Sound Design for Commercials: Why Brands Need More Than Music

When people think about the sound of a commercial, they usually think about the music first. Music is the obvious emotional layer: it sets the pace, creates atmosphere and helps shape how a brand feels. But in many commercials, brand films and campaigns, music is only one part of the picture.

Sound design is what makes a film feel physical, detailed and complete. It can be subtle: the movement of fabric, footsteps, product handling, atmospheres, transitions, impacts or low-end texture. It can also be more stylised, especially in sports, fashion, technology and outdoor campaigns, where the sound world needs to feel heightened.

For brands, this matters. Good sound design can make a commercial feel more premium, more immersive and more emotionally convincing. It helps the audience feel the film, not just watch it.

As a composer and sound designer working across commercials, brand campaigns and film, I think the strongest work often happens when music and sound design are considered together from the start.

What is sound design in a commercial?

Sound design is the process of creating and shaping the non-musical sounds that support the picture. In a commercial, this might include product sounds, movement, atmosphere, transitions, impacts, environmental details or abstract textures that help the edit feel more alive.

Sometimes sound design is realistic. Sometimes it is highly stylised. Often, it sits somewhere between the two. In a fashion film, sound design might focus on fabric, breath, movement and tactile product detail. In a sports campaign, it might bring out speed, impact, landscape and physical effort. In a technology commercial, it might create a sleek, futuristic world around the product.

The point is not simply to add effects. The point is to give the film a stronger sonic identity.

Why music alone is not always enough

Music gives a commercial emotion, energy and character. But music alone does not always provide the physical detail a film needs. A track can create the right mood, but without sound design, the visuals can still feel slightly flat or disconnected.

Sound design fills that gap. It can make a product feel more expensive. It can make a cut feel sharper. It can make a landscape feel bigger. It can make movement feel faster, heavier, softer or more intimate.

In my Net-A-Porter / Mr Porter sound design project, the sound was tactile and ASMR-inspired, designed to accentuate the premium quality of the products. That kind of detail is not about making the film louder. It is about making the product feel closer, more desirable and more carefully considered.

For outdoor and adventure work, sound design can also bring scale and physicality to the image. In projects such as Shackleton SS25 and Montane x The Turner Twins, sound design helps support the landscape, clothing, movement and atmosphere of the film.

These details matter because commercials are short. Every second has to do something.

Where music and sound design overlap

In modern commercial work, the line between music and sound design is often blurred. This is especially true with electronic composition. A synth texture might feel musical, but also atmospheric. A pulse might work as rhythm, but also as movement. A low-end hit might support the score while also making a visual moment feel more powerful.

That overlap is one of the reasons electronic music works so well for commercials and brand films. I wrote more about this in Why Electronic Music Is Shaping Modern Brand Campaigns, but the short version is that electronic sound can be emotional, precise, textural and highly adaptable. It can carry melody and harmony, but it can also create atmosphere, tension, pace and impact.

That makes it a natural fit for projects where the score and sound design need to feel like one connected sonic world. My Bose Spec project is a good example of this. The music and sound design were built around dark, futuristic cinematography, using an intense electronic approach to make the film feel powerful and immersive.

Why custom sound is stronger than generic audio

Just as stock music can sometimes feel disconnected from a film, generic sound effects can make a commercial feel less considered. Custom sound design allows the sonic world to be shaped around the edit, the product, the pacing and the brand. It means every detail can be chosen for a reason.

A luxury brand may need restraint, closeness and detail. A sports brand may need rhythm, impact and momentum. A technology brand may need space, precision and futurism. An outdoor brand may need weather, breath, texture and scale.

This is similar to the argument I made in Custom Score vs Stock Music for Commercials: if the goal is originality, identity and emotional precision, custom sound usually gives the film much more value.

Case study: DHL x Sigrid

Some projects need music, sound design and mix to work together very carefully. For DHL x Sigrid, the brief was to create an original electronic score that incorporated elements from Sigrid’s song “Two Years.” The music had to respect the identity of the original track, support the pacing of the film and reinforce DHL’s themes of movement, connection and momentum.

This is a good example of why commercial sound needs more than just a track placed underneath the edit. The score, sound design and mix all had to work together so the film felt cohesive, without distracting from the artist, the brand or the story.

Think about sound earlier

Sound is often treated as something that happens at the end of a project. But when music and sound design are considered earlier, the whole film can become stronger. The edit can make space for sonic moments. The score can be written with sound design in mind. The final mix can feel more intentional.

I covered this from the briefing side in How to Brief a Composer for a Commercial, but the same idea applies here. A strong creative brief should not only ask what the music should feel like. It should ask what the whole film should sound like.

Does the product need to feel premium? Does the edit need more impact? Does the film need atmosphere, movement or tension? Should the music and sound design feel separate, or part of the same world? These questions are useful before the final stages of a project, not just during the mix.

Final thoughts

Sound design is not just a finishing touch. For commercials, brand films and campaigns, it can be the difference between a film that looks good and a film that feels complete.

Music gives a commercial emotion and identity. Sound design gives it texture, movement, detail and physical presence. When the two are developed together, the result is often much stronger than treating them as separate layers.

For brands, agencies and filmmakers, that means thinking about sound earlier in the process. Not just asking what track should sit under the film, but asking what the whole film should sound like.

For more examples, explore my sound design portfolio.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a sound designer do for commercials?

A sound designer creates and shapes the non-musical sounds in a commercial, including textures, transitions, impacts, atmospheres, product sounds and movement.

Why is sound design important in brand films?

Sound design helps a brand film feel more immersive, polished and emotionally convincing. It adds detail, physicality and atmosphere to the visuals.

Do commercials need both music and sound design?

Many commercials benefit from both. Music creates emotion and identity, while sound design adds texture, realism, movement and impact.

Is sound design different from music?

Yes, although they often overlap. Music usually involves rhythm, melody or harmony, while sound design focuses more on texture, atmosphere, movement and sonic detail.

When should sound design be considered?

Ideally, early in the process. When sound is considered from the start, the music, edit and final mix can feel much more connected.