How To Create A Sound Design Portfolio

The list below is something I wrote based on my experience creating sound design portfolios, along with additional knowledge gathered through advice from other industry professionals.

Concept of sound design portfolio

The idea of creating a sound design portfolio is not always as simple as it seems. There are several factors that must be considered, and we must keep in mind how to best present ourselves in order to be noticed.

There are some mistakes that I made when creating my sound design portfolio that I hope to avoid for future projects.

First, I did not include a variety of examples of the work that I did for clients. This means I did not show that I could demonstrate what I could do for others.

This is understandable, but if you can create a decent amount of samples, or better yet, two to three pages of audio, this could help get you more than one or two interview opportunities.

But here’s the catch…you need to remember that the sound design industry is still a developing industry, and it will be quite a while before you are a working professional.

So, the best place to start your career as a sound designer is by having a sound design portfolio that will catch the eye of sound designers you admire, and will give you the chance to sell yourself.

Secondly, I did not place emphasis on my work, so much as the stories behind them. This meant that I made sure to include interesting tidbits of information that lead into a personal conversation.

For instance, I might mention that this mix I did was done to encourage students to keep playing after school, or that I have been hired by several high profile music industry names.

This approach to creating your sound design portfolio is very helpful when you are trying to sell yourself to sound designers you admire.

It shows them that you are a hardworking individual that will put in the time to get your work done.

Finally, I didn’t plan the layout and structure of my sound design portfolio properly. So, I had to rework and alter a lot of my previous work.

Tips to help you create a sound design portfolio

Step 1: Think about your approach

Make a list of all the places where you have worked, and that they might be interested in hiring you.

Once you have a list of places you have worked, you can start to think about the kinds of projects you work on, and the kind of clients they may be interested in.

Once you have a better idea of the kind of work you can do, you can begin to think about how you can create a sound design portfolio that represents you well.

A great way to do this is to look at the most successful sound designers in the industry. These sound designers have worked with a wide range of clients, and I highly recommend you look at them as inspiration.

I recommend looking at their portfolios and seeing how they apply the same format and structure to every project.

I also suggest that you look at the different kinds of things they have done, so you can come up with ideas for what you could do to give yourself a better chance at finding an interview.

Of course, there is no way you can copy what these sound designers do, and create an amazing sound design portfolio that everyone will appreciate.

But, there is no harm in making some minor changes to how you present yourself.

Step 2: Create your sound design resume

Now that you have a list of places you have worked and a better idea of what kind of projects you are capable of, it is time to create your sound design resume.

Create a document that has all the information about you that sound designers might be interested in, from your email address, work history, and social media links.

Make sure that your resume has only the information that sound designers will want to see.

For instance, you may have listed you go to school, but not a certain university. Or, you may have listed your position as “Design Assistant”, instead of “Assistant Producer”.

I highly suggest you do some research on your target sound designers, so you know what type of work they are known for.

If you can find articles about them or other works of theirs, you will have a better idea of what kind of work you can do.

Once you have your resume done, you can start looking at the sites your ideal sound designers work on.

For instance, many of my clients do their work for clients such as Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Ubisoft Milan, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts Montreal, and the BBC.

So, if you plan to sell yourself to sound designers that are working on movies, video games, music, or TV shows, you should focus on sites that are frequented by those particular professions.

Step 3: Start using the right tools

Now that you have completed Step 1 and have created a decent looking resume, it is time to get down to the more technical part. If you are not the best at designing websites or logos, the web can be a scary place.

To help you get around and avoid making costly mistakes, I suggest you use a service such as Google Fonts. Google Fonts is a service that lets you download a collection of free fonts to use for your logo, or website design.

You can download these fonts in many different formats, including the following:

• Arial
• Corona
• Serif
• Sans Serif
• Sherman

Google Fonts also has many great free and premium fonts, such as the following:

• Blackbird
• Beijo
• Freight
• Typotheque
• Fontsy
• Fontsquirrel
• Monolino

I also recommend looking at different design tools and apps, such as Adobe XD, Canva, and Gruntly.

These tools can help you with a range of tasks, from designing logos, to rendering animations, to even using some photography effects.

These tools are all available as browser extensions, and you can quickly get up and running.

Conclusion

You have completed the first step of designing your sound design resume, but there is still more work to be done.

The first thing you will need to do is create an email address to use for your sound design portfolio. While you can create your own email, I would highly recommend using one of the top job search sites.

They will give you a reliable list of sound design job listings that are relevant to your skills and experience, and they will send you daily email notifications if any