Music & Sound Effects

Academy Award for Best Original Score: Top Winners Ranked

The Academy Award for Best Original Score is one of the most prestigious honors a composer can be given. Over the years, some of the world’s most acclaimed composers, like John Williams and Max Steiner, have won the award. We’re going to list every Academy Award for Best Original Score winner, then rank some of… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Original Score: Top Winners Ranked

Chris Heckmann

What is the Wilhelm Scream? Origins and Iconic Examples

What are some of the most iconic sounds in cinema history? Sure two lightsabers clashing or even the suspenseful score of Jaws make that list. However, one sound effect has been used throughout movies of all genres for over fifty years. It is none other than the iconic Wilhelm Scream. You may have heard it… Continue reading What is the Wilhelm Scream? Origins and Iconic Examples

Kyle DeGuzman

Free Sound Effects for Video Editing — Top Sites Ranked

One of the most overlooked aspects of filmmaking for beginner filmmakers is sound design. Screenwriting, cinematography, direction, and editing are all essential to a great film. But proper sound design is what can take any project to the next level. That being said, foley can be a lot of work. Sound effects can also be expensive.… Continue reading Free Sound Effects for Video Editing — Top Sites Ranked

Kyle DeGuzman

How Copyright Free Music Works and Where to Find It

When creating a filmmaking project, costs add up quickly. Whether paying for cast, camera equipment, PA’s, or countless other expenses, you wanna save anywhere you can. So how about music? Today, we break down copyright free music. We talk about what it is, how to use it, and copyright free vs “royalty-free.” We’ll get you… Continue reading How Copyright Free Music Works and Where to Find It

Theo Friedman

Ding Sound Effect Download — Royalty-Free SFX Library Sounds

DING DING DING! You found it, the best place to find the best ding sound effect download.  Need that perfect ding noise to set the toaster off and distract the bad guy? An iPhone ding sound to ruin a romantic moment? An annoying seatbelt sound to ramp up the tension in an argument?  Don’t worry, no matter… Continue reading Ding Sound Effect Download — Royalty-Free SFX Library Sounds

Theo Friedman

18 Best Stock Music Websites of 2021 For Video Creators

Scoring your videos is no easy task when you’re on a budget. You want music that invigorates your vision without costing an arm and a leg. Luckily, the best stock music websites offer high quality material that’s only a click away. To save the expensive, back-and-forth process of working with a composer, you can simply… Continue reading 18 Best Stock Music Websites of 2021 For Video Creators

AJ Unitas

Best Free Gun Sounds Online — Reload Your SFX Library

Sound effects are an incredibly important aspect of filmmaking and storytelling. They can communicate information, create a world, and engage an audience more deeply into a film. However bad sound effects can also distract or disengage an audience. Luckily, we’ve put together a list of the best sites to download realistic, high-quality and free gun… Continue reading Best Free Gun Sounds Online — Reload Your SFX Library

Kyle DeGuzman

Best Sites to Download Royalty Free Music for Commercial Use

When it comes to advertising, music can make or break a commercial. And it is no surprise that hiring a musician to score or create music for your commercial advertisement can be expensive. Finding royalty free music for commercial use that is high quality and unique can also be difficult. In this article, we aim… Continue reading Best Sites to Download Royalty Free Music for Commercial Use

Kyle DeGuzman

Guide to the YouTube Audio Library & Royalty-Free Music for Videos

We’ve all been there. You want free music or free stock audio for a project, but don’t know where to look. One of the best sources for royalty free music is the YouTube Audio Library. That’s right, it’s an extensive collection of free music for YouTube, by YouTube, on YouTube. So how do you crack… Continue reading Guide to the YouTube Audio Library & Royalty-Free Music for Videos

AJ Detisch

Best Sound Editing — 10 Oscar-Winning Movies Ranked (2021)

Sound editing is a fundamental building block that adds another layer of intrigue and awe in any film especially your favorite ones. From foley artists recording in a studio, to gathering sounds in the woods (more on this soon), sound editing requires a level of exactness and imagination unrivaled by most artists. Sound is just… Continue reading Best Sound Editing — 10 Oscar-Winning Movies Ranked (2021)

Alyssa Maio

Best Sound Mixing — 20 Oscar-Winning Movies Ranked (2021)

For many viewers, Best Sound Mixing is often overlooked by all of the other categories at the Oscars. But it is a highly technical craft that is also incredibly creative. Mixing is the process of matching audio levels of every single sound in order to make the film sound seamless, realistic, and sharp. Sound mixers… Continue reading Best Sound Mixing — 20 Oscar-Winning Movies Ranked (2021)

Alyssa Maio

What is a Leitmotif? Definition and Examples in Film

What is a leitmotif? What makes it different from a regular motif? How is it used in cinema? These are the questions we’re going to answer as we look at the history of leitmotifs. We’re also going to show you how masterclass composers like John Williams apply leitmotifs to their films. By the end, you’ll… Continue reading What is a Leitmotif? Definition and Examples in Film

Chris Heckmann

25 Best Movie Soundtracks That Changed the Game

Music plays an integral role in how a movie communicates tone. When thinking about a movie, we often recall back to a moment when the soundtrack swelled at the perfect moment, how it transported us to other worlds, or interweaved popular culture into the narrative. We can learn a lot from how filmmakers use music… Continue reading 25 Best Movie Soundtracks That Changed the Game

Chris Heckmann

Movie Sound — A Filmmaker’s Guide to Sound Effect Techniques

Historically, sound effects were used as comic relief or to signify an action happening off-screen. But as cinematography has evolved, so too has sound design. Sound design has become a powerful tool and if you’re a filmmaker looking to increase the production value of your projects, these sound effect techniques can help get you there.… Continue reading Movie Sound — A Filmmaker’s Guide to Sound Effect Techniques

Drew Gula

23 Best Movie Scores of All Time — Filmmaker Playlist

What makes a great music score? Does it need to dominate the soundtrack or can go unnoticed in the background? Should a contemporary movie always use modern music or is it blasphemy for a period piece to include pop songs? Whether you have answers to these questions or not, there’s no denying the power of… Continue reading 23 Best Movie Scores of All Time — Filmmaker Playlist

Theo Friedman

What is The Shepard Tone? The Audio Illusion Explained with Examples

Never-ending. Eternal. Infinite. People speak in hyperbole quite often but, in real life, everything does come to an end. Everything, that is, except The Shepard Tone, which may be the one thing that truly doesn’t stop. This audio illusion is more than just a novelty, however, and filmmakers like Christopher Nolan have embraced it in… Continue reading What is The Shepard Tone? The Audio Illusion Explained with Examples

Theo Friedman

What is Sound Design for Film? Definition and Examples

It is impossible to overstate how important a role audio plays in the film viewing experience. While it’s perfectly natural to be drawn to the visual side of filmmaking, those striking visuals don’t hold the same weight without strong cinematic sound design to back them up. Whereas a painting is purely visual and a song… Continue reading What is Sound Design for Film? Definition and Examples

Sam Kench

What is Diegetic Sound? Diegetic Definition and Examples

Being a filmmaker, it’s essential to know what diegetic sound is and how to use it. In this article, we’re going to define diegetic sound in a short and simple way. Then we’re going to look at key examples from film to show you how experts incorporate diegetic sound into their works. Continue reading What… Continue reading What is Diegetic Sound? Diegetic Definition and Examples

Chris Heckmann

Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing — What’s the Difference?

Storytelling may start with an idea and a script. Along the way, it may garner tons of attention and praise for its directing and star-studded cast. But what can sound do for a story? Sound design involves much more than level dialogue and explosions. It’s highly technical, but requires an enormous amount of creativity. If… Continue reading Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing — What’s the Difference?

Alyssa Maio

What is Non-Diegetic Sound? Definition and Examples

Using non-diegetic sound is a great way for filmmakers to support the worlds that they build. You may have heard this fancy term before but what is non-diegetic sound? The answer is much less complicated than you think. In this article, we’re going to define what non-diegetic sound is. Then, we’ll look at examples from… Continue reading What is Non-Diegetic Sound? Definition and Examples

Chris Heckmann

The Best Quentin Tarantino Songs Used in His Movies

There are three things in this life you can be certain of — death, taxes, and awesome Quentin Tarantino soundtracks. Tarantino is the master of the needle drop and knows how to place an existing song perfectly within a scene. It’s tough to narrow down the best Quentin Tarantino songs in his filmography, but that’s… Continue reading The Best Quentin Tarantino Songs Used in His Movies

Mike Bedard