What Is a Soundscape?
A soundscape is the complete acoustic environment of a place as perceived by listeners, encompassing every natural, human and mechanical sound it contains. The term was popularised by Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer in the 1970s and now describes designed audio environments for retail spaces, hotels, exhibitions and brand experiences.
Soundscape in Practice
Schafer founded the World Soundscape Project at Simon Fraser University and set out his thinking in the 1977 book The Tuning of the World, arguing that we should design our acoustic environments as deliberately as our visual ones. That idea now underpins commercial sound design: hotels, airports, museums and flagship stores commission soundscapes that carry a brand’s character through physical space. WithFeeling’s sonic identity for the Islamic Arts Biennale, awarded a Clio Music Bronze in 2026, shows the discipline working at cultural scale, shaping how visitors feel as they move through the exhibition. A good soundscape is rarely noticed consciously, yet it changes dwell time, mood and memory.
Famous Example
R. Murray Schafer’s The Tuning of the World (1977), the book that defined soundscape studies.
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- Shepard Tone
- Skeuomorphic Sound
- Sonic
- Sonic Audit
- Sonic Brand Guidelines
- Sonic Branding
- Sonic DNA
- Sonic Identity
- Sonic Logo
- Sonic Palette
- Sonification
- Sound Branding
- Sound Design
- Sound Effect (SFX)
- Sound Symbolism
- Sound Trademark
- Sound-alike
- Soundscape
- Spatial Audio
- Startup Sound
- Stem
- Sting
- Sung Slogan
- Sync Licensing
- Synthetic Voice
A memorable jingle is one tool within a brand’s wider sonic branding.
