The precedents for representing music in pictorial form go back to the early twentieth century, when Vasily Kandinsky experimented with synaesthesia and rendered sound and instruments as colors. More recent explorations include avant-garde composer John Cage's attempt to blend musical notation and calligraphy, capturing and blurring the essence of both. Today, digital technologies have augmented the dynamic interplay between sight and sound: it is this exciting area that Sonic Graphics examines.

Exemplary work from studios around the world is presented in three sections: Notation analyzes the use of sign and symbol systems in creating identity and branding for music artists, recording projects and performances; Material examines how products can package the essence of the music they contain; and Atmosphere looks at how space and multidimensional environments can be used to visualize sound. A reference section includes studio websites and a glossary.