Advertising and targeting
Why Is Audio More Important Than Picture in a Video Ad?
Audio quality matters more than picture quality in a video ad because if viewers cannot hear you clearly, filming somewhere quiet, using a simple clip-on microphone, or recording a separate voiceover to overlay in editing will fix it.
Last updated 31 August 2026
Running time 2:10Watch it
What does this video cover?
- 01Film in a quiet space, because background noise makes it hard for viewers to understand what is being said.
- 02If a quiet space is not possible, invest in a microphone that plugs into your phone or camera to pick up your voice alone.
- 03Watch out for mic sensitivity, and keep the microphone a safe distance from your mouth so that "P" and "B" sounds do not pop.
- 04Audio equipment is not always necessary, filming on a phone in a quiet room, speaking crisp and clear, can sound perfectly fine.
- 05Lapel mics cost around £15 and work really well once you do need one.
- 06If the audio still is not right, film the advert as planned and then record a separate voiceover to overlay in editing, so viewers can still understand the product or service.
Full transcript
This is Florence from s.media, with a tip on filming YouTube ads, and this time the focus is audio, because it is very important to making a video seem more professional. Film in a quiet space where there is not a lot of people or commotion, because background noise makes it hard for viewers to understand what is being said. If you cannot avoid a busy area, invest in a microphone that plugs into your phone or camera, so it picks up your voice alone rather than everything around you.
With microphones you also need to watch out for mic sensitivity, which is when the microphone is too close to your face and picks up popping sounds on your "P"s and "B"s, so keep it a safe distance from your mouth. Audio equipment is not always necessary though, it depends on the situation: filming in a quiet room on just a phone, speaking crisp and clear, comes through perfectly well. Lapel mics are inexpensive, around £15, and work really well when you do need one. If all else fails and the audio on a shoot has not worked out, film the advert anyway, then record a voiceover separately afterwards and overlay it in editing, so viewers can still understand what you are saying about the product or service.
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