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Freelance Sound Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Audio Director

Raleigh, NC ยท On-site +1

Manage relationships with external audio studios and freelance sound designers * Set and manage audio budgets, schedules, and resourcing * Establish and evolve audio pipelines, tools, and best ...

Audio Director

Raleigh, NC ยท On-site +1

Manage relationships with external audio studios and freelance sound designers * Set and manage audio budgets, schedules, and resourcing * Establish and evolve audio pipelines, tools, and best ...

Manage relationships with external audio studios and freelance sound designers * Set and manage audio budgets, schedules, and resourcing * Establish and evolve audio pipelines, tools, and best ...

Audio Director

Raleigh, NC ยท On-site

$120 - $180/hr

Manage relationships with external audio studios and freelance sound designers * Set and manage audio budgets, schedules, and resourcing * Establish and evolve audio pipelines, tools, and best ...

About Sound Ventures At Sound, we believe inspiration beats convention, and that the best founders ... Collaborate with external agencies, freelancers, and creative partners when needed. * Continuously ...

... Freelance Senior Digital Designer will play a key role in shaping how amika shows up across the ... sound from concept through execution. * contribute more actively to creative problem-solving and ...

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Freelance Sound Designer information

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$47

$132

How much do freelance sound designer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average hourly pay for freelance sound designer in the United States is $47.71, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $24.28 and $61.78 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a freelance sound designer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Freelance Sound Designer, you need a solid understanding of audio engineering principles, sound editing, and music theory, often supported by a degree in audio production or related experience. Mastery of digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Pro Tools or Ableton Live, as well as familiarity with sound libraries and plug-ins, is typically required. Strong creativity, attention to detail, and effective communication with clients help set you apart in this competitive field. These skills ensure high-quality sound production that meets client needs and enhances the impact of media projects.

What are some common challenges freelance sound designers face when working with remote clients?

Freelance sound designers working remotely often encounter challenges such as communicating creative ideas clearly without in-person feedback, managing multiple client expectations across different time zones, and ensuring high-quality audio delivery despite varying technical setups. Building strong relationships through timely updates and clear documentation helps mitigate misunderstandings. Additionally, freelancers must be proactive in resolving technical issues and maintaining organized project files to streamline collaboration with clients and other team members.

What is the difference between Freelance Sound Designer vs Freelance Audio Editor?

AspectFreelance Sound DesignerFreelance Audio Editor
CredentialsOften requires a degree or certification in sound design, audio engineering, or related fieldsTypically needs proficiency in audio editing software; formal education varies
Work EnvironmentWorks on creating original sound effects, soundscapes, and audio concepts for mediaFocuses on editing, cleaning, and assembling audio recordings
Employer & Industry UsageHired by film, game, and media production companies for sound creationHired for post-production tasks in various media projects

While both roles involve working with audio, a Freelance Sound Designer creates original sounds and audio concepts, whereas a Freelance Audio Editor specializes in refining and assembling existing recordings. Understanding these differences helps clients find the right professional for their project needs.

What does a freelance sound designer do?

A freelance sound designer creates, edits, and mixes audio elements for a variety of media, such as films, video games, advertisements, and theater productions. Their work involves recording and manipulating sounds to enhance the overall experience and narrative. As freelancers, they typically work on a project basis, collaborating with directors, producers, and other creative professionals. Their responsibilities can include creating sound effects, designing ambient sounds, and ensuring that audio quality meets the project's needs.
More about Freelance Sound Designer jobs

What cities are hiring for Freelance Sound Designer jobs?

Cities with the most Freelance Sound Designer job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Sound Designer jobs?

The most popular types of Sound Designer jobs are:

What states have the most Freelance Sound Designer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Freelance Sound Designer jobs include:

Infographic showing various Freelance Sound Designer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, and 14% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $99,230 per year, or $47.7 per hour.

Freelance Senior Designer

Starcom Mediavest Group Germany Gmbh

Los Angeles, CA โ€ข Hybrid

Temporary

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 12 days ago


Job description

Company Description

For 25 years, Level has developed marketing solutions for some of the world's most innovative brands. We believe the best solutions come from collaborative working partnerships with our clients. Whether an established brand, or a start-up, we believe in the power of creative strategy, design, and technology to solve business challenges.

Job Description

We're looking for a Freelance Senior Designer to join our growing team. In this role, you'll use design to bring ideas to life by concepting and creating engaging, brand-specific digital content and experiences that drive awareness, build loyalty, and inspire action. You'll work closely with cross-disciplinary teams including Creative, Strategy, Tech, and Production to develop and execute high-quality visual design across multiple channels.

You'll own projects from initial concept to final delivery, leading design efforts on key accounts and collaborating with team members to push the work creatively and strategically. You will be responsible for developing, designing, and refining everything from design systems, campaign concepts, illustrations, digital layouts, static compositions, UI designs, presentation materials, and brand experiences, all while acting as a creative problem-solver for the artists, producers, clients, creatives, and customers you work with.

You are highly skilled in Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, and modern digital design workflows. You are curious and excited about AI and other emerging technologies and look forward to helping us ethically evolve our creative capabilities within our design and delivery processes.

PLEASE NOTE: Preference will be given to candidates who are local to the San Francisco, Chicago, or Los Angeles metros and willing to commit to a hybrid schedule of 3 days/week on average. Highly qualified candidates living in other markets may also be considered.ย Candidates must be comfortable working a schedule that aligns with Pacific Time Zone business hours.ย 

Responsibilities
  • Design polished visual assets for a wide variety of deliverables including websites, digital campaigns, social content, email, banners, presentations, retail and experiential touchpoints, and other Apple Digital-related needs.
  • Develop design systems, style frames, visual concepts, layouts, and presentation-ready creative in collaboration with art directors, designers, producers, strategists, writers, and technology partners.
  • Lead visual design workstreams as needed, helping guide design quality, consistency, and creative execution from concept through final delivery.
  • Translate complex ideas into compelling visual narratives that align with brand tone, voice, messaging, and customer experience goals.
  • Use design to enhance UX, communicate value propositions, organize information clearly, and create memorable branded experiences.
  • Stay current on design trends, digital platforms, emerging creative tools, and AI-enabled workflows, integrating new approaches where appropriate and ethically sound.
  • Solve creative and production challenges with a proactive, solutions-first mindset.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure consistency across all touchpoints while adapting design style for different client needs, channels, and media types.
  • Prepare clean, organized, production-ready design files and handoff materials for internal teams, production partners, and implementation teams.
Qualifications
  • 5+ years of experience in an ad agency, design studio, digital product team, or in-house creative team with a strong digital focus.
  • Mastery of Figma and Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign or equivalent presentation/design tools.
  • Experience with additional design, prototyping, collaboration, or emerging creative tools is a plus.
  • Extensive experience conceptualizing and creating a variety of visual assets including websites, landing pages, email, banners, paid media, social content, campaign concepts, presentation decks, product storytelling assets, retail or experiential materials, and similar digital design deliverables.
  • Solid understanding of design systems, layout, typography, color theory, composition, visual hierarchy, responsive design, and digital production best practices.
  • Strong conceptual and storytelling abilities, with the ability to think visually and translate strategy into design.
  • Experience with consumer technology brands is a plus.
  • Highly collaborative but independently capable.
  • Meticulous attention to detail.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional, geographically distributed teams.
  • Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, continuously evolving environment.
  • Very strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with a high degree of emotional intelligence.
  • A digital portfolio is required and must be submitted with your application. Your work should showcase a strong sense of branding, digital design, visual systems, layout, typography, and interactive or experience design across websites, email, banners, social, and related channels.
Additional Information

The Power of One starts with our people! To do powerful things, we offer powerful resources. Our best-in-class wellness and benefits offerings include:

Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or moreMonetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and FertilityMonetary assistance and support for pet adoptionEmployee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balanceTuition AssistancePaid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and moreMatching Gifts programsFlexible working arrangements'Work Your World' Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility)Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliances

The benefits offerings listed are available to eligible U.S. Based employees, are reviewed on an annual basis, and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.

We also offer medical and voluntary benefits to our freelancers and temporary employees. Voluntary benefit options include supplemental medical insurance, transportation, and parking benefits, legal benefits, pet insurance, and auto and home insurance.ย You must be actively employed for 90 consecutive calendar days in order to be eligible for Publicis medical and voluntary benefits.ย 

Level Studios is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employment decisions are made without regard to actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law, genetic information, marital status, military service and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact usmttacompliance@publicis.com.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

ย Compensation Range: USD $39.05 - USD $53.41/Hourly. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 8/17/2026.Employment Type: TEMPORARY