Benefits and applications

Why sonification levels up data storytelling, and where it can be applied.

Benefits of Data Sonification

• It stirs emotion and sparks curiosity in a listener. Audio is powerful in that it can carry tone and feeling in a way that a data visualization might not. And because data sonification is a relatively new, unique method of data-driven storytelling, it may surprise listeners, drawing them into the experience.

Benefit #1: Audio often stirs emotion more effectively than visuals.

• It is accessible for blind, visually-impaired, and low-vision individuals. Sonification helps shift exclusivity in data storytelling by offering an experience which does not require sight. This is greatly needed in spaces with over-reliance on visual modalities.

  

  Benefit #2: Audio is accessible without reliance on sight.
• It is inherently temporal, lending to intentional chronology. Because audio is time-based, sonification offers a great opportunity to tell a story from start to finish. A sonification can convey a story arc the way a musical composition might, or it can even include narrative elements to guide the listener.

Benefit #3: Audio is inherently time-based, guiding the listener!

Applications

Data sonification has been implemented across several disciplines, including astronomy, biology, oceanography, human-computer interaction, economics, artistic expression, education, and more. It has been used by researchers to analyze complex datasets, opening up opportunities for visually impaired scientists to investigate their data. It can reveal data patterns that are more easily detected auditorily than visually. It offers up an alternative to data visualization in contexts where visual references may be overused.

Data journalism is an ideal field to apply sonification, because it is increasingly digital, largely based in audio, and inherently story-driven. These aspects present an opportunity to enhance the experience of readers and listeners through sonification. Radio and podcasts are vital aspects of journalism, and could easily include sonified data to explain information in a fun, educational, and unique way.

See the examples section for some references to how sonification has been used in journalism.