How we build a session

One Brevé session from script to soundscape: choosing the technique, writing for the voice, recording on location, and mixing for headphones.

January 2027 · 5 min read · Reviewed by Brevé Wellness Team

“The long exhale” is the third session in Unwinding, our series for coming down after a long day. It’s 12 minutes long. This is how it was made.

1. Start with the technique

Every session starts with a technique that has published evidence behind it. For this one, it’s slow breathing with a longer exhale, the pattern studied at Stanford in 2023 (we wrote about it in Why a longer exhale calms you down). The Wellness Team agrees on what the session should teach, how long each part runs, and what to leave out.

2. Write for the ear

Scripts for listening read differently from scripts for reading. Sentences are shorter. Instructions come one at a time, with space after each so you have time to do them. We read every draft out loud with a timer running, and cut anything that sounds like a lecture.

3. Record the voice

Meet Freya and Navaro, your Brevé Wellness Guides. Each session is recorded twice, once by Freya and once by Navaro, so they can guide you through everything Brevé has to offer.

Freya and Navaro

Freya and Navaro, the voices of Brevé

4. Record the place

Every Brevé session has a place. For “The long exhale,” it’s a coastline at dusk: waves, wind, and gulls far off. We record on location wherever we can, at a time of day that matches the session.

The research leans toward natural sound. A 2021 review of 36 studies found that listening to natural sounds was linked to lower stress, better mood and less pain, with water sounds showing the strongest effects on health and mood.¹ Music is less clear-cut. A 2022 review of 14 experiments found no reliable overall effect of music on recovery after a stressful task; results depended on the genre, the tempo and who chose the music.²

That’s why the place comes first. Music in a Brevé session is slow, quiet and chosen to sit under the soundscape, never over it.

Every session pairs a voice with music and a natural soundscape.

5. Mix for headphones

We mix in stereo for headphones, so the waves spread wide around you and the voice stays close and centred. The music sits under both and never competes with the instructions. When a session ends, the voice drops out first and the place fades last.

Screenshot to come: the session mix in Logic Pro

6. Review

Before it ships, the Wellness Team listens to the finished session for accuracy and safety. We check that every instruction is clear, and that it’s comfortable for every listen.

It then goes into the app, and you get to hear it on your way home.

Try next in BrevéThe long exhaleUnwinding · 12 min

Sources1. Buxton, R. T. et al. (2021). A synthesis of health benefits of natural sounds and their distribution in national parks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(14).2. Adiasto, K. et al. (2022). Music listening and stress recovery in healthy individuals: a systematic review with meta-analysis of experimental studies. PLOS ONE, 17(6).Brevé supports everyday wellbeing and doesn't replace professional care. If you're struggling, contact your healthcare provider. In crisis, call or text 9-8-8.