Sonic identity and music platform
OTTO
The published case describes a five-note melody developed into a broader music platform, the clearest example of a signature becoming a system.
Read moreThree problems we hear from brand teams
01
Every campaign sounds like a different company
Each agency, market and platform makes its own music decision. The visual identity is policed; the sound is not, so recognition never compounds.
02
There is no way to judge a music decision
Without a stated sonic intention, music becomes a matter of taste in a meeting room. The loudest opinion wins and nobody can explain the choice afterwards.
03
A sonic logo was made, and then nothing happened
Five notes exist in a file somewhere. There is no system around them: no adaptations, no guidance, no owner, so teams quietly stop using it.
One identity. Many expressions.
A sonic identity is not one file. It is a small set of musical decisions that survive being stretched. Step through four applications to see what stays recognisable and what is allowed to change.
Choose an application
Sonic logo
The shortest recognisable form of the brand's sound.
A short melodic figure (in OTTO's published case, a five-note melody) designed to be identifiable in isolation, at low volume, and after a single hearing. Everything else in the system is derived from it.
- Fixed: the melodic interval pattern
- Variable: instrumentation and tempo
- Typical length: one to three seconds
The explanation below describes how a modular sonic identity is structured, using published EightSix work as the reference point. It is a written walkthrough, not a measurement of recognition.
Audio examples for each application are not published on this page yet. Where a client has approved public use, we link to the case instead.
How much of the day has audio in it
Edison Research reports monthly online audio use among 81% of Americans aged 12 and over.
EightSix reading: this shows how broad audio touchpoints have become in one market. It says nothing about campaign effectiveness or listening behaviour outside the United States, and we do not use it as either.
Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2026, 2026
Data collected January 2026 · United States
2,050 respondents aged 12+, national survey
Source verified 2026-09-09
View the sourceHow a sonic identity is built
mDNA™ is our name for the profiling step: translating a brand's positioning and personality into stated musical parameters (tonality, tempo range, instrumentation, rhythmic character and emotional intent) so later decisions can be argued on evidence rather than taste.
- 01
Audit
You provide
Existing music assets, brand guidelines, campaign history, markets and partners.
You receive
An inventory of every touchpoint that already makes sound, and where it contradicts itself.
- 02
mDNA™ profile
You provide
Brand positioning, personality attributes and the audiences you are building for.
You receive
A written musical parameter set that any composer or agency can work against.
- 03
Composition
You provide
Feedback rounds and the stakeholders who sign off.
You receive
The sonic logo and its core variations, presented with the reasoning behind each decision.
- 04
System build
You provide
The formats, channels and markets that need to be served.
You receive
Adaptations, stems, guidelines and usage examples across the agreed applications.
- 05
Rollout
You provide
Access to the teams and agencies who will use the system.
You receive
Briefing sessions, a distribution route for the assets, and a named approval path.
What you actually receive
The exact scope is agreed per project; this is the shape of a full identity engagement.
- mDNA™ profile document with the musical parameters and their rationale
- Sonic logo in its primary form, plus short and extended variations
- Campaign-length composition and structured cutdowns
- Application versions: social, product/UI, retail, event, telephony where relevant
- Stems and source sessions for future adaptation
- Written sonic guidelines: what is fixed, what is flexible, and worked examples
- Briefing material for internal teams and agency partners
Sonic logo, campaign music, or a complete identity?
Three different purchases that are often confused in briefs.
| Sonic logo | Campaign music | Complete sonic identity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A short recognisable audio signature | Music for one campaign or film | A system of rules, assets and adaptations |
| Lifespan | Years, if it is used consistently | The campaign flight | Years, with planned evolution |
| Who uses it | Everyone, at the end of assets | The campaign team | Every team, agency and market |
| Main risk | Nobody knows how to apply it | Recognition does not accumulate | Requires ownership to stay alive |
| Good first step when | You need a recognisable sign-off | You have one flagship film | Sound appears across many touchpoints |
Published work
Modular sonic branding system
Siemens Home Appliances
EightSix was commissioned to develop a modular sonic branding system for Siemens Home Appliances. Campaign Germany reported on the project on 24 April 2026.
Read moreWhere does your brand already make sound?
Walk this list with your team. The output is an inventory of touchpoints and who currently owns each one, not a score.
- Brand film and campaign endings, is there a consistent sign-off?
- Social content: organic, paid, and creator-made
- Product and interface sounds, including notifications and confirmations
- Retail, showroom and event environments
- Telephony: hold music, IVR, waiting states
- Sponsorships, partnerships and co-branded content
- Internal: conferences, onboarding, employer brand
- For each: who chooses the music today, and what are they briefed with?
Questions brand teams ask
Usually not. The audit stage looks for what already works and what audiences may already associate with you. If an existing asset has equity, the identity is built to include it rather than replace it.
Yes, and we recommend it for large rollouts. Testing compares recognition, brand fit and distinctiveness between options. We agree the design and the questions before fieldwork so the result is usable rather than reassuring.
Adoption is a distribution problem, not a creative one. It needs assets in the places teams already work, guidelines with worked examples, a named owner, and a briefing session for each agency partner. We build these into the rollout stage.
Ownership and usage terms are agreed per engagement and written into the contract, including commissioned compositions, recordings and adaptations. We confirm the specifics in writing before production starts.
The core stays; the expression moves. Instrumentation, tempo and genre can follow the brand's visual and cultural evolution while the interval pattern and tonality stay fixed, which is what keeps recognition intact.
Recognition (is it attributed to you), brand fit (does it match the positioning), distinctiveness (is it confusable with a competitor), consistency (is it used as intended) and audience response. These are separate questions and need separate measures.