It’s one thing for you — the reporter — to tell your audience something.

But it’s even better when the audience sees and hears someone directly who was affected by it in their own words.

When used effectively, soundbites add depth and personality to a video story, allowing viewers to directly hear from the sources involved.

This guide provides you with a detailed step-by-step process of selecting and integrating soundbites into your video news packages.

1. Picking your soundbite

Your first task is track down the perfect soundbite. Note the word “perfect”. We’re not just after a soundbite. We’re after the soundbite.

Now, perfect here does not mean that the soundbite is earth-shattering. It just needs to be a nugget of audio that illustrates a point or drives the story forward.

Depending on your news story, these nuggets of audio could come from interviews, speeches, press conferences, social media or just about anywhere else.

Here’s what to keep in mind when you’re selecting potential soundbites:

• Relevance: Ask yourself, “Does this soundbite earn its place in the story?” By “earn” I mean, does it progress or advance the story? Does it add interest, or colour? If the answer’s yes, then it could be a good candidate for your story.
• Clarity: Your chosen soundbite should stand on its own. If you have add a whole heap of context to make it make sense, then it’s probably not going to work. And unless it’s particularly compelling, it it’s muffled or garbled, it’s probably best left on the cutting room floor.
• Emotion: You’re the journalist, so you want to stick to the facts. Soundbites can be the emotional core of your story. They could tug at your viewers’ heartstrings, make them laugh or make them outraged.

2. Less is more

Got your soundbite? Great! Now it’s time for a little trim. Soundbites are usually brief. Soundbites are often less than 10 seconds. in length. And they can be as short as 3 seconds. A soundbite that lasts 10 to 15 seconds is long.

Take the following example from Channel Ten news.

It lasts almost three and a half seconds.

The lesson here is to snip off any excess so that you focus the audience in on the most impactful part of the quote. Don’t forget to spruce it up using audio editing software, getting rid of any unwanted background noise or hiss.

3. Creating your script with soundbites in mind

With your soundbites trimmed, it’s time to build your story. Think of your soundbites as the pillars that support the rest of the story. Remember: your soundbites should be the emotional highpoints (or, depending on your story, low points of your story).

These pillars should support your narrative. They are not the show in themselves. Select your soundbites that progress the story. They should always be illustrating some point or issue. Once the soundbite has had its moment in the spotlight, carry on your story.

4. Integrate the soundbite with the video

Where your soundbite lands will depend on your story’s rhythm. Use video editing software to slide the soundbite into your news package just where it fits best.

And don’t forget about the visuals! If the soundbite is from an interview, show the speaker. If it’s from an event, show some footage from the event.

Tip: If the soundbite is at the longer end of the limit — that is, nearer to 10–15 seconds — see if you can find some relevant b-roll footage that chimes with the content of the soundbite and show that. You want to give your audiences something to look at.

5. Make sure it flows

The last step is to make sure the soundbite works in your overall story. Review your story to ensure the soundbite flows organically into the story. Consider the emotional tenor of the soundbite. If people your soundbite is light and funny and what follows is solemn or sad, then it may just be inappropriate. You may need to drop the soundbite, or else manage the emotional transition. Does it add to the narrative? Does it gel with the tone of the rest of the package? If not, it might be time for a bit of re-scripting or soundbite-swap.

Wrap Up

Making soundbites work is about picking the right one, trimming it to add punch, and writing your script around it.