The Sonic Audit

Your room sounds good.
It should sound right.

You built the space. You chose the system. You curated the music. Something between those three things isn't landing the way it should. Rafi Mercer comes in, listens, and tells you why.

01 — The space — Acoustics & atmosphere
02 — The sound — System & placement
03 — The story — Programming & identity
Book a discovery call
From / £1,500 / Single space · UK

What it is

A room that works isn't an accident. It's a decision made in three places at once.

Most spaces that get sound wrong aren't missing equipment. They're missing alignment — between the acoustics of the room, the behaviour of the system, and the music being played through it.

The Sonic Audit is a site visit from Rafi Mercer, founder of Tracks & Tales — the world's most trusted guide to listening culture. He listens to your space the way a critic listens to a record. Not for what it's trying to do. For what it's actually doing.

You receive a written diagnosis and a clear three-month plan. No jargon. No upsell. Just the truth about your room — and how to make it sound the way it was always meant to.

What you get

One visit. One report. A clear path forward.

01

Atmosphere scoring

A formal assessment of how your room feels before a note is played — layout, materials, sightlines, and the psychology of arrival.
02

Sound behaviour analysis

Where the system is working, where it isn't, and why. Placement, dispersion, bass behaviour, sweet spots and dead zones.
03

Brand & identity fit

Whether your programming, volume, and selection — and the feeling they create — actually match the space you've built.
04

Written diagnosis

A plain-language document that names the problem without jargon, ranked by impact. What matters most, what can wait, and what's fine.
05

Fix-list

Specific, actionable changes — acoustic, system, and programming — that you can implement without a full redesign.
06

Three-month plan

A sequenced transformation roadmap. What to do first, what to do next, and how to know when the room is right.

Who it's for

If your room involves sound, space, and people — this is for you.

Listening bars & hi-fi venues

You've invested in the system and the atmosphere. Something between the two isn't connecting the way you planned.

Boutique hotels & destination bars

Sound is your most underleveraged asset. The audit defines what it should be doing for your guests — and what it's currently doing instead.

Cocktail bars & restaurants

The room was designed for food and drinks. The sound was an afterthought. It's time to make it a signature.

Architects & interior designers

You've built the room. A sonic audit tells you whether it sounds as good as it looks — before the client moves in.

About Rafi

Rafi Mercer has spent his career watching how music changes behaviour in space. Twelve years at Virgin Group worldwide. A global platform — Tracks & Tales — that now maps listening bars and sound-led venues across 151 countries. Heard on Monocle Radio. Trusted by operators, architects, and hoteliers across Europe and Japan.

  • 12 years at Virgin Group worldwide, observing music's effect on behaviour in public space at scale
  • Tracks & Tales — the world's most trusted guide to listening culture, spanning 151 countries
  • Featured voice on Monocle Radio on slow listening culture and sound-led hospitality
  • Personally visited and reviewed listening bars across Japan, Europe, and the Americas

How it works

Simple from the first conversation.

01

A short conversation

Twenty minutes to understand the space, the brief, and what you're trying to fix. No preparation required on your end.
Free
02

The site visit

Rafi visits the space — ideally during a quiet session and again during service. He listens. He asks questions. He takes notes you won't need to decipher.
Half day
03

The written report

A clear, honest document. The diagnosis, the fix-list, and the three-month plan. Delivered within five working days.
5 working days
04

A follow-up call

Thirty minutes to walk through the report, answer questions, and make sure you're clear on the path forward. Included in the fee.
Included

Pricing

Transparent. Fixed. No surprises.

Single space — £1,500

One room · UK mainland · travel within 2hrs of London
  • Site visit (half day)
  • Atmosphere & sound assessment
  • Written diagnosis
  • Fix-list with priorities
  • Three-month transformation plan