Now Hear This

Automakers are going to new lengths to create the sounds of modern cars.

Whether it's for a warning chime to grab the driver's attention or piped-in audio designed to give electric vehicles an acceleration note akin to that of an engine, automakers are working overtime to design brand-specific aural environments.

Creating a new and distinct sound. is easy, but producing one that's both pleasing and capable of relaying the implied message and its importance is far more challenging. That's a key reason why a number of brands are outsourcing this task to audio professionals.