You’ll find Foley and sound design in little YouTube videos, right up to feature length films. What are some popular sound effects that always appear?

Here at Synchedin, we’re big time about the audio. And that’s not just awesome royalty free music to add to the background of videos – oh, no. We’re fanatics of Foley and suckers for sound effects (SFX).

Many people think of sound effects as things that only feature in bigger budget productions, like TV series or films. We’re not saying SFX in TV and film aren’t important (imagine films without any sound design, how boring!). We’re saying they’re also critical and achievable in smaller projects.

With sound design featuring in all great content, little or large, we’ve outlined some popular sound effects that crop up time and time again.

Footsteps

Like a snowflake, no two footsteps are the same. Possibly. The point is, footsteps are incredibly unique to a person, situation, and setting. The type of footwear worn, terrain trodden, and even the emotion of the walker is all audible in a series of footsteps.

This is exactly why there is such a huge need for a wide variety of footstep sound effects. Walking is a pretty common occurrence in films and videos. To record the audio on set would be challenging, particularly in trying to avoid other ambient sounds. That’s why footsteps are often added later.

So, if you’re sitting on a big bank of different footsteps, get them uploaded to Synchedin!

Crowds

You’ll notice from this list that different types of ambient/background sounds are consistently popular. We notice it in visual productions all the time, and see it from what our users love to download.

You’d find it pretty jarring if you were watching people having fun at the fair, but just heard the bustling chatter of a public canteen in the background. Different crowds produce different atmospheres, so people love being able to browse crowd SFX and pick what’s right for them.

Traffic

Similar to crowds, the sound of traffic and cityscapes pops up frequently in film, TV and video. A big part of setting the scene or establishing the story comes from the sound design.

So, whether it’s the bustling, honking mayhem of New York City, or the combination of engines and bicycle bells, there’s a huge demand for traffic SFX.

Nature

Continuing on the theme of ambient sounds, a popular choice we see each month from our users is sounds from nature. People generally adore the tuneful flittering of birdsong, so it’s not hard to see why it’s one of the most popular sound effects.

Trees swaying and swooshing in the breeze, crows cawing, and leaves rustling are help create a world just based in audio.

If you’ve created your own sound effects, then become a Synchedin contributor! Earn a passive income for your Foley, and see your work take on a new life.

You can use the list above for inspiration of what to upload, and the Synchedin community will love you for it!