It could be a while before a Covid-ravaged world goes back to normal, and people go back to their offices. Work-from-home is the new normal. In its wake, some companies have decided to amp up their WFH-policies and will now allow more and more employees to work from home even post-pandemic, or is the case of Shopify, will go remote-only.
While the debates around perks of going to an office vs working from home go on, a large section of people are indeed missing their office, having been away from it for months now. And Spotify is here to fix that. The Swedish music streaming giant has launched a ‘soundtrack’ that seeks to replicate the ambient sounds and usual noises one hears while working in an office.
The sound is hosted on a special microsite called the “Sound Of Colleagues”, and created by a music and sound production company called Red Pipe Studios. The soundtrack involves usual office sounds such as a multitude of keyboards tapping simultaneously, coffee brewing, phones buzzing, people talking and even the occasional loud toilet flush. It even has the bark of an office dog thrown in for good measure. Check out the soundtrack at: soundofcolleagues.com
The sounds are incredibly realistic, except for the lack of a nagging “Let’s get into a huddle”, or “submit the report by EOD” – unmissable things you hear in an office.
These are not normal times. Modern problems require modern solutions. If you’re missing the office, and replicating the office with makeshift ergonomic desks, and watching humorous videos about the work-from-home culture isn’t cutting it, this is the soundtrack to play in the background, while you go on to work from home for the foreseeable future.