Sound design for video: ambience, foley and music

Audiences feel sound before they notice it. Good sound design makes visuals more believable and emotional.

Layers of sound

• Dialogue: interviews and spoken lines, the priority
• Ambience: the background sound of a place, such as birds, waves or street noise
• Foley and effects: footsteps, doors, pouring coffee, a camera shutter
• Music: sets the emotional tone

Record on location

Capture ambient sound and effects while filming. Real sounds from the location match the visuals best.

Sound effect libraries

Libraries like Epidemic Sound or free sites provide effects you could not record, such as whooshes for transitions.

Mixing

Dialogue around −12 dB, music lower beneath it, ambience subtle. Use fades to avoid abrupt sound cuts.

Silence

A moment of silence before a big reveal increases impact.

Match sound to picture

Add a splash when someone jumps into a cenote, the sizzle of cooking in a food video, the creak of a hacienda door. Small details make scenes come alive.