amp Presents the Sixth Annual Best Audio Brands Report
Welcome to the sixth annual Best Audio Brands report!
The index is the only comprehensive global ranking of brand sound usage. With the expansion of consumer touchpoints, sound has shifted from an afterthought to a key consideration for brands looking to round out their multi-sensory consumer experience. According to our research, music usage increased by 10% in brand marketing content, and licensed music featured in 1.5% less digital content over the last year. Ownable sonic assets have become incredibly valuable. Best Audio Brands is designed to spotlight sonic superstars, suggest effective sound branding strategies, and provide brands with a toolkit to approach audio in an efficient, ROI-focused manner, paving the way for sonic success.
Best Audio Brands 2024 (Teaser Video)
The Ranking & a Study on the Sonic Simplicity of Audio-Visual Synergy
Best Audio Brands 2024 sees Mastercard and Shell claim the one and two slots with millions of global implementations, event executions, and sonic variations. Two new brands, Telenor and Equinor, have entered the Best Audio Brands Top 10 ranking, joining an elite and experienced group of sonic branding stars including AutoZone, Old Spice, and Burger King. The expanded Top 100 ranking can be found in the full Best Audio Brands 2024 report downloadable below. Many brands within the ranking understand the importance of syncing sonic assets with branded visuals and motion to match. In a set of special studies designed for this year’s report, the amp Research & Insights team asked 300 participants to watch (and listen) to visual logos with, and without accompanying sonic logos to measure how sound would affect consumer perception. amp findings revealed a strong preference across the board for the addition of sonic to visual logos, and this contributed to the commissioning of a second study to investigate the role of motion synchrony between the mediums. Once more, the results confirmed the power of properly combined branded visuals when matched with audio and synced motion.
Media Brand Mania, Cultural Soundwaves, and Sonic Symbolism
Best Audio Brands is an ever-adapting report designed to deliver accurate and actionable sonic insights; for this reason, the team created a new sonic logo focused “mini-ranking” for Media brands for the 2024 publication. Many of these brands own elements of a sonic identity and consistently implement sonic logos, however, the use of music from TV shows or video games skews Best Audio Brands music usage data. Tubi’s newly released sonic logo topped the “mini-ranking,” besting HBO, Disney+, and TikTok. The Media sector understands the power of sound more than most industries, however, as discussed in further amp thought leadership, all brands can secure global, national, regional & local recall with connected, flexible sonic implementations. Maintaining a unified brand message while appearing across markets is key, and brands should avoid utilizing non-ownable sounds, like a heartbeat or a doorbell, in branded sonic assets to preserve and promote individual brand recognition.
Research Collaborations and Acclaimed Guest Features
The amp Research & Insights team connected with the Spotify research department for a unique sonic branding study examining brand sonic strategy and performance. In April 2024, Spotify and amp conducted a set of surveys with senior marketing leaders via Spotify’s B2B Soundboard Council panel, and 97% of respondents agreed that a well-defined sonic branding strategy significantly contributes to customer loyalty and engagement.
Spotify’s Global Head of Advertising Sales, Brian Berner, stated:
"Sonic branding goes beyond just a sound; it's an auditory signature that embodies a brand’s identity and connects emotionally with your audience at every touchpoint."
Alongside the Spotify study, the amp team spoke with WPP’s Chief AI Officer, Daniel Hulme, about creativity in an efficiency-obsessed world, agency AI usage, shifting copyright laws, and more.
Best Audio Brands 2024 (Magazine Mockup Assets)