Sonic Branding · Edinburgh
Your brand already makes sound. The question is whether it’s intentional.
We design sonic identities for Scottish brands and cultural organisations — from the logo chime to the in-space soundscape.
What we do
What is Sonic Branding?
Every brand has a visual identity — a logo, a colour palette, a typeface. But most brands have no intentional sonic identity at all.
Sonic branding is the practice of designing the sounds your brand makes: the chime you hear at the end of an advert, the ambient music in your physical space, the notification sound on your app, the hold music your customers listen to. Done well, it creates immediate recognition and emotional consistency across every point of contact.
Done badly — or not at all — it leaves one of the most powerful channels of brand communication entirely to chance.
Services
What we offer.
From £800
Sound Mark
A sonic logo for your brand — a short, distinctive piece of audio that represents who you are in three seconds or less. Delivered in three versions: full, short, and sound-effect-only.
From £2,500
Sonic Identity
A complete sonic identity system — your Sound Mark, a brand music suite for different contexts and moods, and a usage guide so your team can apply it consistently.
Quoted per project
Sound World
Full-scope sonic brand architecture — identity system, spatial audio for physical spaces, music for advertising and content, and an ongoing advisory relationship.
Pioneer Rate: We’re offering a reduced fee for our first Sonic Branding clients in exchange for case study rights. If you’re interested in being one of the first, get in touch and we’ll explain what that looks like.
How it works
Five steps from brief to delivery.
01 · Discovery
We learn about your brand — your audience, your values, your existing visual identity, and the emotional words you reach for when you describe who you are.
02 · Direction
We present three sonic directions: mood boards with reference audio, each pointing a different way. You tell us what resonates. We align before we create.
03 · Creation
We build your Sound Mark and its variations. You hear them, respond, and we refine. Typically two rounds of revisions.
04 · Delivery
Final audio files in all formats you need — broadcast, digital, WAV, MP3 — plus a usage guide that tells your team when and how to use each version.
05 · Support
30 days of post-delivery support for small adjustments. We want it to actually work in the wild, not just in the studio.
Who we work with
We work with Scottish brands that take identity seriously.
Scottish craft and food & drink brands — distilleries, breweries, artisan producers looking for a sonic identity as considered as their product.
Cultural institutions and galleries — museums, arts organisations, festivals that need sound to match their visual ambition.
Independent hotels and restaurants — physical spaces where ambient sound design is as important as interior design.
Edinburgh technology and creative startups — products and apps that need UI sound and a recognisable brand voice.
Arts festivals and events — brands that appear for a defined period and need immediate sonic recognition.
Why Wave Grinder
Why Wave Grinder.
In the Room
We’re in Edinburgh. We can meet you in your space, hear what it sounds like, and calibrate the work to the actual environment it’ll live in. Good sonic branding needs that kind of contact.
Academic Depth
Our team comes from the University of Edinburgh’s MSc Sound Design programme. We approach sonic branding as a system design problem — not just a music production job.
Festival-Connected
We’re embedded in Edinburgh’s arts scene — EAF, Fringe, the local venue ecosystem. We know what this city sounds like, and what “authentically Scottish” means in 2026.
Our work
Our Work
We’re building our portfolio. If you’re interested in being a Pioneer client — reduced rate, case study rights — get in touch and we’ll explain what’s involved.
Ready to start?
Ready to give your brand a voice?
Tell us about your brand and what you’re trying to achieve. We’ll get back to you within 48 hours.