Soundtracks and Pencil Sounds in Drawing Videos

Decide what the sound is doing

A soundtrack can accompany a drawing reveal; pencil sounds can suggest contact with the paper. Neither turns the export into a recording of a real artist. Start by deciding whether viewers need music, drawing sounds or silence.

For a lesson or narrated clip, silence may be the better first export. Add or mix narration in an editor that gives you the timing controls you need. Speedpaint does not provide a multi-track narration editor.

Select the audio in Studio

Use the soundtrack controls to choose an available preset or upload a supported audio file. The pencil-sound option is separate, so check it rather than assuming it follows the music selection. Review your saved Studio defaults when the audio choice seems unexpected.

An audio file's length and a video duration are different things. Listen to the exported beginning and ending to assess how the soundtrack fits. Do not assume a familiar song will end at the point you expect after processing.

Listen on more than one device

Check the completed video with headphones and the speakers your audience will use. Quiet details can disappear on a phone; a soundtrack can compete with a spoken explanation. The visual preview alone cannot tell you whether the mix works.

If the drawing moves quickly, its pencil sound should not be mistaken for proof of real-time physical drawing. Describe the video accurately when explaining your process.

Check permissions before publishing

Music rights are separate from access to a software tool. Use uploaded audio only when you have permission for the intended use. The presence of an audio choice is not a guarantee that every platform, country or monetisation programme will accept it.

After upload to another service, review that service's processing result and any rights notices. Keep an original copy of the export and the permissions associated with your source image and audio.