Give Students a Voice: Start a Civic Forum at Your School with Sound Branch

Here’s a thought: What if students had a real platform to discuss the issues that matter to them, in their own voices? Forget traditional assemblies and boring bulletin boards—this is about students speaking up and being heard in an authentic, interactive way. Using Sound Branch, schools can now create a vibrant, student-driven civic forum where ideas don’t just live on paper but are spoken, debated, and shared in real-time.

Why a Civic Forum? Because Ideas Need Air

A civic forum gives students a dedicated space to talk about their world. What’s bugging them? What do they want to change? Maybe it’s about improving school facilities or tackling broader issues like climate change, mental health, or local community projects. By creating a place where every voice matters, we move away from token ‘student councils’ and towards a more inclusive, meaningful platform where students can genuinely engage with each other and school leaders.

Why Sound Branch? Because Voice Is Powerful

Sound Branch isn’t just another digital tool—it’s a voice-first platform that taps into how we communicate naturally. Students record short audio messages, responding to each other’s ideas, building on suggestions, or respectfully challenging opinions. This is about creating dialogues, not monologues. And the best part? No one has to stand up in front of a crowd or stress about public speaking. They can share their thoughts openly, in their own voice, whenever they feel ready.

Getting Started: Simple, Quick, and Impactful

Here’s how your school can kick off a civic forum with Sound Branch in just a few steps:

1. Create a Sound Branch Account for the School

Set up a designated school site on Sound Branch where students can access and post their contributions.

2. Pick a Theme or Topic of the Week

Start with something that matters to students—whether it’s school uniforms, mental health, or environmental actions. Invite everyone to jump in with their ideas.

3. Establish Ground Rule

Civic discourse works best with a bit of structure. Keep it respectful, give everyone a turn, and encourage constructive feedback.

4. Post Regularly and Respond

Teachers or student leaders can moderate and help keep the conversation on track, chiming in to highlight points and keep the energy alive.

5. Share Highlights and Take Action

This isn’t just a talk shop. Share key takeaways from the forum in school assemblies or newsletters and work with staff to turn ideas into action. Students will see that their voices lead to real changes.

Why Schools Need This Now

Students today are more aware than ever of social issues and their place in the world. They have opinions and ideas—and they want to be heard. A civic forum with Sound Branch is a way to empower students, give them ownership, and develop their oracy skills in a way that feels relevant and real.

Imagine a school where every student, from the quiet thinkers to the outspoken changemakers, can participate on equal ground. That’s what a civic forum can bring. So, let’s give students the floor (or, in this case, the mic) and see what happens when they’re allowed to shape their school, their community, and maybe even the world.

Active listening is a skill we all think we have mastered. We nod our heads, respond when spoken to, and follow conversations with the expectation that we’re taking in all the information. But the truth is, most of us are only hearing, not truly listening. Listening, especially active listening, is a far more complex process than we give it credit for. It’s about more than just being quiet and waiting your turn to speak. It’s about understanding, empathy, and being present.

Active listening isn’t passive. It requires a conscious effort to engage with what’s being said, mentally processing the information, and providing meaningful feedback. It’s about giving the speaker your full attention—free from distractions—and showing through your words and actions that their message is not only heard but understood. This kind of listening strengthens relationships, resolves conflicts, and fosters genuine collaboration. But despite its importance, active listening is an overlooked skill, especially in schools.

Consider this: we spend years teaching young people how to speak, read, and write, but how much time do we dedicate to teaching them how to listen? In a world dominated by fast-paced information and short attention spans, the ability to truly listen is fading. Yet it’s a crucial life skill—perhaps now more than ever.

This is where Sound Branch comes in. The platform, at first glance, might appear to be just another social tool for sharing voice notes, but its potential goes far beyond that. Sound Branch fosters the art of listening in a digital age, helping young people develop skills that will benefit them for life.

The Science Behind Listening

Listening is more than a passive act. Studies show that when we listen actively, we engage different areas of the brain responsible for memory, understanding, and emotional regulation. Young people who practice active listening are better at interpreting information, resolving disagreements, and showing empathy. By actively engaging with spoken words, they develop deeper cognitive abilities and enhance their emotional intelligence.

However, with the constant distractions of social media, instant messaging, and rapid-fire content consumption, developing this skill in today’s youth can be a challenge. Listening requires time—time to reflect, process, and respond. Sound Branch creates a unique space where this can happen.

Sound Branch: A Listening Tool for the Modern Age

So, how does Sound Branch promote listening skills? It’s a platform built around the simple yet powerful concept of voice notes. Unlike written messages, voice notes require a different kind of attention—they demand you to pause, listen, and absorb. Whether it’s a peer explaining a project, a teacher giving feedback, or a class discussion, Sound Branch gives young people a way to slow down and listen more deeply.

In a school setting, teachers can use Sound Branch to create voice note discussions on any subject, where students must respond to their peers’ ideas. Not only does this promote speaking and presentation skills, but it also requires students to engage in active listening. The platform ensures they are not just hearing the surface of a conversation but reflecting on it in a meaningful way.

Building a Culture of Listening

What’s powerful about Sound Branch is that it nurtures a culture of listening, encouraging both students and teachers to engage with one another in a thoughtful, responsive manner. By creating a space where voice notes are the primary means of communication, the platform removes the visual clutter and fast-paced interaction of written text, forcing users to pay attention to what’s being said. It invites students to be present—to process, think critically, and respond thoughtfully.

Imagine a classroom where discussions don’t end when the bell rings. With Sound Branch, students can record their thoughts on a topic, respond to their peers, and revisit conversations at any time. This not only improves their understanding of the material but also builds confidence in expressing themselves verbally. In turn, it strengthens their ability to listen actively, not just to respond but to truly understand.

Bringing Listening Back to the Forefront

In a world where students are constantly encouraged to share their voice—on social media, in the classroom, or on public platforms—it’s easy to forget that listening is half of the conversation. By incorporating platforms like Sound Branch, schools can bring listening back to the forefront, ensuring that young people are equipped with the tools they need to communicate effectively.

Active listening is not a skill that can be learned overnight. It takes practice, patience, and the right environment. Sound Branch provides that environment, one where young people can engage with one another through voice, developing not only their speaking abilities but their listening skills as well. And in a world full of noise, there’s never been a greater need for that skill.

We’ve got a lot of podcasts already, right? Over 4 million globally as of 2024. But what if we doubled that number? Not by creating more of the same—more hosts, more guests, more of the traditional “podcast formula”—but by flipping the model. Think about this: for every podcast episode, there’s a fans podcast. It’s not just a place for listeners to hang out; it’s an extension of the original show where listeners contribute their own reflections, ideas, and thoughts.

Here’s how it works: you keep your original podcast on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as usual. You record your live show with a guest, a topic, the works. But once that episode is out there, you invite your listeners to keep the conversation going. They hop onto their version of the episode—their fans podcast. They can leave voice notes, discuss, and expand on what you and your guest talked about. It’s like the comments section of a blog but so much more alive because it’s all voices.

You don’t just leave it as a free-for-all either. You, as the podcast producer, curate these fan voice notes, pulling together the best reflections and merging them into a “fans episode.” What you end up with is a professionally edited, community-driven episode that sits alongside your main content. Essentially, every episode of your podcast now has a second life through the eyes—or voices—of your listeners.

So why would this idea double the number of podcasts in the world? Two words: engagement and feedback. For every podcast you already listen to, there’s now a place for listeners to chime in, to voice their opinions. It’s bottom-up instead of top-down. You’re no longer just pushing content out into the void; you’re creating an interactive, evolving conversation. The fans podcast becomes a playground for new ideas. And guess what? Future episode topics could even come from these discussions. It’s a feedback loop that keeps on giving.

And this isn’t just for fun. There’s real value in this for the podcast creators. Through these fans podcasts, you’re gathering data. You’re learning what resonates with your audience, what falls flat, and what they want to hear more of. This insight is gold for planning future episodes, but it also opens the door to more targeted sponsorships and advertising. With platforms like Sound Branch, it’s easy to set this up. Simply create your own URL—yourpodcast.soundbranch.com—and at the end of each episode, invite listeners to join the conversation.

Now, imagine having this ecosystem around every podcast out there today. The number of podcasts effectively doubles, and podcasting becomes more sustainable and interactive. Everyone gets a voice. Everyone becomes part of the story. And that’s how we change the game.

Get Started with Sound Branch

Sound Branch Podcast Series – The Power of Voice

Welcome to our podcast series, where we dive into the power of voice and audio to revolutionize the way we communicate, learn, and share ideas. In this series, we’ll explore how simple voice notes can turn into impactful podcasts, how shifting away from text-based communication can save time, and why embracing audio is the future for both personal and professional growth.

Making Learning Accessible with Sound Branch

The frontline workforce – the people on the ground, out in the field, in delivery vans, on construction sites, or standing at customer service counters – are often the most challenging to train. They don’t sit behind a desk. They don’t have access to laptops or office equipment. But what they do have is a phone in their pocket.

This presents an interesting opportunity.

The traditional training approach of gathering everyone in a room for hours, disrupting their shifts and schedules, is not only inefficient but also costly. Getting a delivery driver, for example, to stop his route for a 90-minute session? Forget it. It’s not practical. However, sending a quick podcast or voice note directly to their phone? That’s simple. It’s convenient. It fits into their world.

The power of audio for learning

Audio lessons provide flexibility. Imagine you’re a delivery driver with 15 minutes between stops. You pull over, check your phone, and there’s a new training episode waiting for you. Instead of a long, drawn-out course, you get a concise, actionable lesson you can listen to at your convenience. It’s bite-sized learning designed for the mobile workforce.

However, there’s one catch: not everyone can listen while working. For example, delivery drivers can’t listen to podcasts while they’re driving. But during breaks, waiting times, or after a shift, audio becomes the easiest way to engage them without disrupting the workflow.

Enter Sound Branch: Your Audio Lesson Platform

Creating audio lessons sounds like it would require a studio, a sound engineer, and all the tech gear. But with Sound Branch, you don’t need any of that. You can create, edit, and share audio lessons in minutes, right from your phone or computer.

Here’s how it works:

1. Record on the go: With Sound Branch, you can record voice notes straight from your phone. This means you can share quick updates, training tips, or company announcements as soon as you think of them.

2. Structured learning: You can organize your voice notes into lesson sequences. Think of it as a podcast series tailored specifically for your frontline team. Each lesson can cover a different topic, whether it’s new safety protocols, customer service skills, or product updates.

3. Share instantly: Once recorded, you can ping these lessons directly to your team’s phones. No app downloads, no complicated platforms. Just a link that opens up in their browser, ready to listen. Your delivery driver, warehouse worker, or retail staff can access the lesson whenever it’s convenient for them.

4. Track engagement: Sound Branch allows you to see who’s listened to the lessons, ensuring accountability. You can even invite feedback or questions through voice responses, keeping the conversation two-way.

What this means for your team

Audio lessons with Sound Branch make training seamless and integrated into the everyday routine. You’re no longer pulling people out of their day to sit in a conference room for hours. Instead, you’re meeting them where they are – on their phones.

This is about making learning continuous and frictionless. And when learning is this easy, the likelihood that it sticks – and drives real change – is much higher.

Your frontline workforce is already stretched thin, but with Sound Branch, you can empower them with knowledge, skills, and updates without taking them off the job. It’s a simple shift – from in-person disruption to mobile-first education – that can make a world of difference.

The next step? Start creating those audio lessons today.

In any large organization, miscommunication isn’t just an inconvenience—it can be a major source of inefficiency and disengagement. Consider this: a 2019 report by The Economist Intelligence Unit found that poor communication in the workplace led to increased stress (52% of respondents), missed deadlines (44%), and even loss of business (18%). If clarity is lacking at the top, it filters down, eroding the foundation of trust and cooperation that makes organizations work. This is where internal communications (comms) teams come in.

Why Internal Comms Teams Exist

Internal comms teams are the glue that holds organizational culture and operational coherence together. They’re responsible for aligning messaging across departments, ensuring that everyone—from the C-suite to front-line workers—understands the company’s objectives, priorities, and day-to-day happenings. Without them, silos form, confusion reigns, and strategic initiatives falter. Data from the 2020 State of Internal Communication Report reveals that 60% of internal comms professionals believe their role has become more essential due to the shift to remote work, with more companies realizing that maintaining a clear line of communication is no longer a nice-to-have, but a must-have.

But here’s the kicker: despite their importance, internal comms teams still struggle with engagement. According to a 2021 Gallup report, only 36% of employees report being engaged at work. Worse still, even in organizations with formalized internal communication strategies, just 45% of employees feel like they know what’s going on. In short, internal comms teams are doing their job—but they’re not winning the war.

The Tools of the Trade

Today, organizations rely on a variety of internal comms tools to bridge these gaps. Popular platforms include:

•Slack: With over 12 million daily active users, Slack is the poster child for team communication, with real-time messaging, channels for projects, and integrations galore. But the platform has a downside—conversation overload. Important messages get buried in a flood of memes and non-urgent chatter.

•Microsoft Teams: Another powerhouse, especially in enterprises, Teams offers seamless integration with Office 365. However, its reliance on written text for communication means nuances can get lost.

•Email: Still the most widely used tool, despite its many shortcomings. Studies show that the average worker spends 28% of their time managing email, with many emails going unread or misinterpreted.

These tools have their advantages, but they are not perfect. Written messages can be misinterpreted, important information can be missed, and clarity can easily fall through the cracks in the flood of messages. In a complex environment where everyone is competing for attention, internal comms teams are fighting an uphill battle.

Enter Sound Branch—a voice-first, voice-note communication platform that is quietly but significantly disrupting the internal comms landscape.

Why Sound Branch Is Different

Sound Branch stands apart because it leans into a simple but powerful truth: the human voice conveys more than words—it conveys emotion, emphasis, and intent. Voice notes cut through the noise, providing a direct, authentic connection that written communication struggles to replicate. They’re faster than typing out an email or crafting the perfect Slack message and avoid the cognitive load of reading long threads. This enables employees to engage with communication in a more natural, intuitive way.

Now, let’s dive into the stats.

•Communication speed: The average person speaks at about 125-150 words per minute, while they type at roughly 40 words per minute. Using voice notes through Sound Branch means that information can be shared and consumed in a fraction of the time it takes to type and read.

•Retention and engagement: Research from the University of Southern California shows that people are 40% more likely to retain information delivered via audio versus text. That’s because voice creates a more immersive experience, engaging listeners on multiple levels—tone, emotion, and inflection.

Sound Branch solves problems that traditional internal comms tools often exacerbate:

1. Alignment across teams: With voice notes, there’s less room for misinterpretation. Imagine a CEO sending out an email detailing a new strategic initiative. A lot can get lost between the lines: “Is this urgent?” “How important is this really?” Now imagine the same CEO sending out a voice note, where tone and emphasis make it crystal clear that this new strategy is a top priority. The sense of urgency, commitment, and excitement is immediately apparent.

2. Clarifying objectives and reducing ambiguity: The intonation in someone’s voice can reveal hesitation, conviction, or enthusiasm. This clarity helps teams align faster and eliminates the need for follow-up clarifications that are often necessary with text-based communication.

3. Eliminating written word fatigue: In the world of Slack and email overload, internal comms teams often face a tired audience. According to a 2020 Adobe survey, the average worker receives 121 emails a day. After processing that volume of information, it’s no wonder employees are disengaged. Voice notes from Sound Branch offer a refreshing alternative—quick, engaging, and to the point. Instead of reading yet another paragraph, employees can listen on the go, while multitasking, or during their commute.

4. Inclusivity and accessibility: Voice notes democratize communication. For employees with disabilities or language barriers, Sound Branch’s voice-first approach removes a significant hurdle. They can listen and speak, rather than struggling with typing or reading long emails, making internal communications more inclusive and accessible.

The Shift Toward Voice-First Communication

As organizations become more dispersed—whether through remote work, global offices, or complex hierarchies—the demand for more effective internal communication is only increasing. According to McKinsey, companies with strong internal communications outperform their competitors by 3.5 times. The ability to align teams, foster collaboration, and drive engagement directly impacts the bottom line.

Sound Branch represents a new way forward, one that leverages the immediacy, emotional resonance, and efficiency of voice notes. In a world saturated with written communication, voice stands out as a tool for clarity and alignment—solving problems that have long plagued internal comms teams. The spoken word is more than just a message; it’s a bridge to connection and understanding in the workplace.

By making communication more human, Sound Branch is enabling organizations to communicate more effectively, with fewer misunderstandings and a deeper level of engagement. As companies look toward the future of work, perhaps the answer lies not in typing, but in speaking.

Imagine a platform where the traditional podcasting model is turned on its head. Instead of a singular voice leading the conversation from the top down, this new approach encourages listeners and participants to contribute equally, shaping the content from the bottom up. Sound Branch embodies this shift. Gone is the typical structure of a host and presenter, and in its place is a free-form, asynchronous conversation. Users aren’t tied to live recordings or rigid schedules; instead, they add their voice, one bite-sized piece at a time, creating a flexible, evolving playlist.

This method doesn’t just break from convention; it makes podcasting far more accessible and interactive. In traditional podcasting, the burden of production and organisation falls on the creator, but Sound Branch eliminates this complexity. The focus is on spontaneous and genuine expression, with users free to contribute at their convenience, wherever they are. Because conversations build over time, this platform allows for deeper, more reflective dialogue compared to the high-pressure environment of live recordings.

Moreover, Sound Branch’s multimodal capabilities set it apart. It doesn’t stop at audio. Every spoken word is transcribed automatically, making the content searchable and accessible to more people. The transcription allows for seamless transitions between voice and text, enabling creators to repurpose their conversations into blogs, articles, or newsletters effortlessly.

Sound Branch is also available across multiple platforms — iOS, Android, the web, and even voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa — making it incredibly versatile. It’s an everywhere tool, whether you’re in your car, on a walk, or sitting at your desk. This cross-platform accessibility removes the friction of needing specialised equipment or studio space to create.

Who should use Sound Branch? The platform is perfect for anyone looking to share ideas in a more flexible, collaborative manner. Educators, teams, and communities can use it to discuss topics, brainstorm, or even run asynchronous meetings. Its accessibility makes it an ideal tool for busy professionals, remote workers, or anyone who values the power of voice over the constraints of text.

The rise of technologies like ChatGPT and advanced voice modes make platforms like Sound Branch even more relevant. As voice-driven interactions become more common, the reliance on traditional apps and graphical interfaces fades. Sound Branch offers a faster, more cost-effective way to communicate and collaborate, poised to grow alongside the increasing demand for voice-first solutions.

In a world moving toward seamless, natural communication, Sound Branch offers a glimpse of the future — one where creating content is as simple as having a conversation.

The Story of Sound Branch by Sean Gilligan

Back in 2016, I sat at my kitchen table thinking about two things. First, how could I better communicate with my Chicago sales team and avoid those late-night 9 PM or 10 PM calls, checking in on progress, offering support, and providing guidance? Second, I started to wonder if the tweet storms on Twitter—those never-ending chains of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of replies—could be transformed into something more engaging. You’d skim these tweets, never reading them all, but what if you could listen instead? Play it all like a podcast while multitasking—perhaps while driving or cooking. That idea stuck with me.

The impersonality of text was also on my mind. With voice, communication becomes quicker and more efficient, but more importantly, it carries empathy. You can tell so much, not just from the words themselves, but from the tone, the intonation—whether someone is happy, frustrated, or energised. That’s what inspired me to create Sound Branch.

Of course, there were alternatives like WhatsApp, but it didn’t fit the bill. WhatsApp is mobile-first, difficult to secure for enterprise, and limited in its scope. So, we built Sound Branch for the web, iOS, Android, Alexa, and Google Assistant. It’s like Twitter or Slack but with a key difference—it’s voice-first and voice-only. You couldn’t type if you wanted to. You had to record your voice. That forces a level of emotional expression you simply don’t get with text.

Every voice note was transcribed and searchable, allowing you to quickly find what had been said. People could post on a public timeline, respond in structured threads categorised by topics, or engage in private chats and groups. An inbox would pull all of this together, with date and time stamps for each new message.

We took it a step further. Using AI, we performed sentiment analysis on the transcriptions, adding an emoji to reflect the emotion behind each voice note. Voice clips could be up to two minutes long, but the default was set to 10 seconds. The goal was brevity—keeping messages quick and engaging. People don’t want to listen to long voice notes all day.

This multimodal approach allowed recipients to listen to or read a message, and then like, reply, or share it. Notifications kept users in the loop. We introduced advanced analytics, showing which voice clips were most played, and even created audio profiles where users could record voice notes about their skills and experience. Colleagues, friends, and allies could leave voice endorsements, building an authentic audio résumé.

And it wasn’t just desktop-based. We made sure Sound Branch was fully accessible across platforms—iOS, Android, Alexa, and Google Assistant.

Another piece of the puzzle was podcasting. Traditional podcasting is time-consuming—recording takes an hour, and editing might take two. Scheduling can be a hassle, especially when trying to coordinate multiple guests. We wanted to make podcasting easier. So, we introduced playlists. Much like group chats, you could invite people to contribute by recording voice notes, then edit and merge them into a seamless podcast. It was a refreshing, asynchronous way to create content. The final podcast could be published and syndicated through RSS feeds to platforms like Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Sound Branch became a new way of podcasting, where you could post a series of questions, have contributors answer at their convenience, and turn that into a polished episode. No need to spend hours in post-production.

Ultimately, Sound Branch is about bringing empathy back into communication in a world where we’re stuck between Zoom calls and emails. It fills that white space—bridging the communication gap. Launched in 2016, Sound Branch was a pioneer, a trailblazer in the voice-first space. And now, we’re waiting for a generation to fully embrace this technology as the future of work, podcasting, and empathetic communication. It’s about giving everyone a voice and, just as importantly, teaching us all to listen.

Debate clubs offer students more than just a platform to argue their points. They cultivate critical thinking, public speaking, and confidence—skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Traditionally, debates unfold in classrooms or auditoriums, with all the excitement of live exchanges. However, there’s a new way of thinking about these spaces—one that moves debates from the physical stage to a virtual one, leveraging voice social networks like Sound Branch to transform how students engage in debate.

On Sound Branch, students can still sharpen their arguments, but they are freed from the pressure of real-time performance. The platform allows students to record voice notes, sharing their positions, rebuttals, and counterarguments asynchronously. In high schools, where students are balancing coursework, extracurriculars, and social lives, this flexibility is invaluable. It means they can engage deeply with debate topics without the logistical challenges of scheduling live sessions.

When debates happen in person, a few key issues often arise. Time constraints limit the depth of argument; only a few voices may dominate, and the pressure of public speaking can prevent some students from participating at all. On a voice platform like Sound Branch, these limitations dissolve. Every student gets a turn to speak, and they can think more critically about their response before posting it. What emerges is a more reflective, nuanced debate where thoughtfulness is rewarded over quick wit.

One of the platform’s most distinct advantages is that students can listen back to their own and others’ contributions multiple times. This opportunity for review is powerful—students can evaluate their delivery, identify areas for improvement, and refine their rhetorical skills. Unlike a live debate, where what’s said is often lost in the moment, Sound Branch creates a record of every debate for future analysis and growth.

Moreover, the platform allows for a broader and more inclusive conversation. Shy students, often reluctant to speak up in live settings, can find their voice in this less pressured environment. It’s easier to participate when the stakes don’t involve standing in front of a class but rather clicking a button to record. This opens the debate club to a wider range of voices, fostering greater diversity in thought and expression, which is, after all, the heart of a great debate.

The asynchronous nature of Sound Branch also means students can engage with debates beyond the school day. Perhaps a new thought strikes them at home, or they come across an article that sparks a fresh argument. Sound Branch keeps the debate alive, allowing students to return, reflect, and contribute at their own pace.

Another key advantage is the ability to integrate multimedia. Students can upload supporting materials such as images, articles, or even audio clips of experts to bolster their arguments. This multimodal approach brings a richness to debate that live settings often lack, as students are empowered to draw from a wider range of sources and examples to support their points.

While live debates will always hold a special place in schools, the use of a voice social network for debates enhances the experience in new and exciting ways. High schools, in particular, stand to benefit. The combination of flexibility, inclusivity, and a space for thoughtful reflection enables more students to not only participate but thrive in debate.

Ultimately, Sound Branch transforms the debate club from a once-a-week event into an ongoing conversation, sharpening the minds of students and ensuring that all voices are heard. The question, then, is not whether schools should adopt this new method of debate—but rather, how soon can they start?

Setting Up a Debate Club on Sound Branch: A Practical Guide

Sound Branch is an ideal platform for starting a debate club in your school. With its voice note features, students can record and share their debates, engaging in meaningful discussions from anywhere. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you set up your own debate club, combining the technical setup with practical tips for running successful debates.

1. Creating a Site on Sound Branch

To begin, follow these steps to create your debate club’s digital home on Sound Branch:

• Sign up for a free account on Sound Branch.
• Create a new site for your debate club by navigating to the “Create a Site” option.
• Add a logo and description: Customise your site with the school’s logo and a brief description, encouraging students to join.

2. Setting Up Channels for Debate Topics

Within your site, you can set up channels to organise debates around specific topics or themes:

• Create channels for each debate. For example, “School Uniforms: For or Against” could be one channel.
• Set channel permissions to ensure only members of your club can post or comment.
• Use polls to vote on debate topics or decide winners for competitive rounds.

3. Recording and Sharing Debates

Encourage students to use Sound Branch’s voice note feature to practice their debating skills:

• Assign debate topics in advance so students can prepare their arguments.
• Have students record their speeches on their phones using the Sound Branch app.
• Set a time limit for voice notes to mimic real debate conditions (e.g., 2-3 minutes per speaker).
• Encourage students to reply to each other’s voice notes, fostering back-and-forth debate discussions.

4. Facilitating Your First Debate

Here’s a practical plan for running your first debate using Sound Branch:

• Topic selection: Ask students to submit their ideas for debate topics, then create a poll to choose the first debate.
• Group setup: Divide students into two groups—“For” and “Against.”
• Recording arguments: Each group records an opening argument in their designated channel.
• Rebuttals and replies: After each side posts their opening argument, the opposing side posts rebuttals via voice notes.

5. Involving Students and Growing the Club

• Advertise the club: Involve students in promoting the debate club by creating posters and making announcements in assemblies.
• Use form-time activities: To recruit members, consider running a mini-debate or activity during form time.
• Encourage leadership: Older students can take on roles like moderators or judges for debates, helping to grow and manage the club.

6. Planning Regular Debates

• Weekly debates: Set a schedule for weekly debates, using the same format for consistency.
• Competitions and challenges: Use Sound Branch to host internal competitions or challenge other schools to virtual debates.
• Record key events: Motivate students by recording debates for special assemblies or even local competitions.

7. Using Sound Branch to Evaluate Performance

• Transcribe voice notes: Sound Branch allows you to transcribe voice notes, making it easy to review and assess student performance. Use the transcripts to create feedback or even publish newsletters or blogs about your club’s debates.
• Encourage peer feedback: Students can listen to each other’s arguments and offer constructive feedback through comments on the platform.

8. Debate Topics to Get Started

Here are some sample debate topics you can use for your club:

• Should we abolish school uniforms?
• Should zoos be banned?
• Should everyone earn the same salary regardless of their job?

By setting up your debate club on Sound Branch, students can engage in meaningful debates, hone their communication skills, and even involve the wider school community in their discussions. With the ease of recording, sharing, and transcribing debates, your club can thrive both online and in person.

In every workplace, from the smallest start-up to the largest multinational corporation, a pattern emerges. It’s the endless chain of emails that fill inboxes by the hour. It’s the back-to-back Zoom calls that stretch into late afternoons. And yet, there’s a subtle, unspoken fatigue growing beneath it all. The truth is, we’ve become prisoners to the very tools designed to make us more efficient. But what if the solution wasn’t adding more meetings or writing longer emails, but rather embracing something simpler, faster, and more personal?

A Missed Opportunity

The world has adopted email and video conferencing as default modes of communication. It’s understandable. Email is fast, it leaves a paper trail, and it feels safe. Zoom, on the other hand, replicates the face-to-face meeting in a world where offices are often thousands of miles apart. Yet, for all their benefits, both of these tools have significant drawbacks.

Think about Sarah, a team leader at a mid-sized consultancy. She starts her day sifting through an inbox overflowing with requests. “Can we meet at 2 p.m. to discuss the project?” or “Here’s a document—let me know your thoughts by end of day.” A steady drip of communication that feels never-ending. When the clock hits 2 p.m., she’s deep into Zoom calls. Some productive, others redundant. She ends her day tired, not from the work itself, but from the tools she used to manage it.

Now, imagine if Sarah’s colleague, James, hadn’t sent her that 2 p.m. Zoom invite but instead recorded a quick 2-minute voice note. He explains his thoughts clearly, provides a couple of updates, and leaves room for her to respond at her convenience. Sarah, while on her commute home, listens, quickly records a response, and moves on. No meeting, no inbox anxiety, just quick, effective communication.

The Hidden Power of Voice

Voice is the oldest form of communication, yet in the professional world, we seem to have abandoned it. But there’s something powerful in hearing someone speak—something email can never replicate. It’s the subtle cues, the inflection, the emphasis, the human connection.

Let’s take a moment to think about James and his team. They used to spend 20 minutes every morning on a Zoom call discussing progress. But one day, James made a simple shift. Instead of booking a meeting, he sent out a voice note in the group chat: “Morning team, just a quick update on where we are. I think we’re progressing well on the Johnson account, but let’s tighten up on the deadline for the audit. Feel free to send over any blockers by voice note if you encounter them.”

That morning, something shifted. The team, no longer shackled to their desks, sent their replies while walking to grab coffee or taking a break outside. Instead of sitting in front of their screens, they were moving, thinking, and communicating fluidly. By the time 9:30 a.m. rolled around, they’d all received the same information—just without the need to set aside time for a formal meeting.

Redefining Communication at Work

This isn’t just about making things more convenient. It’s about changing the very nature of workplace communication. By incorporating voice notes, we’re not only saving time but also unlocking new efficiencies. Consider this—when you type out an email, you second-guess your words, you reread, you rewrite. But when you speak, you allow your natural thought process to unfold, often getting your point across faster, with less friction.

Voice notes also allow for spontaneity and creativity. Picture a creative team brainstorming ideas for a new campaign. In a Zoom call, there’s often a pressure to contribute in real time. But with voice notes, people can leave their thoughts as they come to them, in bursts of inspiration. One team member might leave a note in the afternoon, sparking an idea in another who listens later that evening, adding their thoughts. By the time they regroup, the idea has evolved organically without needing a single scheduled meeting.

Real Change Starts with Leadership

Of course, adopting voice notes as a regular form of communication takes a cultural shift. It requires leaders to embrace the change first. One manager at a software company in Leeds did exactly that. Frustrated by the time spent in endless email chains, she began leaving voice notes for her team instead. “At first, I worried people would be hesitant. But it was the opposite—they loved it. Our team chat is filled with these little moments of insight, shared quickly and efficiently. We’ve cut our meeting times in half.”

Leaders, by setting the example, show their teams that this mode of communication is not only acceptable but preferred. It’s about creating a new norm where we trust each other to be both efficient and thoughtful.

The Path Forward

In a world where work is increasingly digital, we’ve grown too accustomed to tools that keep us tethered to our screens. Email, for all its usefulness, has turned into a burden. Zoom, though it connects us visually, can drain us of the energy needed for creative, spontaneous work. But voice notes—these bite-sized bursts of communication—offer us a third way. They remind us that efficiency doesn’t always mean more meetings or more emails. Sometimes, it’s about saying what you need to say, in your own voice, and trusting that it will be heard.

Just as Sarah found herself freed from Zoom fatigue, and James discovered a new rhythm for his team, we too can unlock the potential of our own voices. It’s time we stopped defaulting to the tools we’ve always used and started thinking about what’s truly effective. Because, in the end, a well-placed voice note may just be the communication revolution we didn’t know we needed.