Before the time of television, the radio was the most popular form of in-home entertainment. Families gathered around the radio to listen to audio plays. In the audio plays of yesteryear, sound effects added to the entertainment value, making the audio productions more lifelike and as though the characters in the plays were really experiencing the events they were attempting to depict through audio. Sound effects are still used in audio productions today, especially in radio skits performed by several comedic radio disc jockeys.
Sound effects make audio productions more realistic and in many cases more entertaining and comedic. Sound effects help radio advertisers to emphasize products and convey their ideas and points by using different sounds where visual aids cannot be used.
The types of sound effects are infinite. Any sound you hear can be found as a sound effect, from barking dogs, to talking robots, and even thunderclaps. Even the music in the background of an audio production is considered a sound effect.
Numerous sound effects can be found online or created using audio recording programs and devices. Sound effects may be taken of actual noises--or recreated. To create a sound effect of a dog barking, you may simply record your dog barking, however a thunderclap may be easier to recreate by shaking a sheet of aluminum rather than waiting on a thunderstorm.
To achieve the right effects and convey the appropriate messages sound effects much be used appropriately. Sound effects should match the theme or topic of the audio production. For example, if a radio play is about a couple driving in the middle of the thunderstorm, you do not want to use sound effects that suggest a sunny day, such as chirping birds. Failing to use sound effects hurts audio productions because the productions will not draw attention of consumers and listeners. Even a single sound effect will emphasize the topic of an audio production or radio skit. However, too many sound effects are also a problem, hiding the true intentions of the commercial or skit. There should never be more sound effects in an audio production than there are character or narrator commentaries.