Championing and Empowering Creators.
SOUNDEXCHANGE
WHAT WE DID TOGETHER
Brand architecture
Brand strategy
Brand voice
Messaging and copywriting
Brand identity and design guidelines
Brand application and materials
Social media assets
Motion graphics
Print templates
Website design and build (including migration)
UI design for App
SoundExchange collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of 560,000 music creators, and growing. Through proprietary music tech solutions that turn data into accurate revenue, SoundExchange has paid more than $9 billion in distributions to date. With a vision to champion creators and create innovative solutions for the future of music, SoundExchange came to Boudica to redefine their purpose and reposition their brand in the industry.
THE CHALLENGE:
Repositioning Two Decades of Impact
Having been in the industry for over 20 years, SoundExchange knew that the tech solutions they have built will address the needs in the music industry moving forward. They were on their way to revolutionalise royalty distributions in the music industry through technology like never before.
But with an upcoming app launch, they were now going to be consumer-facing and speaking to creators directly—not just their current b2b audiences. They understood the brand they had at that time would miss the mark. They needed a strategy, voice and identity that would resonate with their diverse range of audiences. They wanted a brand that would bring together their advocacy and technological solutions into one distinctive brand experience, propelling them into a future-facing, tech-first proposition.
The Research:
The UnrivaLled Love for Music
SoundExchange have a diverse target audience. From creators, managers, record labels, to The Hill and SoundExchange’s own leaders and employees, we needed to understand what united them together and set them apart as a group.
We interviewed board members, leadership, VPs, and staff from different departments, to external consultants and partners. And one thing stood out above the rest: they all f*cking love music.
Everyone who jumped on the video calls had something music-related in their background. Framed records, instruments, impressive LP collections. Each time, they lit up when they talked about music, what it meant for them and how they enjoyed being part of that world.
This was the missing piece. If we were to speak and resonate with this sporadic group of target audience, we have to go back to their unrivaled love for music.
“Understanding the nuances of the (complex!) industry, audiences and vision for the organisation was a real challenge and adventure.
There was a resounding love where we ended up and how the positioning and identity was developed: It was flexible to work across their different stakeholders and audiences, future-forward enough to put the brand on an exciting new trajectory into consumer-facing and tech-first space.”
Lauren Jones, Brand by Boudica
THE STRATEGY:
Powering the Future of Music
By putting music at the center of the brand experience, we tapped into the vision of SoundExchange and repositioned them as credible, trustworthy, and innovative problem solvers. They create technology and solutions that answer the present challenges and understand the intricacies and ever-changing nature of the music industry.
We updated their tagline and messaging with the focus of “Powering The Future of Music”. The phrase “Championing Creators” emphasises that SoundExchange is not just advocating for musicians’ rights, but they serve the artists, managers, labels, staff, and producers too.
The IDENTITY:
Heritage and Innovation
When developing the brand identity, we reflected on the way SoundExchange has impacted the music industry for the past two decades. While technology was a big aspect that defined the organisation, we wanted to honor the legacy as well.
The design philosophy is based on the idea of movement, sound waves, and dynamism—mirroring the organization’s evolution in a changing industry. The wave crowning the updated logo mark invokes continuous innovation and nods to the brand’s heritage from the past into the present and future. It’s the narrative thread that leads them confidently into the future and maintains their continued momentum forward.
THE APPLICATION:
Aligning Experience and Purpose
To translate the strategy and design into a consistent and cohesive brand experience, we created comprehensive brand guidelines with a step-by-step breakdown for each brand pillar, message and touch point.
By showing the brand applications across the app, social media, collateral, to merchandise and office design, we could visualise the future of SoundExchange coming to life.
“They were really able to sit down strategically with all our executive team and take our input and really get to know the organization, so they could craft this new narrative and new look and feel, to really launch our company into this next chapter.”
Emily Fulp, Senior VP, Executive Office and Communications.
The impact:
A New Era
When working with established brands, you want to build a brand that honors its legacy. That’s exactly what we did with SoundExchange. The rebrand was a huge shift for the team but what they have now as a brand gives them the confidence to go out and reposition themselves in the industry.
In all the years they’ve worked there, the rebrand showed the SoundExchange as what it really is—an organization that is built on a passion for music and exists to champion and empower creators and the future of music.
