Game Audio & Sound Design Lesson 4 of 4

Mixing and sourcing audio

Make important sounds cut through, and use audio you are allowed to use.

Mixing is deciding what the player should hear at any moment. If everything is at full volume, everything competes and the important cues get buried. Set a hierarchy: critical feedback loud and clear, music and ambience supporting underneath.

  1. Give each sound category its own volume level (SFX, music, ambience, UI)
  2. Duck the music briefly when a critical SFX plays so it cuts through
  3. Leave headroom — do not push everything to maximum or it distorts
  4. Test on laptop/phone speakers, not just good headphones — most players use small speakers
Tip Licensing matters. Only ship audio you have the right to use. Curated marketplace packs come with a clear license so you are safe to publish — random clips from the internet usually are not.
Quick check

Why "duck" the music when a critical sound effect plays?

▶ Grab license-safe audio Curated packs ship with a clear license — safe to publish your game with.
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