The world offers many cultures with unique sounds and styles to pull from. Consider the band Dropkick Murphys. Their integration of bagpipes and punk music make them memorable, and at the same time, it highlights the predominant Irish heritage of their hometown, Boston. The band even calls their music Celtic Punk. These cultural influences can be used in audio branding as well. The trick lies in using the right music without getting into the realm of cultural appropriation. You’ll also need to find tunes that fit your products or company. 

Music and Culture

While some people believe that all music stems from the same place (Hollywood record labels), there are actually cultural influences in many different types of music in the United States alone. Here are a few examples:

• The Blues – It’s believed the blues evolved out of the Mississippi delta and other parts of the American South in the early 20th century. This music has its roots in African musical traditions, with the inclusion of religious hymns, gospel, and the songs played and sung at medicine shows. The blues went on to influence country music, rock ‘n roll, and more.
• Roots Music – Although roots music is often categorized as country, it remains a genre unto itself. This type of music emerged in the early 20th century and uses traditional instruments like guitars, banjos, and percussive sounds. Like the blues, it has some origins in traditional African music, as well as traditional European tunes, blending the two and adding a rural American feel.
• Punk Rock – Punk has its roots in early 1960s garage bands in the United States, although the movement, which is characterized by songs that sound chaotic, instruments that are sometimes played badly on purpose, and driving beats, also spread quickly to Europe, where additional elements were added on. This type of music has a culture and multiple subcultures all of its own, making it very identifiable.

The Influences of World Music

Music has become an interconnected global phenomenon, as every country seemingly has its own instrumentation, tone, and elements that make it unique. Many of them have influenced American music, as shown above, which proves just how interconnected it’s become. Music is indeed a universal language. With that said, there are some examples of world music in audio branding that make commercials and products very memorable, such as:

• Beaches Resorts – Beaches Resorts are known for their expensive, luxurious vacation locations. Their recent commercials use African music, from the Afrobeat genre rapper Divine Ikubor, who is based in Nigeria, in order to call attention to the inclusivity of the resorts.
• Samsung Galaxy – In order to highlight the features of the newest Samsung Galaxy devices, the company reached out to another musical phenomenon, BlackPink. This group is indicative of the Korean girl group genre, complete with skilled dancing, perfect vocals, and catchy tunes. 

Using Music from Other Genres in Your Branding

It’s entirely possible to use a variety of musical genres in your audio branding. Whether you need a catchy chorus or tune for a commercial or an entire themed song that becomes the hallmark of your business, you need to carefully choose the song. There are a few things to keep in mind, including:

• Stick to Cultural Appreciation – There’s one thing to be careful about when choosing a song: cultural appropriation. The ideal is to stick with cultural appreciation, which takes things primarily from your culture, including the branding of your company, and pick a song from a different genre that fits while keeping it authentic. The other, cultural appropriation takes parts of the culture that created the tune, only to turn them into a commodity of sorts within your branding. Steer clear of this pitfall as much as possible, as it can create controversies that lead to people not thinking very highly of your brand. 
• Choose Songs That Fit the Products – The next tip involves picking songs that fit your products. By now, you should have a good idea of your product’s demographics and target markets. You want something that appeals to them, without being overly simplistic and phony. For example, if your target market is high school students, find out what teens of those ages are listening to. From there, you need to listen to the music, find similarities between it and music from other cultures, and choose a song that fits. This is just one example, of course.

Using Music From Around the World in Your Audio Branding

Everyone likes a catchy tune, regardless of where it originated or what genre the music falls into. This makes using genres from around the world a unique element to add to your audio branding. As long as you pay close attention to the music to ensure that it fits your products, this practice will help you finalize and showcase your brand in new and exciting ways.