How to brief a sonic branding project
A good sonic branding brief should not start with “We want something modern and memorable.” Those words are too broad to guide either strategy or composition. The brief should describe the decisions the music must support.
Start with the business situation
Why is the project happening now? Is the brand launching, repositioning, expanding into new markets, producing more content, consolidating agencies or trying to create continuity between campaigns? The answer determines whether the project needs one asset or a complete system.
Map the real touchpoints
List where sound will actually be used in the next 12–24 months: advertising, social, retail, apps, product interfaces, events, call centres, podcasts, presentations or branded content. Prioritise them rather than designing for every theoretical channel.
Bring existing music and rights into the room
Share previous themes, jingles, licensed tracks, campaign masters, stems and any rights information that still matters. An old asset may be worth developing rather than replacing.
Describe character through contrasts
“Premium”, “young” and “energetic” become more useful when expressed as choices: confident, not aggressive; warm, not sentimental; contemporary, not trend-dependent; distinctive, not eccentric. References are useful when the brief explains why each reference matters.
Define operating constraints
Include countries, languages, media, deadlines, required durations, likely future adaptations and procurement or legal constraints. If the brand expects international use, this should be clear before production.
Define success without promising the impossible
Useful criteria include correct brand attribution, memorability, distinctiveness, fit with the intended personality and consistency of use after rollout. Avoid writing “increase sales” as the sole sonic-branding KPI.
Identify decision-makers
Who approves strategy? Who approves music? Who owns the files after launch? Who can request future versions? A clear approval path saves time later.
The main idea
A strong brief turns subjective music discussion into a manageable business problem. It gives the creative team freedom while defining the conditions that make the idea useful after launch.