> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.tella.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Add sound effects

> Layer a sound or audio clip onto your Tella video and control its timing and volume.

Sound effects let you drop a sound or audio clip onto your video — a whoosh, a click, a sting, applause, or a bit of background music — layered on top of your voiceover. Your microphone audio keeps playing; the sound effect is mixed in alongside it.

## Where to find sound effects

1. Open your video in the editor.
2. Open **effects** in the sidebar.
3. Find the **Sound Effects** section.

## Add a sound effect

1. Move the playhead to where you want the sound to start.

2. Click **Add sound**. This opens the Media Library.

3. Pick a sound — **upload** an audio file from your computer, choose one from your **Personal** or **Workspace** library, or **generate** one with AI. (It's the same library you use for [media/B-roll](/docs/help/editing/use-media#the-media-library), filtered to audio.)

The sound effect is placed on the timeline at the playhead, with its **waveform** shown on the segment.

<Tip>
  With the library open, you can **paste** a copied audio file (⌘V / Ctrl+V) to upload it straight into your Personal library.
</Tip>

## Set when it plays

In the timeline:

* Drag the **start** or **end** of the sound-effect segment to change its duration.
* Drag the segment left or right to move it earlier or later.
* Or select the sound effect in the effects sidebar and type precise **start** and **end** timestamps into the inline time inputs.

You can add several sound effects and overlap them.

## Adjust the volume

Each sound effect has its own volume control. Select the sound effect in the Effects sidebar and drag the **Volume** slider to set how loud it plays relative to your narration. The slider goes from 0 (silent) to 100% (full volume). The default is 100%.

<Note>
  Sound effects are mixed on **top of** your microphone audio — adding one never removes your voiceover. If a clip's own sound is too loud, turn the sound effect's volume down instead of re-recording.
</Note>

## Edit or remove a sound effect

* Select a sound effect in the effects sidebar to retime it or change its volume.
* Use its **three-dots** menu to remove it.