ON THE SLY is a creative music and experiential audio studio known for large‑scale live experiences – from New Year’s Eve shows and stadium ceremonies to immersive brand environments and exhibitions. We design music and audio that carry the emotional and narrative spine of live events, working alongside experience agencies, show directors and visual spectacle teams.
The path into this world began in the 90s on the south coast of the UK, where Chris and David met at school and found themselves drawn to the theatre.
They took on whatever roles were available: musical direction, stage management, lighting and sound. Those early experiences shaped how we think about music in relation to performance, visuals and audiences.
From there came hospital radio, college and university stations, and eventually careers in local and national music radio across the UK. Live radio taught us how to think on our feet, work to immovable deadlines and hold an audience in real time.
There was no long-term blueprint for what ON THE SLY would become. But the foundations were already in place.
What came next? Have a scroll through our timeline to see…
In 2003, ON THE SLY was established as a dedicated music and audio branding studio.
Built on years of broadcast experience, the company focused on radio imaging, jingles and promotional production. From the outset, the aim was clear: combine musical craft with strategic thinking and deliver work that was distinctive, purposeful and on point.
Expanding our remit beyond radio branding, we began working with the newly formed BBC audio trailers team on marketing campaigns for flagship programmes including Doctor Who, Top Gear and Wimbledon.
This introduced a new level of scrutiny and turnaround, delivering high-profile broadcast campaigns under tight editorial and compliance frameworks.
During this period, Chris worked in Sydney and Melbourne, broadening his experience while ON THE SLY continued to grow in the UK. Around the same time, the company began working with Virgin Radio International and moved into studios in London’s West End.
From there, our client base expanded beyond the UK, delivering audio branding for stations across the USA, Thailand, Dubai and Australia. Dan formally joined during this period, strengthening the company’s creative leadership.
In 2011, ON THE SLY began working with iHeartMedia in the United States, marking a significant step into the North American market.
Through long-term collaboration, we developed INTROs, a format delivering bespoke song intros at scale across major market stations. We established a regular presence in Los Angeles, with 104.3 myFM among the flagship stations we continue to oversee.
The move into large-scale live work had been building over several years, from sound design for BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend to immersive soundscape installations for BBC Sounds and music-led broadcast projects across Radio 1.
In 2019, we began working on London’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, bringing that broadcast discipline into a city-scale environment. Music direction shifted from studio and radio output into a fully synchronised public spectacle, where narrative and technical precision operated at a very different scale.
In the years that followed, our live experience work expanded rapidly in both scale and responsibility. Projects moved from single landmark events to a sustained programme delivered throughout the year.
We now create and direct music for international ceremonies, large-scale fireworks and drone shows, immersive installations and brand-led spectacles across multiple continents. These environments demand narrative clarity and musical precision at significant public and technical scale.
Today, ON THE SLY operates as a multi-disciplinary music and experiential audio studio, working across broadcast, ceremonies, spectacle and immersive environments.
Our role has evolved beyond production into early-stage music direction, collaborating with creative agencies and producers to shape narrative through sound from concept to delivery. As projects increase in scale and complexity, our focus remains the same: clarity, musical integrity and trust in high-pressure environments.
This period was defined by radio. Working across music, branding and advertising, we collaborated closely with programmers, presenters and production teams at stations across the UK, building station sound on a daily basis.
We led sound design and production for Galaxy FM and Kerrang! 105.2, and worked across Capital FM’s network branding during a formative period for UK commercial radio.
In 2003, ON THE SLY was established as a dedicated music and audio branding studio.
Built on years of broadcast experience, the company focused on radio imaging, jingles and promotional production. From the outset, the aim was clear: combine musical craft with strategic thinking and deliver work that was distinctive, purposeful and on point.
Expanding our remit beyond radio branding, we began working with the newly formed BBC audio trailers team on marketing campaigns for flagship programmes including Doctor Who, Top Gear and Wimbledon.
This introduced a new level of scrutiny and turnaround, delivering high-profile broadcast campaigns under tight editorial and compliance frameworks.
During this period, Chris worked in Sydney and Melbourne, broadening his experience while ON THE SLY continued to grow in the UK. Around the same time, the company began working with Virgin Radio International and moved into studios in London’s West End.
From there, our client base expanded beyond the UK, delivering audio branding for stations across the USA, Thailand, Dubai and Australia. Dan formally joined during this period, strengthening the company’s creative leadership.
In 2011, ON THE SLY began working with iHeartMedia in the United States, marking a significant step into the North American market.
Through long-term collaboration, we developed INTROs, a format delivering bespoke song intros at scale across major market stations. We established a regular presence in Los Angeles, with 104.3 myFM among the flagship stations we continue to oversee.
The move into large-scale live work had been building over several years, from sound design for BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend to immersive soundscape installations for BBC Sounds and music-led broadcast projects across Radio 1.
In 2019, we began working on London’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, bringing that broadcast discipline into a city-scale environment. Music direction shifted from studio and radio output into a fully synchronised public spectacle, where narrative and technical precision operated at a very different scale.
In the years that followed, our live experience work expanded rapidly in both scale and responsibility. Projects moved from single landmark events to a sustained programme delivered throughout the year.
We now create and direct music for international ceremonies, large-scale fireworks and drone shows, immersive installations and brand-led spectacles across multiple continents. These environments demand narrative clarity and musical precision at significant public and technical scale.
We’re a double‑digit team across composition, sound design, production and project management, working from UK studios and collaborating globally. We’re set up for parallel sessions, remote approvals and multi‑time‑zone collaboration on large‑scale live experiences – from ceremonies and spectaculars to live‑broadcast events and immersive environments. Around our core team we work with a scalable network of musicians, arrangers, orchestrators, engineers and voice talent worldwide.
Themed Entertainment Association
Experience UK