A Few Ways to Use Whoosh Sound Effects

Ah, the humble whoosh sound effect. 

We’ve all heard it a million times, but do we really appreciate all its hard work? 

If you’re going to make a film or a YouTube video, at some point you’ll probably employ this sound effect. 

So in honor of the whoosh, the unsung hero of sound design, here’s a breakdown of how to apply this sound to your videos. 

Use Cases in Video 

1. Diegetic Drama

When you think of a whoosh sound effect, the first image that springs to mind is probably some type of object hurtling by. That could be Superman, flying faster than a speeding bullet, or it could be a sword barely missing its mark during a samurai duel. 

Both of these are examples of diegetic sound, or noises that emanate from a source within the film’s world. The humble whoosh sound is a cornerstone of diegetic sound design, because it adds weight to the movement of objects in the film world. 

This accomplishes a couple of different psychological effects. First, it helps suspend the audience’s disbelief. If an object, or superpowered person, moves across the camera at high speed, the audience expects a certain reaction from the world around said object. 

Visuals play a part, sure. Somebody’s hair blows back, or dust scatters, or whatever. Yes, those visual cues are important. But even if the visuals reflect the speed of the object, it’s all for nothing without the right sound. 

Case in point, Superman flying in Man of Steel: 

As boring of a hero as Superman is, you have to admire how fast he can fly. But for all the drama the visuals of this clip communicate, it’s the sound that really makes the scene. 

Every time Superman shoots by the camera we’re treated to an almighty whoosh — some so strong they even sound like jets. And that assures the audience that what they’re seeing on the screen mirrors what they expect in real life. 

Or does it? Perhaps a better way to put it would be to say that whoosh sound effects meet the expectations of the audience. 

But those expectations are not derived from the natural, science-obeying world. Instead, they have been engendered by filmmakers and sound designers for decades. 

This is the second effect of the whoosh sound: to add sufficiently entertaining drama to fight scenes and other powerful movements. 

No fight in the real world would feature the kind of sounds we hear on a regular basis in major motion pictures. But in the absence of those sounds, hand to hand combat would seem tame. 

Kung Fu Hustle is a parody and homage to classic martial arts films of yore, so you can bet there’s gratuitous amounts of hand-to-hand combat sound design. 

There’s a lot going on in this scene, but once the two combatants make it out into the square, the whooshes really come to the forefront. The sound is simply everywhere.

Every time a punch doesn’t connect, or whenever someone goes somersaulting through the air, there’s a whoosh that lets us know just how mighty that particular action was. 

2. Transitions

While the humble whoosh became famous for its role in action sequences, the sound also gets a lot of work in non-diegetic action, or stuff that doesn’t originate on screen. 

Transitions are perhaps the primary example. Whether it’s a whip pan or a hard cut, a subtle whoosh goes a long way in making transitions work more effectively. Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Baby Driver) uses this technique to tremendous effect in his movies. 

At 0:05 there’s an incredible transition from Scott’s apartment to the library. Initially it just sounds like someone shushing the audience, but if you listen closely there’s a whoosh in there too. 

The sound makes the outrageous transition even more interesting, and keeps the audience engaged by building an audio bridge from one location to another. 

This type of transition is a hallmark of Wright’s work, and you can find them littered throughout Shaun of the Dead. 

As soon as Shaun starts getting ready for work, there’s a flurry of quick shots with sound effects — some of them whooshes — galore. 

Even if you’re not Edgar Wright, you’ll probably still want to use some sounds in your transitions movements — especially if they’re sharp. Little audio cues can help tremendously in reducing the inherent awkwardness of shifting from one scene to the other. 

Where to get royalty free whoosh sound effects 

It can be tricky to find good sound effects. 

You could always put your foley hat on and make them yourself. But that’s time consuming, and in some cases, expensive. Do you really want to sit at home doing 15 takes to get the perfect whoosh sound? Didn’t think so. 

And if making them yourself is too expensive, then hiring someone to do it is expensive too. 

The ideal solution is a library of ready-made sound effects that you can license as you need. You can tell where this is going, right? That’s exactly what Soundstripe offers. We’ve got a catalogue of over 40,000 SFX that you can license as many times as you need. 

Just sign up for a monthly membership and viola! You’ve got all the sound effects you could ever need. If you want to listen to the goods before you sign up, feel free to do so here.