So, you want to create a sonic brand?

You’re not alone. In an age of chaos and distraction, brands are increasingly recognizing the untapped power of sound to break through the noise. If you’ve been listening carefully these past few years, you may have noticed an increase in the amount of sonic logos in media–short sonic cues that act as the equivalent of a visual logo in sound. Think of the Old Spice Whistle, or the Netflix “Tudum.” More and more, brands are realizing that visuals are not enough, and are turning to sound as the next frontier in a multi-sensory approach to marketing.

David Courtier-Dutton is the cofounder of SoundOut, a global leader in music testing, sonic branding, and campaign track analysis. We caught up with him to pick his brain about the current state of sonic branding, and what brands can do to break through sonically in 2026.

David confirmed that data shows sonic branding is on the rise:

“A recent global ranking showed that over half of leading brands (139 out of 250) now deploy a sonic logo. In the US alone, brands launched over 40 notable new sonic logos between 2023 and 2025. Analysts project this boom will continue, forecasting about 12% annual expansion in the global sonic branding market through the rest of the decade.”

There are good reasons for brands to invest in sound: According to Ipsos meta-analysis, ads with sonic branding are 8.53 times more likely to be high‑performing compared to those without,(1) and sonic assets lift brand awareness by 191 % in short‑form advertising.(2) Sound is our primary alert sense, and can capture attention in the age of second screens (and third screens, and fourth screens.) Music crosses cultures effectively (3) (4) and is thought to predate language.(5) Perhaps most importantly, sound is our most emotional sense, able to stimulate feelings more deeply that visuals (as measured by electrical activity in the brain.) (6) Studies also show that Consumers are willing to pay approximately 12 % more for appliances with improved sound quality. (7) 

But you probably already know that sound matters–otherwise, you wouldn’t have clicked this article! But it’s one thing to want a sonic brand, it’s another thing to make one. In my decade plus of working in this space, I’ve met many marketers and brand managers who know they need something, but don’t know where to start. Often, they lack the language to even describe what they are looking for.

Does that sound familiar? Then this article is for you! We’re going to talk about everything you need to get started with sound in 2026. Most importantly, we’re going to talk about the state of sonic branding in 2026, what the trends are, and how you can rise above. Before we get there, though, we need to go back to the beginning.

Pattern Recognition

The oldest sonic logo in history is the NBC chimes, which have been in continuous use since 1926. Legend has it the “G E C” melody was inspired NBC’s then parent company, the General Electric Company. These chimes have been reinvented countless times over the years, and arranged for virtually every musical genre and style, but the core three notes have remained the same.

The NBC chimes are an example of a melodic sonic logo. A melody is a pattern of notes heard in sequence, one after the other. If you have ever gotten a tune stick in your head, or hummed a song in the shower, the melody is what you are humming. Other classic examples include the Intel “bong,” or McDonald’s’ “Bah Dah Bah Bah Bah.” Chances are, just reading those examples cued the melody in your head.

Melodic sonics are the most “traditional” form of sonic branding, and for good reason. Any distinctive brand asset needs to be unique and memorable, and melodies have an “earwormy” quality; they stick in your brain. They are also inherently flexible–as long as the pattern of notes stays the same, the style and instrumentation can vary wildly. Just look at all the ways the McDonald’s jingle has been interpreted over the years.

The Rising Melodic Bar

Great, so we’ve found the secret, right? Create a three-to-five-note melody, slap it at the beginning or end of a spot, and you have a great sonic brand – right?

Well… not so fast. As it turns out, the vast majority of sonic logos are melodic, and as more and more brands use these types of sonics, finding a melody that breaks through gets harder and harder.

“We absolutely see the trend toward melodic logos, and for good reason: melodic sonic logos are significantly better at achieving consumer appeal and recall than non-melodic ones.” says David Courtier-Dutton “The increasing prevalence of short, minimalist sonic cues–often just a few notes–raises the likelihood of overlap between brands. This overlap creates ‘semantic interference,’ where consumers confuse a brand's audio cue with similar sounds from other advertisers, diluting distinctiveness and ultimately hurting actual brand attribution.”

When NBC built equity in their three-note chimes, they were the only game in town. Today, we have to push harder and think more strategically to create iconic sonic brands. A simple three-to-five note melody, absent a layer of meaning or purpose that makes it special for a brand, is no longer enough.

According to David Courtier-Dutton, the best sonics strike the right balance between familiar appeal and distinctiveness. That doesn’t mean throwing out melody entirely, but it does mean shaping your sound thoughtfully to create unique character that reflects your brand.

“Brands that pursue non-melodic logos simply to be 'distinctive' end up chronically compromising both appeal and recall, which can cripple their chances of success before they even start.” says David. “However, a degree of distinctiveness is still vital to bridge the ‘recognition-recall gap.’ Winners in actual attribution consistently use a distinctive, non-generic audio signature to avoid blending into the background and suffering from source amnesia.”

What’s In A Name?

Attribution is critical for any sonic brand asset, and sound is no different. You want people to hear your sound, whatever form it takes, and instantly associate it with your brand. Research increasingly shows there is one very simple trick to maximize attribution: having a sonic logo that says the brand name.

In their most recent annual ranking of the most effective sonic brands, SoundOut highlighted the effectiveness of including a brand name in a sonic: “When we analyse actual attribution more closely, sonic logos that include the brand name are almost 10 times more effective than those that do not (5% actual attribution vs 46% actual attribution).” SoundOut goes on to say “...we would strongly advise businesses to initially include the brand name in the logo until consumer traction is achieved, at which point the brand name can be dropped.”

So, case closed, right? Simply say the name and call it a day. Well… again, there’s more to it than that. Some brands have global reach, which raises issues of translation that can cut against simplicity and consistency. Some brands simply find a sonic with the brand name doesn’t align with the overall tone or mood of their work. And other brands, such as Netflix, have found that placing a non-verbal sound in the right context allows them to achieve levels of attribution that rank among the best in the industry (more on this later.)

Still, if you are a brand whose primary sonic touchpoint is advertising, it is well worth considering building a sonic around a catchy, distinctive articulation of your brand name.

Context, Context, Context

So far, we have focused entirely on the design process. But design is really only half the battle. Sonic branding is never heard in a vacuum; it always occurs in some context, and the context matters a lot.

One of the most successful sonics in the world is the Netflix Tudum. I can’t tell you how many clients have told me that they are looking for their own Tudum. But here’s the thing–for years, the Netflix sound was rarely ever used in any marketing. For most of its existence, the Tudum has only existed in-product.

This context, it turns out, is the secret to its success. The Tudum is an opening cue that sets the tone for an experience. Over time, users come to associate the cue with everything they love about Netflix. This allows the sonic to accumulate equity in the opposite way that a marketing sonic does; instead of building awareness in marketing and driving people to the product, the sonic builds equity in the product experience, and becomes a powerful asset that improves marketing. While not applicable to every brand, building a sonic UX brand can be extremely powerful, especially as the marketing landscape becomes more fractured and crowded and competition for attention becomes more fierce.

“Playing the sonic logo as an integral part of the service ensures repeat exposure to the target audience at zero marketing cost.” says David from SoundOut. “Netflix is the ultimate example; its "Ta-Dum" doesn't have the brand name and isn't intrinsically melodic, but immersive contextual exposure made it a definitive Distinctive Brand Asset. TikTok mirrored this playbook perfectly, achieving massive Gen Z attribution (47%) just months after launch simply by baking the sound into the app experience.”

Ultimately, no matter what kind of brand you are, context is king. Your sonic will interact with other sounds as well as visuals and other senses. It will need to set the right tone in all of these locations, and be empathetic to your audience’s needs whenever possible. Stress test sonic branding in context early and often. In every single sonic branding engagement I have ever had, clients have reported that seeing the sonic in context fundamentally changed their perception of it. Often, the sonics that we like the most in a vacuum and the sonics that work best in context are completely different.

What Kind of Sonic is Right for My Brand?

That’s the big question that every brand needs to answer when it comes to sound. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and finding the right sound takes a whole lot of strategic rigor and creative inspiration. For more info on how to get started, check out part two of our series, coming soon!

Citations

"Ipsos. (2020, February). The Power of You: Why distinctive brand assets are a driving force of creative effectiveness (Ipsos Views). Ipsos. https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/publication/documents/2020-02/ipsos_views_power_of_you_0.pdf
System1 Group & TikTok. (2025). The Long and the Short (form) of it: How short‑form entertainment builds brands and converts [Whitepaper]. System1 Group. https://system1group.com/creative-effectiveness-tiktok
Brown, Steven & Jordania, Joseph. (2011). Universals in the world's musics. Psychology of Music. 41. 229-248. 10.1177/0305735611425896.
Hilton, C. B., Crowley, L., Yan, R., Martin, A., & Mehr, S. A. (2021). Children infer the behavioral contexts of unfamiliar foreign songs. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/rz6qnMajor and Minor Modes. 1. 229-247. 10.1080/25742442.2019.1597578.
Brandt, Anthony & Gebrian, Molly & Slevc, L.. (2012). Music and Early Language Acquisition. Frontiers in Psychology. 3. 327. 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00327.
Polo, Edoardo & Farabbi, Andrea & Mollura, Maximiliano & Paglialonga, Alessia & Mainardi, Luca & Barbieri, Riccardo. (2023). Comparative Assessment of Physiological

Building Great Sonic Brands in 2026: Part 1