“There are a few perspectives from which you can see this. One would be you pay a premium price for a premium car or premium product in general. So basically, if you just look at the numbers, you pay for people like me at BMW, now doing this. But then also what you mentioned, you’re buying a premium product, you’re expecting a premium experience. And obviously sound, it can be, you can relate this to every field or to every part of the car. You want a premium experience. Means every part, every piece of the experience or of the car, so to say, somebody needs to put some brain into it.” – Johannes Luckemeier

My guest for this episode was born and raised in Germany, where he learned the guitar as a teenager and later took piano lessons. He received his Master’s in Music Technology from Ireland before going into the car industry in Germany as a sound designer, applying and developing sound designs and audio algorithms for premium car manufacturers. During that time he bought a Tesla, and he was unsatisfied with the nonexistent engine sound experience – so he developed a system from scratch to create personalized engine sound for electric vehicles. Now he’s selling the system directly to consumers from his company, based in Texas.

His name is Johannes Luckemeier and I’ve been waiting for the chance to talk with him about the sounds of cars inside and out, something that electric cars are going to have to master. Whether you’re a car or sound enthusiast, I think you’ll really enjoy this conversation. We still have so much to learn about sound’s influence in the places we spend the most time, including our cars.

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. If you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts.

(0:00:00) - The Role of Sound in Cars

We start things off with Johannes’ earliest memories of sound, such as listening to Chuck Berry on the radio and dreaming of becoming a rock star. “I started with an acoustic guitar,” he recalls, “picked up an electric guitar later on, and I also had like a keyboard as a kid which, I’ll be honest, I mainly used for prank calls.” We discuss how the recession changed the direction of his studies and career path, and his work in the auto industry as he helped develop a unique sound for each brand. “There was a short time,” Johannes explains, “when you bought a Rolls-Royce – we’re talking half a million with all the extras, fully loaded – and you’d get the same sounds as a BMW. Obviously, that can’t be happening.”

(0:11:31) - The Influence of Sound in Cars

Our conversation focuses on a behind-the-scenes look at how luxury car manufacturers work to create a premium sound experience, and how surprisingly similar Johannes’ work with a high-end toy company turned out to be. “The kind of funny thing about this is the customers,” he says. “They’re even more crazy, more about the details, even more than about the people who bought the BMWs or Rolls Royce.” We discuss how engines, particularly in electric vehicles, have become quieter in recent years, and some of the surprising steps automakers are taking to retain their distinctive sound. “They’re still fast,” he tells us, “they still have...