A practical guide to using sound with intention, from quick social ads to long-form campaigns.
If you work in marketing or advertising, you already know that every little detail matters when it comes to crafting a message. Everything is a strategic decision, right down to the sounds you use to tell your story. From short, hype-heavy YouTube ads to aesthetic social media content, memorable sound logos, and longform corporate documentaries, there are countless ways to leverage sound to deliver the message you want people to hear.
But how does that translate into the finer details of crafting ads and refining the sound of your brand? When leadership wants something to sound “bold,” “soothing,” or “dynamic,” how do you actually get there? Whether you’re the one shaping an audio marketing campaign or doing the hands-on editing and sound design work, this guide will give you inspiration and tips to help you use sound to your advantage.
Four Strategies for Effective Audio Marketing
Just like there are various strategies in marketing—direct marketing, affiliate marketing, social media marketing, and so on—there are several different ways you can use sound to achieve your strategic goals. Do you try to hook people in with a quick, bold statement, or do you play the long game and build a consistent sonic identity? Do you make them feel safe, inspired, or hungry? Do you highlight the lifestyle experience of your product or just try to make the viewer laugh? No matter what your campaign looks like, using sound effectively is essential.
1. Shortform Ads: Quick & Memorable
Ads ranging from five to 30 seconds constantly pepper our social media feeds, punctuate our streaming entertainment, and play before YouTube videos. But these bite-sized ads can often be skipped or muted, making those first five seconds a critical window to grab the viewer’s attention. Good sound design, especially paired with catchy music and authoritative voiceovers, can help you make the most of your limited time on screen.
- Start off with a bang
Ear-catching sounds like impacts, whooshes, and bass drops make the perfect opener, introducing your brand or product with a bold statement. Use predesigned trailer sound effects for instant results or layer multiple sounds to create complex, dynamic sounds that can’t be ignored.
- Hype up the music
Many shortform ads rely on music to establish a mood while visuals and voiceover communicate the real information. To give the music even more impact, start with a riser before dropping the beat or punctuate pauses with tonal sound effects to keep the flow going.
- Subvert expectations
When you only have a few seconds to reach someone, catching them off guard with something unexpected can be a surprisingly effective tactic. Try starting your ad with a unique, evocative sound that makes viewers hover over that “skip” button for just a little longer to see what comes next.
Shortform sound design inspiration: CBS The Equalizer promo
PSE user: Harbor Picture Company
2. TV and Radio Spots: 30-Second Storytelling
Traditional TV and radio ads are typically 30 or 60 seconds long, giving you more time to tell a story or communicate information. It’s still important to catch the viewer’s attention before they reach for the mute button, but once you hook them in, you can use sound to hold their attention, touch their emotions, or make them laugh. With effective use of sound, you might be surprised how much you can communicate in a minute or less!
- Make it cinematic
For TV and streaming ads, where your audience is expecting entertainment, using sound in a cinematic way can be extra effective. Treat your commercial like a short film and use immersive ambiences to set the scene, punctuate dialogue with sound effects, and build up to a sonic “setpiece” at the climax.
- Keep it grounded
Sometimes, it’s best to go for realism and authenticity. Especially in the case of radio ads, which have no visuals but also can’t be skipped, your ad can simply sound like an extension of the real world, like two friends toasting with glasses of whiskey on the rocks. Use lifelike walla (like a bar crowd) and Foley (glasses clinking together) to make it sound as authentic as possible, and stay away from “hyped” sounds that might break the illusion.
- Make an ad people don’t want to mute
Thanks to the ASMR fad, people are now more tuned into pleasurable sounds than ever, and smart marketing teams can use this to their advantage. Universally enjoyable sounds like waves on a beach or a pencil on paper deliver a subtle dopamine boost that often makes people keep the sound on, giving you a better chance to reach them with your message.
30-Second Spot inspiration: 2023 GMC Sierra Commercial
PSE user: Harbor Picture Company
3. Experience and Lifestyle: Show, Don’t Tell
As your high school English teacher probably taught you, showing is almost always better than telling. Instead of simply explaining why your product is great, you can use sound to show people how it feels to use or how it can improve their life. In a car commercial, the audience can’t actually feel the power of the engine or the comfort of the ride, but visceral sounds can help them imagine it. For intangible products like apps or services, sound can help associate your brand with the lifestyle your customers aspire to.
- Highlight the experience
If your product makes any memorable or satisfying sounds—a car door, a button click, or a notification beep—showcasing them in high fidelity can give viewers a taste of how it feels to use. Record the real sounds of your products in as much detail as possible and polish them to sound their best without over-embellishing.
- Sell a lifestyle
Think about the lifestyle you want people to associate your brand with, and then think about the sounds that communicate that. Outdoor brands should lean on the grounded, earthy sounds of nature, while productivity products can make use of fast-paced sounds like typing and notifications.
- Use contrast
Sound can be a great way to compare your product to others or show how it can improve the viewer’s life. Transition from a dull room tone to a lively party ambience when your product comes on screen or whisk the viewer away from a noisy, chaotic cityscape to a peaceful nature scene.
Product and lifestyle sounds inspiration: Google Pixel “Dream Job” Commercial
PSE user: Google
4. Cohesive Campaigns: Reinforcing Your Brand With Sounds
In marketing campaigns that encompass multiple ads, appear across various platforms, or run for long periods of time, sound is a great way to establish a consistent aesthetic. Just like art departments use consistent fonts, colors, and design style, establishing sonic cohesion across a campaign helps reinforce the overall feeling you want people to associate with your brand.
- Match the visuals
Does your campaign use bright and flashy colors? Go for punchy impacts and splashy textures. More muted tones can be paired with softer whooshes and delicate Foley, while minimalist design often calls for simple, basic sounds.
- Make sound a “character”
Identify a sound that resonates with your brand—whether it’s a memorable sound logo or a sound associated with a product—and use it over and over in your campaigns. Eventually, the audience will come to anticipate this sonic “character” and associate it with your brand. The more you lean into this strategy, the more effective it will be over time.
- Establish a sonic style
This might be our most important yet nuanced tip. Even if your marketing varies in format and genre, you can still use sound to bring some cohesion to it all. Apple commercials always sound slick and stylish, just like their products. Fast food chains use the sounds of sizzling meat and fizzy carbonated drinks to make you salivate. What do you want your campaign to feel like?
Audio marketing campaign inspiration: Headspace YouTube Shorts
PSE user: Google
Quality In, Quality Out
Just like every great product starts with quality materials, an effective marketing campaign needs high-quality assets to have maximum impact. Professional lighting and cameras make product photography pop, good voice talent makes simple messages memorable, and high-quality sound effects help you connect with your audience.
Pro Sound Effects collaborates with Academy Award-winning Sound Artists, globe-trotting field recordists, and sound design specialists to source a continuous supply of fresh, inspiring sounds. Our Library Development team painstakingly curates collections, masters every file, and tags everything with detailed metadata so you can find it easily.
Whether you need an all-in-one sound effects subscription or a specific niche library for your next campaign, investing in top-quality sound effects pays huge dividends. Our goal is to help you bring your ideas to life with world-class sound effects, just like we’ve done for customers like Google, Netflix, Electronic Arts, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Equip Your Team for Success
Marketing team to marketing team, we both knew this was heading toward a pitch. If you found this guide useful, we think Pro Sound Effects can help you. From customizable licensing plans to powerful sound effects tools, the PSE Platform has everything your team needs for effective collaboration:
- PSE Teams Plans are multi-seat licensing plans customized to suit your team’s needs. Flexible and scalable, Teams Plans provide maximum value for companies.
- CORE Library Bundles give you access to up to 1.2 million sound effects in every category. Choose from Standard, Pro, or Complete via subscription or one-time purchase.
- SoundQ is a free, fast, and flexible sound effects app that integrates with Adobe Premiere, Pro Tools, and more. Organize your collection, purchase PSE sounds, and leverage powerful search tools.
- The PSE Web App lets you search, filter, preview, and download over 1.2 million sound effects right from your browser. Work from any device, create and share Collections with your team, and manage admin settings remotely.
Questions? Get in touch with our sales team to learn how Pro Sound Effects can elevate your next marketing campaign
