Practical guides
Insights
Practical answers for people who make video and want to understand how sound work is done: one precise question, one answer you can use right away.
-
Music for a radio ad: what the licences of Artlist, Epidemic Sound and the other libraries cover Many royalty free subscriptions do not cover radio. Service by service: Artlist, Epidemic Sound, PremiumBeat, AudioJungle, Envato Elements, Soundstripe, Pond5, Motion Array, Uppbeat. And why cutting the track does not remove the need for a licence. -
The sound design brief: 10 things to tell your sound designer before starting What to put in the audio brief for a commercial or a corporate video: style, destinations, references, final edit, music, voice, versions, deliverables, timing and revisions. With a template to copy. -
AI voice or a real voice actor for your commercial? When it really pays off (and what the AI Act says) A synthetic voice works well for simple scripts, social media and informational videos, especially in English. The more a script calls for interpretation, the more a voice actor pays off. How the work changes, where you hear the difference, licences and AI Act obligations from 2 August 2026. -
Sound design and audio post-production for video: what's the difference and what are you paying for Sound design and audio post-production are often used as synonyms. The real difference is between the creative side (sound effects, ambiences, foley, transitions) and the technical side (editing, cleanup, mix, loudness, delivery). What each one covers and what to put in a brief. -
Music for a corporate video: royalty free, library or custom? What changes for licensing and ads The three routes to music for a corporate video: royalty free by subscription, library music, custom music. What the licence covers, what a collecting society does and does not do, what to check before a paid campaign on YouTube and Meta. -
How to export an AAF for audio post-production from Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Avid and Final Cut Pro AAF export settings for Pro Tools, software by software: embedded audio, handles, 48 kHz 24 bit, effects off. Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Avid Media Composer and Final Cut Pro with X2Pro. -
What LUFS should a video be delivered at? Instagram, YouTube, TV and cinema compared Loudness levels for every destination of a video: -14 LUFS for YouTube and social, -23 LUFS for European TV (EBU R128), -24 LUFS in Italy (AGCOM), -27 LKFS dialogue for Netflix, calibrated theatre for cinema. With true peak and what platforms do to the file. -
What to deliver to your sound designer: video export, AAF and production sound The list of materials needed to start audio post-production on a video: reference video, AAF with handles, original production sound, music and a three-line brief. With the most common mistakes.