sonify

Sonify is the process of translating data into sound to convey information or reveal patterns that may be less apparent in visual form. The term can describe both the act of creating sound from data and the resulting auditory representations, collectively referred to as data sonification or sonic displays. In practice, sonification uses audio to communicate data insights, complementing or replacing visual methods in appropriate contexts.

Methods used in data sonification commonly fall into parameter mapping and event-based approaches. In parameter mapping, a data stream continuously controls a sonic parameter such as pitch, loudness, timbre, or spatial position. In event-based sonification, discrete data events trigger short sounds or musical phrases. Designers may employ multi-voice textures and spatial audio to encode multiple variables in parallel while considering perceptual limits, such as discriminability and cognitive load, to avoid information overload.

Applications span science, engineering, medicine, accessibility, and the arts. Sonification has been used to study climate and weather data, seismic signals, astronomical data, and physiological records like ECG or EEG. It also supports real-time monitoring in industrial or laboratory settings and assists blind or visually impaired users in data exploration. As a flexible auditory medium, sonification can offer intuitive cues about trends, anomalies, and temporal structure that complement traditional visualization techniques. Common tools range from general-purpose audio synthesis environments to data-oriented software libraries in various programming ecosystems.