- The musical composition has turned real, anonymised financial data from businesses in the UK, U.S., South Africa and France into an original classical electro-acoustic track, bringing the hidden rhythms of finance to life
- Created in partnership with data sonification experts Loud Numbers and performed by a live string quartet
- The campaign brings Sage’s ‘Glass Box’ approach to AI to life, turning complex financial data into something people can understand and experience, as research finds 71% of finance leaders reject AI decisions they cannot explain.
LONDON, Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Every business, sector, and economy has its rhythms and patterns, but these are often hidden within complex data.
Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) is bringing those hidden patterns to life through sound with the launch of the Financial Symphony, an original composition that translates real, anonymised business data into music. Created with data sonification experts Loud Numbers and performed by a live string quartet, every shift in pitch, tempo and volume is driven directly by the underlying data.
Every element of the composition can be traced back to the data that shaped it, with a clear methodology showing how the underlying numbers translate into the final composition. It brings to life a principle increasingly important as businesses embrace AI: outputs need to be not only useful, but understandable and explainable.
That matters when 71% of finance leaders say they reject AI-driven decisions when they cannot understand how they were made. In finance, where ‘nearly right’ can still be wrong, Sage believes businesses should be able to understand how technology reaches an answer, a principle at the heart of its ‘Glass Box’ approach to AI.
From Black Box to Glass Box
For finance professionals, the ability to understand how an AI-generated answer was reached has practical value. The average worker spends nearly 13 hours a week reconstructing assumptions, validating calculations or confirming the logic of AI outputs. Sage’s ‘Glass Box’ approach is designed around a simple principle: AI reasoning and outputs should be visible and traceable.
“Businesses can’t build confidence on answers they can’t trust,” said Aaron Harris, Chief Technology Officer at Sage. “Our Glass Box approach means that our customers will always know how Sage’s AI got to the answer. Outputs can be interrogated. Assumptions are visible. Data sources can be traced. Decisions can be explained at the point they’re made, not reconstructed after the fact.
“The Financial Symphony takes that same principal and brings it to life through music, charting the peaks and troughs of business performance. Every note, rhythm and change in volume has its origins in real business data, and the journey from data to music is transparent. As AI plays a bigger role in how businesses make decisions, it’s a reminder that trust is earned by showing the working, not just the answer.”
The sonification behind the musical score
Sage partnered with Loud Numbers to analyse anonymised customer datasets across four markets: the UK, U.S., France and South Africa. No artistic license was applied to the underlying metrics; shifts in the music correspond directly to real anonymised business data.
The composition blends two rich, complementary layers – the first being an organic string quartet layer based on UK accounting data from Q1 2015-Q1 2026. The duration of each note in the melody reflects average invoice payment speeds. The second layer is an electronic and percussive layer based on Q1 2026 data from the U.S., France and South Africa. The electronic layer coursing through the song represents the uninterrupted pulse of global trade.
Miriam Quick, Co-Founder of Loud Numbers added, “Financial data has a distinct emotional register. We developed rules that mapped changes in the anonymised datasets to different musical elements, so what you hear isn’t simply inspired by the numbers, it is shaped by them. We’re grateful to Sage for trusting us to be the partner that proves data isn’t just cold numbers but a living, human story.”
- Listen to the Financial Symphony on Spotify.
- Watch the hero performance and behind-the-scenes documentary, The Making of Financial Symphony.
- Explore Sage’s Glass Box approach to AI and the methodology that underscores financial operations around the world.
Notes to editors
Data Governance & Privacy Statement: The data behind the Financial Symphony remains 100% anonymised. Glass Box refers strictly to process transparency and does not imply that customer data is open or visible.
Loud Numbers worked out a precise mathematical translation, from anonymised Excel data to Sibelius - professional music notation software built to help composers create polished, performance-ready scores – and Ableton Live, a digital audio workstation.
The composition blends two rich, complementary layers:
- An Organic String Quartet Layer (based on UK accounting data from Q1 2015-Q1 2026) Set at a tempo of 52 BPM in 4/4 time, each bar of music represents one financial quarter over 11 years. The duration of the starting note in a repeated melody reflects average invoice payment speeds. In the earlier quarters, longer notes represent longer wait times and as the song speeds up business processes, the notes shorten and the rhythms become faster. Simultaneously, the volume of the quartet maps to average invoice sizes, growing from quiet clarity at the beginning to a loud, warm, resonant sound.
- The Electronic & Percussive Layer (based on Q1 2026 data from the U.S., France and South Africa)
The electronic layer coursing through the song represents the uninterrupted pulse of global trade. High-frequency synth tones trigger in real time whenever an average US company transacts $10 in accounts receivable/payable, while distinct mid- and low-range tones trigger as French and South African companies disburse payroll. Rather than conventional drums, the rhythm is anchored by percussion – taps, clicks, knocks and thuds.
Regional Data Breakdown
- United Kingdom: Anonymised accounting data tracking invoice payment durations and average invoice volumes (2015-2026).
- United States: Anonymised Sage Intacct Accounts Receivable (AR) & Accounts Payable (AP) data (Jan 2026-March 2026).
- France: Anonymised payroll and headcount metrics (Jan 2026-March 2026).
- South Africa: Anonymised payroll and headcount metrics (Jan 2026-March 2026).
About Sage
Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of Small and Mid-sized Businesses served by us, our partners and accountants. Customers trust our finance, HR and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitising business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, our digital network connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means we use our time, technology and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality and the climate crisis.
About Loud Numbers
Loud Numbers is an award-winning data sonification studio that turns complex data into music, sound and story. Founded by Miriam Quick and Duncan Geere, Loud Numbers helps organisations communicate complex data through memorable, human-centric audio experiences and narrative compositions. Learn more at www.loudnumbers.com.
Media contacts
Axicom
sage@axicom.com
Sage
mediarelations@sage.com
A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d0c6c687-2596-4985-a7c9-eef34a93667c
