Behind The Oscar-winning Sound Of Top Gun: Maverick

Posted March 13, 2023 by Asbjoern Andersen in Film sound

Top Gun: Maverick won the Oscar for Best Sound at the 2023 Oscars! A huge congrats to James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Bjørn Schroeder, Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor, and Mark Weingarten - and to the other Oscar Best Sound nominees. Here's the story behind Top Gun: Maverick's award-winning sound + as a bonus, we've included the sound stories behind the other 2023 Oscar nominees for Best Sound too:

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The Sound of Top Gun: Maverick – by the Dolby Institute:

DDirector Joseph Kosinski and his sound team discuss their groundbreaking work on the hit sequel to the classic 80s film Top Gun. Joining the discussion are re-recording mixers Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor, as well as supervising sound editors James Mather, Al Nelson, and Bjørn Schroeder. Since most of the movie’s flight scenes were filmed practically (or “”in-camera””) without relying on too many visual effects in post-production, this created some unique challenges for the sound team.

The Sound of Top Gun: Maverick | The #DolbyInstitute Podcast

Top Gun: Maverick – Tonebenders:

We talk with the audio team behind the smash hit film Top Gun: Maverick about making the film sound bombastic and loud while also letting smaller sounds, like the pilots breathing, play prominently to build tension. Sound supervisors Al Nelson, James Mather and Bjorn Schroeder are joined by re-recording mixers Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor explain the whole audio post process from field recording jets on an aircraft carrier to the final mix.

Sound highlight - article continues below:

Popular aircraft sound libraries:

If you're looking for aircraft sound effects for your projects, these sound libraries are trending right now:

Game Audio Packs - Game Sound Effects Libraries Quute UI – Modern & Cute User Interface Sounds Play Track 506 sounds included
Rated 5.00 out of 5
$29
Add playful charm and polished precision to your apps, games, devices, and everything in between with Quute UI. This carefully crafted collection of sonic treats strikes a great balance between vibrant and sophisticated, with over 500 carefully curated and ready-to-use sound effects. From crisp button clicks and snappy pops to smooth swipes, delightful selects, and charming notifications, each sound is fine tuned for intuitive feedback. Whether you’re building a sleek app, developing a vibrant game, or working with dynamic motion graphics, Quute UI gives you the sounds to bring your User Interface to life.

Perfect For
· Mobile & Desktop Apps
· Video Games
· Animation & Motion Graphics
· Smart Devices & Wearable Tech
· Film, TV & Commercials
· Interactive Kiosks & Installations
· Websites & Social Media
· Kids’ Media & Edutainment
· Product Demos & Walkthroughs
Features

Over 500 tastefully designed sound effects.

Edited with precision to ensure minimal latency & optimal responsiveness for seamless integration directly into apps, games, and devices.

UCS-compliant with fully embedded metadata, making it easy to search and organize.

High Quality – 96kHz, 24-bit WAV files.

Robust Mono Compatibility, helping the sounds translate excellently across all devices, big or small.

100% Royalty-Free – Use in unlimited projects, no extra fees.
Keywords
Click, Tap, Button, Press, Touch, Toggle, Push, Select, Confirm, Notification, Message, Text, Achievement, Accept, Tactile, Activate, Verify, Tick, Scroll, Type, Adjust, Pop, Bubble, Plip Plop, Like, Sparkle, Magical, Crystal, Chime, Shimmer, Anime, Twinkle, Interact, Interface, Navigation, Alert, Response, New, Unlock, Success, Level Up, Upgrade, Victory, Complete, Reward, Trophy, Celebration, Prize, Win, Goal, Correct, Approved, Positive, Finished, Back, Undo, Discovery, Haptic, Motion, Swipe, Slide, Swish, Virtual Assistant, Droid, Communication, Data, Telemetry, Signal, Beep, Emergency, Computing, Scanning, Emote, Calculating, Loading, Transmission, Delete, Cancel, Deactivate, Remove, Decline, Deny, Error, Refuse, Reject, Incorrect, Mistake, Wrong, Invalid, Block, Failed, Hi-Tech, Futuristic, Menu, Console, UI, Keypad.

Additional Download Information
This download includes two types of file structures to suit different workflows:
– Individually edited files for ready-to-go direct integration into your games, apps, and devices.
– Grouped/Glued files containing 4–10 sounds per WAV, ideal for Sound Designers who prefer this type of file management.
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Metal Sound Effects Just Chains Play Track 973 sounds included
Rated 5.00 out of 5
$14

As you’ve probably guessed from the title, this SFX library is all about metal chain sound effects. Various sizes of chains were pulled, dropped, shaken, rattled, whipped, hung, dangled and jingled.

These sounds could come in handy for a wide range of purposes like morning star swings / whips, coin ringing, chain metal armor movements, hoists, addons for footstep movements and many more.

So if you’re after any kind of metal chain sounds, this SFX library is one to get!

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Cinematic & Trailer Sound Effects Forged In Fury Vol 1 Play Track 394 sounds included $17

Forged in Fury Vol. 1: Modular Sounds for Epic Combat

Break down, customize, and master every detail of your combat effects with Forged in Fury Vol. 1, a collection of 394 brutal sounds in 192kHz/24. Includes katana, heavy axe, metal claws, and layer-by-layer edited vocals for total control.

🔪 Katana (193 sounds):
Double whooshes, precise slashes, impacts, blood splatters.
Mix layers of edge and secondary effects (e.g. combine a quick whoosh with a feminine scream).

🪓 Heavy Axe (96 sounds):
Powerful whooshes, crushing blows, equip sounds, blood effects.
Combine the roar of metal with the sounds of breaking bones.

🔗 Metal Claws (37 sounds):
Mechanical opening/closing, scratching, cutting whoosh.
Ideal for fast movements and surprise attacks.

🗣️ Male & Female Voices (68 Sounds):
War cries, moans of pain, grunts of effort.
Use them alone or synced with weapon effects.

✨ Key Feature:
Each sound includes its own editable layers (e.g. whoosh + impact + blood). Do you want a bloodless ax swing? only the whoosh of a katana?, only blood? Modify it instantly.

🎚️ Studio Quality:
Recorded in 192kHz/24-32 bits, delivered in 192kHz/24 bits. Perfect for toning down, adding distortion or manipulating without losing clarity.

More about the pack
– Intuitive file naming
– All you’ll ever need regarding katana, heavy ax and claw [Use them again & again]
– Use the sound effects over and over, in any of your projects or productions, forever without any additional fees or royalties. Use the SFX in your game, in your trailer, in a Kickstarter campaign, wherever you need to, as much as you want to.
– Totally mono compatibility
– All sounds have several variations.
– Use your imagination and feel free to use any sound for a other than the one described, remember that the world of sound is totally subjective.

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Creature Sound Effects Bowed Cactus Play Track 553+ sounds included, 60 mins total $110

•In Bowed Cactus, get a visceral collection of bowed and plucked cactus from the deserts of the American Southwest. Take a violin bow to a cactus spine and hear guttural screeches with intense, physical energy. Hear plucked needles popping in rich organic granulation. Hear thick, bowed spines growling like supernatural animals and single needles stuttering with real grit.
•This library offers you an extensive collection of sounds from a unique organic sound source. Cactus sounds are incredibly soft and intimate in real life, but when recorded from two inches they morph into otherworldly creatures brimming with ultrasonic energy. I hope you are excited by their sound designing potential and I can’t wait to hear what you create!

2% FOR THE ENVIRONMENT & CARBON NEUTRAL:
• Two percent of the price of this library is donated to an environmental cause, as an “artist royalty” for the planet!
• Carbon offset credits were purchased to offset my field recording travel for this library.

KEY FEATURES:
•Animalistic vocalizations
•Visceral scraping
•Wild screaming harmonics
•Rich ultrasonic energy up to 50kHz
•Guttural mid-range and bass stuttering
•Intricate granular textures of plucked needles
•Multiple similar sounds are grouped into single audio files with s fade ins/outs between each sound.
•Please note: the “Pitch Shifted Demo” was made to demonstrate the potential of the sounds in this library. However, Bowed Cactus does NOT include pitch shifted sounds, only mastered field recordings.

TEXT MARKERS:
•Named markers are included in each file to help find interesting events in files with multiple variations.
•Markers are included in the Soundminer and BWAV description fields starting with the prefix “Marker Text”.

FILE LIST & METADATA:
•View larger version or Download CSV
• A spectrogram is included for each audio file. Double click on the photo in the file list to enlarge.

BLOG POST:
•Read behind the scenes stories from this field recording trip in my blog post: Supernatural Cactus Creatures.

MORE INFO:
• Read 40+ user reviews for Thomas Rex Beverly Audio
• Read my Field Recording Mastering Rules and learn more about how these recordings were mastered.
• Browse the Library Info Master List to compare specs on all my libraries.
• Browse the Metadata Master List to search my entire catalog.
• MD5 and SHA 256 Checksums are included for each zip file in my catalog. Use these hashes to check the integrity of your downloaded files.

GEAR USED:
•Sennheiser MKH 50 and 30 in Mid/Side
•Sennheiser MKH 8040 Matched Pair in ORTF
•Sound Devices 702
•Rycote MS Blimp
•Rycote ORTF Blimp

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Search for more aircraft sound libraries

Why Top Gun: Maverick won the Oscar for sound – VOX:

One of the most exciting things about Top Gun: Maverick is their emphasis on practical effects. Most times, when you see the film’s actors struggling against high-level g-forces, that struggle is real. The actors spent months training to be in planes doing their own stunts, and the whole film feels grounded because of it.

Most times these sequences were shot practically … but not every time. In the film’s incredible seven-minute opener (also known as the Darkstar sequence), nearly everything we see is completely fake. The plane used to go Mach 10 doesn’t really exist yet. It’s a prototype for a plane that will exist in the future, built by Lockheed Martin. While a prototype of that plane was used for taxiing around the runway, anytime we see the plane in the air it’s entirely VFX — impeccable VFX. But beyond the VFX, the thing that makes it feel so real is the sound design.

In this video, Top Gun: Maverick‘s supervising sound producer Al Nelson breaks down the Darkstar sequence. He explains how his team made a plane that doesn’t exist sound real, and, more importantly, how they leveraged the sound design to be just as emotionally impactful as a piece of orchestrated music.

The Dolby Institute and The Tonebenders are part of the Audio Podcast Alliance, featuring a hand-picked selection of the very best podcasts about sound. Check out the full list of Audio Podcast Alliance members below, and click a on podcast name to go directly to their latest episode:

AMPS Podcast • CAS In Conversation • Field & Foley • Immersive Audio Podcast • LA Post Production Sound Design • Level with Emily Reese • Location Sound Podcast • Sound Business • Soundbytes Podcast • SoundGirls Podcast • Soundtrack Show • Soundworks Collection • The A Sound Effect Podcast • The Dolby Institute Podcast • The Game Audio Journey • The Sound Architect Podcast • Tonebenders • Twenty Thousand Hertz

Hear more audio-related podcasts here

Bonus: Here are the sound stories behind the 2023 Oscar-Nominees for Sound as well:

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT:

Go behind the sound of All Quiet on the Western Front:

Get the full sound story behind All Quiet on the Western Front here

Nominees:
Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel and Stefan Korte

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Go behind the sound of Avatar: The Way of Water:

Nominees:
Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers and Michael Hedges

THE BATMAN:

Go behind the sound of The Batman:

Get the full sound story behind The Batman here

Nominees:
Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray and Andy Nelson

ELVIS:

Go behind the sound of Elvis:

Nominees:
David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson and Michael Keller

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THE WORLD’S EASIEST WAY TO GET INDEPENDENT SOUND EFFECTS:

A Sound Effect gives you easy access to an absolutely huge sound effects catalog from a myriad of independent sound creators, all covered by one license agreement - a few highlights:

Metal Sound Effects Just Chains Play Track 973 sounds included
Rated 5.00 out of 5
$14

As you’ve probably guessed from the title, this SFX library is all about metal chain sound effects. Various sizes of chains were pulled, dropped, shaken, rattled, whipped, hung, dangled and jingled.

These sounds could come in handy for a wide range of purposes like morning star swings / whips, coin ringing, chain metal armor movements, hoists, addons for footstep movements and many more.

So if you’re after any kind of metal chain sounds, this SFX library is one to get!

60 %

OFF

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Foley Sound Effects Buttons & Switches Play Track 2000+ sounds included $17.50

This new library gets you a huge collection of all kinds of Buttons, Switches, Knobs, Levers, Sliders – that were pushed hard (and soft).

From small buttons, small mechanics to big levers of different materials.
Perfectly cleaned and edited for direct use.

Whenever there is something to be pushed, pressed, released, hit, clicked, pulled – you’ll find the sounds to go with it here.

All sounds are delivered as BWF tagged, 24Bit / 96kHz wav-files

50 %

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Travel & Transportation Wooden Ship Ambiences Play Track 50 sounds included, 85 mins total $149.99
Ahoy Mateys! Step aboard the finest sailing ship sound effects library in the land.

Whether you’re working on an exciting Pirates of the Caribbean style video game or a relaxing sea-faring romance, the hours of exceptional background loops and additional cutting edge ship sounds contained within this sound pack will set your project on a course to excellence!

EXPLORE AN ENTIRE SHIP

Whether your adventure takes place in the MAIN DECK, CABIN, BELOW DECK, atop the CROWS NEST, in a MEDIEVAL PORT, or on a DISTANT SHIP in the HIGH SEAS we’ve got you covered! Each ambience contains MULTIPLE VARIATIONS, ALL-WEATHER CONDITIONS, and MULTIPLE INTENSITIES to cover every part of the ship, on the rough and calm seas, this sound effects library is perfect for every situation you need.

A JOURNEY TO REMEMBER

Our expert team of sound designers has meticulously crafted each ambience into CONTINUOUS, NON-REPETITIVE, DRAG AND DROP-READY LOOPS that will serve as perfect background audio for your game, film, animation, live event, or even as relaxing background audio! We have even included FULL and SIMPLIFIED MIXES, ISOLATED WEATHER, OCEAN and WOOD CRACKING versions, SHORT and LONG non-repetitive variants, and numerous other options for your convenience!

TREASURE APLENTY

With FREE UPDATES, FOREVER! and FREE BONUS AMBIENCES: MEDIEVAL PORT and isolated, SEA, SAILS, and FLAG FLAPPING, Ship’s BELL RINGING, WEATHER, and WOOD CRACKING SOUNDS, all supplied in industry-standard Hi-Rez WAV and Hi-Quality MP3 formats, there’s no better time to set sail on the high seas with this ONE OF A KIND sound pack!

So what are you waiting for? Take command of this UNIQUE library and begin your journey on the high seas today!

KEY FEATURES:
- Huge variety of Old Wooden Ship Interior and Exterior Ambiences, All Weather Conditions and Additional Useful BONUS Sound Effects for every scene or situation.
- Multiple variants and intensities for your convenience and additional edit options (lengths, looping versions, stingers, etc.).
- Ready to use – requires no editing, labelling or splicing. Categorized, organized and individually labeled files for maximum use efficiency
- All files are included in Hi-Rez WAV, High-Quality WAV and High-Quality MP3 formats
- FREE Updates to higher versions, FOREVER!
DOWNLOAD NOW TO INSTANTLY TURN YOUR PROJECT INTO A TRUE MASTERPIECE!
MASSIVE SAVINGS: The Pirate Sound Effects Bundle combines essential pirate-themed sounds—weapons, ships, ambiences, voiceovers, and more—into one comprehensive package. Save significantly by purchasing the bundle instead of individual packs. Click here to explore the bundle and save!
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Explore the full, unique collection here

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Streetscape is an extremely focused urban ambience library: It features nearly two hours of exterior stereo recordings of only a few city blocks, portraying a gritty and dense urban setting, perfect for any urban thriller, modern noir, or cyberpunk project.

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Cinematic & Trailer Sound Effects SENTINEL Play Track 748+ sounds included From: $49

SENTINEL is a cinematic sound library crafted by French sound designer Julien Caraz, known for his raw, visceral approach to audio storytelling. Created exclusively for HorrorSound, this collection is a deep dive into organic sonics, stylized textures, and hybrid cinematic intensity.

Built for composers, trailer editors and sound designers, music producers working in film, TV, video games, and dark audio environments, SENTINEL delivers cutting-edge audio assets that push the boundaries of traditional sound libraries.

At the core of SENTINEL is a versatile collection of pulsing, tempo-synced loops, clearly labeled with BPM and key information. These elements are purpose-built to provide the foundation of your cues—delivering tension, momentum, and a sense of narrative progression with ease.

What’s Inside
Over 750 high-quality WAV sounds, broken down into:

430 Loops
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BPM + Key labeled
Rhythmic beds, pulsing grooves, evolving patterns

320 One-Shots
Braams
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Risers
Signature Sounds

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Bundles MASTERGUN – RPK-74 Play Track 1430 sounds included $90

The Master Gun RPK-74 Sound Effects library is recorded using a large array of various microphone configurations, we recorded shots from several distances in an open shooting range in the Nevada Desert.

Raw Recordings

Our raw shots features a total of 28 channels including 13 Stereo and 2 mono sources. All of our close and mid spaced pair Microphone options can be used as two independent mono microphones. The right side of every spaced pair will have more Mech than its left side counterpart.
Every single gun has been recorded using the same gain settings on the same recorders, and we have level matched each microphone option between the same calibers so your 50ft microphones will be the same or similar across all libraries that share the same calibers. This makes mixing large amounts of weapons easier as the loudness and character of each gun is predictable.

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Suppressed Recordings

In addition to the unsuppressed shot recordings, we’ve also sampled the RPK-74 with a suppressor attachment. The suppressed RPK-74 was sampled right after the unsuppressed recordings using the exact same microphone setup as the unsuppressed version. This provides you a seamless transition between the unsuppressed and the suppressed recordings.
The suppressed recordings also have the added benefit of muting the shot layers which helps bring out the intricate details of the mechanism (mech layers).
Because adding a suppressor to the firearm increases the weapons muzzle velocity, the fire rate of the suppressed weapon is slightly faster than its unsuppressed counterpart.

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Created from the ground up we’ve designed a collection of game-ready mixes for your next project. If you are creating your own custom weapons system and would like to use our designed mixes in your project, you can use our no-tail options which are our realistic designed mixes without our tail layers. Just drag, and drop.

UCS compatible metadata embedded

All files contain extensive metadata to provide you with the fastest and easiest workflow possible. Metadata can be read and processed by audio management tools. Some digital audio workstations feature an included search tool that can also read embedded metadata.

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Cinematic & Trailer Sound Effects Spaceship Flying By Vol.2 Play Track 450+ sounds included, 129 mins total $15
Spaceship Flying By Vol.2 is a sound effect library for creating exciting scenes in science fiction films, cartoons, animations and video games.These sounds convey the feeling of dynamic and fast spaceship flights, immersing the listener in the world of intergalactic adventures.

Spaceship Flying By Vol.2 includes flybys of 30 spaceships.

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2. Flying from left to right
3. Flying from right to left
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5. Stereo To Mono (flying away from the viewer)
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Demo files for review (5, 15 and 30 second versions of the spaceship flybys “Stereo To Mono”) from the sound set “Spaceship Flying By Vol.2” in mp3 format with watermarks can be downloaded from this link.
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