Audio Representation

Audio representation is all the sound an audience hears in a media product: music, sound effects and voice. Its style – the instruments, tempo, volume and type of voice – is chosen to build atmosphere and create an emotional impact that matches the product's purpose.

Matching audio to purpose

Think about a short trailer for a school sports day shown in assembly. Fast drumbeats and a rising tune build excitement, which suits its purpose to advertise or promote the event and make students want to take part. Swap that music for slow piano and the same footage feels flat, even sad. The music has not changed the content, but it has changed how you feel about it.

The same idea works for other purposes. A voice that is calm and steady can reassure and explain, which supports a product made to inform or educate – for example a narrated guide to staying safe online. A game made to entertain uses quick sound effects and punchy music so play feels engaging. A charity video that aims to influence might use quiet, emotional music under a single sincere voice to persuade you to donate.

Choosing each element

• Music sets the overall mood and can speed up or slow down the pace of what you watch.
• Sound effects add realism, feedback or emphasis – a click when a button is pressed, footsteps behind a door, a whoosh as a graphic appears.
• Voice carries tone through pace, pitch and volume: a lively presenter suits entertainment, a measured narrator suits information.

Audio is not only for entertainment. A revision podcast made to educate needs clear speech and quiet background music so the explanation is easy to follow, while an advert aimed at teenagers might use a current, upbeat track to feel persuasive and relevant.

When you explain an audio choice, say what effect it creates and how that effect suits the product's purpose – not just what you can hear. A drumbeat matters because it excites the audience into action, not simply because it is loud.