Sound has undergone a dramatic shift from being considered a disruptive element to becoming an artefact and a vital expressive medium. Driven by technologies such as Bluetooth LE, spatial audio, and podcasting, sound is now a powerful tool for communicating sensorial, emotional, representational, imaginative, social, and political meanings, while advancing goals of inclusion, wellbeing, and social justice.
Sound in Museums emerges as a response to these developments, exploring how sound can be effectively exhibited in museum and heritage settings. Devised by Alcina Cortez in 2021, this pioneering forum brings together leading academics, sound artists and designers, museum curators, sound archivists, acousticians, sound engineers, and technology innovators. Through interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration, Sound in Museums is committed to continually rethinking the possibilities of sonic experience in museums worldwide.
INET-md/NOVA FCSH, PT
University College London
Sound in Museums is a pioneering international forum at the forefront of one of the most dynamic areas of contemporary museum practice. Our 2025 edition brought together 180 attendees from 27 countries, reflecting the forum's growing reach and influence across academia, the arts, and the museum sector.
As a partner or sponsor, your organisation will gain visibility within a highly specialised and internationally connected community of professionals shaping the future of sound in museums.
We offer an innovative model of participation in which your technology becomes part of an artwork created specifically for exhibition — a unique opportunity to showcase your products in a live creative and curatorial context.
We welcome partners from the fields of audio technology, spatial sound, museum practice, cultural heritage, education, and beyond.
Sound in Museums explores 10 themes, including sound as a mode for lecturing, an artefact, ambiance, art, or live performance. It furthermore delves into crowd curation, mental phenomena, spatial experiences, and technology, addressing accessibility, innovation, and cultural insights across museum contexts.
The 2025 edition of Sound in Museums brought together 180 participants from 27 countries, confirming the forum's growing reach as a truly international platform for exchange and innovation in sound and museum practice. We thank all participants, speakers, and partners whose contributions, spanning wide-ranging discussions, keynote addresses, and exchanges between sound studies scholars and museum practitioners, made this an inspiring and memorable edition.
