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London-based music and sound house, The Futz Butler, proudly announces the launch of SONAL - a ground breaking methodology set to redefine how music and sound are briefed. 

SONAL promises to transform the way agencies, filmmakers and brands collaborate on their soundtracks, making the process smoother, more creative and more strategically effective than ever before.

A New Era in Music Briefing

Drawing on 20 years’ experience working on over 2,500 briefs spanning advertising, film, experiential and sonic branding, The Futz Butler identified a key issue: current briefing methods hinder creativity, often lead to frustration for clients and end up inflating budgets and timelines.

The SONAL framework was devised specifically to address these challenges, alongside the feelings of uncertainty many report when commissioning original music. 

“The process of briefing music and sound has been broken for too long,” says Paul Sumpter, founder and creative director of The Futz Butler. “It’s unnecessarily difficult for clients to get the soundtrack they deserve. Most briefs rely too heavily on reference tracks and fail to uncover what clients really want. SONAL changes that.” 

SONAL helps teams effortlessly articulate their vision, uncover new creative possibilities and achieve a soundtrack that resonates deeply with their audience. By aligning both creative intent and strategic goals from the start, SONAL ensures that projects experience fewer rounds of amends, save budget and reach sign-off sooner.

How It Works

The Futz Butler uses their custom SONAL app during a short, collaborative session with clients, to deliver powerful insights and a seamless experience. 

“SONAL helps us uncover what truly makes someone tick.” Sumpter elaborates. “With this clarity, we can deliver work that is personal, fresh and unexpected - yet still feels like an authentic extension of the client’s brand or story.”

Proven Results

Tested during an 18-month beta phase, SONAL has delivered remarkable results:

• 78% of projects approved by version 1 or 2
• Project lead times reduced on average by 19 days
• Repeat business increased by 38%

Briefing. Better

Research shows that 91% of creatives struggle to explain their ideas to audio partners. 

“SONAL removes the language barrier, acting as a kind of creative translation service.” explains Sumpter. “It turns our clients' thoughts and hopes into unignorable sound and music, that doesn’t just meet their expectations - but exceeds them in ways they didn’t think possible.”