Jingle and audio logo: why your brand needs its own sound

People remember sounds faster than logos. A few notes at the end of an ad, the sound of an app opening, a podcast intro: when they repeat, they become part of the brand. Here is what a brand sound is, where to use it and how to brief one.

Where a brand sound works

An audio logo and a jingle: the difference

An audio logo is a very short sound, usually two to five seconds: a few notes or a melodic phrase. It works like a visual logo, only for the ear.
A jingle is longer, from ten to thirty seconds, often a short melody for an ad, an intro or a radio spot. A jingle can end with the audio logo.

Many brands start with one short audio logo and build longer pieces on its melody later.

Where a brand uses its sound

At the end of video and audio ads, so the viewer knows who it was even without looking at the screen.
In a podcast or YouTube intro and outro.
In an app: the sound of opening it, a successful payment, a notification.
On the phone: a greeting or music while the caller waits.
At events and in stores: a short signal before an announcement.
In presentations and webinars, at the start and end.

The more often the same sound appears in the same places, the faster people learn it.

What makes a sound memorable

Short and simple. A melody of three to five notes that you could hum.
Distinct. It should not sound like a well-known brand or a stock notification.
Fits the brand's character. Calm and soft for a wellness studio, bright and quick for a delivery app, solid and confident for a law firm.
Works anywhere. It must sound good from a phone speaker as well as from headphones, and in different lengths.

How to brief a brand sound

Put this in one short message:

What the brand is and who its customers are.
Three words for its character: for example, warm, reliable, modern.
Where the sound will be used and how long it should be.
Examples you like and dislike, with a word on why.
What to avoid: instruments, styles or associations that do not fit.

Then compare several takes. Listen to each one on a phone, at low volume, several times in a row: a good brand sound does not get annoying on the tenth play.

In short

A short audio logo and a jingle built on it make a brand recognizable by ear, in ads, apps, podcasts and on the phone. If you want your own sound, order a jingle or an audio logo: you describe the brand and where the sound will play, and get several takes to choose from. Payment is released only after you approve the work.