‘It’s about understanding the power that music has’
On today’s episode of the IMRO Podcast, we have insights and expertise from Brian D’Souza.
Brian is an award-winning sound artist, DJ, music producer and live performer with a masters in music psychology and sound design
In 2007, he founded the playlist curation and music strategy company Open Ear, going on to work with thousands of brands around the globe including Nike, Google, Dr. Martens, Selfridges, UEFA, Tate Modern, and many more.
In a wide-ranging conversation with Danny Carroll, Brian talked about the psychological benefits of music, his experience of establishing a brand identity via playlisting and some of the dos and don’ts for businesses using music.
1:00 – Brian Introduces himself discusses his background in psychology and music
3:25 – Research into music in business
6:00 – Establishing brand identity via music
9:20 – Discussion of brands Brian has worked with.
13:00 – Playlisting for Dr. Marten’s
15:00 – This isn’t background music, it’s foreground music
17:00 – Involving store staff in the music curation process
19:20 – Curating for key dates around the year, keeping it topical
21:00 – A sense of locality in music choices
22:30 – Doing a course in sound therapy and exploring the relaxing benefits of music
26:30 – Mistakes businesses make around music in their premises – speakers and architecture
31:55 – Musical mistakes – Christmas music
34:00 – Increasingly broad-minded listeners due to accessibility of music in the digital age
36:30 – Brian’s current projects and utilising sound therapy techniques
38:00 – Final recommendations for businesses
Featured music:
Auntie Flo – Life Is High
Auntie Flo – Nobody Said It Would Be Easy
Listen to the Podcast here: https://theimropodcast.buzzsprout.com/1670842/14820757
