Lesson 16 of 22
Sound design without the tic
One sound on every cut stops being design and becomes a nervous habit.
Rule zero: do not reuse one sound on every cut. Pair the sound to the moment, and use the loud dramatic ones sparingly. A repeated dramatic hit is the audio equivalent of one transition everywhere.
| Sound | Where | How often |
|---|---|---|
| whoosh (alternate two variants) | ordinary hard cuts | most cuts, LIGHT |
| swipe | slide / directional transition | occasional |
| punch | zoom-in or emphasis beat | only on emphasis, 1–3× |
| click | fast flash cut | occasional, subtle |
| shutter | a b-roll REVEAL (product, UI, app) | on reveals only |
| boom | the ONE big moment | once |
| riser → impact | build into the CTA, land on the card | once, together |
| pop | caption keyword appears | subtle, low gain |
The timing detail
A cut's whoosh must have its PEAK on the cut — not its start. Sound files have a lead-in, so triggering the file at the cut point puts the peak late and the whole thing feels loose. Lead the sample by its peak offset.
Two things belong exactly once per video: the boom, and the riser-into-impact on the CTA. If either fires twice, both stop meaning anything.
Takeaway
Pair sound to moment, and land the whoosh's peak ON the cut — not its start.
Course outline
Progress
0 of 22 lessons completed
Chapter 1
Start here
Chapter 2
The script
Chapter 3
The frame
Chapter 4
The clip
Chapter 5
The edit
Chapter 6
Judging it honestly