A chorus of voices fades in and out between ringing wine glasses, wax paper crinkles around a delicate pain au chocolat on a calm summer evening in Paris.
This is one of the soundscapes painted by Emmerse, an app developed here in Vancouver to distract anxious minds and transport listeners someplace else. The Emmerse app uses a few scientific approaches to audio-based anxiety reduction according to a release following the app’s launch on Monday (Feb. 14).
Recordings on the app are made with binaural sound, which creates a profound and hyper-realistic virtual experience, and provides the best possible simulated environment.
“The app aims to give people a mini escape - a way to distract them from anxious thoughts and feel like they’re physically elsewhere,” a release from Emmerse states. “The pandemic has caused a rise in anxiety, with over 37% of North Americans reporting being affected by it.”
In the app, you can select from evocative images with titles such as “Paris at night,” “Cabin by the lake,” and “Thunderstorm.” Many of the audio was recorded in and around Vancouver.
“We wanted to create a different kind of app - one that’s grounded in science as opposed to lifestyle. Using a combination of techniques that we know work packs a powerful punch,” says Mia Thomsett, Emmerse's co-founder.
Emmerse co-founder Eric Mosher says, “Every place has its own unique sound. Our mission is to capture audio from all around the world and allow people to experience something new, to picture themselves elsewhere, and to journey into sleep.”
The Emmerse app is available now on the Apple Store and will be available on Google Play next month. The app offers a seven-day free trial which then enters a $6.99 monthly subscription. Listeners have the option of paying a yearly subscription for $49.99.
