who are we
We help brands use atmosphere as a strategic tool to drive real results, shaping it through the music people experience in their spaces.
We create atmosphere. Music is our medium.
our story
Altaura is a music and experience design studio based in London, working globally across a range of sectors to turn atmosphere into a strategic tool for brands.
We use sound to shape how people feel, behave, and connect within a space. The brand atmospheres we create are emotionally resonant, behaviourally informed, and built to drive real results.
Our music evolves throughout the day to reflect shifting energy, support customer flow, and influence mood at every moment.
Our team brings together senior music curators, experience strategists, and technical specialists with deep industry knowledge. It’s this blend of insight, craft, and originality that we call atmosphere alchemy, the process of turning sound into something spatial, emotional, and brand-defining.
Music is our medium. Atmosphere is what we create.
meet the core team
Doug Marshall
With a deep belief in atmosphere alchemy, I’ve spent the last decade learning how the right sound at the right moment can influence behaviour, shift energy, and strengthen brands.
From playing sets for Warner Music and Armani to curating sonic identities for hotels, restaurants, and retail groups, I’ve seen firsthand how music can drive emotion and outcomes. Through these experiences, I realised that music alone isn’t enough; it needs to be grounded in strategy.
That insight led me to launch Altaura, a creative agency that helps brands design distinctive atmospheres that fuel connection, movement, and memory.
I believe music is one of the most underused tools in experience design. Used well, it doesn’t just fill space, it shapes it. Out of work, you’ll find me collecting vinyl, overthinking lighting and speaker placement in my home, or making playlists and music no one asked for. Because for me, this isn’t just work, it’s a lifelong obsession with the chemistry of sound, space, and human emotion.
Max von Zeffman
I see sound and atmosphere as invisible architecture that fundamentally shapes how people feel and connect within spaces.
My career began in marketing and advertising, working with global brands from Disney to Bentley. During projects using biometric data to adapt content in real time, I discovered my fascination with how emotion, behaviour, and experience intersect.My Masters at Hyper Island and working with organisations like BBC R&D deepened this exploration, ultimately leading me to co-found Altaura, where I ensure behavioural insight meets artistic intuition to design atmospheres with clear purpose. Since then, I’ve helped brands like Coach and Four Seasons translate their identity into experience, using sound to guide mood, perception, and memory across hospitality, retail, and lifestyle settings.
I believe atmosphere deserves the same intentional consideration as architecture or lighting, designed from the foundation, not added an afterthought. Outside work, I explore emerging technologies, visiting the latest hospitality openings, following the latest design trends and exploring the future of human experience. For me, meaningful design begins with emotion, and emotion often begins with sound.
Gaby Morse
Music has always shaped how I see and feel the world. I'm fascinated by how sound can change a space - shifting the mood, shaping the energy, and creating connection.
My career project managing events in the USA, Canada, Europe and APAC regions taught me that exceptional experiences don’t happen by accident. They’re built through precision, collaboration, cultural diversity and the right energy at every touchpoint. I love bringing that approach to the teams and clients I work with, helping the vision come to life and executing on the details with precision.
At Altaura, I look after our clients and partnerships, building trusted relationships and making sure every project runs smoothly from first conversation to final delivery and ongoing support. I’m passionate about understanding each brand’s world and helping them shape experiences that connect emotionally through sound and atmosphere.
For me, it’s all about alignment, creating something together that feels effortless, authentic, and genuinely impactful.
Lucy Cook
Music has always been an essential part of my life, a constant source of joy, connection, and inspiration. As a Curator and DJ, I search far and wide for music that’s beautiful, unexpected, and emotionally resonant.
My journey has taken me to stages at Glastonbury Festival, the Tate Modern, and venues across Japan, Australia, and Europe. With a background in A&R, Scouting, and Music Supervision, I deeply understand the power of music to shape experiences and transform environments, both digitally and in real life.
I joined Altaura with a mission: to elevate how people experience spaces through sound. I believe music, energy, and vibration are the glue of human connection. And when it comes to taste, I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. If a song makes you feel something, that’s what truly matters.
Anna Goldman
I’ve always believed that the right atmosphere can transform everything, from how we connect to how we create. Over the past decade, I’ve led international sales and business development across Europe, Scandinavia, and the US, building global partnerships and managing cross-cultural teams.
Whether advising boutique brands or negotiating large-scale deals, I’ve learned that behind every transaction lies a relationship, and that’s where the real value lives. My work blends commercial strategy with human insight, balancing revenue growth with emotional resonance. From corporate sales to personal mindset coaching, I believe business should feel as human as it is ambitious. Beyond my professional life, I run a successful lifestyle blog where I share my passion for travel, culture, and meaningful experiences.
Outside of work, you’ll find me exploring new cities, crafting playlists, wandering art galleries, or sharing long meals with people I love. Creating connection is both my career and my calling, whether that’s through business relationships or the stories I tell through my travels.
Pete Rutherford
With a deep belief that great sound starts with great engineering, I’ve spent the last two decades designing and installing audio systems that bring music to life in spaces of all shapes and sizes.
From national retail rollouts to boutique store fits, I’ve learned how the right setup can make the difference between sound that simply plays and sound that truly connects. Over time, I’ve come to understand that technical design is only part of the equation. The real magic happens when equipment, acoustics, and emotion align.That belief brought me to Altaura, where I help translate musical intention into audio systems that elevate the everyday.
My approach begins with the space, how it breathes, how people move through it, what kind of energy it wants to hold. Then I design or re-engineer the system around that. I believe that when music sounds as good as it feels, it stops being background and becomes part of the experience.Before Altaura, you’d have found me behind a drum kit in heavy metal bands, chasing the perfect kick snare combo.
These days, I live in the Highlands with my two enormous dogs, who mostly take me for walks, not the other way round. But whether I’m in a forest or a flagship, my ears are always tuned to the atmosphere.
