Explore how AI is transforming music and sonic branding, inspiring artists like Ila and Imogen Heap to create unique sounds while preserving human creativity and emotion. 

When creating music for brands, true representation needs more than just good intentions – it needs visionary leadership. Aurelia Havet embodied that leadership at Maison Mercury Jones, where she revolutionised how music for advertising could amplify diverse voices and break down barriers.

As Head of Strategy at brand music agency Maison Mercury Jones, Aurelia ensured diversity underpinned every aspect of the agency.  Aurelia pioneered the first music branding agency dedicated to inclusive representation. As co-founder and co-director, she championed diversity across all gender identities, underrepresented ethnicities, ages, and dis/abilities in music and marketing for brands.

When not designing audio logos or creating music for advertising a brand, music agency Maison Mercury Jones, visionary musician and producer Ilā can be found working with genre-defying choirs.

Under Ilā’s direction, LCV recently performed alongside Florence and the Machine at Prom 69: A Symphony of Lungs. The iconic Proms concert, sponsored by the BBC since 1927, saw Florence Welch – AKA Florence and the Machine - perform her debut album Lungs alongside Jules Buckley and his Orchestra.

The music industry has embraced artificial intelligence (AI) for everything from creating efficiencies in everyday tasks to designing sonic branding. While AI has opened up a toybox of ideas, it is important to remember that the human element is critical.

Here’s why sonic branding experts believe that AI should always be viewed as an assistive technology rather than a replacement for human creativity.

The music industry has embraced artificial intelligence (AI) for everything from creating efficiencies in everyday tasks to designing sonic branding. While AI has opened up a toybox of ideas, it is important to remember that the human element is critical.

Here’s why sonic branding experts believe that AI should always be viewed as an assistive technology rather than a replacement for human creativity.

Think of a piece of music by your favourite artist or a recent podcast episode or even a mnemonic that transported you away as you listened. What made it so distinct and memorable? Chances are it used a creative and perfectly balanced mix of smart compositional elements, timbres, voices, instruments, and atmospheric sounds.

Countless brands and agencies talk the talk when it comes to celebrating diversity; in reality, normativity is still ever-present in advertising. A lack of representation, whether deliberately or unconsciously done, excludes and marginalises voices that would otherwise reflect the richness and diversity of human experiences.

Get to know our co-founder and creative director, ILĀ, and their passion for representation and the way technology is changing the way we create music for brands.