Finneas on Creating Apple's New Mnemonic Intro
Finneas shared details about composing his shortest musical piece ever — the new mnemonic that will play before every Apple TV program. The project challenged him to create something brief yet instantly recognizable.
The Concept of a Mnemonic
“Mnemonic is sort of a beautiful word for a logo accompanied by sound,” said Finneas.
Unlike traditional theme songs, this composition is designed as a few seconds of sound, intended to act as Apple Originals’ audio identity. Finneas compared it to the iconic sound cues of other networks.
“The things that I think of as real classic mnemonics are NBC — you can hear that in your head — or HBO has its static.”
The Creative Challenge
Apple approached Finneas through its Head of Music, David Taylor, asking him to craft something very short but distinctive. While this piece won’t bring the spotlight of his larger hits, Finneas sees its potential reach as immense.
“If you’re bingeing the whole season of ‘Ted Lasso’ or ‘Severance’ or ‘Disclaimer,’ you’re going to hear the mnemonic 10 times in one day. So it’s gotta be something that’s like the bite of ginger between rolls or something, you know?”
Potential Longevity and Reach
Although brief, this new sound may become his most frequently heard creation if it endures across Apple TV programming. For Finneas, it symbolizes the growing importance of sound branding in digital entertainment.
Author’s Summary
Finneas created Apple’s new mnemonic sound — a few seconds of music designed to precede all Apple Originals, possibly becoming his most omnipresent work yet.