Sound design, especially in video media, is equally important to the visuals themselves, in fact, I would argue it's even more crucial. There's an old internet adage that perfectly captures this truth: someone will watch your video if it looks bad but the audio is great, but no one will watch a video where the audio is bad.

This fundamental principle highlights a core question every sound designer must grapple with: Is the goal of a sound designer to force visible thought into the listener's head?

Let me illustrate this concept with a real-world example from a video about the creation of the universe.

At the start, you may notice the voice is distant, spaced out, with deliberate pauses. This isn't accidental, it's a carefully crafted technique that invokes a sense of nothingness, letting the music fill the void and create understanding. The sparse audio mirrors the vast emptiness before creation.

Then comes the pivotal moment: we break that silence, break the darkness, with a strong ping accompanying a dot of light on the screen. Now we have something. There's something there, and information to provide.

When I switch the music from a drowning nothingness to a more energetic, upbeat tone, the narrator talks more, filling the silence while pausing and taking emphasis. And where the emphasis lies, the music reacts, it fades, drops, beats, all lining up to the words being spoken.

Every element in this piece flows and works together. The sound design doesn't just support the visuals, it creates an emotional journey that guides the viewer's experience. The audio becomes the invisible hand that shapes perception and understanding.

- Audio quality trumps visual quality in viewer retention

- Silence is a powerful tool for creating emotional impact

- Music should react to content, not just accompany it

- Every audio element must serve the story being told

- Sound design is about creating invisible thoughts in the listener's mind

The goal of a sound designer isn't just to make things sound good, it's to create an invisible narrative that guides the audience's emotional and intellectual journey. When done right, sound design becomes the unsung hero of video content, working behind the scenes to create experiences that resonate long after the video ends.