Updated October 2026 · Sound design and sound effects
Whoosh sounds suggest motion, and impact sounds suggest a hit or a landing. Both are usually built from layers: a source sound, a shaped tail and a bit of body. They work best when timed to the picture, matched to the speed of the action and kept at a level that adds force without harshness.
Whoosh and impact sounds are among the most used effects in video. A whoosh suggests movement, such as a camera swing, a fast cut or a flying object. An impact suggests a hit, a landing or a sudden stop. Both are built to add energy to the picture, and both can sound harsh, thin or silly when they are done badly. A few principles make them feel powerful and believable.
This post explains how these sounds are usually built, what makes them work and how to avoid the common problems that make them feel cheap.
A whoosh gives the viewer a sense of speed and movement. It works because it follows the shape of the motion: it starts quietly, builds to a peak as the action passes the camera, and fades as the motion ends. The timing of the peak matters most, because the peak should coincide with the moment of fastest movement on screen.
An impact adds weight to a hit or a landing. It usually has a sharp attack, a body that carries the weight, and sometimes a tail that suggests the space around the hit. The attack gives the moment its punch, while the body and the tail make the sound feel solid. An impact that is only the attack can sound like a click, and one that is only the tail can sound like a wash.
Most convincing whooshes and impacts are built from layers. A whoosh may combine a rushing noise, a tonal swell and a small transient, each shaped separately. An impact may combine a short hit, a low body and a higher click. Build each layer to do one job, then balance them so the combined sound feels whole.
Timing is the most important factor. A whoosh that peaks before the motion looks early, while one that peaks after looks late. An impact that lands a few frames off the contact point looks wrong, even when the sound itself is good. Watch the clip at slow speed, mark the peak and the contact point, and align the sound precisely.
A fast action needs a fast, sharp whoosh, and a slow action needs a longer, softer one. The length and the brightness of the sound should follow the speed of the motion. A slow, heavy movement with a bright whoosh can feel wrong, even when the timing is right.
Whooshes and impacts can easily become harsh, especially when they are boosted in the high frequencies. Keep the top end controlled, and listen on headphones and a phone for any edge that becomes unpleasant. A powerful sound has weight in the low and middle range, and its high frequencies serve the attack without dominating the mix.
Whooshes and impacts should sit clearly in the mix without masking the dialogue. Place them in the gaps between speech where possible, or lower them under the words. Check the balance with the dialogue playing, and ensure that the effect adds to the action rather than covering it.
Impacts often carry a strong low end that can overload small speakers and phones. Filter the very lowest frequencies out where they are not needed, and check the result on a laptop speaker as well as on headphones. A sound that feels big on studio monitors can disappear or distort on the devices most viewers use.
These sounds are a matter of taste and of the picture, and what works for one edit may fail for another. A whoosh that suits a sci-fi scene may feel out of place in a documentary. Use the principles as a guide, and let the action tell you how big the effect should be.
An impact that feels powerful in studio headphones can sound thin or harsh on a phone. Listen on a phone speaker and earbuds before publishing. The Vocal Checker shows clipping and level problems in a recording you own, which helps when an impact is recorded. The Tunedzy Go page covers cleaning phone recordings. For the layering approach, read the foley post in this series.
Spot clipping, noise, rumble and level problems. Runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
Timing the peak to the fastest moment of the motion, and matching its length to the speed.
It has only an attack. Add a body and, if needed, a tail to give it weight.
Control the top end and check on headphones and a phone for any edge.
No. Choose or build sounds that match the speed and weight of each action.
