Natural sound should help the listener feel involved in the story. The natural sound MUST be part of the story. It must NOT be random sound that just happens to be going on.

People doing work (indoors or outdoors) are often in environments with interesting natural sound. Someone pursuing a hobby (such as carpentry or sailing) might do so in surroundings that produce evocative natural sound.

Music is VERY problematic because of copyright law. There is no “30-second rule” allowing you to use recorded music in your work. That is a myth!

“The distinction between fair use and infringement may be unclear and not easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission.”

— U.S. Copyright Office

You must NEVER add any recorded music to a journalism story — that’s turning it into drama, fiction, and it’s probably violating copyright law as well.

If there is ANY music as part of your story, you must be CAREFUL to use very little of it in the finished, edited story. Again, the reason is copyright. Even a live performance at a local street fair carries copyright hazards: The songs performed are almost certainly owned and therefore restricted under copyright law.

News organizations are forced to pay huge sums of money when one of their reporters accidentally includes copyrighted music in a video or audio story. THIS IS NO JOKE.

When you hear music in stories on NPR, you can bet your last dollar that every note of it has been cleared through legal channels in advance. If you don’t have the time or resources to do the legal legwork — then it’s better to be safe than sorry!

The Natural Sound

You can record natural sound from the same location of your production, before or after (or before and after).

For example, if you attend a public meeting, you could record the noise of the audience and the chairman calling the meeting to order (that would be one sound). If you were interviewing a NASCAR driver, you could record the roar of the engines during a race. MAKE SURE the sound has a clear connection to the CONTENT of the interview (e.g., street noise is usually NOT acceptable!).

Natural sound must be clear. An average listener should be able to figure out what he or she is hearing.