Google Sounds

The Evolution of a Soundscape

Services

Audio Branding, Audio UX, Music, Experiential Sound

Touchpoints

Google Glass, Google IO Keynote, Waymo, Google Ara, Google Sonic ID, Google Pay

Google’s Most Iconic Product Sounds

We’ve had the pleasure to call Google one of our primary clients since 2012, shaping the brand’s global audio presence across product design, advertising, and immersive experiences. Our work has helped define the foundation and evolution of Google sounds across platforms.

Google’s Sound Ecosystem

Since the beginning, we’ve prioritized seamless experiences across the brand platform. For Google sounds, we use instrumentation and timbre rooted in the organic, with the ability to flex into more digital textures when needed. Compositionally the audio UX across all product is rooted in simplicity to communicate the ease of use that allows their technology to be more transparent and intuitive.

Google Glass Audio UX

Glass was our first experience working with Google. It was also Google’s first jump into using strategic audio so we saw this as an opportunity to set the tone for the brand. We started by developing a core key signature, instrumental palette and melodic phrasing. These foundational decisions still define Google sounds today and have helped cement the brand’s audio design language.

We also wanted to humanize the product and use instrumentation that sounded familiar and approachable. For functionality, we added an atonal, tactile feel to many of the tones while adding major scales to the melodic tones that emphasized moments of delight.

From this point on, every Google product we touched has extended the same core audio identity, rooted in warmth, approachability, and purposeful interaction.

Google IO Keynote Soundscape

In 2015 Google reached out to us to score Sundar Pichai’s keynote speech for Google IO. We worked closely with the data arts team to craft an immersive soundscape that was mixed in 7.1 surround sound to create a truly enveloping experience. This was a unique opportunity to take the principles behind Google sounds and scale them into a live, spatial, audience-driven context.

Google Firefly Audio UX

When Google approached us to create both the in car audio experience and engine tone for their self driving car, we jumped at the opportunity. We agreed that we wanted to continue to scale the Google Audio DNA, but for this experience we had more bandwidth to play with for a richer, more robust sound palette allowing us to lean into more low end and immersion.

For the engine tone, we designed in accordance with federal regulation for EV engine tones required by NHTSA and also infused the Google audio brand flavor creating an experience that is light, approachable and pleasant.

Google Ara Music and Sound Logo

Google’s project Ara was an exciting prospect so when we were tapped to create the score and sound logo for the product we were more than excited. We wanted to create a lush soundscape that develops and layers over time to follow the visual edits and pace while complimenting the balance of organic and digital that is inherent within the product.

The Google Ara is all about interlocking unique parts so we tried to follow this concept by layering instrumentation that have their own timbre and feel, but once interlocked all work seamlessly. This interwoven layering approach became another defining element of Google sounds.

Google Pay

Our most recent collaboration with Google was in creating the audio user experience for the Google Pay App. For the design effort, we played off of the existing audio ux key signature, organic instrumentation and approachable feeling that lives across Google’s range of devices and apps. We added more metallic bells and thumb piano’s to the soundscape that gave the feel of coins and money being exchanged.

The sounds are primarily heard in app, but also featured in a number of their digital and TV commercials. This project further extended the versatility and emotional tone of Google sounds into everyday user interactions.

Let’s Talk Google Sounds


From Glass to Pay, we’ve helped define Google sounds at every level—across product, platform, and campaign. Contact us below, to explore how strategic audio can shape your brand’s identity.

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Similar Projects

Crown

Deliverables

Sonic ID, Audio UX, Brand Theme, Audio Brand Strategy

Application

Radio, TV, Digital, Product

Project Overview

We started working with Crown back in 2015 and have since been developing and evolving their soundscape for every touchpoint within the brand and building out their overarching audio strategy. This includes everything from brand anthem, audio brand DNA, sonic id and audio ux for all of their product line as well as creating their audio guidelines.

Brand Communication

Crown is a private, family owned company so heritage is at the core of their brand. In order to express heritage we recorded strings and piano for a more organic, human leaning sound that is familiar and rooted in history. Innovation was the second brand pillar we wanted to support and did this by creating custom synths that are heavily effected making them sound more future facing. And lastly we wanted to embrace the marketplace that they serve which tends to be more blue collar and value the idea of toughness, grit and hard work. To support this, we utilized heavy drums, distorted basses and deeper tones that tend to ground the resulting audio DNA.

Brand DNA

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    Heritage

    Strings and piano to give a more acoustic, human feel

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    Innovation

    Synth layers that sound more future facing

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    Toughness

    Driving drums and heavy, distorted bass elements

In order to express heritage we recorded strings and piano for a more organic, human leaning sound that is familiar and is rooted in history

Audio UX

Similar Projects

Hello Sense

Deliverables

Product Sound, App Sound, Audio Logo, Audio Brand Strategy

Application

Product, App, TV Commercials, Social Media, Digital Content

Project Overview

Your alarm is the first thing you experience in your day — It should be pleasant, polite and seamless. When Hello came to us to rethink the way alarms should sound, we saw this as an opportunity to reinvent the conventional by creating dynamic soundscapes that are more pleasant for the end user. The end result changed the way designers think about designing auditory alerts, notifications, alarms and ringtones by addressing them in a more considerate, polite manner.

Reinventing the Conventional

From the get go, we knew we wanted to use dynamics as a driving principle to express the seamless transition between sleep and waking moments. The idea of waking light sleepers at the beginning of an alarm with a softer touch was a new and fresh approach that had rarely been designed for alarms to this point. Each alarm takes a considerate approach to design that evolves and develops gradually in order to address the wide user base of light to heavier sleepers.

Design System

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    Lightness and Elegance

    Space in composition and lighter textures and timbres

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    Dynamic Layering

    Slow, gradual builds designed for a range of sleepers from light – heavy

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    Dynamic Filtering

    Ambient soundscapes that ease transition from sleep to waking

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    Considerate by Design

    Softer approach to design that is polite and considerate of the end user

We used layers that come and go, build and fall to elegantly wake people rather than rudely force them awake.

Process

During our process we worked closely with the design and engineering team at Hello to ensure the design system was not only on brand, but also functioning properly on device. During user testing, we discovered that users appreciated the dynamic design system of alarms so much that we also created a suite of sleep tones to help people fall asleep.

Impact

The sounds we created for Sense spanned alarms, sleep tones, ui and sound logo for marketing and served as some of the most loved moments in the product — Even The Verge gave us a glowing review of our work. Unfortunately the device is no longer in production, but the design system we helped to create influenced how composers and designers think about designing more pleasant sound experiences for connected home devices the world over.

I’m a big fan of two clever bits of technology in the Sense system: the ambient sounds designed to gently put you to sleep and the gradual alarm devised to equally gently pull you out of it — it’s super neatly executed. I use the app to set up relaxing white noise for a half-hour playback in the evening and then — on the occasions when I’m actually in bed at alarm time — I seriously enjoy the soft and polite way it wakes me up.

The Verge

Alarms

Sleep Tones

The team at Hello worked with CMoore Sound on the sound identity for Sense. They took on the challenge of creating a diverse set of audio assets for Sense, and ended up creating a cohesive and recognizable sound aesthetic for the product that we extended across multiple features, powering some of the most-loved experiences with the product

Kevin Twohy, Director of Product

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Tesla Model 3

Deliverables

Internal Audio User Experience, AVAS (Engine) Sound Design

This project is currently confidential – Please reach out directly for more info.

Uber

Audio Brand Strategy

Deliverables

Audio Brand Strategy & Custom App Sound Design

Application

Uber Drivers App & Uber Eats App

Uber’s Audio Brand Strategy

Uber partnered with us to develop an audio brand strategy focused on creating signature app sounds for key user moments, particularly driver alerts and notifications. Given their functional purpose, we designed sounds that are instantly recognizable yet unobtrusive, ensuring clarity without pulling attention away from the road.

Designing the Sonic DNA

We began with in-depth research, stakeholder interviews, and a brand workshop to define the foundation of Uber’s audio brand strategy. We crafted a clean, minimal, and communicative tonal palette—distinct from competitors and effective across diverse driving scenarios.

Design System

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    Motion and Speed

    Subtle delay and flutter effects were layered in to create a sense of dynamic movement.

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    Premium and Clear

    A combination of muted and bright tones were used to create premium-sounding, multi-layered timbres that remain clear in real-world conditions.

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    Sense of Reward

    Melodic cues were composed to create a rewarding auditory experience, reinforcing positive user interactions.

Process

We collaborated closely with Uber’s design team to ensure the sounds were both on-brand and effective across various environments. Through iterative testing in different settings, from quiet interiors to loud, chaotic environments, we fine-tuned the sound experience to be impactful without causing fatigue.

Impact

Uber’s app sounds are now heard millions of times a day by drivers and passengers worldwide.These sounds have become core assets in Uber’s marketing efforts, amplifying brand presence across digital, TV, and social channels.

We optimized and tested the sounds in some of the loudest areas of San Francisco to ensure that they were clear and communicative to the end user.
Reach out to learn how we can help you design a sound experience that resonates.

Uber In App Sounds

Image, sound, and vibration were paired with alerts so that no matter how the phone is used—on a phone mount in a car, attached to the handles of a bicycle, or in a courier’s pocket while walking to deliver a meal—on-trip alerts are always easily accessible and understood.

Evelyn Kim,
Senior Design Manager, Uber

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