audio vs. visual: which one wins?
I´m often asked which is more effective: audio advertising or visual advertising. There’s no absolute answer to this and I haven’t come across a single study that would definitively claim one to be better than the other. There are simply too many variables. A great print ad will always outperform a poor audio spot, and vice versa.
But when we start piecing together data from multiple sources, certain patterns begin to emerge. Below is a curated list of facts and findings that help paint a clearer picture. Full list of sources is at the end.
1. Hearing Is Much Faster Than Seeing
According to neuroscientist Seth Horowitz, we process sound 20 to 100 times faster than visual input. The reason lies in our brain’s architecture: visual signals are filtered through several layers of processing, while sound reaches us more directly. Audio can set the tone and context for what we see — it adds emotional color and immediacy.
2. Hearing Triggers More Emotion Than Sight
When asked, people typically say they prefer visual advertising and that it affects them more. But physiological research tells a different story. Studies measuring brainwaves (EEG) and autonomic nervous system responses (skin conductance, respiration, heart rate) show that audio triggers stronger emotional reactions than visuals. Why? Because pure sound activates the imagination. It forces us to mentally fill in the blanks, making the emotional response more personal and intense.
3. Sound Leaves a Longer Memory Trace
Short-term memory processes audio and visual input differently. Visual information remains in iconic memory for about 1 second, while audio stays in echoic memory for 4–5 seconds. That’s why you can sometimes respond to a question even if you didn’t register it at first: your brain still held onto the sound. It wasn’t lost, just briefly ignored.
4. Text Becomes Internal Audio
Written content is processed in the brain’s language center, the same one used for speech. This means we literally “read” all written text as if it were being spoken aloud in our heads. But unlike actual speech, written content lacks emotion unless the reader adds it themselves. With spoken audio, advertisers can predefine the emotion they want the listener to feel. That’s powerful.
5. Active vs. Passive Attention
To process a visual ad, we need to actively look at it. Passive viewing doesn’t leave a lasting impression. But sound works differently: we hear the world around us passively all the time. Our brain’s reticular activating system evaluates every sound we hear — even unconsciously — and decides what to focus on. In short, even background audio affects us, because there is no such thing as a sound that leaves us untouched.
6. Hearing Doesn’t Lie
We’re better at detecting lies by listening than by watching. That might be one reason why radio ranks as one of the most trusted media in Finland. The eyes can be deceived by visual illusions (moving images that don’t actually move, optical tricks, etc.), but the ears are harder to fool. There are a few audio illusions, like Shepard tones (which seem to rise infinitely in pitch), but they’re rare compared to the visual world. Hearing is, quite literally, more honest.
In Summary
We might say we prefer visual advertising and that it works better for us — but research shows the opposite. Sound reaches us faster, affects us more deeply, and stays with us longer, even passively.
In advertising, however, the sensory channel is part of the equation. Creative content matters more. According to both our own research and several global studies, audio advertising is at its most effective when:
The creative idea is strong
The execution is high quality
The ad includes brand-owned audio elements, such as sonic logos and brand music
When those factors come together, visual advertising can’t compete.
Sources as promised above:
Mindshare NeuroLab: Consumers prefer audio over visual stories
Measuring narrative engagement: The heart tells the story (Richardson et al.)
Wikipedia: Echoic memory
Wikipedia: Iconic memory
Seth Horowitz, neuroscientist
Julian Treasure, The Sound Agency
Bauer Media research
Luotetuinmerkki.fi
