For most of the branded company podcasts I review, the nuances of the audio landscape aren’t my focus. That’s partly because many branded shows are simpler in audio construction, and also because I don’t come from a technical audio background. But of course, if you’re a company who specializes in audio hardware like Sonos, Inc., the expectation is going to be that your show sounds unique and compelling.

Object of Sound

The show is hosted by poet and critic Hanif Abdurraqib and produced by work x work. I listened to the most recent episode “The Sound of Where You Come From” and it really delivered on taking a smart approach to how to make the sound of the show a unique feature. This episode had the host, main guest Angelica Negron, and clips from listeners talking about the sounds that represent and remind them of their life. That served as the starting point for background audio to take the listener to that place, and clips from songs and artists that were mentioned.

It works really well for Sonos to go all in on the music and audio in their show. And in a nice touch, they create a playlist on the Sonos website that includes the songs curated in the episode.