Sound Designer

Example Need forest ambience? Download from Freesound.org (CC0 license). Need a sword clash? Use sfxr to generate a retro-style effect, or find one in a free SFX pack. Need a game soundtrack? Commission it or use a licensed music pack. //BOUNDARY: If the user genuinely wants to learn audio production, respect that — but it's a scope expansion. Check with scope-guardian.

Audio Asset Types

SFX (Sound Effects)

Music

For a v1.0 solo dev game: 2-3 music tracks and 15-25 SFX is enough. Don't plan for 20 unique tracks.

Ambient

Background audio loops for environments. Layer on top of music.

• One per environment type is sufficient (forest, cave, town, rain)

Sourcing Audio

Free Sources

Paid Sources

Generate Your Own SFX

sfxr / jsfxr — Generate retro-style sound effects procedurally.

Use for: jump, coin, explosion, laser, powerup, hit, select.

jsfxr runs in the browser at sfxr.me — no install needed. Export as WAV, then convert to OGG with Audacity.

Audacity — Free audio editor for:

• Trimming and normalizing downloaded SFX
• Layering multiple sounds
• Converting between formats
• Recording your own foley (clapping, tapping, etc.)
• Volume normalization: When mixing SFX from different sources, normalize all to the same peak level (e.g., -3dB). Effect -> Normalize in Audacity. This prevents some sounds being deafening while others are inaudible.

Audio Formats

Export Settings

• SFX: OGG Vorbis, quality 6-8 (out of 10), mono, 44.1kHz
• Music: OGG Vorbis, quality 8-10, stereo, 44.1kHz
• Ambient: OGG Vorbis, quality 6-8, stereo, 44.1kHz, seamless loop

Most game engines prefer OGG. Check your engine's documentation.

Folder Structure

Follows art-pipeline conventions:

assets/
└── audio/
    ├── sfx/
    │   ├── player/        ← player_jump.ogg, player_attack.ogg
    │   ├── combat/        ← hit_sword.ogg, damage_taken.ogg
    │   ├── ui/            ← button_click.ogg, menu_open.ogg
    │   └── environment/   ← door_open.ogg, chest_open.ogg
    ├── music/
    │   ├── gameplay/      ← track_exploration.ogg
    │   ├── menu/          ← track_title.ogg
    │   └── stingers/      ← stinger_boss_appear.ogg
    └── ambient/           ← ambient_forest.ogg, ambient_cave.ogg

Naming Convention

Same pattern as art-pipeline:

[category]_[descriptor].ogg

Examples:

• player_jump.ogg
• hit_sword_01.ogg, hit_sword_02.ogg (variants for randomization)
• track_exploration.ogg
• ambient_forest_loop.ogg

Multiple variants: For SFX that play frequently (footsteps, hits), create 2-3 variants numbered _01, _02, _03. Playing random variants prevents repetition fatigue.

Licensing

Hard Rules

• Always check the license before using any sourced audio
• Record the license in a LICENSES.md file in the audio directory
• CC0 (public domain): Use freely, no attribution required. Prefer this.
• CC-BY: Must credit the creator. Track attributions in LICENSES.md.
• CC-BY-NC: Non-commercial only. Do NOT use for a game you plan to sell.
• No license listed: Do NOT use. Unlicensed content defaults to "all rights reserved."

License Tracking

# Audio Licenses

## SFX
- player_jump.ogg: Generated with jsfxr (no license needed)
- hit_sword_01.ogg: Freesound.org by [author], CC0
- door_open.ogg: Kenney.nl, CC0

## Music
- track_exploration.ogg: Commissioned from [artist], exclusive license
- track_title.ogg: [Pack name] from itch.io, CC-BY [author]

When to Add Sound (Development Timeline)

Total audio work for a solo dev game: roughly 2 weeks spread across development. This is why sourcing beats creating — 2 weeks of sourcing and integration gets you 95% of the result that 6 months of learning audio production would.

Constraints

• Source audio, don't create it (unless audio production is an explicit learning goal)
• Always check and record licenses in LICENSES.md
• No audio work until mechanics are validated (placeholders excepted)
• OGG Vorbis for in-engine files, WAV for source/master files
• Follow naming conventions from art-pipeline
• 2-3 variants for frequently-played SFX to prevent repetition fatigue
• Keep total audio scope realistic: 15-25 SFX + 2-3 music tracks for v1.0

For AI Assistants

When helping with game audio:

1. Check the timing: Has the mechanic been validated? If not, defer sound work. "Let's get the movement feeling right first, then add sound."
2. Default to sourcing: When the user needs audio, suggest sourcing before creating. "For forest ambience, check Freesound.org with a CC0 filter."
3. License check: When the user adds sourced audio, ask about the license. "What license does that file use? Let's add it to LICENSES.md."
4. Scope guard: If the user plans extensive audio work, check scope. "15 SFX and 2 music tracks is good for v1.0. We can add more post-launch."
5. Suggest sfxr: For retro-style games or quick placeholders, jsfxr is instant. "Want to generate a quick jump sound in jsfxr?"

When the user mentions wanting to learn music production:

• Acknowledge the interest
• Check with scope-guardian: "Learning music production is a multi-month investment. Want to factor that into the project timeline, or source audio and learn music separately?"

Deeper

• The art-pipeline skill — Parallel asset management patterns
• The scope-guardian skill — Audio content is scope
• The gdd-writer skill — Audio Direction section
• The prototype-coach skill — Placeholder audio during prototyping
• Freesound.org — Primary free SFX source
• jsfxr — Browser-based retro SFX generator

Sound turns a game you can see into a game you can feel.