In an industry where visuals often steal the spotlight, Circonflex has carved out a space where sound becomes the true storyteller. This year, they’ve been crowned Music & Sound Company of the Year at The Annual — a milestone that reflects not just technical mastery, but a deep creative philosophy rooted in emotion, collaboration, and craft. With studios across Montréal, Paris, Toronto, and now New York, the team has built a global reputation for transforming brand narratives through melody, rhythm, and immersive audio design.
What sets Circonflex apart is its relentless pursuit of originality in a world increasingly shaped by automation and AI. Their work blends artistry with innovation, guided by composers, sound designers, and even in-house engineers who are constantly pushing the boundaries of what branded sound can be. In this Annual Spotlight, we speak with the team about their philosophy, their cross-continental creative process, the rise of sonic identity, and why, despite technological shifts, human intent remains at the heart of every unforgettable note.
Congratulations on your win! How does it feel to have earned the Music & Sound Company of the Year award?
It’s incredibly rewarding. It’s our first time! Obviously, this recognition belongs to our entire team in Montreal, Paris, Toronto and New York - composers, sound designers, engineers, producers, and partners - who put their hearts into every note and sound we craft. It’s also a reflection of our clients’ trust and of the creative collaborations that make what we do possible. For us, it’s a reminder that passion and craft still matter in a fast-changing industry. Ultimately, it feels EXTRAORDINARILY AMAZING!
What made you decide to enter into The Annual?
The Annual represents a global standard of excellence in sound and music for brands. For us, entering was about sharing work we’re genuinely proud of, the kind that pushes creativity and connects emotionally. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate our team and the collaborators who help us make sound a strategic, artistic force.
What role do you think awards play in motivating creativity and innovation within the industry?
Awards set creative benchmarks : they challenge us to go further. But more importantly, they give visibility to the craft of sound itself, which is often invisible in brand storytelling. When sound is recognized on its own terms, it elevates the entire discipline and encourages clients to invest in it earlier and more meaningfully.
Expanding into New York while maintaining your presence in Toronto, Montréal and Paris: how do you calibrate client expectations and cultural sensibilities across those markets?
Every city has its rhythm and creative language. Montréal is our artistic home - it’s where everything started. Paris adds refinement and cross-cultural sophistication. Toronto brings technical precision and country-wide agency partnerships. New York is energy, ambition, and scale. And maybe one day London! It adds to the dream! Thank you CreativePool for celebrating our work in your city!
Globally, our role as music experts is to act as a creative bridge - maintaining a consistent Circonflex philosophy while adapting to local nuance. We listen deeply to each market before composing for it.
In building sonic identity for brands, how do you balance signature richness (distinctiveness) with adaptability (platform scale, brand extension)?
A great sonic identity isn’t rigid - it’s a living system - and it’s often hidden. It’s always there, somewhere, and you have to seek it : a melody, rhythm, or texture that captures a brand’s essence. A story. A unique accent. Then we design adaptive variations for different contexts - from long-form film to UI sound to brand song. Our in-house music team helps us translate that emotional core across platforms.
Which recent project pushed you to invent or adapt new techniques (hybrid audio, generative music, adaptive sound) and what was the learning?
We have a team of 4 computer engineers who are in-house with us! They are pure madness! We’re working on a lot of fun tools - which allow us to do more (always more!) - for the same envelope. Versioning, automated tasks, intelligent music editing, similarity search, comprehensive music tagging, etc. FUN STUFF!
And obviously, we have also played around with Gen AI music a bit before it got shut down 3 weeks ago! Now we’re back to our “regular programming” - where everything is made by hand.
What internal systems or review points do you use to catch misalignments in tone or emotional resonance?
What’s impressive is that what’s good for Toronto is not always good for Paris! And what’s good in New York is not always great in Montreal! Each city has its special ingredients with which we modify the recipe. For example, Americans prefer their coffee this way, whereas the French like it THAT WAY! Therefore, having multidisciplinary teams - who speak the same universal language of MUSIC but with a different ACCENT - is key!
How do you measure the impact or ROI of sound identity?
We look at three metrics: recognition, recall, and resonance. Recognition and recall can be tracked through brand studies, but resonance is emotional - we measure it through social reaction, organic usage, and how quickly audiences connect the sound to the brand without context. When the melody alone tells the story, we know it’s working.
With AI, generative audio, and sample banks rising, how do you maintain originality and craft — and where do you draw the line?
First, it’s worth mentioning that the most important GEN AI music companies are currently being shut down by major record labels. This says a lot about intellectual property and the uniqueness and importance of music. Hence, AI can be a collaborator, to a certain extent, but it’s not a composer. Our philosophy is to use technology to explore, not to replace. Originality comes from human intent - the emotional reason behind every note.
How do you structure your composer / sound designer roster for growth while preserving a core sound philosophy?
If you want to be a composer with us, working full time, writing music fast, and actually understanding what clients want (sometimes with five hour turnarounds!), you need to know your music theory. You need to be either a classical music professional or a jazz maniac with perfect pitch – or both. Lol.
Sound designers are different beasts. You have to be able to see things with your ears (or maybe listen with your eyes?). I see sound designers as translators of how the world really sounds, and then re-creating that on picture. Our sound designers are passionate, almost obsessive. They’re like mad sonic scientists who’ve spent their lives in the lab mixing and matching textures you’d never think of.
WOOSH. POW. BAM. SLAM.
We also think of our team like an orchestra: everyone has a unique tone, but the ensemble shares a vision. We grow by mentoring from within, pairing emerging talent with senior staff, and encouraging collaboration rather than competition. The result is evolution without dilution. Our sound gets richer, but stays unmistakably Circonflex.
That’s how we grow the roster without losing our identity: by keeping the bar high and bringing in people who share that same intense love of the craft.
Do you have any particularly exciting projects in the pipeline that might be contenders for the awards in 2026?
Yes, several! We’ve just finished working on a great piece with director Xavier Dolan - who was awarded in Cannes several times for his movies! He recently did the switch to advertising work and we were lucky enough to work with him on his first Canadian ad. There’s also much more in the works for us but since it’s exciting it’s also CONFIDENTIAL.
Let’s talk about it next year!
What advice would you give to agencies looking to take home their own accolade next year?
I don’t think I’m in a position where I can give advice. Whoever is reading this and has made it to the end of the interview knows what they’re doing! They’re talented, they.work.SO.hard and their focus is to make their craft as good as possible. Yes! I’m talking about YOU, reader! Keep doing what you’re doing! I love your work. You’re good. You make a difference. And you look amazing today!