Calling all beta testers to try the sonification toolkit

As I build a sonification toolkit aimed at journalists and data storytellers, I have gradually collected an array of content that will help users learn about sonification and implement it in their own work. From open-source tools, guides and tutorials, to examples of journalistic sonification projects, there are many resources to explore data sonification, and the goal of this project is to centralize them.

A beta version of the toolkit is launched and is undergoing continued development. If you are interested in trying out this toolkit and sharing your thoughts, it would be incredibly helpful for the success of this project! Below are the links you will need to take part in beta testing:

• Data Sonification Toolkit: Demo/Testing Version
• Beta Tester Feedback Form

This toolkit is designed to be dynamic, gradually amassing content and feedback-driven adjustments. It may also continue to evolve into the future as more useful sonification resources become available. 

Rather than have to search for the wide-ranging and scattered sonification resources that already exist, users will be able to jump directly to a particular topic within sonification.

The toolkit is currently assembled into the following chapters:

• Concepts — An overview of data sonification, the benefits of trying sonification and how it can be applied, characteristics of data and audio, the role of design in sonification, and how to train the listener.
• Methods — Explanations and examples of the following data sonification methods: parameter mapping, auditory icons, earcons, manual / “punk” sonification, audification, and model-based sonification.
• Tools — A list of data sonification tools, audio editing tools, and audio resources that creators can use to develop their sonifications. The sonification tools are categorized by skill level. Each listing includes a description and categorizations, as well as links to the tool and useful documentation.
• Audio Editing — An overview of the audio editing process, and an exploration of possible ways to customize a data sonification project. 
• Resources — A trove of sonification resources, categorized into the following groups: documentation (e.g. books, publications), articles, tutorials (broad and tool-specific), data sources, and talks / interviews / events (e.g. recorded presentations, podcast interviews, virtual sonification events, etc.). 
• Examples — An archive of data sonification project examples in the context of journalism and journalism-adjacent realms. The collection is filterable by publication, format, author, and topic. Links to other example archives are also included. 
• Roadmap — A series of general steps that can be considered while creating a sonification project.
• Quick Exercises — A set of sonification exercises showcasing different data topics and methods. These exercises are made in collaboration with other sonification developers. 
• Community — An organized collection of communities, falling into the following categories: online communities, conferences, and opportunities / events.
• Share Your Project — A space for journalists and other users of the toolkit to share their own sonification creations, and to connect with other people using this resource.
• Get In Touch (contact, contribute) — Forms to contact the author (Aura Walmer) and to offer any suggestions for changes or additions to the toolkit.
• About This Project (RJI fellowship articles) — More information about the Reynolds Journalism Institute fellowship program, including a timeline of the fellowship project and links to relevant fellowship articles published over the course of the program.

Example of the month

This month’s featured sonification example, “U.S. Home Prices, Sung As Opera,” comes from NPR’s Planet Money (featured on All Things Considered, April 26, 2011). Jacob Goldstein and David Kestenbaum convert numerical values from the Case-Shiller Home Price Index to musical notes, and recruit a talented opera singer (Timothy McDevitt) to sing those notes. Hearing the notes sung in this way makes the variation in the index value especially noticeable. 

By comparing two locations over a 10-year time span from March 2001 to February 2011, the narrators demonstrate how different cities in the U.S. experienced very different degrees of changing in home price during this timespan. Dallas, Texas had a drastic and clear peak around 2006-2007, whereas Miami, Florida maintained a relatively low and stable index during the same period. This episode also features the operatic sonification of the Case-Shiller Home Price Index for the U.S. as a whole, blending the other shapes into a sonic average. 

This sonification wonderfully demonstrates the following: 

1. sonification doesn’t have to sound like computer blip-blops;
2. the human voice is a completely valid instrument for sonifying data; 
3. sonifications can be brief and simple; 
4. narrative storytelling is effective for entertaining and educating listeners.  

Tool of the month

This month’s featured sonification tool is Sonic Pi, a free, code-based software for creation computationally-driven music. It facilitates both live coding performance and sonification recording for later playback, and is compatible on both Mac and Windows operating systems. 

Sonic Pi was developed by Sam Aaron and the Sonic Pi Core Team. The great thing about Sonic Pi is that it has a thorough and clear set of tutorial materials, which can be followed from start to finish to help familiarize users with functionality and syntax. There is also an active community thread for Sonic Pi users to share their work and ask questions. Sam Aaron has also shared some helpful Sonic Pi demos on YouTube. 

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Cite this article

Walmer, Aura (2025, Jan. 21). Listening for feedback on a dynamic resource. Reynolds Journalism Institute. Retrieved from: https://rjionline.org/news/listening-for-feedback-on-a-dynamic-resource/