscape.”(15:45) – Production Recording vs. Post-ProductionKenneth tells us about his up-and-coming experiences in Hollywood and the importance of diversity in the sound industry. “What I do is I try to give people opportunities,” he explains. “My team, you know, are from their early twenties to forty, and the majority are African American, and the majority of them, well, all of them, basically, I trained and mentored. And they’re very talented.” We discuss the growing role of AI and streaming content in sound editing, and how much software apps have changed the process since his audio career began in the ‘90s. “Once we put [the audio track] into iZotope RX,” he tells us, “we could see it, and so I had to figure out what’s making this resonance. I had to take some things out, and it turns out it was a metal music stand that was vibrating and causing that frequency.”(25:30) – The Future of Sound DesignOur conversation comes to a close as we talk about the different roles and responsibilities involved in cinematic sound, from soundtracks to dialogue to each layer of Foley sound. “We want it to be able to breathe because if you just throw everything on the wall,” he says, “then it’s not going to be as nice as if you selectively pick what’s going up there. That’s important to figure out, who’s going to handle what, because a lot of times sound design and score can overlap.” Kenneth tells listeners how they can get in touch, and he offers his advice for newcomers in the sound industry, including the value of hands-on experience. “I can take you to a class and talk for a few hours about techniques… Are you going to retain that? Probably not,” he says. “If you’re able to get in there like I did and have access to being able to work and try out different things and get advice, you’re going to move faster.”Episode SummaryWe discuss how sound drives emotion and shapes a movie’s narrative.Kenneth outlines his creative process from script reading to ambient sound design.Insights and advice from Kenneth for the next generation of sound designers.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Sound Design Secrets: A Conversation with Kenneth Johnson 13.05.2026 31Min.

  This episode’s guest is an award–winning supervising sound designer whose groundbreaking work has shaped the sound of some of television and film’s most iconic projects, including Netflix’s hit series Forever and Kevin Hart’s animated comedy Lil Kev. Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, he rose through the ranks of Hollywood post-production, breaking barriers as one of the few Black sound designers in the industry and earning multiple MPSE Golden Reel Awards and Emmy nominations. Today, he’s not only redefining sonic storytelling but also championing greater diversity behind the scenes, ensuring the voices shaping what we hear are as dynamic as the stories themselves.His name is Kenneth Johnson, and in this episode, we’ll discover how he transforms silence into emotion and builds powerful storytelling through every note, tone, and texture.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – Kenneth’s Early InfluencesWe start things off with a look at Kenneth’s journey from a childhood in the South Central projects to an award-winning Hollywood career. “Something just came over me, and I said, you know what? This is it, I’m kind of done,” he recalls a pivotal moment early in life. “I had to make a decision as to what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and, you know, I’ve always liked music.” He tells us about his early career in post-production sound and a chance encounter with producer J.R. DeLang. “He said, ‘That’s great, but you can’t come in and just sit in that chair. You’ve got to work your way up to that.’” Kenneth tells us of their first meeting. “He said, ‘we’ve got two positions that usually work their way up to being [soundtrack] mixers, and that’s a dialogue editor and a sound effects editor.’”(12:45) – The Journey to Sound DesignKenneth tells us more about his work as a sound designer and the art of creating impossible sounds, such as the wild inventions in the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids series. “They were always creating these contraptions and things that don’t exist,” he says, “so you had to figure it out in your mind. You’d have to say, ‘Well, what do I think it sounds like?’ Or what should it sound like? And then you start putting pieces together.” He recalls his sound editing work from a memorable scene in the award-winning movie Road to Perdition and the thought process behind it. “We started out with just hearing the sounds of winter,” Kenneth explains. “And then he tries to start the car, and the car is not really functioning and he’s having an issue starting it. And so that whole sequence of him trying to start the car and then finally getting it started was, it was just really beautiful.”(25:30) – The Power of SilenceAs the first half of our conversation wraps up, Kenneth emphasizes the importance of testing sound work in its native format as well as the studio. “I think a lot of times people don’t do that,” he says. “They don’t play it back in the medium that it’s meant to be played on. They just play it in the room and it sounds fantastic, right? But then when you squash it all down to a stereo file, it will sound different.” We talk about what goes into setting up an ideal sound studio and about the importance of “tuning” a room. “Say there’s a dip in the low end,” he explains, “and the room hasn’t been compensated. We’re going to push the low end, which means that possibly when it gets to another playback format, the bass is going to be really loud. So we try to mix in a neutral environment where everything is flat.”Episode SummaryKenneth discusses his childhood and transition to film and television sound design.We discuss the challenge of creating sound effects for things that don’t exist.Kenneth emphasizes the importance of maintaining an ideal studio sound space.Tune in for next week’s episode as we discuss how Kenneth puts sound to work in shaping a narrative, how his role as a sound designer has changed since digital sound editing became the norm, and his advice for people who are just starting out in post-production and sound editing.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  AI in Business and Creativity: A Conversation with David Gielan 06.05.2026 26Min.

  “The reason why brands and companies should be thinking about audio is because all of their consumers are, whether they know it or not. I mean, to your point about people knowing when something doesn’t feel right but not necessarily knowing why, a lot of times it’s audio. Especially now too, with so much AI slop and the level of inauthenticity that is being broadcasted, a really great song jingle, like a really well-crafted sound design for movements in things like action, sports, or what have you, that can bring in the viewer or the listener into a world that I just cannot.” – David GielanThis episode is the second half of my conversation with founder and CEO of Dominant Creative, and founder and CTO of DominantLabs.AI, David Gielan, as we discuss the shifting balance between AI content and natural creativity, where he sees the advertising industry heading as human artists become more of a luxury, and the link between branding, better sales, and the power of sound.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – The Importance of Audio in MarketingThe second half of our conversation starts as David relays a lesson Emma Thompson shared in one of her books about the impact that just writing our thoughts down can have on the brain. “She says there’s a relation between the way that our brain works and our hand,” he recalls. “You fundamentally learn what it is you’re putting down on paper by having that connection, which I think is really interesting. And we totally miss it if we put it into an AI chatbot.” We focus on the steady growth of AI in the advertising industry, and how it’s making organic content both less common and more valuable. “In the same way that I buy vinyl and listen to vinyl,” David says, “that’s how voiceover, and, in my humble opinion, sound design, music creation, all these things will be. There will be a premium for it, and there’ll be a much smaller group doing it because you will not be able to make a living at it.”(08:15) – AI’s Impact on CreativityDavid tells us more about his creative process, and how he took a deliberately low-tech approach to mixing his last album: “I didn’t want samples from somebody I’ve never met, somebody I didn’t know who played it in some studio in Prague to have their stuff on my record,” he explains. “And so I think there are more people out there who feel the same way that I do.” AI can have its advantages, though, and he describes how he puts it to use when brainstorming. “When I want to sketch out storyboards,” he says, “it’s much easier for me to clarify that idea and then have it animated… Not because I’m trying to put out a final product, but because I’m trying to understand better what I want.”(22:35) – Crafting an Authentic Brand SoundAs our conversation comes to a close, David shares some of the projects that have marked the highlights of his career, and the role sound played in shaping their success. “One of the proudest things I have in my career is a piece of audio that’s absolutely defined the legacy of that brand. And it is very easy to forget what drives a consumer to make a purchasing decision to align themselves with an identity because that’s essentially what, you know, your dollars go to.” We discuss the link between visual, audio, and ad revenue, and how he puts all three to use to build a successful brand. “The thing I spend most of my time doing is connecting the dots between a good brand and better sales,” he tells us. “Ultimately, that’s what it will or will not do. And audio is a massive part of that.”Episode SummaryDavid discusses why brands should focus on authentic audio experiences.The conversation shifts to the effects of AI on sound design and creativity.David shares his philosophy on creating sound with a personal touch.Connect with the GuestDominant Creative’s website: https://dominantcreative.com/David’s website: https://gielan.com/Follow David Gielan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dgielan/Follow David Gielan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidgielan/Follow David Gielan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgielan/Get your complimentary mini e-book and learn how to create your personalized and branded audio branding strategy with my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy.Do you need a voice talent for your next project? Visit my voice-over website to find out more about how my voice can help you with your audio brand. You can also subscribe to the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube to watch the show’s latest episodes.Please leave the Audio Branding Podcast a written review so others can find the show on their favorite podcast player!Want to be a guest on Audio Branding? Send Jodi a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/jodikrangle.This interview episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco.** Transcript available upon requestThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Audio Branding and Sound Design: A Conversation with David Gielan 29.04.2026 30Min.

  “To your point, like it can make or break campaigns, can make or break TV and film. I mean, you know, there’s mumblegate that’s happening, like with all the streamers where I can’t understand half the things that are being spoken... And in the interview, he was like, ‘Well, it’s just not important to me.’ I’m like, what?” – David GielanThis week’s guest is a six-time founder and creative strategist who knows the power of sound in shaping stories that stick. As founder of Dominant Creative, a global agency and production company, he helps brands harness audio to spark connection and inspire change. His name is David Gielan, and in this episode, he shares how sound influences branding, fuels emotion, and helps organizations stand out in a noisy world. If you care about where audio is headed, you’ll want to hear this one.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – David’s Journey from Music to MarketingAs our conversation starts, David recalls his early memories of sound and how he’s passing on the lessons he learned to his own children. “Being even two or three years old,” he says, “I have these memories of dancing to records in my home and, you know, I just try to impart that on my kids too when they were very young.” He tells us more about his experience in marketing and ad production, and how having a background in music can sometimes be a mixed blessing. “I am not a person who can go to live music events as just an appreciator of music,” David explains. “It makes it absolutely impossible for me…. I’m just going to be sitting there in my head trying to pick it apart, not in a negative way, but just in a way of trying to understand how it was all put together.”(08:15) – Mumblegate and Audio ClarityThe discussion continues as David tells us more about the role sound plays in his approach to branding. “ I also have always been the kind of director and creative who is considering sound at each stage of the process,” he tells us. “And so I’m also doing the edit in my head and I’m doing the sound design in my head while we’re filming, while we’re working on it, and so it just gives me a greater level of control, but also creative inspiration as I’m working.” Our conversation turns to “mumblegate,” the sound editing trend that’s making streaming audio harder to hear than ever, and how it can work against a marketing campaign. “I think for a lot of people,” he adds, “sound is usually an afterthought, especially because advertising a lot of time is a very visual medium… The creatives that I love working with most are the ones who come from post before they started getting into the director’s chair, because they understand how something incredibly simple can make such a massive impact.”(22:35) – The Role of Sound DesignAs the first half of our conversation closes, the topic turns to how David puts sound to use in his own marketing work, such as an ad campaign he created for Yonex. “It was a very dark and emotive and impactful round of spots that were mainly driven by sound design,” he recalls. “It was just the visuals of a racket spinning. But it really came to life when, you know, when those moments were accented by key sound effects.” Our discussion returns to his insights on mumblegate, and how often it comes down to a struggle between sound editors and producers. “I’ve worked with a number of rerecording mixers over the years that bury dialogue because they’re forced to do so, not because they want to. They’re like, ‘No, I want to bring clarity to this project and so people can follow the story and understand what’s going on.’ And then they’re, you know, shouted down by the folks at the top.”Episode SummaryDavid talks about his career journey and personal experiences with sound.Why audio clarity seems to be less of a focus in today’s media.David shares the impact of sound design in his advertising campaigns.Tune in for next week’s episode as we talk about the human creativity premium that the AI rush is helping to create, how David’s balancing automation and his personal approach to building a campaign, and why he feels that sound is an untapped resource when it comes to branding.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  How Audio Branding Transforms Marketing: A Conversation with David Courtier-Dutton – Part 2 22.04.2026 29Min.

  “Live is always going to be great. Human connection is the only thing that will differentiate AI from people and from artists. And that is, I think, going to be the key lever that artists have left. So in the same way as you might go and buy a handmade coffee cup for $20 from an artisan stall when you can buy one for a dollar in Walmart, music will still hold great value.” – David Courtier-DuttonThis episode is the second half of my conversation with the founder and CEO of SoundOut, David Courtier-Dutton, as we discuss the catch-22 financial companies can face when it comes to making a sonic impression, how some companies are reaching old and new customers alike by reviving the radio jingles of years past, and the role of audio branding in an increasingly AI-driven world.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – Surprising Trends in Sonic BrandingThe second half of our conversation starts as David shares more of SoundOut’s discoveries about the effectiveness of branding, including why Visa and Mastercard’s sonic logos haven’t made the impact they’d hoped. “Listening to their sonic logo in isolation with no brand association,” David explains, “20% and 31% respectively said, yeah, we know the brand. But not one person out of those 400 across the two brands could actually write the brand name when asked what the brand was.” We talk about the old radio jingles and how some companies are finding success in reviving them for a new generation. “Both Maybelline and Pillsbury,” he tells us, “are sort of historic logos that were retired for a long time, and you just cannot underestimate the power of bringing back an old, beloved sonic logo… I wouldn’t say it’s an easy win, but it is, because those neural pathways are absolutely locked in.”(8:45) – The Role of AI in Music and MarketingDavid and I talk about the elephant in the room, AI and its impact on marketing, and the shift he’s seen over the past year. “Up until about six months ago,” he observes, “we were seeing very little of it. There are some obvious concerns around legalities … brands won’t want to use music created by AI in case it is actually breaching copyright. [But[ that will get sorted in the next six months or so, I think.”He shares his thoughts on how search processes are being increasingly handled by AI, and how audio can help brands stand out from the crowd. “The brand will go nowhere near the consumer,” he tells us. “So anything that you can do to make your brand more distinctive when you are advertising online and through music, anything to make a brand more prominent, can only help.”(20:30) – The Power of Authenticity in BrandingAs our discussion comes to a close, David elaborates on his observation that AI is increasingly talking to itself rather than users. “We’re basically talking agents talking to agents,” he explains, “so AI agents talking to AI agents… I would imagine within 12 months it’ll become quite a big thing. And within three years, it’ll be everywhere. Everywhere.” We talk about the role human creativity might still play in a marketplace driven by AI, and one advantage musicians still have over machine-generated content. “It can feign emotion,” he says, “but you’ll never move an AI with a song because it doesn’t do emotion, and it literally, it never will… Emotion and empathy are all that we have as humans to distinguish ourselves from machines. And so music will… music will survive forever.”Episode SummaryThe challenges and surprising innovations in building a distinctive audio brand.How AI audio content has already begun to reshape the digital landscape.David shares his insights on what the growth of AI means for human artists.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  From Corporate Law to Sonic Branding: A Conversation with David Courtier-Dutton – Part 1 15.04.2026 33Min.

  “When you hand it to the composer in sonic branding, at that point, it becomes an art, because the job of the composer, of course, is to translate those desired emotions into music. And it’s not [the] music that the composer feels, it is what it makes the audience feel when they hear it, and that is almost pure art. We have done some science around it, and we know what might help in terms of instrumentation and timbre and pitch and all that sort of stuff, but, at the bottom line, the sonic logo is only going to be as good as the composer. They are the most important person in a sonic branding project, bar none.” – David Courtier-DuttonThis episode’s guest is the founder and CEO of SoundOut, and he’s on a mission to prove that sound isn’t just art – it’s strategy. From building the world’s largest music testing platform to decoding how sonic logos tap straight into our memory and emotions, he’s turned the science of sound into a tool that brands can’t ignore, and he’s worked with such brands as Amazon, TikTok, Netflix, Sky, and Target to help optimize their sonic branding and marketing.His name is David Courtier-Dutton, and we’ll be talking about what makes audio unforgettable, how data reveals our hidden reactions to music, and where the future of audio branding might be headed.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – David’s Earliest Memories of SoundOur discussion starts off with a pivotal moment in David’s childhood, and in the years that followed, that taught him the power of sound. “It seared that moment in my brain,” he says, recalling George Harrison’s song “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth), “of all the very few memories you have when you’re six, seven years old. It just stuck with me. And I lost the song for probably about thirty years or so. And then when I heard it again, I was straight back in that little car, absolutely transfixed by the radio at that point.” We talk about his journey from corporate law to sonic branding, and how it coincided with the dramatic changes that MySpace and social media brought to the music industry. “The industry appeared to be facing existential moments,” David recalls. “So I thought, ‘well, wouldn’t it be great, if the industry is going to go away and fans can connect with the bands, why don’t we create a business that enables the fans to invest in the bands themselves and actually finance them?”(15:00) – Understanding the Role of Sonic BrandingDavid shares his observations on audio branding and the mistakes that can derail an agency’s search for the right sonic logo. “They get really attached to the sounds,” he explains, “and they start reading things into the options and the logos that perhaps don’t exist. They forget that this sonic logo will just be pinged out across the airwaves and listened to fleetingly by consumers, and you can really overthink it.” He tells us about SoundOut’s pioneering brand study, its methodology, and what it’s revealed so far about successful sonic branding. “From that historic data,” he says, “the key data point was that if you have your [brand] name in your sonic logo, then people were twice as likely to attribute it to the brand as if it wasn’t in. So that’s powerful. That’s a good argument for putting the name in.”(23:00) – Insights from the SoundOut IndexAs the first half of our conversation wraps up, David offers more insights from the SoudOut study and what they tell us about successful sonic branding. “If you’ve got three seconds or two seconds to create a logo,” he notes, “you’re not going to create something that has a hook as strong as Katy Perry or whatever it may be. It’s always going to be a short snippet of a melody.” We discuss the surprising gap the index revealed between what consumers think they know and what they actually know when it comes to brand recognition, and the advantage sound has over other, more traditional marketing. “People can’t block their ears,” David tells us. “They can look away, they can be doing something else at the same time, but you can’t close off your ears [or] your ability to listen and for those connections to be made. So it’s a very subversive way of marketing, but highly effective.”Episode SummaryDavid shares his journey from a London law firm to music and marketing.How traditional branding can lead agencies astray when it comes to sonic logos.David discusses SoundOut’s five-year study of audio branding and recognition.Tune in for next week’s episode as we talk about the unique audio branding challenge companies like Visa and Mastercard face, what role human creatives might play in a market that’s increasingly giving way to AI, and how audio branding can help companies rise above the algorithmic noise.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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  Sound Through the Ages: From Singing Seashells to Ringing Rocks 08.04.2026 8Min.

  One topic that comes up quite often on Audio Branding is audio technology, and how far it’s come over just the last few years. Whether it’s choosing the right sound equipment, deciding if you should record with noise cancellation turned on (and just for the record, you shouldn’t), or taking advantage of advanced recording options like 3-D audio and Dolby Atmos, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to sound. But you might be surprised to learn that the science of sound optimization is a lot older than surround sound, or stereo recordings, or even audio recordings at all.Sound has been a part of our lives for as long as we’ve been around, and it turns out that we’ve been finding ways to boost sound quality and reshape the acoustic landscape around us for just as long. From ancient Roman amplifiers to prehistoric boulder harmonies, our ancestors explored the possibilities of sound in ways that scientists today are still trying to understand.Creating just the right sound experience can be a big enough challenge for modern-day concerts and movie theaters. How do you do it when you don’t have any microphones or speakers? This was the problem faced by Greek and Roman architects, and the science of archaeoacoustics, of how sound was shaped and used in ancient times, hasn’t entirely unraveled their solution. According to the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, they used “acoustic jars,” or “echea” in Greek, small brass cups built into the walls between each of the seats. He didn’t invent them, though, so we aren’t sure who originally came up with the idea. These echea were believed to resonate and amplify spoken voices, boosting their sound for each listener like a set of personal speakers. They were arranged according to precise mathematical rules that differed depending on the theater’s dimensions.Did they really work? They must have worked well enough, since they were popular not only during antiquity but also in medieval times, with over a hundred cathedrals in France alone putting them to use. But research continues on just how they worked as well as they did. Some studies suggest that they didn’t actually amplify sound, but instead absorbed some of the surrounding frequencies to muffle the background noise: the world’s first noise-cancellation technology, more than two thousand years before headphones. But a 2011 presentation at the Acoustics of Ancient Theatres conference suggested that maybe their resonance effect did amplify sound. The verdict’s still out.If you’d like to hear an echea’s resonance for yourself, here’s a clip of a sound sculpture by Michele Spranghero that puts one to haunting use:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb57mGHy4OERome wasn’t the only ancient civilization to take advantage of sonic resonance. More than a thousand years earlier, and several thousand miles away, lies the Peruvian archaeological site of Chavín de Huántar, once the capital city of the Chavin civilization. Its temples, plazas, and surviving buildings have been studied for many decades, and lately that research has helped uncover the role that sound and harmonic frequencies played in its religious ceremonies.One artifact that’s been consistently found there is the pututu, a wind instrument that’s also known as a conch trumpet since it’s made from the shell of a conch. This may be a little surprising since the ocean’s well over a hundred miles away, but there might be a surprising reason why so many ancient conch trumpets have been recovered from the Chavin temples.A research team from the Acoustical Society of America, accompanied by Stanford researcher Dr. Chris Chafe, investigated the acoustical properties of their chambers and discovered that they’re designed to resonate with the pututu’s distinctively warbling frequencies, not only amplifying them but pulling two or more pututu players into a musical harmony that’s felt as much as it’s heard. This effect can be experienced elsewhere – it comes from the rhythmic “beats” that emerge from its natural interference patterns – but it’s stronger inside the buildings. Some researchers have suggested this resonant harmony was a key part of the city’s religious ceremonies and that the temple’s soundscape was intended to create a profound experience for the musicians and their audience.If you’re curious about what a pututu sounds like, here’s a short clip:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5PkUXBo4NIThere are plenty of soundscapes and resonant frequencies all around us, of course, and one of our earliest encounters with them might have been as simple as tripping over a rock. They’re called ringing rocks, or singing stones or sonorous rocks, and their discovery by prehistoric tribes all over the world led to one of the first musical instruments ever made, the rock gong or stone chimes.Ringing rocks are volcanic rocks, such as dolerite or basalt, and even though they aren’t made of metal and they aren’t hollow, they ring like bells when they’re struck. Groups of singing stones can be found throughout the world, from Ringing Rock Park in Pennsylvania and the Bell Rock Range of Australia to sonorous stone fields in Africa and Europe, and the science behind their sound isn’t as simple as you might think. According to a 1965 study by geologist Richard Faas, the rocks actually create a series of inaudibly low, or infrasonic, audio frequencies, but those overlapping frequencies constructively interfere with each other to create sounds that our ears can detect.But where do those low frequencies come from in the first place? Science is still working on that mystery, and some theories suggest it has to do with the rock’s structural tension, making it a kind of stone guitar string that vibrates with a hard tap. And if that isn’t mysterious enough, the Singing Stones of Brittany clearly didn’t come from the place they’re found today, but no one knows when or how they arrived. Did ancient people recognize their acoustic properties and relocate them as oversized musical instruments? Or were the stones, as legend has it, left there by the Devil?Check out this clip of a visitor at Ringing Rocks Park in Pennsylvania using six singing stones, each with its own distinctive note, to play a familiar melody:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKtkbH6ANykSound has connected us to each other and the world around us since the dawn of time, and we’ve been discovering new ways to harness its power for just as long. As we move into the future, learning those lessons could help us reshape the way we experience it in the years to come.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy