Best Audio Brands report reveals decline in long-term sonic asset investment

Launched by sound branding agency amp for a seventh consecutive year, its Best Audio Brands 2026 report compared the efficacy of over 150 global sonic brands. While spending on short-term custom music soared, there was a notable drop-off recorded in the use of owned, branded music.

WPP-owned amp has once again released its annual Best Audio Brands report. While previous editions ranked global sonic brands, this year’s report instead introduces a letter-grade system ranging from A+ to D-. Best Audio Brands reserves the highest grade for brands that treat sound as a core brand asset. These sonic brands will not rely on stock music, with approximately 30% of its audio being owned.

Amongst the ‘Grade A’ sonic brands were Mastercard, Shell and Swiss Re (A+), while the likes of Chevron (B+), Audi (B) and Nike (C+) failed to make the cut. Amongst the worst performers was Aldi, which the report claims uses “minimalist and inconsistent” audio branding.

“Our grading system makes it very clear what separates leaders from the pack,” says Bjorn Thorleifsson, director, research and insights at amp. “A-grade brands don’t just sound good, they sound like themselves. They’ve built a recognisable sonic identity and then flex it intelligently across campaigns, platforms and markets.”

This year’s edition claims that a strategic divide exists between sectors, with the financial services, industrial and business services markets being the most likely to adopt owned, branded music.

Meanwhile, brands in the automotive, food services and financial services markets were more likely to use custom music for specific campaigns. With a 140% increase in the use of custom music from the previous year, Best Audio Brands says this points towards brands not prioritising long-term sonic equity. As a result, the use of branded music from the companies featured has actually declined by 67%. 

“The story of 2025 is a pivot from building equity to making an impact,” Thorleifsson adds. “Short-term custom tracks can win the moment, but only brands with owned, coherent sonic identities will own recall, trust and distinctiveness tomorrow.”

Despite this revelation, the report did also note the undoubted prevalence of sonic logos. For 73% of the brands in the study, the use of a sonic logo now forms part of its overall sonic strategy.

The full Best Audio Brands report for 2026 may be found here.