Crashing waves and whale song - study reveals our favourite sounds
- last month
Brits’ favourite natural sounds include waves crashing against the shore, the gentle trickle of water flowing in a stream – and hauntingly beautiful whale song.
A poll of 2,000 adults found these were closely followed the morning chorus of birds singing, with the trumpeting crescendo of wild elephants rounding off the top five.
However, 44 per cent worry they won’t have the chance to enjoy the sounds of nature because of climate change.
More than a quarter (27 per cent) admit being too busy to listen to the sounds around them while on their travels – with 26 per cent of these blaming noisy traffic.
Despite this, 93 per cent admit they feel relaxed in the sounds of nature – although, fewer than half (49 per cent) often make the effort to experience those nearby.
The research was commissioned by Dolby to mark its launch of ‘Seven Sonic Wonders of the World’ [https://music.apple.com/gb/album/the-seven-sonic-wonders/1733901685].
The immersive album was created with wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson and award-winning composer Nainita Desai, and allows listeners to enjoy rare sounds from around the world.
Chris Watson, who worked on who worked on David Attenborough’s ‘Life’ series and the BBC series ‘Frozen Planet’, said: “I’ve been fortunate enough to travel around the world and hear nature at its very best.
“We often neglect the joys the sounds of the Earth bring us, over the sights it brings us, but they really do go hand in hand.
“It brings me great pleasure to work on this project to reveal some of the most inspiring sounds I’ve heard on my travels.
“I hope the tracks transport listeners to the heart of these natural wonders, to where I originally placed my microphones – Dolby Atmos helps take them there.”
Gen Z and Millennials are 178 per cent more likely than Gen X and older to book a trip to hear a natural sound in person, and 150 per cent more likely to take a long trip to immersive themselves in sound.
They are also keen to relive the moment, as Gen Z are 75 per cent more likely to take a video to capture a sound during a trip.
The survey, which was carried by OnePoll, also found 39 per cent of adults have booked a trip specifically to see a natural landmark, but just 16 per cent have done so to hear a sound in nature.
On a week-long trip, the number of pictures the average traveller snaps to remember the sights is four times higher than the number of videos they capture to remember the sounds.
As a result, while 58 per cent of Brits can recollect a natural landmark that ‘wows’ visually, but 41 per cent can recall a natural landmark which has the same impact with sound.
Those polled reckon Africa has the most unique sounds on Earth (22 per cent), followed by Australasia (19 per cent), and South America (18 per cent).
Daniela Bischof, from Dolby Laboratories, said: “We all dream of seeing the Seven Wonders of the World, but how often do we dream of hearing them?
“We wanted to curate the Seven Sonic Wonders of the World to transport listeners to the home of some of the world’s most awe-inspiring sounds – many of which may not be around for much longer.
“We hope listeners love immersing themselves in the best of what nature has to offer with the Seven Sonic Wonders album, all whilst giving a little back to Mother Earth.”
BRITS’ TOP 10 FAVOURITE NATURAL SOUNDS
1. Sound of waves crashing against the shore
2. The gentle sound of water flowing in a stream
3. The haunting and beautiful songs of whales
4. Elephants in the wild
5. Morning chorus of birdsong
6. Water cascading over Niagara Falls
7. The roar of Lions in the African bush
8. Rainforest sounds / the chatter of monkeys
9. The rustling sound of leaves and branches swaying in the wind
10. The quiet and gentle sound of snow falling
A poll of 2,000 adults found these were closely followed the morning chorus of birds singing, with the trumpeting crescendo of wild elephants rounding off the top five.
However, 44 per cent worry they won’t have the chance to enjoy the sounds of nature because of climate change.
More than a quarter (27 per cent) admit being too busy to listen to the sounds around them while on their travels – with 26 per cent of these blaming noisy traffic.
Despite this, 93 per cent admit they feel relaxed in the sounds of nature – although, fewer than half (49 per cent) often make the effort to experience those nearby.
The research was commissioned by Dolby to mark its launch of ‘Seven Sonic Wonders of the World’ [https://music.apple.com/gb/album/the-seven-sonic-wonders/1733901685].
The immersive album was created with wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson and award-winning composer Nainita Desai, and allows listeners to enjoy rare sounds from around the world.
Chris Watson, who worked on who worked on David Attenborough’s ‘Life’ series and the BBC series ‘Frozen Planet’, said: “I’ve been fortunate enough to travel around the world and hear nature at its very best.
“We often neglect the joys the sounds of the Earth bring us, over the sights it brings us, but they really do go hand in hand.
“It brings me great pleasure to work on this project to reveal some of the most inspiring sounds I’ve heard on my travels.
“I hope the tracks transport listeners to the heart of these natural wonders, to where I originally placed my microphones – Dolby Atmos helps take them there.”
Gen Z and Millennials are 178 per cent more likely than Gen X and older to book a trip to hear a natural sound in person, and 150 per cent more likely to take a long trip to immersive themselves in sound.
They are also keen to relive the moment, as Gen Z are 75 per cent more likely to take a video to capture a sound during a trip.
The survey, which was carried by OnePoll, also found 39 per cent of adults have booked a trip specifically to see a natural landmark, but just 16 per cent have done so to hear a sound in nature.
On a week-long trip, the number of pictures the average traveller snaps to remember the sights is four times higher than the number of videos they capture to remember the sounds.
As a result, while 58 per cent of Brits can recollect a natural landmark that ‘wows’ visually, but 41 per cent can recall a natural landmark which has the same impact with sound.
Those polled reckon Africa has the most unique sounds on Earth (22 per cent), followed by Australasia (19 per cent), and South America (18 per cent).
Daniela Bischof, from Dolby Laboratories, said: “We all dream of seeing the Seven Wonders of the World, but how often do we dream of hearing them?
“We wanted to curate the Seven Sonic Wonders of the World to transport listeners to the home of some of the world’s most awe-inspiring sounds – many of which may not be around for much longer.
“We hope listeners love immersing themselves in the best of what nature has to offer with the Seven Sonic Wonders album, all whilst giving a little back to Mother Earth.”
BRITS’ TOP 10 FAVOURITE NATURAL SOUNDS
1. Sound of waves crashing against the shore
2. The gentle sound of water flowing in a stream
3. The haunting and beautiful songs of whales
4. Elephants in the wild
5. Morning chorus of birdsong
6. Water cascading over Niagara Falls
7. The roar of Lions in the African bush
8. Rainforest sounds / the chatter of monkeys
9. The rustling sound of leaves and branches swaying in the wind
10. The quiet and gentle sound of snow falling