Adding sound effects to your presentation will help you to enhances engagement of your audience by capturing their attention, emphasizing key information, setting up certain mood, and signaling transitions.
When used right, sound effects will increase the overall impact of the presentation and aid in audience retention and comprehension.
Hi, I’m Mik, one of TunePocket sound designers. I went though our huge catalog of royalty free sounds and music and picked 10 sound effects that will work great in any kind of presentation (business, educational, promotional, and so on). Read my quick tips on using sound effects in presentations or jump straight to the playlist.
3 tips for using sound effects in presentations
1. Use sound effects thoughtfully and sparingly. They should complement and enhance the content rather than overshadow or distract from it.
2. Make sure the sound effects are appropriate for the context and audience. Don’t use cheesy sounds for important business presentations, unless your goal is make a comic or tongue-in-a-cheek remark.
3. Pay attention to the timing and volume. The effects must be audible without becoming overwhelming.
6 types of sound effects to consider for your presentation
There are several sounds commonly used during presentations and meetings to enhance communication and engagement.
You can also listen to examples in the playlist (scroll down).
1. Fanfare or applause sounds
Wining sound effects are great to announce major achievements, a milestone, or the launch of a significant initiative.
Applause sounds are used to acknowledge a successful point made or to appreciate a speaker’s performance.
2. Alert or notification
A brief notification or alert sound should be used to draw attention to important announcements, updates, or reminders during your presentation.
A gentle chime or bell sound can indicate a transition between different topics or sections of a presentation. It can help grab attention and signal a change in focus.
A fail sound can be useful during a presentation to draw attention to a mistake or error discussed during the presentation, allowing the presenter to turn it into a learning moment or opportunity for audience engagement.
Sometimes a short click sound is used when switching slides or navigating through the presentation. It also serves as an alert, to at a slide has changed.
3. Drumroll
Drumroll sound effect will build anticipation before revealing a significant announcement, unveiling a surprise, or introducing a special guest.
4. Swoosh or whoosh sound
Whoosh sound effect can be employed to highlight dynamic movements or transitions within the presentation. It can accompany animations, visual effects, or slides with elements flying or sliding into place.
5. Timer
A timer sound is often used to indicate the end of a specific time period or to remind participants about breaks or time limits for certain activities.
6. Background music
Technically not a sound effect but background music can be quite useful in certain situations.
For once, you can play background music during breaks, networking sessions, or when participants are entering or leaving the meeting room.
It helps create a pleasant atmosphere and reduce potential awkward silences.
For motivational speeches, team presentations or achievement celebrations, the right music will help to set the uplifting or motivating mood making it easier for you to engage your audience.
Related: Background Music for presentations
Don’t feel limited to using only the sounds listed above. Use whatever sound you feel is right to enhance your message!
We have thousands of royalty free sound effects to choose from.
Best sound effects for presentations
I picked some of our best sounds, a couple of sound effects of each type from the list above.
Hope you can find something that works for your next presentation!
All sounds in this playlist can be legally used in personal and commercial and business presentations, including PowerPoint, educational or training presentation, real estate pitches, technology, awards, and many more types of presentations and public speaking events.
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Bright fanfare trumpet alert sound effect for video, game, film, presentation alert, winning alert sound, and commercial business use.
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Classic orchestra ta-da / tada fanfare sound effect for video editing, sound design, game, film, UI, presentation alert, and commercial business use.
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Small party cheer with applause hand claps royalty free sound effect for celebration video, happy vlog, game success achievement milestone sound, commercial business use.
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Short error buzz alert sound effect for video editing, game, animation, party activity, and commercial business use. The sound of a game show buzzer or timer can be used to create a sense of competition or urgency, or to underscore a scene that involves a game or challenge.
Download more royalty free game over and fail sound effects, including 8 bit fail sounds, epic fail, button buzzer sounds, Mario game over sounds, and more
Download more royalty free user interface sounds and sound effects for apps and games UI sound design from this playlist: UI Sounds And SFX
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Bright exciting alert pop-up chime / notification UI royalty free sound effect for video, game / app user interface, presentation, and commercial business use. Download unlimited royalty free sounds.
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Short simple pop up message alert / UI notification royalty free sound effect for video, game or app user interface, presentation, and commercial business use.
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Attention building classic drum roll (snare roll) for short video reveal, challenge, opener, intro, comedy, and commercial business use.
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Classic comedy joke punchline drum roll rimshot "ba-dum-tish" sound effect for video editing, funny game, entertainment vlog, comic presentation, commercial business use.
Download more funny music and sound effects from this playlist: Funny Royalty Free Music And Sounds
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The shortest 0.3 sec swhoosh / whoosh royalty free transition sound effect for fast video scene change, user interface (UI) design, game, and commercial business use.
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Thought bubble "thinking" timer / countdown ticking royalty free sound effect with pop and swoosh for creative video sound design, audio editing, and commercial use.
Find more countdown timer sounds from 5 sec to 60 sec in this playlist: Countdown Music And Sound Effects
