The Power of Sound: Why We Notice It Only When It’s Gone
Thoughts on sound from Keith Gillespie, Head of Sonic Branding at WithFeeling.
The power of sound is often overlooked, not because it is unimportant, but because it works best when we barely notice it. Unlike sight, which we can consciously shut out, sound follows us everywhere. It seeps into our routines, our environments, and our emotional state, quietly shaping how we feel, how long we stay, and how comfortable we are.
What follows is a reflection on why sound disappears when it’s done well, why it becomes uncomfortable when it’s not, and why it remains one of the most powerful tools we have for influencing human behaviour.
The power of comfort
Sound, for most people, is a forgotten sense until it’s taken away or used in a way that causes discomfort.
As people, we move through our day leaning towards comfort.
We wear sunglasses to soften harsh light on our commute. We start the morning with coffee that smells a certain way, tastes a certain way, and warms us in a certain way. We dress in colours that feel familiar and pleasing, and we instinctively avoid anything that disrupts that balance.
When something looks uncomfortable, we can close our eyes or look away. Vision is easy to control. Sound isn’t. It penetrates. It surrounds us. It follows us. And for that reason, amongst others, we often forget about it entirely.
When sound disappears
Which is why good sound is sound you never think about.
It fits naturally into your life, into your environment, into your comfort.
It disappears.
As sound designers, that’s what we manipulate.
We introduce music into public spaces to soften the noise of a busy environment, or to fill the awkward silence of a morning café, encouraging you to stay longer without ever realising why. We shape atmospheres that feel calm, warm, or familiar, even when the space itself is far from it.
This is the quieter side of the power of sound. Subtle. Unnoticed. Effective.
Designed discomfort
At the same time, we design sounds to do the opposite.
Alarms, ringtones, notifications. They’re engineered to break comfort.
To cut through. To demand attention. To remind us that sound doesn’t always want to disappear. Sometimes it needs to be impossible to ignore.
There are few senses that surround us the way sound does. Few have such an immediate and innate control over our emotions, our behaviour, and our daily comfort.
Sound as a tool
Sound isn’t just birds chirping, music on the radio, or, as I write this, the sudden and overwhelming awareness of how loud my keyboard actually is.
It’s a tool, and one far more powerful than we often realise.
At WithFeeling, we embrace the comfort of beautiful music, but we also understand the leverage of discomfort. From sonic branding to bespoke campaign music, voice, experiential sound, and everything in between, we’ve had the opportunity to demonstrate just how influential sound can be.
Wrapping up
So take a moment to listen. Really listen.
What does your keyboard sound like?
What does your world sound like?
The power of sound is always present, whether we acknowledge it or not. The question is whether we choose to ignore it, or start designing with it in mind.
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