Commons:Sound Logo Vote

Voting is now closed. Before revealing the winner, there will be rounds of legal due diligence and, if necessary, the winning sound will be professionally re-recorded. We are hoping to announce the final contest winner between the end of February and April 2023. Stay tuned!

Hey, Wikimedians... What is the sound of all human knowledge?

Welcome to the Wikimedia sound logo contest voting page. Here, you can listen to the 10 finalist sound logos, learn more about the voting process, and cast your vote! You can help us decide what the sum of all human knowledge sounds like.

About the contest[edit]

Voting started on 6 December 2022, 00:00 UTC and ended at 19 December 2022, 23:59 UTC.

You can visit the project's page on Meta-Wiki to learn about the rationale behind the contest and how it relates to the larger goals for the Wikimedia movement.

We asked the world to help us find a sound logo for all Wikimedia projects—and the world listened. We received over 3,000 submissions from 135 countries and could not be more excited! Thank you to everyone who participated by submitting their entries. All submissions were screened by a team of Wikimedia volunteers and scored by sound and music professionals from MassiveMusic. Through multiple rounds of scoring, a committee comprising Wikimedia community members and sound professionals selected the top 10 finalists presented here.

The winner will be decided by community vote using the Schulze method. Before revealing the winner, there will be rounds of legal due diligence and, if necessary, the winning sound will be professionally re-recorded. We are hoping to announce the final sound logo between the end of February and April 2023.

Who can vote[edit]

In order to vote, you must have a Wikimedia account. Each person may vote from only one Wikimedia account. This account must:

not be blocked on more than one project; and
not be a bot; and
have been created by 5 December 2022, 23:59 UTC or, if created after, have made at least 10 edits on any Wikimedia project

Are you new to editing Wikimedia projects? Visit this page to learn how you can get started.

How to vote[edit]

Before voting, listen to the top 10 finalists. Then, click "Start voting!" and rank your favorite sound logos. Here are the steps to do so:

Please make your selection considering the following criteria:

Is it a conceptual match to the spirit of the Wikimedia movement and what it stands for—trustworthy, reliable, open and accessible knowledge for all?
Does it feel original and unique?
Does it have the potential for strong recall?

Once you have ranked your favourite submissions, hit "Submit your vote".

Please note that some mobile devices may experience issues with ranking the sound logos. If this is the case for you, if possible, please vote on desktop or send us your selection.

This is not a secret ballot. Your choices are recorded in your contributions and are consequently publicly visible.

The Sound of All Human Knowledge contest finalists[edit]

Name	Submission notes	Audio description
AC54	My sound logo was inspired by the prompt, ‘Humans of the Wikimedia Movement’. It intends to highlight themes such as universality, collaboration and discovery by sharing an ascending pentatonic scale between western and non-western instruments. It suggests that Wikimedia is warm and accessible.	A mixture of different instrumentation, all playing individual parts of a whimsical melody. Each note is panned left or right, and the notes are played in close sequence. Many parts forming a whole.
BY23	My sound logo represents the joy and fulfillment that people around the globe ultimately experience as a result of the growing accessibility of human knowledge. My inspiration for the music came from the soundtrack of Spanish national TV show "Saber y Ganar" and Nintendo's Brain Training series.	A quick, effervescent arpeggio played on a soft, warm synth sound. This is layered with some textural foley sounds, and tails off with the sound of a human crowd, and a child laughing.
DS71	"Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom." – G.W. Carver (1864–1943), scientist and inventor That’s the ultimate objective of the Wikimedia movement: to open the door to all. We all need to take initiative. We need to knock. For as long as there are questions, we will need answers!	A door knock sound, matched with a simple rising piano arpeggio, ending with a simple bell ring. It feels open and curious.
FM76	The backbone of my sound logo is the first 20 pitches of the harmonic series presented as a rapidly ascending arpeggio. This sonic phenomenon does not conform to equal temperament, so I carefully tuned every microtone. Free, open and truly universal: this is the sound of all human knowledge.	A deep clang starts the sound, followed by a quickly rising, almost magical string/piano glide up to a peak point. There is also a clock ticking sound introduced over the latter half.
GX13	My sound logo means a journey and a meeting point in the field of knowledge. To ask ourselves where we come from and where we are, to value the importance of having the tools to access information and culture in a transparent, truthful, instantaneous way, through a sound as common as computer keys.	A bright piano arpeggio, played in a wistful, dreamlike way. Merged with the sound of hands typing on a keyboard and finalised with a short, strong string pluck.
JW08	My sound logo aims to show the power of different elements (voices) becoming one thanks to a unifying factor (the chord) and then bringing life to something new. At first, they enter one by one, but then you hear only one unified sound: the sound of a living thing, made up of many little efforts.	A panning, digitised choral ensemble, layering up to make a large, complex, full major chord. There is also a guitar strum played underneath, which is followed by the same guitar sound, reversed, rising up to the end.
OZ85	"Humans are the core of technology, and technology is the core of today's knowledge". This sound logo contains the sounds of a computer and humans, interacting with each other. At the end, a computer mouse click closes the question that moved us to learn more about a topic.	A collection of fast, percussive, syllabic voices singing 'ti’, ’qui’, ’ta’ and ‘ca' back and forth to imitate keystrokes on a computer keyboard. The sound pans between the left and right speakers. The chant ends with a mouse click sound.
PK62	I was inspired by the principle of accessibility of knowledge. Knowledge of Wikimedia is used by voice assistants to answer queries, which are also sent by people with disabilities, including visually impaired people. It’s important for them to know that the information comes from reliable sources.	A natural drum beat, very stripped back and simplistic. There is then a rising four note melody, played on a digital sounding kalimba, that feels dreamy, warm and inviting.
UN03	This sound logo represents the spark you get when you finally understand something after hours of research, these "lightbulb" moments. My main inspiration was from my own experiences in school. I wanted to take the listeners on a journey of research and discovery, all within 4 seconds.	High pitch piano twinkles, and an undulating, lower string pattern providing a backbone. Layers of hands typing, paper turning, and a mouse clicking syncopate with the instruments. Ending on a final high, revealing note.
VQ97	The sound of a page turning instantly communicates information being consumed, and the sound of knowledge continues to grow. A shutting book signals it is all contained within. A brief pause creates space to announce "Wikimedia" in a memorable five syllable melody welcoming all to come learn.	A page turning, merged with a complex synth pad, building and growing using resonant harmonic overtones. Finishing with a simple five note melody, played on an organic sounding synthesiser, layered with a keyboard click.