As you probably know, videos play a crucial role in any modern marketing strategy. They inspire the audience, promote brand awareness and increase conversions. An often underestimated but key component of this is the right choice of music and sound effects. In this article, we take a look at how these two elements can improve the impact and understanding of explainer videos and live-action videos.
Advantages of music and sound effects in videos
1. create an emotional connection
Music has the power to arouse emotions and emotionally connect the audience to the content. In both explainer videos and live-action videos, the right music helps set the mood and adds depth to the message. For an explainer video that conveys a complex topic, calming or inspiring music can help viewers to absorb the content in a relaxed and attentive manner. Whether inspiring, calming or stimulating – the music should always match the message of the video.
2. increase attention
In times of decreasing attention spans, it is all the more important to captivate viewers from the very beginning. A catchy melody or a powerful soundtrack in a live action or explainer video can immediately grab attention and motivate viewers to watch the video to the end. Studies show that videos with appropriate music and sound effects can achieve up to 80 % more engagement.
3. support for visual content
Sound effects help to emphasize visual content and make processes in the video easier to understand. A targeted “click” sound can, for example, draw attention to a specific point in an explanatory video or accompany the course of a process. These effects help viewers to grasp information more quickly and understand it more easily.
4. anchoring information
Another advantage of sound effects is their ability to anchor information better in the memory. Studies have shown that people remember content better when it is combined with appropriate sounds or music. A concise sound effect can create a strong association with a certain topic or concept and increase recognition value.
What types of sound effects are suitable for explanatory videos?
Sound effects can range from subtle to eye-catching, depending on the effect you want to achieve. Some common sound effects for explainer videos include:
- Click sounds for interactions such as buttons or moving elements.
- Whoosh sounds to emphasize transitions or movements in the video.
- Pling and ping tones for important points or text highlighting.
- Background noises such as birdsong or soft rustling to create a natural atmosphere.
Such effects are often chosen in such a way that they do not overlay the image shown, but rather specifically support it. A good sound designer knows that less is often more and that every sound effect should be used sensibly so as not to overload the viewer’s attention.
The effect of music in videos
Music can trigger a whole range of emotions and is therefore an essential component of many successful explainer videos. The music should always match the tone and theme of the video. For example, calm, relaxing music is suitable for videos with complex or more serious content, while cheerful, light music captivates the viewer with light-hearted, humorous topics.
Examples of well-known film music that intensifies emotions:
- “The Imperial March” by John Williams (Star Wars): A piece that conveys menace and power with a single melody.
- “Time” by Hans Zimmer (Inception): A soundtrack that conveys suspense and epicness and intensifies emotions.
- “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme by Klaus Badelt: Awakens a spirit of adventure and a feeling of freedom.
These well-known pieces of music show how music can direct our emotions – and that is precisely the aim.
Tips for selecting music and sound effects
- Target group-oriented work: Which music appeals to the target group ? A technical video for B2B customers needs a different background music than a social media snippet for a young target group.
- Appeal to emotions : Sound should reinforce the message without distracting from the actual content.
- Focus on the essentials: Sound effects should be used selectively and selectively. Too many sound effects can quickly become distracting.
- Observe licenses : When using music, it is important to use royalty-free music or licensed music to avoid legal problems.
Music for reels and social media snippets
Choosing the right music is crucial, especially for social media snippets and reels, in order to attract attention and make the most of the algorithm. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok or YouTube Shorts offer a large selection of royalty-free music that can be added directly in the app. This has the advantage that your video is often also shown to other users who use the same music. In this way, you can increase the reach of your content and at the same time pick up on trends that are well received by your target group. Another tip: choose music that matches the tone of your video and make sure it supports the emotion and message.
Conclusion: Harnessing the power of music and sound effects
Music and sound effects are crucial elements that can significantly increase the impact and understanding of explanatory videos. They create emotional connections, increase attention, support visual content and help to anchor information better. If you want to use more videos in your marketing and communication, remember to choose the right background music and appropriate sound effects. This will give your video content more individuality and less uniformity.
Make targeted use of sound effects and reinforce your message – for more success and resonance with your target group.
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Dustin Bättig | CEO
