What does a sound designer do?
Sound designers are audio professionals who are responsible for procuring all sound effects to be used for specific show products that can be either recorded or live. These designers are required to meet with production directors to discuss the sound design for the show and to make the cue list. They are required to set up any sound reinforcement equipment that may be needed for production. Sound designers must also be familiar with sound editing programs such as Audacity and QLab.
Sound designer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real sound designer resumes:
- Manage PowerPoint and mixing music at the same time.
- Record live performances to multitrack DAW.
- Implement audio using FMOD, Maya and proprietary tools.
- Edit and master pre-record shows and audio clips and prepare for play on air.
- Supervise load in and load outs and sound checks and run FOH day of event.
- Set up, run and break down live shows.
- Mix the audio with ProTools HD.
- Set up Lav microphones on actors.
- Test and implement utilizing FMOD & proprietary tools.
- Compose music themes and design soundscapes for interactive fiction games
- Coordinate with director/producer to determine SFX need for the production.
- Create and catalogue hundreds if science fiction effects and themes.
- Instrument recording, sampling, patch creation and synthesizer SFX design.
- Record all sound for production and post production (ADR).
- Record and direct VO talent in studio or via ISDN connection.
Sound designer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 24% of Sound Designers are proficient in Audio Assets, Pro Tools, and Wwise. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Computer skills, and Manual dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Sound Designers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Audio Assets, 24%
Managed and converted all audio assets for compatibility and optimization, and actively maintained audio data repository for all apps.
- Pro Tools, 10%
Use Pro Tools to arrange and manipulate audio in order to generate multiple audio tracks that meet television industry standards.
- Wwise, 6%
Used Wwise to create dynamic audio systems for implementation into the Unity game engine.
- Video Games, 5%
Recorded and produced music and sound effects for award-winning video game titles Snuggle Truck and Jack Lumber (Published by SEGA)
- PC, 4%
Worked on video game titles for PC, Mobile & Social Platforms Music composer and sound design on all projects.
- Audio Production, 4%
Major event live mixing, audio production & editing, CD/DVD duplication, film production.
Most sound designers use their skills in "audio assets," "pro tools," and "wwise" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential sound designer responsibilities here:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a sound designer to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "technicians need to communicate with supervisors and coworkers to ensure that clients’ needs are met and that equipment is set up properly before broadcasts, live performances, and presentations." Sound designers often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "sound designing and mixing broadcast advertising, feature films and corporate communications. "
Computer skills. Another essential skill to perform sound designer duties is computer skills. Sound designers responsibilities require that "technicians use computer systems to program equipment and edit audio and video recordings." Sound designers also use computer skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "acquired and managed audio equipment and computers for all theater spaces on the indiana state campus. "
Manual dexterity. This is an important skill for sound designers to perform their duties. For an example of how sound designer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "some technicians set up audio and video equipment and cables, a job that requires a steady hand and good hand-eye coordination." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a sound designer: "maintained the sound system of the club manually readjusted the position of the sound system as needed for different events".
Problem-solving skills. sound designer responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "technicians need to recognize equipment problems and propose possible solutions to them." This resume example shows what sound designers do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "test run projectors for resolution and sound quality. "
The three companies that hire the most sound designers are:
- Activision Blizzard3 sound designers jobs
- WarnerMedia
2 sound designers jobs
- Warner Bros.2 sound designers jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable sound designer resume templates
Build a professional sound designer resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your sound designer resume.
Compare different sound designers
Sound designer vs. Play back operator
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between sound designers and play back operator. For instance, sound designer responsibilities require skills such as "audio assets," "pro tools," "wwise," and "video games." Whereas a play back operator is skilled in "control room," "cip," "nfl," and "product issues." This is part of what separates the two careers.
The education levels that play back operators earn slightly differ from sound designers. In particular, play back operators are 3.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a sound designer. Additionally, they're 2.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Sound designer vs. Recordist
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, sound designer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "audio assets," "aaa," "wwise," and "video games." Meanwhile, a recordist has duties that require skills in areas such as "visual equipment," "promotional videos," "r," and "sound design." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, recordists achieve similar levels of education than sound designers. They're 0.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 2.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Sound designer vs. Public address technician
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from sound designer resumes include skills like "audio assets," "pro tools," "aaa," and "wwise," whereas a public address technician is more likely to list skills in "technical publications," "technical manuals," "framemaker," and "gis. "
Public address technicians typically earn similar educational levels compared to sound designers. Specifically, they're 3.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Sound designer vs. Assistant audio engineer
Types of sound designer
Updated January 8, 2025
