What is a Sound Designer?
Sound Designers create music, atmospheres and soundscapes for a variety of projects. Whether for film, radio, cinema, advertising, video games or commercials, this sound and foley specialist is responsible for all sound design. Freelance Sound Designers may work for a wide variety of clients. Need an expert Sound Designer for your project? Here’s everything you need to know to find the perfect freelancer for your needs on Malt.
All you need to know about freelance Sound Designers
What does a freelance Sound Designer do?
A Sound Designer is typically commissioned to create and produce a project’s soundscape. Their main role is to create the soundtrack that’ll go with the visuals. They may also be responsible for shaping the audio identity of a product, a brand or a company on a wider scale. Based on the specifications defined by or with the client, the freelance Sound Designer creates sounds and background music to create the project’s musical identity. It must, of course, be tailored to the screenplay of a film or commercial and to the gameplay, graphics and animation of a video game. Sound Designers balance music and sound effects to create the pace and atmosphere desired by their clients. They often work closely alongside Music Producers, Recording Engineers, Audio Technicians and others in the audio department.
What skills does a Sound Designer have?
Both creative and technically savvy, the freelance Sound Designer has a perfect command of digital sound creation and editing tools. Music composition, recording, post-production, mastering and mixing software are second nature to them. They may be required to work on mixing desks in a recording studio depending on the project. To have a well-rounded profile, a freelance Sound Designer must also be familiar with sound recording processes and have a good knowledge of acoustics.
In order to provide creative sound design, a freelance Sound Designer must have extensive musical knowledge and eclectic tastes. Passionate about music and audio editing, they put their varied skills to use in many different fields. While they sometimes create sounds from scratch by recording them, they may also use sample packs to increase their productivity.
How to choose a Freelance Sound Designer?
Based on their sound
The choice of freelancer can greatly influence the success of your project. Each freelance Sound Designer has a style and sound that sets them apart from others. To choose a freelance Sound Designer, you should check out their work on their profile. Here are our tips on how to choose the perfect freelancer.
It is above all your needs that’ll influence your decision. A Sound Designer who primarily works in video games might not be the best choice for creating the audio of an advertisement. It’s important to choose a freelancer who works in a similar field to ensure the music or sound effects created fit your project.
Based on their skills
Using the specifications we mentioned earlier, you’ll need to choose a freelance Sound Designer based on the skills they offer. Some specialize in sound recording and have the necessary equipment, while others prefer to focus on video game soundscapes. There are also multi-talented freelancers who are more versatile and define themselves as both Sound Designers and Sound Engineers. The wide variety of profiles will allow you to find an expert freelance Sound Designer who corresponds perfectly to your sector.
Based on their rate
A freelance Sound Designer’s rate varies based on their level of expertise. The Average Day Rate (ADR) shown on Malt profiles gives you an idea of the cost of their services. Don’t hesitate to ask for several quotes so that you can compare offers. Depending on the project, you can work with a freelance Sound Designer via a fixed-price or hourly pricing structure.
How to brief a Freelance Sound Designer?
In order to put music to your project, the freelance Sound Designer will need to know more about your company. Feel free to share the context of the project in the brief. You can provide them with communication elements (internal or external) so that they can get a feel for the branding. You’ll then need to talk about the project in more detail: your expectations, target and objectives. Set out what deliverables you expect clearly (media, file types, sizes, languages, etc.). You may also want to mention your competitors and send them references that resemble what you’re looking for.
By drawing up a complete specification that includes the guidelines for your project, you’ll allow the freelance Sound Designer to better understand your needs. Lastly, be sure to specify any time constraints!
