A Detailed Guide on How to Become a Sound Designer in the TV & Film Industry
Film and Television Institute of India Joint Entrance Test 2025 ( FTII JET )
The Indian film and television industry is expanding on a broader level hence raising the demand for skilled manpower. In this pursuit, the demand for skilled sound designers is on the rise. This guide will take you through the journey of becoming a sound designer in India, exploring the role, career prospects, educational paths, and more.
A Guide to Become a Sound Designer in the TV & Film Industry
How to Become a Sound Designer in the Film and TV Industry in India?: Imagine you are watching an action movie but the sound from the guns, missiles, and weapons are not synced with the scene on display and the background music is overpowering the action scenes. All your excitement and exhilaration will go down the drain.
Now imagine watching the same thrilling action movie but the roar of explosions is loud, perfectly synced with the action as well as the background is just soft enough to fill the room while also maintaining the emotion, the suspenseful creaking of floorboards in a horror film is clear enough to send chills down your spine or the waterfall scene from the documentary is just perfect enough to metaphorically transform you to the same scene right from the comfort of your home. This is the magic of sound design.
It is a bit tough to crack the FTII JET exam because FTII is the premier film making school in India and aspirants from all over India apply for this coveted exam making the competition a bit tough. To pass through the competition candidates will have to make a proper exam strategy and allot equal time to covering the whole syllabus, solving the question papers and leave good time for revision. In the FTII JET exam students will be judged on their intellectual skills, general studies, English, general knowledge and the prescribed syllabus.
Also read:
- Pros And Cons Of Doing Music Production And Sound Engineering
- Top Acting Schools in India: Offered Courses, Fees & Famous Alumni
What is Sound Design?
Sound Design plays a crucial role in creating the immersive experience that makes movies and TV shows come alive and worth watching. As the Indian film and television industry continues to expand, the demand for skilled sound designers is on the rise now. In this article on how to Become a Sound Designer in the TV & Film Industry, we will take you through the journey of becoming a sound designer in India, exploring the job role, career prospects, eligibility criteria, educational paths, salary, and much more. So keep reading to create a sound impact on your career.
Explore more Mass Communication & Media exams with upcoming dates
14 Jul '25 - 31 Oct '25
1 Mar '26 - 31 Mar '26
1 Mar '26 - 31 Mar '26
1 Jun '26 - 30 Jun '26
What is a Sound Designer?
A sound designer is a person who is trained to create the auditory elements of a film, television show, or other media productions like a documentary, an advertisement, a short movie, etc. A sound designer enhances the overall sensory experience by crafting soundscapes that complement and elevate the visual components. The sound designer mixes recording, synthesizing, and editing sounds to achieve the desired effect for the video shot by the cinematographer
Also read:
- What Does a Sound Designer Do?
- Sound Designing Scope, Salary, and Career Growth
- Sound Designer Salary
- Career Growth as a Sound Designer
- Companies and Industries That Hire Sound Designers
- Best Colleges for Sound Design in India
- Eligibility for Being a Sound Designer
- Famous Sound Designers in India
What Does a Sound Designer Do?
Now that we have learned about the “WHO” let us learn about the “WHAT” -
- Creating Sound Effects: Sound designers design and produce sound effects that enhance the narrative of the story, such as by adding footsteps, ambient noises, or special effects.
- Recording Audio: They capture live sounds or dialogue during production or in a studio setting and use it in the video wherever required.
- Editing and Mixing: Sound designers edit recorded sounds and mix multiple audio tracks to create a balanced and immersive soundscape for the viewers.
- Apart from these, sound designers, do soundscaping, foley artistry etc.
Sound Designing Scope, Salary, and Career Growth
With opportunities in film production houses, television studios, advertising agencies, and independent projects the scope for sound designers in India is very vast and the demand has gone through the roof. With the emergence of digital streaming platforms the demand for high-quality sound design in web series and online content has significantly increased and there is always a lookout for skilled sound designers.
The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) exam is one of the most popular Film and TV exams in India. Every year lots of students apply for the this coveted exam to make a career in the glorious industry of television and media. It is indeed a tough exam but not tougher as compared to other popular government competitive examinations. As per past year analysis, the difficulty level of the FTII JET exam is moderate level. If aspirants prepare well for the exam, they can easily qualify it.
To apply for admission in certificate courses, students need to submit filled application form along with required documents. The Application Form can be downloaded online from official website or can be collected in person from campus. The offices are open 6 days a week (Monday to Saturday) from 10 am to 6 pm. For more details students need to visit official website.
Also read:
Sound Designer Salary
The salary of a sound designer depends on experience, location, and the scale of their work. For example, an entry-level sound designer who has just completed the course is termed as a fresher and they can expect anything between INR 3 to 5 lakhs per annum at the start.
However, with experience, the salary can increase significantly, with mid-level professionals earning between INR 6 to 12 lakhs, and senior sound designers making more than INR 15 lakhs annually. The salary also depends upon the studio they are associated with and the frequency of work they are getting.
Also read:
- Job Opportunities after Film Making Courses in India
- Top 15 Film Schools in India: Courses, Fees, Scope
Career Growth as a Sound Designer
Sound designing has a promising career, with vast opportunities to advance from assistant roles to senior positions. as lead sound designer or head of the sound department of a movie or web series production. Experienced sound designers can also do freelancing or start their sound production studio.
Companies and Industries That Hire Sound Designers
- Film Production Houses
- Television Studios
- Advertising Agencies
- Game Development Companies
- Animation Studios
- Digital Streaming Platforms
Best Colleges for Sound Design in India
| College |
Courses |
| Courses in sound recording and sound design |
|
| Provides a postgraduate diploma in sound recording and design |
|
| M.A. Parikh Institute of Sound Engineering, Mumbai |
Sound engineering programs |
| National Institute of Film and Fine Arts (N.I.F.F.A.), Kolkata |
Offers courses in audio engineering and sound design |
| Provides training and gives industry exposure in sound design |
|
| BSc in Sound Design |
Also read:
Eligibility for Being a Sound Designer
- Educational Qualifications: Candidates must have completed a minimum of 10+2 education with a background in science, especially physics, as it can be beneficial in career growth going forward.
- Skills: They must have good hearing ability as sound is all about hearing. Candidates must have technical aptitude, creativity, and attention to detail as they need to cover even the minutest of sound and use it in their video.
- Training: Students planning to make a career in sound design must have completed a diploma or degree in sound design or related fields from a recognized institution.
- Experience: They must gain practical experience through internships or assistant roles in sound studios or production houses before foraying into bigger roles.
Famous Sound Designers in India
- Resul Pookutty: He is an Academy Award-winning sound designer who is known for his work on "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Gandhi, My Father." He is a long-time associate of AR Rahman.
- Shajith Koyeri: He is a renowned sound designer famous for movies like "Haider" and "Omkara." He is a frequent collaborator with Vishal Bhardwaj.
- Parikshit Lalwani: He is known for his innovative sound work in movies such as "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" and "Dangal."
Read more:
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
Mar '26 | XET 2026 Registrations |
Apr '26 | XET 2026 Exam (Online Test) |
Aug '25 | CAP TEST 2025 MA in Communicat... |
20 Jul '25 | CAP TEST 2025 Ph.D Phase 1 Adm... |
9 Aug '25 - 10 Aug '25 | Submission of Fee for First Se... |
8 Aug '25 - 9 Aug '25 | Document Verification by IIMC |
Jan '26 | AMU Entrance Exam 2026 Online ... |
Jan '26 | AMU Entrance Exam 2026 Online ... |
Feb '26 | IPU CET 2026 Application Form... |
Apr '26 | IPU CET 2026 Release of Admit... |
1 Jul '25 - 15 Oct '25 | CUCET 2025 Phase 2 Application... |
1 Jul '25 - 16 Oct '25 | CUCET 2025 Phase 2 Exam Date |
4 Aug '25 | SHIATS 2025 Commencement of cl... |
22 Jul '25 | SHIATS Entrance Exam 2025 Meri... |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 months ago
The Film and Television Institute of India has released the FTII JET 2025 Paper 1 result for Stage 1 Objective Test on the official website, on August 09, 2025. The institute is expected to release the FTII JET Paper 2 & overall Stage 1 result soon.
Stay updated on the Shiksha page for the latest up
N
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 2 months ago
The Film and Television Institute of India has declared the FTII JET 2025 Stage 1 Paper 1 Objective result on 09 August 2025. The FTII JET Stage 1 Paper 2 result will be declared soon.
Once the Stage 1 is complete and FTII JET Stage 2 is conducted successfully, the FTII JET Final Result 2025 will be
N
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, the FTII JET Admit Card 2025 has been released on JUly 21, 2025 at the official website of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Candidates can download the hall ticket by entering any of the two fields from: online application number, date of birth, and email ID.
S
Beginner-Level 5
Not just the FTII JET exam but to prepare for any highly competiive examination there are certain things that need to be taken care of, first is the syllabus and exam pattern. Candidates preparing for FTII JET need to refer to the official syllabus and exam pattern to understand the subjects, topics and sub-topics related to the exam. Once undetrstanding these things, it becomes imperative to check the previous year question paper to know the type of questions asked in the examination. This will help in getting to know the types of questions asked, paper pattern as well as difficulty level of the question paper.
Students should start making a preparation calendar and add all the important topics from the syllabus that they need to cover while preparing for the examination. They must focus more in revisions, previous year question papers etc.