During a time of lockdowns and social distancing, city streets look—and sound—a little different than they used to, and for those who are missing out on the sounds of NYC, The New York Public Library created an album of pre-pandemic city sounds. Missing Sounds of New York is touted as "a collection of audio landscapes that evoke some of the sounds of New York City," including tracks like “For the Love of Noisy Neighbors" and "Romancing Rush Hour." The eight-track album also includes the sounds from urban parks, a crowd at a baseball game and the inside of a cab.
For people who are missing out on the usual sounds of a busy city, the album can be streamed on platforms like Soundcloud and Spotify.
Image Credit: The New York Public Library
What's Driving This Trend
- Ambient City Albums
- Opportunity for creating curated playlists of ambient city sounds for various cities around the world.
- Pre-pandemic City Soundtracks
- Opportunity to capture and preserve the unique sounds of cities before they change due to lockdowns and social distancing measures.
- Virtual Travel Experiences
- Opportunity to create immersive audio experiences that allow people to virtually visit and experience the sounds of different cities.
Who This Affects Most
- Music Streaming
- Disruptive innovation opportunity for music streaming platforms to offer curated ambient city soundtracks as a new genre or category.
- Tourism and Travel
- Opportunity for travel companies to incorporate virtual city sound experiences as part of their offerings for customers who are unable to physically travel.
- Urban Planning and Design
- Opportunity for urban planners and designers to utilize ambient city soundtracks as an important element in creating and enhancing the sensory experience of cities.
