Emma Staake: Seattle Audio Engineer, Musician & Sound Designer

Have you ever listened to a song or a film scene and felt the sound wrap around you? It pulls you closer, makes you feel something real. That kind of sound doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from someone who knows how to shape silence into emotion. Someone who listens deeper than most people do.

You might love music, create videos, or simply enjoy the way a melody can change your mood. Either way, you know how powerful sound can be. Still, few people think about the creative minds who build those experiences from scratch. Emma Staake, a Seattle-based audio engineer, musician, and sound designer, is one of those minds who turns everyday noise into art.

This blog explores who she is, how Emma Staake learned her craft, and what makes her sound work stand out. You’ll discover her early path in audio production, her creative process in live and studio settings, her projects on SoundCloud, Spotify, and TEDxTacoma, and her mission to make audio more inclusive and immersive. By the end, you’ll see how her work connects technology, creativity, and feeling and maybe understand why great sound is never an accident.

About Emma Staake

Early Life and Education

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Emma Staake developed a love for sound early. She was drawn to the small details most people overlook the rhythm of rain on windows, the echo in city streets, the hum of a train before it stops. Those sounds shaped how she heard the world.

She studied at Bellevue College, The Evergreen State College, and Shoreline Community College, where she learned the science behind sound. These schools offered her hands-on experience in audio production, post-production editing, and field recording. During her studies, she explored everything from digital mixing boards to live microphones, learning how every tool has its own voice.

Her education didn’t stop in the classroom. She joined workshops, volunteered at local studios, and helped small community projects build soundtracks for short films. Those early experiences gave her both technical skill and artistic instinct two things that now define her work.

Journey Into Audio Engineering

After finishing school, Emma began working in Seattle’s growing creative scene. She started as a digital media producer, helping with podcasts and small video productions. Later, she took on live sound gigs, working with local musicians and indie theaters.

She collaborated with Arcadia Collective and Funny Button Productions, focusing on sound design for performances and digital media. These partnerships taught her how to translate emotion into sound. Every project was a chance to learn something new from balancing voices in a crowded room to capturing the quiet tone of an outdoor recording.

Over time, she moved into more advanced work: spatial audio, immersive soundscapes, and even VR sound design. Her project Echoes Beyond became a turning point. It used field recordings and 3D audio to make listeners feel as if they were standing inside the music.

Emma’s passion for technology led her to experiment with new tools that make sound accessible for everyone, including people with hearing differences. Her goal has always been clear sound should include, not exclude.

Career Highlights and Projects

Professional Work in Audio Engineering

Emma Staake has worked in almost every corner of the audio world. She has mixed live shows, mastered studio albums, and supported film teams during post-production. Each job showed her a new side of storytelling through sound.

Her focus on accessible audio design has earned her respect among peers. She believes good sound should serve everyone, regardless of how they listen. That belief guides her projects, from podcasts to immersive installations.

She has also become a quiet mentor for younger artists, helping them learn about audio branding, sound design techniques, and music production workflows. Through her talks and workshops, she shares practical tips on balancing creativity with clarity making her both a creator and a teacher.

Featured Projects and Collaborations

Emma’s creative reach extends across multiple platforms:

• SoundCloud: Her page features experimental tracks and collaborations with indie artists. Each piece blends organic and electronic sounds to create emotional depth.
  
• Spotify: Here, you can hear her produced tracks and sound compositions that mix storytelling with ambient sound.
  
• Podcast work: She designed and produced Inner Frequencies, a podcast series exploring how sound shapes human experience.
  
• TEDxTacoma: Her live talk introduced audiences to the emotional side of sound design, showing how small shifts in tone can change how people feel a story.
  

These projects highlight her ability to move between art and science, keeping emotion at the heart of technology.

Discography and Sound Portfolio

Music Releases

Emma’s music blends acoustic and digital textures. Some tracks use natural sounds wind, footsteps, or city noise layered with instruments and synths. Others focus purely on rhythm and tone.

Listeners can explore her work on Spotify and SoundCloud, where she often posts new projects and collaborations. Many of her pieces are featured in short films, podcasts, and performance art.

Her approach is simple but powerful: every sound tells a story. She doesn’t just record; she listens for feeling. Her mixing and mastering work brings out the emotion in every note without drowning it in effects.

VR and Immersive Sound Projects

In projects like Echoes Beyond, Emma uses spatial audio and immersive sound to build environments that react to the listener’s movement. When you walk through these digital spaces with headphones, sounds shift as if you were physically there.

This kind of work combines art, technology, and psychology. It requires precision timing, frequency balance, and spatial design but it also demands empathy. Emma treats every sound as part of a living space. Her goal is to make the listener feel present, not just entertained.

Talks, Media, and Recognition

Emma’s TEDxTacoma appearance brought her to a wider audience. In her talk, she explained how sound can express emotion in ways words cannot. She played live samples, showing how a small change in pitch or delay can shift the mood of an entire scene.

Her ideas have also been featured in online magazines and creative industry blogs. She has been nominated for digital media awards, including the Webby Awards, for her contribution to accessible sound design.

Her collaborative work has received praise from fellow engineers and educators who value her focus on detail and inclusivity. She continues to inspire students, artists, and brands that want to connect through authentic sound.

Teaching, Mentorship, and Community

Beyond her studio and stage work, Emma Staake is active in the Seattle creative community. She leads workshops on sound design techniques, live mixing, and audio production basics.

She works with local schools to introduce teens to the world of music technology, showing them how to record, edit, and shape sound using simple tools. Her teaching style is open and friendly, focused on helping students find their own creative voice.

Emma also mentors women and non-binary creators who want to enter the sound industry. Through mentorship programs, she helps them understand both the technical side of audio and the personal discipline it takes to succeed.

Her message is clear: sound belongs to everyone. Whether you’re building a track at home or recording a film score, you can use your own way of listening to make something meaningful.

Services and Contact

Audio and Music Production Services

Emma Staake offers several professional services:

• Mixing and mastering for musicians, podcasts, and independent creators.
  
• Live sound and AV support for small venues and creative events.
  
• Custom sound design for games, VR experiences, and interactive media.
  

Each service is tailored to fit the client’s goals. She values clear communication, fast delivery, and creative collaboration. Clients describe her as professional, patient, and precise someone who understands both the artistic and technical sides of production.

Contact and Collaborations

You can connect with Emma through her LinkedIn profile or professional portfolio site. She welcomes collaborations with artists, filmmakers, and brands looking to tell their stories through sound.

Whether you’re an independent musician or a company exploring audio branding, working with someone like Emma Staake means more than hiring a technician it means partnering with someone who listens.

Listen and Follow

Stay connected with her creative journey:

• Spotify: Stream official tracks and collaborative projects.
  
• SoundCloud: Discover experimental and work-in-progress soundscapes.
  
• Instagram: Behind-the-scenes looks at studio sessions and live setups.
  
• LinkedIn: Professional updates, workshops, and mentoring news.
  
• TEDxTacoma: Watch her talk on how emotion lives inside sound.
  

Her online presence reflects her real-life approach curious, experimental, and always growing.

FAQ

Who is Emma Staake?

She is a Seattle-based audio engineer, musician, and sound designer known for her work in immersive and accessible sound design. She produces music, podcasts, and interactive audio experiences.

Where can I listen to Emma Staake work?

You can find her music and sound projects on Spotify and SoundCloud. She also shares clips and updates on Instagram and LinkedIn.

What are some of Emma Staake main projects?

Her projects include the Inner Frequencies podcast, Echoes Beyond VR sound experience, and her TEDxTacoma talk. She has also collaborated with Arcadia Collective and Funny Button Productions.

Does Emma Staake offer professional services?

Yes. Emma provides mixing, mastering, sound design, and audio production services for artists, filmmakers, and digital media creators.

How can someone contact Emma Staake?

The best way is through her LinkedIn page or website contact form. She responds to collaboration requests, mentorship opportunities, and creative partnerships.

Conclusion

Sound shapes how you feel, think, and remember. Behind every great audio experience is someone who understands that connection. Emma Staake shows that engineering sound isn’t just about equipment it’s about empathy and precision.

Her path from local studios to international platforms proves that skill and heart can work together. She continues to push boundaries with immersive audio, community teaching, and projects that remind people to listen with intention.

If you’re a creator, her story is a lesson in patience and purpose. If you’re a listener, it’s a reminder to notice the invisible art that makes your favorite moments come alive. Either way, the next time you hear a song or a story that moves you, you’ll know someone like Emma Staake helped you feel it.

Also Read: StreamEast Soccer: Bringing You Every Game, Every Goal