Science Friday Who's composing music for my washing machine?
14 snips
May 13, 2026 
Joel Beckerman, composer and founder of Made Music Studio, crafts friendly appliance personalities; Audrey Arbeeny, founder of Audiobrain, designs research-driven sounds for Whirlpool and KitchenAid. They explore why appliances now sing, critique jingles and luxury versus buzzer tones, dissect designing functional cues and emotional sonic branding, and reveal how tiny sounds shape product character.
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Why Appliances Suddenly Sing
- Appliance sound design exploded because tech now supports richer sounds and brands need differentiation.
- Joel Beckerman flagged market saturation: many products add long, loud sounds that create a cumulative cacophony in daily life.
Design Sounds To Be Functional And Emotional
- Use sound intentionally for both function and emotion so it integrates into the user experience.
- Make sounds that communicate clear actions (e.g., car rev = warming up) and ensure electric or silent devices still signal identity and safety.
Whirlpool Brief Was The Joy Of Chores
- Audrey Arbeeny described Whirlpool brief: convey caregiving, warmth, reassurance and the "joy of chores."
- They used harp, textured sounds like hands rubbing on jeans to evoke human touch and tested globally for brand position.
