Sam Utne’s : Private Noise

Our friend Sam Utne recently, well… kind of recently started a project called Private Noise (officially started in May of 2011). He conjured up the idea while riding the subway, observing people wearing headphones and wondering…”what are they listening too?”

“It was just a general curiosity that stuck with me and I felt like asking them.” says Sam. But how do you approach to ask the general public, ie—hipsters, wall-street wanderers, tourists, and randoms, without creeping them out? Starting in NYC you can definitely expect a few “F%*k offs”, but Sam’s way around this was simple. Invest in some overnight business card (maybe pay for the UV coating) and carry a camera. Not a smart phone device, but a legitimate camera. It was the instant credibility which seemed to make this project work. Some people thought he was asking directions right off the bat, others thought it was good self promotion to be featured, and some seemed happy to oblige—with or without the camera at all. Thus, Private Noise came to be what it is currently: a simple Tumblr complete with snapshot photos, links to the music each subject was listening to, and brief bios. Sam has continued to do this in his current home in NYC, his hometown of Minneapolis, as well as in Maine, Colorado, Morocco, and beyond. 

The Huffington Post caught wind, as did bloggers in the Philippines, Malaysia, India, Australia, France, Austria, and the United States. Eventually, Sam began to get submissions, people sent photos of themselves and friends listening to music and Private Noise quickly became an modest internet sensation.

One thing that became apparent in Sam’s discoveries during this project was the difference between cities that utilize radio and streaming, and cities that utilize podcasts and actual downloaded music. Meaning, cities that use underground public transit, subways etc., can’t access radio or streaming thus rely on downloaded programs and music. But cities like Minneapolis, where most use automoblies to get around easily access streaming apps and radio. 

Sam says he still misses having public radio stations like Minneapolis’ The Current at his fingertips, “we don’t have those opportunities here in NYC” says Sam. 

With all this said, we suggest you check it out for yourself:

Visit Private Noise HERE. 

A little about Sam Utne:

Sam Utne is an Entrepreneur, Business Strategist, and Creative Director. His latest project, Postography.com is under lock and key but will be released in early 2012. After playing a key role in the creation of Mpls-based imp, a digital media player that could be embedded anywhere on the Internet, he joined the NYC innovation consultancy, Fahrenheit 212. There, he worked with clients such as Coca Cola, Adidas, Harrah’s Entertainment, and Capital One to create new businesses and products. Sam left F212 to become Creative Director at TILE Financial where he oversaw the aesthetic and brand direction of the company. Over the past two years, Sam played a role in the creation of Mexicue, a chain of food trucks and restaurants in NYC and Runa, a Brooklyn/Ecuadorian tea company. He is a Director at the Threshold Foundation and Founder of MNCultureClub.com and PrivateNoise.com.