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Lesson 4 of 5 · 4 min

Audio modes

You can choose between native audio, a voiceover and a music bed, and know when each wins.

Audio decides more about whether a video feels finished than most people expect, and the three options are not interchangeable.

The three

Native audio is sound generated with the scene: room tone, footsteps, the product being used. Best when the video shows something happening and you want it to feel present.

Voiceover is a separate read over the picture. Best when there is an argument to make, because you can say things pictures cannot.

Music bed is a track under everything. Best for short, fast pieces where the job is energy rather than information.

Steps

  1. Decide whether the video is showing or telling.
  2. Showing takes native audio, telling takes a voiceover.
  3. Add music only after the other layer works.
  4. Watch it once with the sound off. If it still communicates, the audio is supporting rather than carrying.

What to watch for

Music under a voiceover competes with it. If you use both, the music has to sit well below the read, and busy tracks with vocals fight it no matter how quiet they are.