Horror sound effects and sound design guide 2025 Asbjoern Andersen


Welcome to the Ultimate Guide to Horror Sound - The 2025 Edition: Are you ready to discover the secrets behind the most horrifying sound effects ever created? Do you need some spine-chilling sounds for your projects - or do you want to learn how to craft your own sounds that will make your audience scream? You're in luck, as we have a massive collection of exclusive stories, interviews, sounds and guides for you here, freshly updated for 2025 - so let's dive into the world of horror sound design:
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SoundMorph Halloween Sale 2025
 

Horror Superdeals:

 

  • Creature Sound Effects Zombie Hordes – The Complete Horde Construction Kit Play Track 400 sounds included, 208 mins total From: $249 From: $199

    Zombie Hordes is a massive sound library designed to bring overwhelming waves of the undead to your projects. Built by the creature vocalization experts at The Monster Factory, this collection captures every terrifying groan, scream, and snarl with cinematic precision.

    Whether you’re working on a video game, film, or TV project, this library gives you the power to create hordes ranging from a handful of zombies to hundreds moving as one.

    Key Features:

    8 expert creature performers (4 male, 4 female)
    4 distinct zombie vocal archetypes covering every style, from slow shamblers to frenzied infected
    5 unique horde behaviors: Idle, Detection, Excited, Biting, Chewing
    Pre-designed hordes of 25, 50, 100, 250, and 500 zombies — drop-in ready for instant use
    Long and short audio loops for endless customization
    • Recorded with 3× Sanken CO-100K microphones for full spectrum detail
    Rich UCS metadata embedded for easy search and workflow integration


    Designed for Professionals:

    Game Developers – Build dynamic, reactive zombie hordes in real time.
    Sound Designers – Clean, well-organized files that drop straight into your DAW.
    Film & TV – Add terrifying authenticity to your horror sequences.

    Expert Vocal Performances:

    The undead come alive thanks to The Monster Factory’s trained vocal stunt performers, specialists in safe and sustainable extreme vocal effects. Every groan, shriek, and howl was performed naturally — no digital tricks, just raw vocal power.

    Our team has already delivered undead chaos for Fortnite: The Walking Dead Experience, Baldur’s Gate 3, Dead by Daylight, and more. Now, that same expertise is available to you.

     

    Get Zombie Hordes:

    Whether you need a few unsettling moans or a full-blown apocalyptic swarm, Zombie Hordes gives you the tools to build it instantly!


    Get the bundle and save 30%:
    Looking for the ultimate collection of zombie sounds?
    Get the bundle ft. Zombie Hordes and either Zombie Apocalypse (20,000 (!) extra sounds) or Zombie Core Ed. (2,400 extra sounds) at 30% off. Choose your preferred version below:
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  • In this bundle you get all currently available parts of the ANGST | Surrounding Horror Series:

    • Designed Soundscapes
    • Construction Kit
    • Designed Soundscapes (Stereo Downmix)
    • Prologue

    ANGST is a collaboration of the sound designers Bony Stoev and Saro Sahihi is the long awaited successor and main chapter of “Surrounding Horror – Prologue”.
    It brings you a comprehensive collection of thrilling, abstract horror ambience sound effects in 5.1 surround (SMPTE).

    Each soundscape was painstakingly handcrafted to 2:30 minute length with lots of frightening and terrifying sonic events.
    It gives your horror-related production just the right amount of heart-stopping texture, leaving your audience with fear crawling up their spines to hold ’em tight.

     

    Also in this bundle is a huge and versatile bundle of construction-kit layers, which can be combined to countless variations and serve as inspiration for your own dreadful sonic nightmares. Some layers were left dry, others were treated with FX. Some are mixed in 5.1 surround others in stereo. To give you both flexibility and instant usability at hand.

    Additionally you get all sounds from the Surround Horror Soundscapes library downmixed to stereo.

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  • Bloody Nightmare is a modern horror cinematic library aimed at the most cutting edge bone chilling productions out there.

    Whether you work in sound design, as a composer, trailer editor or as an electronic musician, Bloody Nightmare is a valuable new wave of Horror sounds that will surely cause visceral moments of terror and dread!

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  • Strident and Demonic

    Expand the timbre of your horror violins and cellos with CIRCUS, a sinister sample pack featuring 180 WAV sounds of screeching or high-pitched string noises, perfect for horror music and dark sound design.

    Creative Tension

    This collection offers a curated selection of screeches, high-tension tremolo, heavy jeté strokes, dark demonic textures, finger patterns, chaotic string elements, clock loops and bow accents.

    Haunting and Experimental

    Create haunting atmospheres, perfect for horror, thriller or experimental soundtracks. Every element has been designed to unsettle and disturb, blurring the line between music and noise.

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  • Doom Drones contains more than 3Gb of eerie, doomful, dark, atmospheric field recordings, designed drones and backgrounds. Perfect for something in the realm of a David Lynch film, ambient music production, a horror film, or just to set the mood of a foreboding soundscape.

    Each artist made 60 custom loops for a total of 120 loops. With SoundMorph focusing more on field recordings and subtle tonal design and Arovane focusing more on dynamic synthetic textures and sound design. Both perfectly suitable as layers or final assets, depending on their use, Doom Drones is a great addition for anyone wanting to enhance dark ominous moments.

    All field recordings were captured with a mid/side stereo setup consisting of 2 Schoeps CMC6 bodies, Schoeps mk5 & mk8 capsules housed in a Rycote AE windshield running into a Sound Devices 722.

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  • Gore Sound Effects Gore Play Track 894+ sounds included $49

    Gore is just plain & simple great high quality bloody impacts, splatters, and weapons. You can't go wrong with this library, and it will be a work horse go to for many years! GORE features more than 875 files, 2.92 GB of 24bit/96khz .WAV files, all meticulously embedded with Soundminer and Basehead metadata. GORE was created in collaboration with Michael Leaning, a UK based Triple AAA video game sound designer.

    GORE includes the following:

    • 19 different weapon impacts, both dry and wet
    • Blood
    • Guts
    • Drips
    • Splatters
    • Head Explosions
    • Stabs
    • Extras
    • Source Recordings
    • Designed Files
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  • Gore Sound Effects Gore 2 Play Track 5000+ sounds included $45

    Enter GORE 2, The follow up to our first smash hit GORE sound library. Full of the most insane blood explosions, drips, flesh rips, splatters, blood gurgles, and intense fight and ultra violence sounds. Why did we make it? Because we wanted a HUGE collection of bigger, wetter, juicer, and crazier GORE sounds that could be a forever go to for professional sound designers. We recorded over 5,000 sounds and 300+ files to make this a whopping 20+ GB collection with lots of variations for all your scenes, film, gameplay or project. The GORE 2 library is split up into 3 sections, designed, source, and builds. Design – Bone, blood, melee & slaughter categories. Source – Featuring 192Khz 32 Bit Sanken Co-100k mic recordings, allowing you to pitch up ultra high or ultra low without loosing fidelity. Builds – Halfway between source material and designed, allowing you flexibility to start with some sounds that are slightly designed. GORE 2 is a classic giant collection that will serve you for years and years.

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  • 1,500 Monster & Creature sounds!

    We’re proud to announce our newest sound library: Monster Within! Clocking in at 1,500 files, we’ve not only included 18 different creatures, monsters, and aliens, but also 25 categories for them! Everything from Attacks, Roars, Giant Footsteps, to detailed foley, vocals and flesh ripping. We think this is a must have Monster and Creature library to add to your collection.


    WHAT’S INSIDE

    Monster Within is massive. Just look at the list below or download the PDF excel sheet to get an idea of all that you get. Monster Within features more than 1,500 files, 2GB GB of 24bit/96khz .WAV files, all meticulously embedded with Soundminer and Basehead metadata. Monster Within was created by Rick Hernandez, a Los Angeles based professional sound designer. Rick is an accomplished AAA video game sound designer and field recordist. He also works on feature films & television. Learn more about Rick and his company Melee Sound Design.

    Monster Within includes the following:

    – 18 different creatures and monsters
    – Attacks
    – Body Movements
    – Breathing
    – Charges
    – Damage
    – Death
    – Enter
    – Exit
    – Foley
    – Footsteps
    – Footsteps Giant
    – Grunts
    – Hits
    – Idles
    – Impacts
    – Jumps
    – Melee
    – Pain
    – Reactions
    – Screams – Roars
    – Spawns
    – Special Effects
    – Swings / Swipes
    – Taunts
    – Vocals

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  • Twisted Zither introduces you to the haunting allure of the zither, a complete kit of sounds drawn from the resonant tones of this unique stringed instrument, characterised by its flat, wooden body and horizontal strings.

    Twisted Zither features:

    • A rich assortment of over 130 recorded gestures, textures, bows, sweeps, hits, and scrapes, providing a comprehensive toolkit for sound design.
    • Over 50 ready to go custom-designed sounds, including haunting whooshes, atmospheric drones, and powerful impacts and stingers.
    • 130 individually note samples spanning 2 octaves and 3 or more velocity ranges, perfect for creating your own melodic sample instruments or sound design.

    All captured in stereo 24-bit, 96kHz resolution.

    Don’t miss out on the opportunity to add an extra layer of haunt and horror to your projects with ‘Twisted Zither’. This is an excellent addition to your arsenal for horror and haunting sounds. With a diverse range of meticulously crafted gestures, textures, and custom-designed effects, this library is your key to creating spine-chilling atmospheres and immersive soundscapes.

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Quick navigation:

Click below to jump straight to your desired topic or story:

How to make your own horror sound effects:

How to Design Fierce Creature VocalsHaunting Horror Sounds Effects for InterfacesAlessandro Romeo shares 9 of his favorite horror sound design methodsHow to Design Horror Sounds – with horror sound veteran Joe DzubanSounds of Horror & Emotional States – with 2 x Oscar winning sound designer & sound supervisor Karen Baker Landers5 tips for making the most of Dehumaniser 2How to create horror sound effects that are truly scary (and gory!):Tips: How to create your own horror sounds


Ready to scare: Nightmare-inducing horror sound effects:

See the special Horror Sound Effect Highlights here!


Exclusive horror sound stories:

Newly added: Weapons28 Years LaterSinnersBlack Mirror Season 7The MonkeyAlien Rouge IncursionNosferatuSmile 2The SubstanceTerrifier 3Salem’s Lot


Alan Wake 2The WatchersThe Exorcist: BelieverTrapTrue Detective: Night CountrySaw XTalk to MeEvil Dead RiseScornWinnie-the-Pooh: Blood and HoneyKnock at the CabinM3GANThe Dark Pictures AnthologyThe Black PhoneBodies Bodies BodiesSpeak No EvilThe QuarryArchive 81MasterPreyMidnight MassCandymanHalloween KillsDemonicContagionThe Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do ItThe Haunting of Bly ManorTwin Peaks: Fire Walk With MeThe Third DayLovecraft CountryHalloweenThe Haunting of Hill HouseHereditaryThe NunA Quiet PlaceAnnabelle: CreationIt Comes At NightAlien: CovenantBlair WitchThe MistPenny DreadfulLights OutThe Conjuring 2


Bonus: More horror sound stories:

Behind the sound of birth/rebirth, Enys Men, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Infinity Pool, The Callisto Protocol, Inside The Exorcist, Darq, Through The Woods, The Evil Within, Outlast, and Colina: Legacy + how scarehouse sound is made & How Sound Is Used To Create Suspense In Horror Movies

 
 

Get a free horror sound effects pack:

 

Slava Pogorelski Horror Sounds


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How to make your own horror sound effects:


 
How to Design Fierce Creature Vocals – Huge Sound Design Tutorial (includes 26 free SFX):

 

Want to learn how to design creature vocalizations? Chase Steele is back with a new in-depth tutorial, covering everything from sourcing and layering creature source material to editing, processing and transforming those recordings into some mean creature vocals:



How to Design Fierce Creature & Monster Voices - Huge Sound Design Featuring 26 Free Sound Effects!


Bonus: Download 26 free SFX from this tutorial

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How to create Haunting Horror Sounds Effects for Interfaces (includes 15 free SFX):


Interested in learning how to design horror sound effects – particularly targeted towards horror-type interfaces? Check out this exclusive, in-depth A Sound Effect tutorial by Chase Steele:



How to make Haunting Horror Sound Effects for UI / interfaces (includes free sounds!)


Bonus: Download 15 free SFX from this tutorial

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9 brutally-effective horror sound design techniques – by horror master Alessandro Romeo


Horror Sound Design TipsAlessandro Romeo shares 9 of his favorite horror sound design methods:

Read the in-depth interview
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How to Design Horror Sounds – with horror sound veteran Joe Dzuban (‘The Conjuring’, ‘Insidious’, ‘Annabelle’ & many more):


How to design horror sound effectsSound designer Joe Dzuban worked on five films with horror director James Wan, starting with Insidious in 2010. Since then, he’s designed and/or mixed the sound for a dozen top horror films including The Conjuring, Annabelle, Malignant, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Crimson Peak. Here, Dzuban shares his insights and tips on how to design amazing horror sounds:
 

Read Joe Dzuban’s horror sound design tips and insights

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Sounds of Horror & Emotional States – with 2 x Oscar winning sound designer & sound supervisor Karen Baker Landers:


Karen Baker Landers horror soundIn this A Sound Effect interview for AirCon, 2 x Oscar-winning supervising sound editor/sound designer Karen Baker Landers (Skyfall, Gladiator, Braveheart) talks about creating cringe-inducing horror sound, how to use subtle environmental sounds to express a character’s emotional state – and she shares her secret for creating Oscar-winning sound:
 

Watch the video

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5 tips for making the most of Dehumaniser 2:


Dehumaniser 2 guideDehumaniser 2 by Krotos is an excellent vocal sound design system – and Michał Pukała from Krotos has provided this helpful guide featuring 5 tips on how you can make the most of it:
 

Read the tutorial

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How to create horror sound effects that are truly scary (and gory!):


How do you create your own horror and gore sound effects? Saro Sahihi from SoundBits has a lot of experience with that, having done both a full-on gore sound library, as well as some SFX libraries with really creepy, ghostly sounds and shocking transitions. And in this special A Sound Effect guide, he shares his tips on how to make those horrific sounds. Here’s Saro with his tips for horror sound effects creation:

Read the guide

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Want some free horror sounds? Download a freebie pack here:
Get freebie pack 1 featuring sounds from Hauntings, Poltergeists, and EVP by Soundfellas 👉 here – and once you’ve done that be sure to get some of the most popular horror sound libraries on sale below! 👇

Horror Sound Effect Highlights:

 

Popular horror sound effects libraries on sale:

  • Strident and Demonic

    Expand the timbre of your horror violins and cellos with CIRCUS, a sinister sample pack featuring 180 WAV sounds of screeching or high-pitched string noises, perfect for horror music and dark sound design.

    Creative Tension

    This collection offers a curated selection of screeches, high-tension tremolo, heavy jeté strokes, dark demonic textures, finger patterns, chaotic string elements, clock loops and bow accents.

    Haunting and Experimental

    Create haunting atmospheres, perfect for horror, thriller or experimental soundtracks. Every element has been designed to unsettle and disturb, blurring the line between music and noise.

    80 %
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  • Gore Sound Effects Just Gore Play Track 820 sounds included $20

    Welcome to the Bloodfeast. Welcome to 496 files containing over 820 goregeous bone breaking, blood soaking and flesh slicing Splatter SoundFX.

    This huge hardgoreconstruction kit contains all the sounds of gore you need for your horror-, action-, thriller-, slasher-, monster-, martial-arts-, zombie- or fantasy-, movie or video-game.

    …and, there is a chainsaw too, of course.

     

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  • Magic & Fantasy Sound Effects Phantom Magic Play Track 545 sounds included, 31 minutes mins total $39.20

    Now you can harness supernatural powers in sound design and bring peak levels of mesmerizing magic to your next project. Phantoms in the night, mischievous wizards, sorcerers conjuring black magic, supernatural creatures and telekinetic objects all come to life in fantastic 96k/24bit sound with Phantom Magic. The library delivers game trinkets, spells and sparkles, casts and conjures, potions and power-ups, shields and revives, lightning impacts, transitions, whooshes, and more.

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  • Need the sound of objects being pushed, pulled, dragged, moved – or perhaps sliding and scraping over different surfaces? The Drag & Slide SFX library gets you exactly that: More than 500 dragging and sliding sounds that are ready to be used as they are – or for intense sound design.

    Drag & Slide features recordings from sources such as:

    Bags, Barrels, Blades, Bottles, Cabinets, Chairs, Coat-hangers, Crates, Dining Tables, Fridges, Frying Pans, Iron Boxes, Iron Tables, Metal Cans, Metal Chairs, Nightstands, Pallets, Paper bags, Plates, Racks, Rakes, Shoes, Shovels, Sledgehammers, Spray cans, Stones/rocks, Toolboxes, Vacuum Cleaners, Various heavy objects, Wooden Boards – and more!

    Technical details:

    All sounds were cleaned, edited and filled with BWF-Metadata for instant use in your projects – and many of the files in the pack contain more than one sound. Recorded with Sound Devices 744T, 788T, Sennheiser MKH8050, Ambient ATE208, Sony PCM-D100

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  • The “Screams & Shouts 2 – Humans” sound effects library brings you over 1.200 human shouts of pain and death, disturbing screams plus grunts of anger, struggle and attack from several men, women and children.

    All sounds have been edited precisely and cut clean for instant use in your projects.

    50 %
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  • This release features 873 screams, shouts, moans, grunts, hisses from female/male humans, zombies, monsters and creatures. Fantastic for horror, suspense, thrillers, action movies and games

    All sounds are 100% dry. Reverb was just applied for the demo.

    60 %
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  • Horror Sound Effects Asylum Play Track 504 sounds included $55.20

    Scary horror sounds inspired by Hollywood Box office Hits – The Conjuring, The Exorcist and The Shining, we present to you the psychopath’s favorite: Asylum – Epic Stock Media’s hair-raising sound library of hollywood film scare tactics. Unchained access to some of the most cutting edge designed horror production sound effects in the world derived from stunning 192k 24bit recording sessions. Be the first to unleash our best sound library yet! Check the audio preview for spine chilling inspiration.

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  • Drones & Mood Sound Effects Abstract Ambiences Play Track 60 sounds included $20

    The “Abstract Ambiences” is a collaboration of SoundBits and Monte Sound.

    This bundle offers you a collection of abstract and surreal ambiences, ready to be used in your next production. Wether in surround or stereo, this kit will be sure to please. The bundle offers a full mix, as well as a construction kit to mix and match the stems as you wish, giving you maximum flexibility in post production.
    All sounds are delivered in 96kHz / 24bit. All sounds are royalty free.

    Think of movies like “Alien”, “Event Horizon” “or games like “Dead Space”, “Doom” or “Bioshock”. But you will also get the right feel and idea for other disturbing-cyberpunk and unsettling industrial dark spaces.
    A symbiosis of organic original field-recordings like Room Tones, Construction Sites, Traffic, Fun-Fair, Motors, … and synthetic elements like spectral- and granular synthesis.

    • 60 ready-to-use abstract ambiences in 5.0 surround
    • Stereo Downmixes of all ambiences included!
    • All files with 2:30 Minutes length
    • Perfectly balanced Surround Sounds for easy integration in games, movies and more
    • Categories:
      Doomed Soundscapes, Dark Drones, Futuristic Dungeons, Alien Worlds, SciFi Horror, Weird Radio Messages and Interference and Disturbing and Terrifying Noises, Eerie Textures & more

    50 %
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Can’t find what you need? Search for more horror sound libraries here

 

The most popular horror sound effects libraries out there:

Click to see the most popular horror sound effects libraries here

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Behind the sound for scary horror movies, series and games
– Exclusive A Sound Effect interviews:

NEW ADDITIONS:

 

Weapons


Behind the Sound of WeaponsSound supervisor/re-recording mixer Luciano Vignola and sound designer/re-recording mixer Filipe Messeder share their experience of creating realistic, disturbing sound for director Zach Cregger’s hit horror film ‘Weapons.’ Vignola and Messeder talk about their unique ‘contraption’ (called the Rumbler), which was used to create rattle layers for the end chase scene. They talk about their approach to panning foley, designing intricate reverbs to highlight the emptiness of spaces, working with the foley team to create believable gore, and much more:

Read the in-depth interview

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28 Years Later


Behind the Sound of 28 Years LaterOscar-winning Sound Supervisor/Re-Recording Mixer Johnnie Burn at Wave Studios talks about crafting a post-apocalyptic world ruled by nature for director Danny Boyle’s ’28 Years Later’ — from recording his metal vocalist/mix tech for the Alpha infected’s scream, recording rural locations in England and Wales for authentic ambiences, and designing the sound of wind through skulls by (poorly) playing recorders and flutes, to shaping the overall mix during sound editorial, and much more:

Read the in-depth interview

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Sinners


Behind the Sound of Sinners
The SINNERS post sound team dives deep into their approach of capturing live on-set musical performances, worldizing music stems in the Juke Joint filming location, building believably massive Juke Joint crowds using production recordings, foley, and loop group, crafting experiential musical moments, creating a realistic day to night transition using specific insect and bird recordings, designing natural-sounding vampires, perfecting the immersive Dolby Atmos and IMAX mixes, and much, much more:

Read the in-depth interview

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Black Mirror Season 7


Behind the Sound of Black Mirror Season 7Explore the disquieting sound for ‘Black Mirror’ Season 7 with sound supervisor/sound designer Tom Jenkins, sound designer James Hayday, re-recording mixer James Ridgway, music editor Poppy Kavanagh, and supervising dialogue editor Alex Sawyer, who dive into their sound work on “USS Callister: Into Infinity,” “Eulogy,” “Hotel Reverie,” and “Plaything.”:

Read the in-depth interview

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The Monkey


Behind the Sound of The MonkeySound supervisor/sound designer/re-recording mixer Eugenio Battaglia talks about bringing a feeling of fun to the mayhem in horror film ‘The Monkey’:

Read the in-depth interview

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Alien: Rouge Incursion


Behind the Sound of Alien: Rogue IncursionSurvios’s action-horror VR game ‘Alien: Rogue Incursion’ puts the player into the ‘Alien’ universe. Instead of just watching characters in the ‘Alien’ films face off against facehuggers and Xenomorphs, players get to enter a virtual, immersive environment and fight these terrifying attackers. Here, Survios’s Head of Audio Department Chris Dang and Senior Technical Sound Designer Tim Schumann discuss their approach to creating sounds that fit the Alien films’ aesthetic yet work for a VR game, designing spatially realistic environments, using sound to up the fear factor, mixing for action and exploration, and much more!

Read the in-depth interview

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Nosferatu


Behind the Sound of NosferatuGo behind the haunting sound of Nosferatu, with director Robert Eggers and sound artist Damian Volpe:

Read the in-depth interview

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Smile 2


Behind the Sound of Smile2Award-winning supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer Dan Kenyon shares details of his sound work on ‘Smile 2’ – discussing his collaboration with director Parker Finn, working with composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer’s unique score, designing demon vocal processing, and he shares details for his sound work on specific scenes.

Read the in-depth interview

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The Substance2


Behind the Sound of The SubstanceDirector Coralie Fargeat takes on toxic beauty culture in her film ‘The Substance’. Here, sound designers Valérie Deloof and Victor Fleurant, and foley artist Gregory Vincent, talk about their approach to the film’s body horror, their recording techniques for creating internal POVs, how they used sound to reinforce personalities, to humanize or dehumanize characters, and much more!

Read the in-depth interview

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Terrifier 3


Behind the Sound of Terrifier 3‘Terrifier 3’ is now the highest-grossing unrated film of all time. Here, award-winning sound supervisor/re-recording mixer Martín Hernandez talks sonic collaborations, crafting ultra-gory moments like the chainsaw shower massacre, designing Victoria’s vocals, and much, much more:

Read the in-depth interview

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Salem’s Lot


Behind the Sound of Salem's LotSound supervisor/sound designer/re-recording mixer Sean Garnhart talks about taking a nature-based approach to the supernatural sound of director/writer Gary Dauberman’s ‘Salem’s Lot’, now streaming on Max:

Read the in-depth interview

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Alan Wake 2


Behind the Haunting Sound of Alan Wake 2Gamers are thrilled with Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake 2. This long-anticipated sequel to Alan Wake (2010) deviates from the original action-adventure game by leaning into the darker aspects as a survival horror game. In this massive interview, the Alan Wake 2 sound team discusses their aesthetic inspirations for the game, how they created new vocals for the ‘Taken’ and ‘Fade Outs,’ how they designed Washington State and the Dark Place like two different games, how they used music to support gameplay and misdirect the player, how they designed immersive environments, how they handled the sound for teleporting, and much, much more:

Read the in-depth interview

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The Watchers


Creating a Killer Live Concert for Shyamalan’s TrapDirector Ishana Shyamalan’s debut feature The Watchers is a supernatural horror film that blends elements of Irish folklore like faeries and changelings with natural elements that have a dark twist, like an enchanted forest that traps visitors inside and flocks of birds (called devil birds) that panic and flee as the sun sets. For the sound team, this created a fun opportunity to explore nature sounds in a new way, to create unique vocalizations for ‘The Watchers’ and design how they’d sound when mimicking humans. Here, sound supervisors Jill Purdy and Sylvain Bellemare talk about working with director Ishana Shyamalan, finding the sound of the magical forest and the wildlife within, designing sounds for the folklore-inspired ‘Watchers,’ and so much more:

Read the in-depth interview

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The Exorcist: Believer


Sculpting the Supernatural Sound of The Exorcist: BelieverDirector David Gordon Green’s new Exorcist trilogy has kicked off with The Exorcist: Believer – in theaters now. The film follows two young girls who are possessed by the same demon.

Here, sound supervisor/re-recording mixer Rich Bologna – who previously worked with Dir. Gordon Green on his Halloween retcon trilogy – talks about the collaborative use of sound design and music to create an unsettling atmosphere/mood leading up to the chaotic, multi-phase exorcism.

He talks about designing a lush and inviting opening to the film, which plays in contrast to where the film leads. He talks about how they handled the sound of the demon, the subjective psychological POV moments, and more!

Read the in-depth interview

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Trap


Creating a Killer Live Concert for Shyamalan’s TrapDirector M. Night Shyamalan’s film Trap mainly unfolds at a pop concert. To make the performance feel ‘live’ and to keep it going throughout all locations in the stadium, the sound team – led by sound supervisors Dashen Naidoo and Jill Purdy – needed to craft reactive concert crowds, create a unique sonic perspective of the concert for the different locations in stadium, and then shift to the killer’s POV (and incorporate the film’s score) to portray his anxiety and to tell the story Shyamalan intended for the film. Here, Naidoo and Purdy detail their approach to achieving a convincing concert sound, using sound to build tension, and so much more:

Read the in-depth interview

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True Detective: Night Country


The Chilling Sound of HBO’s True Detective: Night CountryHBO’s hit series True Detective is back with Season 4. This time around the show is helmed by Writer/Director/Exec. Producer Issa López, who chose a sound team led by co-supervising sound editors Martín Hernández and Stephen Griffiths.
True Detective: Night Country is set in Alaska during the sunless winter season. The unforgiving environment and persistent darkness act as an antagonistic character working against the detectives who are trying to untangle the events that led to the mysterious deaths of a team of research scientists. Here, Hernández, Griffiths, and sound editor Jake Fielding talk about building the environment’s character using expressive wind sounds, evocative vocal elements, and descriptive sound design, effects and foley to add an additional dimension to the story:

Read the in-depth interview

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Saw X


How Saw X’s Insane Sounds of Gore Were Made – with Sound Designers Adam Stein and David RoseSaw X is the 10th installment of the Saw franchise, which began nearly two decades ago. These horror films are known for Jigsaw’s death traps, which require the victims to physically harm themselves in order to save their own lives.

The traps are inventive, and brutal, and offer extraordinary opportunities for sound!

Here, supervising sound editor/sound designer Adam Stein and sound designer David Rose talk about creating the sound of the death traps (and the resulting gore) in Saw X:

Read the in-depth interview

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Talk to Me


Crafting the Tense and Terrifying Sound of ‘Talk to Me’ – with Sound Supervisor/Re-recording Mixer Emma BortignonHorror film Talk to Me is the debut feature film from directors Danny and Michael Philippou. It first premiered at Sundance 2023 in the Midnight category and was later picked up by A24 for a wide theatrical release over the summer. The imaginative Australian film follows a group of young friends who mess around with a mysterious embalmed hand that lets them contact (and become briefly possessed by) the dead.

Here, award-winning sound supervisor/re-recording mixer Emma Bortignon talks about creating unique sounds for each possession and designing tense, tonal ambiences, what went into the sound of a dying kangaroo, how the mix evolved during the post process, how she mixed sounds into the surrounds to keep the audience on edge, and so much more:
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Evil Dead Rise


Behind the Gruesome Sound of ‘Evil Dead Rise’ – with Peter Albrechtsen, Garret Farrell, and Gabriel GutiérrezHorror film Evil Dead Rise is a cinematic experience that makes full use of the Dolby Atmos surround format – with action sounds happening in the overheads, demonic vocals swirling around the theater, and music stems intermingling with sound design that’s panned around the room. Fans of the Evil Dead films will not be disappointed.

Here, sound designer/supervising sound editor Peter Albrechtsen, dialogue editor/re-recording mixer Garret Farrell, and re-recording mixer Gabriel Gutiérrez talk about paying homage to the original films, exploring new sounds for this film (like unique vocal processing for the Deadites), and experimenting with the design and mix to make Evil Dead Rise a fun horror adventure:
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Scorn


Behind Scorn’s Nightmare-Inducing Game Audio – with Lead Sound Designer Koca KastavaracEbb Software’s disquieting horror/survival game Scorn takes players to a desolate alien planet filled with organic-metallic machines that offer a means of protection against combatants by adding ‘enhancements’ to the player and they provide a possible means of escape but at a devastating cost to the player’s humanity.

The visual design is reminiscent of H.R. Giger’s art and the sound of the game (which is devoid of dialogue) is dark, foreboding, and slimy yet sharp and resonant.

Here, lead sound designer Koca Kastavarac talks about how they created the heavy atmospheres/environmental sounds, the diegetic sounds of the machines, the sounds of enemies such as the Parasite, Cyborg, Workers, etc., how they overcame technical challenges like adding an occlusion system, and much more:
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey


Designing the Sound of Gore for ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey’ – with Supervising Sound Designer Ryan HattonAuthor A. A. Milne’s beloved children’s book bear Winnie-the-Pooh has taken on a new persona: cold-hearted killer. Since the character is now part of the public domain, director/writer Rhys Frake-Waterfield saw his opportunity to tell a very different story set in Hundred Acre Wood.

His horror film Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey – in select theaters – catches up with a grown-up Christopher Robin, who went off to college and abandoned his long-time woodland pals. Left to fend for themselves, Pooh and Piglet have gone feral, as Christopher finds out upon his return to the woods.

Here, supervising sound designer Ryan Hatton talks about creating creepy, uninviting ambience for Pooh’s stomping ground, how he created some of the film’s gory scenes, how he used sound as a cost-effective storytelling tool for the low-budget film, how they made the mix more impactful, and much more:
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Knock at the Cabin


Crafting the Captivating Sound of ‘Knock at the Cabin’ — with Sound Supervisor David ForsheeDirector M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin tells the unsettling story of a family who encounters of group of strangers in a remote cabin, forcing them to make an unthinkable choice to avert the ultimate disaster. Since the story mainly unfolds in one location, sound played a crucial role in defining the character of the space and helping the audience to clue into what’s happening off-screen.

Here, supervising sound editor David Forshee talks about building up the insect sounds in the woods using custom recordings from recordist Colin Hart as the base, working with the Alchemy Post foley team to help emphasize each character’s personal traits and helping to add weight and texture to the handcrafted weapons, designing apocalyptic events (like a tsunami) yet making it feel like it was captured using a smartphone camera, working sounds against the score, and more:
 

Read the in-depth interview

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M3GAN


Behind the Menacing Sound of M3GAN – with Sound Designer P.K. HookerDirector Gerard Johnstone’s horror-comedy M3GAN is a fun and frightening trip into the near-future where robotics and artificial intelligence have progressed enough to be used in a life-like doll, named M3GAN, that not only interacts with a child but is able to learn, process that information, and reprogram itself to become better suited to the child’s needs – even (over)protect the child from harm.

Here, supervising sound editor/sound designer P.K. Hooker talks about creating the mechanical, vocal, and electrical/digital sounds for M3GAN, and how those sounds change over the course of the movie to reflect M3GAN’s evolution from caring companion to evil robot. He also goes into detail about specific attack scenes, like M3GAN’s encounter with the neighbor, the scene in the elevator & much more:
 

Read the in-depth interview

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The Dark Pictures Anthology


Designing the Frightening Sound of ‘The Dark Pictures Anthology’ – with Audio Director Barney PrattSupermassive Games has released four games in their narrative-drive horror/survival series The Dark Pictures Anthology, one game per year since the first installment Man of Medan in 2019.

Each game is a different sub-genre of horror, has a unique score, and hosts a new cast of characters. And since the creative cycles for two games overlapped every year, Audio Director Barney Pratt had to do a lot of project juggling to keep them on schedule.

Here, he compares their approach to sound on each release, talks about how advancements in technology (like spatial audio) influenced their approach, what went into creating each game’s unique score, the character sound design, and several creatures featured in the games. He also shares details on the sound of the latest installment, The Devil in Me , such as recording custom sound, mixing in real-time, and more:
 

Read the in-depth interview

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The Black Phone


The Black Phone - behind the soundDirector Scott Derrickson’s horror film The Black Phone is set in the ’70s, and the culture of that era influenced supervising sound editor Paul Hackner’s approach to sound editing and mix on the film. Here, he talks about using the song structure of Pink Floyd and other ’70s bands as a guide to designing the stylized dream sequences, how they created the balloon-filled chaos of Finn’s abduction, how to create the perfect jump scare, and more!
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Bodies Bodies Bodies


Bodies Bodies Bodies - behind the soundDirector Halina Reijn’s horror-comedy film Bodies Bodies Bodies (distributed by A24) follows a group of rich 20-somethings who throw a hurricane party at a remote family mansion. As their party game goes awry, snarky backstabbing takes front stage. The hurricane rages outside and the fake friends find their party going from bad to deadly.
Award-winning sound supervisor/re-recording mixer Luciano Vignola and sound designer Mariusz Glabinski talk about creating a long-lasting hurricane that is interesting and dynamic, building intense dialogue scenes, using foley to heighten the chaos and flesh out quiet scenes, and much more! 

Read the in-depth interview

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Speak No Evil


Speak No Evil - behind the soundDanish director Christian Tafdrup’s disturbing film Speak No Evil – which premiered in the Sundance 2022 Midnight category – tells the tale of a mild-mannered Danish family who visits an offbeat Dutch family they had recently met on vacation. The houseguests’ stay turns from friendly to frightening, with an ending that’s dubbed ‘shocking’ by Sundance audiences. Here, sound designer/re-recording mixer Marco Vermaas talks about building intensity through the film’s soundscape and what it was like to sound design that vivid ending.
 

Read the in-depth interview

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The Quarry


The Quarry - behind the sound Here, Soundcuts Audio Director Adele Cutting talks about the all-important dialogue (voiced in 8 different languages), their approach to creating cinematic sound that nods to classic horror films, crafting responsive ambiences using open-world game techniques, scoring interactive music and working with licensend music, designing the werewolf sounds, and so much more!

 

Read the in-depth interview

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Archive 81


Archive 81 - behind the sound Netflix’s Archive 81 horror series – executive produced by James Wan – follows video archivist Dan Turner, who takes a job restoring and logging tapes that were damaged in a fire. As Dan watches the disturbing footage, he uncovers a sinister cult that’s involved in the disappearance of Melody (the woman who shot the footage).
Here, supervising sound editor Mark Relyea and sound designer Daisuke Sawa talk about designing scary sounds using static, building a supernatural portal, creating the voice of the demon Kaelego, and enhancing the ritual chanting of the cult followers.

Re-recording mixers Alexandra Fehrman and Richard Weingart discuss the use of the Dolby Atmos surround field, and the processing chains used to create different perspectives in the series.

 

Read the in-depth interview

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Master


Master - behind the soundFor director Mariama Diallo’s feature film debut Master – in US Dramatic Competition at Sundance – she tells a supernatural story that leans on social isolation, exclusion, and racism. Here, sound supervisor/sound designer Robert Hein and re-recording mixer Robert Fernandez talk about using sound to support these feelings and to add a sense of darkness and horror.
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Prey


Prey - behind the sound Director Dan Trachtenberg’s Predator prequel Prey (distributed by Disney+, Hulu) is set in 1719, so the sound team – led by supervising sound editors Chris Terhune and Will Files – got to reimagine the advanced weaponry and armor known from previous Predator films in a more primitive form.
In turn, the Predator in Prey faces off with humans who are also less technologically advanced – a tribe of Comanche with stone and wood weapons and a roaming pack of French fur traders, who have black powder muskets and pistols.

Here, Terhune talks about redesigning iconic Predator sounds to fit the more primitive time, Dialogue/ADR Supervisor Jessie Anne Spence discusses the unique opportunity to record and edit Comanche dialogue and group, and re-recording mixer Craig Henighan (who co-mixed with Terhune) talks about finding the emotion for the mix in Dolby Atmos.
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me


Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me- behind the sound In celebration of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me’s 30-year anniversary: Sound supervisor Doug Murray shares lots of fascinating sound stories behind the haunting film and the Twin Peaks series, the creative joys of “sound painting” with David Lynch, channeling Alan Splet’s sensibilities, its impact on film sound today, the sound for signature scenes – and how it transformed him as a sound designer. Hear the full interview below:
 

Hear the in-depth interview

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Midnight Mass


Midnight Mass sound
Mike Flanagan, known for The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, has a new series on Netflix — Midnight Mass. Here, supervising sound editors Trevor Gates and Jonathan Wales (also re-recording mixer) talk about location building, creating the show’s choir, designing disturbing sequences, and so much more!
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Halloween Kills


Halloween Kills sound
Halloween is the longest-running horror film franchise to date. Beginning in 1978, there have been 13 Michael Myers films including the latest Halloween Kills in theaters now. Here, supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer Rich Bologna at WB Sound in NYC shares his tale of designing and mixing Halloween Kills, his collaboration with director David Gordon Green, and his sonic contributions to this legendary film franchise:
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Candyman


Candyman sound
Director Nia DaCosta’s horror film Candyman — in theaters now — takes a unique approach to storytelling, using both unique visual elements and important social issues to explain the existence of Candyman. Here, sound supervisor/sound designer/re-recording mixer Michael Babcock talks about the role of sound as a storytelling tool, and how he created the sonic vocabulary of this film.
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Demonic


Demonic soundNeill Blomkamp’s ‘Demonic’ is an interesting blend of high-tech virtual reality and ancient demonic folklore. Here, sound team members Jo Rossi (sound supervisor/re-recording mixer), Vince Renaud (sound supervisor/re-recording mixer), and Nolan McNaughton (sound designer/effects editor) dive into details of designing the simulated world, demons, dream sequences, and more:
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Contagion


Contagion soundThere’s been a resurgence in the popularity of director Steven Soderbergh’s film Contagion due to its realistic and mostly-accurate portrayal of a global pandemic. Here, Soderbergh’s longtime-collaborator supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer Larry Blake looks back to how they crafted its sound.
 

Read the in-depth interview

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The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’s credibly creepy sound

The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It sound
Writer/director Mike Flanagan brings back his composing and post sound team for his second Netflix series The Haunting of Bly Manor. Here, The Newton Brothers composing duo, supervising sound editor Trevor Gates, and re-recording mixer Jonathan Wales discuss the sonic differences between Hill House and Bly Manor and how they helped support this slow-burn story through sound:
 

Read the in-depth interview

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The Haunting of Bly Manor


The Haunting of Bly Manor soundWriter/director Mike Flanagan brings back his composing and post sound team for his second Netflix series The Haunting of Bly Manor. Here, The Newton Brothers composing duo, supervising sound editor Trevor Gates, and re-recording mixer Jonathan Wales discuss the sonic differences between Hill House and Bly Manor and how they helped support this slow-burn story through sound:
 

Read the in-depth interview

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The Third Day


The Third Day soundHBO Max’s new limited series The Third Day — starring Jude Law and Naomie Harris — is a feast of sound that adds a sense of unease and uncertainty to mirror the characters’ experiences. Oscar-winning supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer Niv Adiri talks about his cinematic approach to designing and mixing the disturbing sound of the show:
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Lovecraft Country


Lovecraft Country soundHBO’s Lovecraft Country series is an interesting mix of historical-drama and horror elements that have given the sound team lots of avenues to explore. Here, sound supervisor Tim Kimmel and sound designer Paula Fairfield talk about their approach to world-building and monster making.
 

Read the in-depth interview

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Halloween:


The original Halloween is one of my favorite horror movies, and the 2018 version of Halloween (a direct sequel to the original movie) has premiered to great reviews.

This interview gets you the story on how sound supervisors Will Files and P.K. Hooker found brutal sonic inspiration in Michael Myers’ no-frills method of murder – and used that to create a soundscape that’s equally simple yet savage.
 

Read the in-depth interview

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The Haunting of Hill House:


Audience reactions to Netflix’ new horror series The Haunting of Hill House have been strong, with horror legend Stephen King hailing it as close to a work of genius.

Many reviewers are particularly praising the sound design for the series – and it’s a great pleasure to present this interview on how its powerful sound was made, as told by Emmy-award winning supervising sound editor/sound designer Trevor Gates.

 

Read the in-depth interview

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Hereditary:


Hereditary Sound

Hereditary is being hailed as one of the best horror movies in recent years, and it sounds fantastic.

Here’s the in-depth story on how the sound team at Parabolic NY carefully controlled the tension in Hereditary with sound.

They also discuss the finer points of the sounds of gore, how you make a room tone sound evil – and a sinister sonic element heard throughout the film that you probably haven’t noticed.

Read the in-depth interview

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The Nun:


The nun soundThe Nun is the latest installment in The Conjuring’s horror universe, and it was a huge hit at the box office.

In this exclusive interview, supervising sound editors Bill R. Dean and Ron Eng tell the story about its scary sound – covering everything from recording bells and homemade crosses, designing demon vocals, how they used the Dolby Atmos surround field, to how the jump-scare scenes never got old (especially for one re-recording mixer).

Read the in-depth interview

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A Quiet Place:


A Quiet Place Sound

Sound and silence are key elements in A Quiet Place, and for sound designers Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl it was an incredibly thrilling – and challenging – project to work on. Here’s how they created the crucial sound of A Quiet Place:

Read the in-depth interview


Popular on A Sound Effect right now - article continues below:


Trending right now:

  • Introducing MOTION GRAPHICS, a complete Motion Graphics sound effects library from SoundMorph!

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Need specific sound effects? Try a search below:


 
 
Annabelle: Creation:


annabelle creation soundIt’s a great pleasure to share the story behind the sound for Annabelle: Creation, which went straight to the top at the US box office.

In this in-depth interview, supervising sound editor/sound designer Bill R. Dean shares how they used sound to really ramp up the fear factor in the movie – and what it took to create that sound.

You also get an exclusive video clip with Bill R. Dean, on a rather novel sound design approach for the movie (involving light bulbs, filament and synth sounds).

Read the in-depth interview

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It Comes At Night:



Psychological horror movie It Comes at Night is proving very popular with both critics and moviegoers – and below, supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer Damian Volpe and re-recording mixer Robert Fernandez share the full story behind the film’s tense and unnerving sound:

Read the in-depth interview

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Alien: Covenant:


alien covenant sound designRidley Scott’s Alien: Covenant is the latest installment in the legendary, genre-defining sci-fi franchise.
And this interview gets you the inside-story behind the sound for the much-awaited movie, as told by Oscar-nominated supervising sound editor/sound designer Oliver Tarney and sound designer Michael Fentum.

Here, they discuss their approach to sound design on Alien: Covenant, from building on original Alien sound concepts to creating new sounds for the Neomorph, the Covenant ship, the radio transmissions from the Prometheus, and more.

Read the in-depth interview

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Blair Witch:


Blair Witch sound
The original Blair Witch Project movie made a huge splash when it premiered back in 1999, and now there’s a sequel out, simply entitled Blair Witch.

I’m very excited to be able to share the inside-story behind the sound for the new film – and without further ado, here’s the interview with Blair Witch supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer Andy Hay:

Read the in-depth interview

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The Mist


The Mist Sound‘The Mist’ is an interesting series based on a Stephen King story – and here, supervising sound editor Bryan Parker & Emmy-award winning sound designer Paula Fairfield take you behind the scenes on its creepy sound:

Read the in-depth interview

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Penny Dreadful:


Penny Dreadful soundSound Supervisor Jane Tattersall takes you behind the scenes on the sound for the show, shares her favorite sound moments – and what it takes to make sound that is well and truly scary:

Read the in-depth interview

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Lights Out:


Lights out sound
Lights Out by David F. Sandberg has received lots of praise for its great scares – and a truly unsettling story, too. Here, Jennifer Walden speaks with Lights Out’s award-winning sound designer and supervising sound editor Bill R. Dean. He shares the team’s approach to horror sound, how they used dynamics to create some very effective scares, the surprising sources for some of the movie’s signature sounds – and much more:

Read the in-depth interview

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The Conjuring 2:


The Conjuring 2 sound
James Wan’s spine-chilling horror movie The Conjuring 2 went straight to number 1 at the box office. And here, supervising sound editor/sound designer Joe Dzuban shares the story behind the creative sound work, the value of temp mixes – and how the right talents (and tools) can take horror sound to the next level:

Read the in-depth interview


 
↑ Back to top

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More horror sound stories:

Exploring the Haunting Sound of ‘Enys Men’– with director/sound designer Mark Jenkin
Inside the Intense Sound of ‘Infinity Pool’ – with Jill Purdy and Alex Bullick
How realistic sound heightens the horror in ‘birth/rebirth’
How Jeff Schmidt created the terrifying sound for hit podcast series Inside The Exorcist
Behind The Callisto Protocol’s Terrifying, Immersive Sound:
Capturing the Sound of Horror for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre game – with Watson Wu & team:
Designing the sound of Darq – an indie game audio deep-dive
Why Game Audio is Vital in Through The Woods from Antagonist
Sound for Scarehouses – A Q&A with Marc Straight
The (surprisingly filling) approach to horror sound design for The Evil Within
Game audio: Highlighting the horror sounds of Outlast
Video: Creating the chilling sound for Colina: Legacy

How Sound Is Used To Create Suspense In Horror Movies



How Sound Is Used To Create Suspense In Horror Movies | Movies Insider


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Bonus ideas: How to create your own horror sounds:

 

If you want to have a go at creating your horror sounds, here are some DIY ideas from sound designer David Filskov’s excellent Guide to Sound Effects:

Bats flying

I used an umbrella opening and closing rapidly for the sound of bats flying one time… turned out great. I think I had to filter out some of the low frequency material, though.
-Tim Clarke

A pair of leather gloves flapped about is a good substitute for wings flapping when a bat takes off.
– Garry Taylor

Blood and guts being torn out

I know how to make a nice sound of blood and guts being torn out. Just make a milk pulp, put it into your mouth, and then try to say “Ghhhh”. Mix it with the end section of any water splash sample or add a sample where you’re moving out your hand from a bucket of water.
– Adam

Gore and squidge

Wet wash leather – fantastic for gore and squidge.
– Mark Estdale

Fruits! Especially tomatoes (for splatters) and potatoes (for wet crunchy sounds). Another classic is making a goo with eggs and dip rags and paper towels into them and play.
– Gustaf Grefberg

Rat shrieks

Pitched-up chickens.
– Ben Burtt

Up-pitched kittens. Especially the screechy ones.
– Gustaf Grefberg

Stone coffin opening

Slide off the top of a toilet tank.
– Ben Burtt

Spirits screaming

Dolphin and sea-lion cries, other animal screams and human vocalizations.
– Ben Burtt

Tentacles, sliding

Get a few day’s worth of stubble on your face. Go somewhere real quiet and record running your hand and arm under your chin – it mixes in nice with the hairs on your arm. Or as I just found out, get a mouse mat with a rubberized or cloth surface and rub that under your chin :-) To further this idea maybe put some shaving gel on and take a credit card and lightly rub it across? That way you get bristly with a bit of slime.
– Dave Sullivan

Having just eaten a bowl of macaroni and cheese shells, I have to say it’s the most convincing tentacle sound I’ve ever heard. It also made the bowl harder to finish :-)
– Jay Semerad

Vocalization of monster

Metal pressed against dry ice.
– Paul Arnold

Slide a straw up or down in a McDonald’s large drink plastic lid. Try pitching it down and stretching it – and voilá! McZilla.
– Max Hodges
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Need specific sound effects? Try a search below:

 

If you’re looking for something in particular, try this custom sound effects search box:


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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:

  • Introducing MOTION GRAPHICS, a complete Motion Graphics sound effects library from SoundMorph!

    Motion Graphics focuses on all the elements you might need for sound design on a trailer, a cinematic scene or a visual that is heavy with motion graphics, whether it be abstract or straight forward, Motion Graphics has all the elements and textures you could think of. Motion Graphics are something all of us sound designers run into at one point or another, so this library is an excellent addition to your sound effects tool box.

    Motion Graphics was created by and in collaboration with sound designer Rostislav Trifonov (SoundMorph Elemental library contributor).

    Motion Graphics features 650 24bit/96 kHz .wav files, all meticulously embedded with Soundminer & Basehead metadata.

    The library features:

    • 450 + designed sound effects
    • 190 + source audio files
    • Whooshes
    • Impacts
    • Risers
    • Stingers
    • Low end and Sub Bass
    • Impulse Responses
    • Passbys
    • Textures – noise, grit, glitch
    • Ambiences
    • Buttons and Clicks
    • Mechanical Elements
    • Granular effects
    91 %
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  • Modular UI is an advanced user interface library designed by world-renowned sound designer and musician Richard Devine.

    Designed and sourced entirely from Richard Devine’s personal and exclusive Eurorack modular synths and processors collection, the Modular UI soundpack combines the retro, clean sound of analog with the futuristic tech of the new wave of advanced analog and digital synthesis from modular synths, evoking flashbacks of iconic sound design heard in both classic and modern sci-fi films.

    The Modular UI soundpack gives you access to sounds created by one of the masters of modular synths and sound design, and is sourced from equipment that would take a lifetime to purchase and assemble, giving an incredible value to this soundpack both artistically and financially.

    Utilizing many Eurorack modules that have not yet been released to the public and containing samples equally suited to sound designers and electronic musicians alike, Modular UI is in a class by itself!

    91 %
    OFF
  • Strident and Demonic

    Expand the timbre of your horror violins and cellos with CIRCUS, a sinister sample pack featuring 180 WAV sounds of screeching or high-pitched string noises, perfect for horror music and dark sound design.

    Creative Tension

    This collection offers a curated selection of screeches, high-tension tremolo, heavy jeté strokes, dark demonic textures, finger patterns, chaotic string elements, clock loops and bow accents.

    Haunting and Experimental

    Create haunting atmospheres, perfect for horror, thriller or experimental soundtracks. Every element has been designed to unsettle and disturb, blurring the line between music and noise.

    80 %
    OFF
    Ends 1761951599
Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • Kawaii UI Bundle is the ultimate bundle for cute user interface sounds.
    In this Bundle you get both volumes of our Kawaii UI libraries.
    Kawaii UI + Kawaii UI 2

    These libraries provide an adorable blend of cute, satisfying interface sounds, crafted to enhance user experience and feedback.
    Bring your games and apps to life with the Kawaii UI Bundle.

    It’s ideal for creating joyful menus, delightful HUDs, playful navigation and notifications, engaging pop-ups, and expressive text.

    Kawaii UI Trailer
    Kawaii UI 2 Trailer

    The source recordings inside are a treasure trove of physical button presses, clicks, pops, taps, mouth sounds, toks, shakers, general synthesised UI sounds, FM bells and telemetry style sounds.. Kawaii UI Bundle provides you with the essential building blocks to craft your own distinctive designs.  Combining these elements gives sound designers a robust sonic palette to create new UI sounds.

    13 %
    OFF
  • Vegetation Footsteps is a detailed collection of footwear and movement variations recorded on dry leaves and forest floor textures. Featuring walk, run, sprint, scuff, pivot, and single step actions, this library captures the nuanced crunch and rustle of layered vegetation underfoot. With performances in sport shoes, sandals, leather shoes, high heels, and barefoot, each sound is designed for realistic character movement across natural environments. Ideal for games, film, and animation, Vegetation Footsteps offers clean, focused assets for building immersive terrain interaction.

  • A collection of 135 potion sound effects.

  • A collection of 140 individual power up ability sound effects.

  • A collection of 103 bowling sound effects.


   

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