Music and sound in game trailers: licensing, SFX, silent cuts and −14 LUFS
Sound design for game trailers and ad creatives: library music or custom score, Content ID risk, UI and impact effects, with-sound and silent versions, platform loudness and the audio files you should receive.
In a game trailer, sound is half the picture: when cuts land on the beat, 30 seconds feels short; when they don't, it feels long. The rules in short: use music made for the video in ads and trailers, lock effects to the beats, finish the mix around −14 LUFS and deliver a separate silent version.
Music: library or custom?
| Library music | Custom score | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Fast | A little longer |
| Licensing / Content ID | Claim risk | No risk |
| Uniqueness | Plays in other videos too | Only your game |
| Fit | Edit follows the music | Music follows the edit |
For the Per Regna campaign we produced the music and effects from scratch; each of the three videos has its own tempo but the same imperial tone, and YouTube uploads come with no Content ID headaches.
Effects: impacts, transitions, UI
- Impacts: scene changes and title entrances
- Risers: the last seconds before the peak
- UI sounds: clicks, level-ups, coins; the game's own sounds first if they exist
- Ambience: battlefields, space, crowds; fills the quiet moments
In the Onxer Online film, each system card arrived on its own impact and the Nemere boss scene climbed on a single riser.
With-sound and silent versions
A large share of feed ads are watched on mute. In the silent version:
- Every scene has a 2–4 word title
- Rhythm comes from the cuts, not the audio
- The closing call is clear in text
The sound version is the full mix over the same edit. We deliver both so they can be tested separately: Testing game ad creatives.
Loudness
Platforms normalise videos to a target level. Around −14 LUFS is safe for YouTube, and social platforms sit in a similar range. With voice-over, the music ducks under the speech.
Audio files you should receive
- Final mix (embedded in the video)
- Silent version
- Separate music and effects stems on request, for future cuts
A longer piece on balancing voice and music: Sound design for YouTube documentaries. Trailers with sound included: Game trailers.
Trailers and ad creatives cut from real gameplay, with a strong first three seconds and readable with the sound off. Vertical + horizontal, 15 / 30 / 40 s.
What’s in it 5
- Gameplay capture (we can record it for you)
- One promise per video: growth, adventure, alliance…
- 9:16 and 16:9, 15 / 30 / 40 s cuts
- Custom music + sound design, −14 LUFS
- With-sound and silent versions, end card and CTA
Frequently asked
1.Can I use stock music in a game trailer?
Properly licensed library music works, but YouTube Content ID claims are possible and the same track plays in other games' videos. For ad campaigns, a custom score removes that risk.
2.What loudness should a trailer be mixed to?
Around −14 LUFS is a safe target for YouTube and most social platforms. Louder mixes get turned down by the platform; quieter ones sound flat next to other videos.
3.Why deliver a separate silent version?
A large share of ads are watched with the sound off. In the silent cut, titles and rhythm carry the video visually; in the sound version, music and SFX work as a reward. You can test the two separately.
4.Are the game's own sounds used?
Yes, if they're recorded well. Weapon, spell and UI sounds carry the game's character. We balance them with the trailer music and reinforce them with our own effects where needed.
