The pandemic has helped to restore the value of quiet back into society. People have developed a greater appreciation of the importance of quiet in their lives and its vital role in their sense of wellbeing. And yet, because sound is invisible it is all too often overlooked in the design process of buildings. Consequently, the world suddenly appeared very loud, when lockdowns ended and we returned to a world of busy bars, restaurants, shopping malls, and the open-planned workspace. 

A recent study by Leesman found that noise levels are important to 71% of the employees, yet only 33% find them satisfactory in their workplace. Additionally, recently released data reveals that London’s restaurants are the loudest in Europe, and second only to San Francisco worldwide. A survey by SoundPrint found 80% of 1,350 London restaurants were too loud for conversation.

“The advent of smartphone technology is enabling people to educate themselves on sound levels and more. As a society we are wanting quieter spots and there wasn’t any prior data allowing us to do that, which is why SoundPrint was born” explains Gregory Scott, Founder of SoundPrint.

SoundPrint is a global app that measures the noise levels of local bars, cafes, restaurants and other venues. Launching first in the US in 2018, it has since branched out to the UK and other European locations and has amassed over 170K downloads. 

Explaining his invention, Gregory told us, “SoundPrint has been designed to be very simple and intuitive for the user. The app has two main functions. The first is ‘SoundCheck' where you take a sound level measurement of your environment for a minimum of 15 seconds. The objective output will tell you whether the venue is good for conversation and whether it is safe for your hearing health. You simply submit the measurement by tagging the venue that you’re in.”

“The second key function is to Search.  Users can find venues by noise levels, location and other criteria.”

A study shows that a restaurant can lose up to 10% of revenue per year for being too loud, with diners, who may have enjoyed the food, nevertheless being less inclined to return to a space where it was difficult to have a conversation. This is where the SoundPrint app can empower restaurateurs, enabling them to see exactly how loud their space is. In fact, another helpful  feature of the app is that it allows users to make a friendly, helpful, yet anonymous noise  complaint to the venue. 

Of course, restaurateurs and business owners aren’t usually trained acousticians or interior designers. It can be challenging knowing where to start when it comes to finding products to reduce noise and improve acoustics in their venues and workspaces. This is where Quiet Mark’s Acoustic Academy platform can help; providing a one-stop online directory of Third Party Certified acoustic solutions for every application area and building type.