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Audio Sound Design Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Absurd Ventures

Principal Sound Designer

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$140K - $160K/yr

Summary We are looking for a versatile and experienced Principal Sound Designer to join our audio team to craft and implement exceptional sound design. This role is crucial in support of defining an ...

Absurd Ventures

Software Engineer, Audio

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$115K - $140K/yr

Design and implement systems and tools for the audio team's needs (such as sound propagation, environmental audio, dialogue systems, music, physics systems etc.). * Maintain and optimize existing ...

The Walt Disney Company

Senior Sound Designer

Glendale, CA · Remote

$95K - $128K/yr

Design, edit, implement, and polish sound effects, ambiences, cinematic audio, and gameplay systems across a variety of genres and play styles. * Partner closely with the Audio Lead to help define ...

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Audio Sound Design information

How does an audio sound designer typically collaborate with game developers and other creative team members?

Audio sound designers work closely with game developers, composers, and artists to create immersive soundscapes that enhance the player experience. This collaboration often involves attending regular team meetings, reviewing game builds, and integrating feedback to ensure audio elements align seamlessly with gameplay and visuals. Sound designers may also use middleware tools to implement audio assets directly into the game engine, requiring clear communication with programmers and designers. Effective teamwork is essential for balancing creative vision with technical requirements and meeting production deadlines.

What is audio sound design?

Audio sound design is the process of creating, recording, manipulating, and assembling audio elements for various forms of media, such as films, video games, theater, and music. Sound designers craft everything from ambient backgrounds to specific sound effects that enhance the audience's experience and support the storytelling. This work involves using software and hardware tools to record, edit, and mix sounds, ensuring they fit seamlessly within a project. Sound designers often collaborate with directors, composers, and other creative professionals to achieve the desired audio atmosphere.

What is the difference between Audio Sound Design vs Audio Post-Production?

AspectAudio Sound DesignAudio Post-Production
Primary FocusCreating original sound elements and effects for mediaEditing, mixing, and mastering audio for final output
Skills & ToolsSound creation, Foley, synthesis, sound editing softwareAudio editing, noise reduction, equalization, mixing consoles
Work EnvironmentFilm sets, game studios, sound studiosPost-production houses, film and TV studios
CredentialsAudio engineering, sound design certificationsAudio engineering, post-production certifications

While both roles involve working with audio, Audio Sound Design focuses on creating and designing original sounds, whereas Audio Post-Production involves editing and refining audio recordings for the final media product. Understanding these differences helps professionals choose the right career path or specialization within the audio industry.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an audio sound designer?

To thrive as an Audio Sound Designer, you need a solid grasp of audio engineering principles, sound theory, and proficiency in music or audio production, often supported by a relevant degree or portfolio. Familiarity with digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Pro Tools, Logic Pro, or Ableton Live, as well as audio editing plugins and sound libraries, is typically expected. Creativity, attention to detail, and strong collaboration skills help sound designers craft immersive experiences and communicate effectively with directors and developers. These abilities ensure high-quality, engaging audio that enhances the overall impact of multimedia projects.
What are popular job titles related to Audio Sound Design jobs in California? For Audio Sound Design jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Audio Sound Design jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Audio Sound Design jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Audio Sound Design jobs? Cities in California with the most Audio Sound Design job openings:
Audio Sound Design jobs near you
Infographic showing various Audio Sound Design job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 56% Full Time, and 44% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution.

Principal Sound Designer

Absurd Ventures

Santa Monica, CA

$140K - $160K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 2 days ago

Job description

Summary

We are looking for a versatile and experienced Principal Sound Designer to join our audio team to craft and implement exceptional sound design. This role is crucial in support of defining an iconic soundscape for our unique and innovative open world game. As a Principal, your mission is to use your creative and technical audio skills to inspire and evangelize the team in creating outstanding and compelling sound design. You will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with some of the greatest developers in the industry on an exciting, immersive, narrative AAA game.

Core Responsibilities 

  • Create exceptional and immersive sound design using both commercial and proprietary tools, software, and source material. 
  • Work closely with the Audio Director to help define and execute the project's overall audio vision. 
  • Collaborate with engineers and fellow sound designers to build, implement, and scale audio pipelines. 
  • Proactively anticipate project needs and independently develop and implement solutions. 
  • Optimize audio assets and recommend workflow improvements to enhance efficiency and scalability. 
  • Diagnose and resolve complex audio issues across multiple disciplines. 
  • Effectively communicate technical and creative ideas through clear written and verbal communication. 
  • Manage time independently and drive complex, multi-phase initiatives through to completion. 

Core Qualifications 

  • 8+ years of professional experience in the games industry as a sound designer, with some senior experience on shipped AAA titles. 
  • Proven track record of owning and delivering complex audio systems on shipped titles. 
  • Demonstrated experience collaborating with engineering and cross-disciplinary teams on large-scale projects. 
  • Strong background in recording high-quality source material and pushing it through to final asset implementation. 
  • Expertise with AAA game engines and deep knowledge of audio implementation workflows. 
  • Advanced proficiency in Wwise and real-time audio systems. 
  • Background in mentoring team members and sharing both technical and creative expertise. 

Key Attributes 

  • A collaborative, team-oriented mindset with a strong emphasis on cross-discipline partnership. 
  • Ability to inspire and elevate others through leadership, mentorship, and craftsmanship. 
  • Self-motivated, proactive, and capable of solving problems with minimal direction. 
  • Adaptable and responsive to feedback and evolving project requirements. 

Plus if

  • Experience contributing during early development and R&D phases. 
  • Experience designing and improving custom audio tools and workflows for large scale open-world games. 
  • Scripting experience in Python, MEL, or similar languages. 
  • Passion for video games, storytelling, cinema, and a strong understanding of game audio. 

Description 

  • Full-time job with benefits. 
  • Role is on-site in Santa Monica, CA. 
  • Office is located near downtown Santa Monica - near metro and freeways. 
  • The base pay range for this position is $140,000 to $160,000 per year. Actual compensation is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer a competitive package of benefits including paid time off, sick time, company holidays, parental leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity. 

About Absurd Ventures 

Absurd Ventures is a media company creating new IP across all platforms and for all formats. Absurd Ventures is building narrative worlds, creating characters, and writing stories for a variety of genres, without regard to medium, to be produced for live-action and animation; video games and other interactive content; books, graphic novels, and scripted podcasts. 

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