Meme sounds are an excellent way to reach that laugh-until-snot level with your videos. A simple soundboard button, ranging from Vine Booms to Record Scratches, can turn even the dullest clips into organic content worthy of triggering. Whether you're editing gaming highlights, TikTok reactions, or YouTube memes, or just watching content; sound effects bring immediate humor, energy, and engagement.
So let's jump into which meme sounds to use, and how to act like a pro video editor
The Power of Meme Sounds
Meme sounds are impactful because they’re universal. People can instantly connect to the feeling they evoke as soon as they hear the sound shock, failure, awkward silence, triumph, etc. And the timing provides the punchline faster than the visuals can alone.
A meme-worthy moment generally follows the same three-part flow:
1. Setup – Build the scene
2. Twist – Something unexpected occurs
3. Sound effect – Boom - comedy unlocked Sound effects direct the reaction and tell the viewer how to feel… usually amused.
Essential Meme Sounds for Your Soundboard
Here are the most essential categories for every creator's usage:
Reaction Sounds
These either hype up the moment or inject ironic drama into the moment.
Vine Boom—Deadpan humor or shock from a zoom.
Record Scratch - When everything goes wrong, all at once.
Anime "Nani?!" - Angsty, overwrought surprise.
Suspense Sting - Cliffhanger freeze frames.
Camera Shutter - To emphasize silly text or screenshots.
Fail & Cringe Sounds
Ideal for embarrassing mistakes or embarrassing fails.
Sad Trombone - Instant deflation of your dreams
Crickets - The joke that didn't even joke
Windows Error - Brain malfunction feelings
Slide Whistle - For when you are falling down
Audience "Oof" - The pain of sympathy
Excitement & Victory Sounds
Because success should be loud.
Airhorn – Big highlights
Crowd Cheers – When you deserve applause
Level Up Jingle – When you improve your skills or mastery
Ka-Ching – When money is on the line
Ba-Dum-Tss – Classic punchline
Pro Tip: Consider having the popular sound effects in multiple versions (normal, softer, and bass boosted—for a different feel and timing).
Editing Tips for Better Comedy
Meme sounds are like hot sauce… not enough is boring, and too much wrecks it.
Here’s the secret sauce:
Syncing with what you're doing exactly.You should have a slight silence to exaggerate the build edges.
Knowing what's too loud to ruin the voice clarity.
Varying effects, especially with the underscoring. It gets boring to repeat too similar sounds all the time.
Timing matters. A Vine Boom late by just two frames will ruin the joke
FAQs
Q1: How many meme sounds should I maintain in my soundboard?
A: About 20-30 main sounds is enough to have a couple accessible without making it feel messy.
Q2: Does adding meme sounds increase engagement?
A: Yes! People will typically watch longer and share a video that has some kind of funny cue audio, etc.
Q3: Am I able to use copyrighted sounds?
A: Some may be copyrighted, but always double-check usage rights or use royalty-free sounds.