Why Good Audio Is So Important For Travel Videos
It’s no secret that the right music can intensify emotions and make great footage look and feel even greater.
Beautiful Landscapes from Drone Views paired with powerful and uplifting pop music. When you watch travel videos muted, you might think “oh, these images look great”. But once the music starts to play you start to feel it.
Through the combination of images and sound, travel videos have the power to transport viewers to the actual locations. Stunning visuals are essential, but they are only part of the story.
Choosing the right music is especially important for travel videos, as it highlights the emotions in your footage, helping audiences feel the excitement of adventure, the serenity of a hidden beach, or the energy of a bustling city way more clearly.
In this article, we'll explore why music is such a crucial element in travel videos, giving you practical tips and interactive examples on how to make your next travel video professional and engaging.
Before we get to our music suggestions, let us give you some useful tips first.
Top 3 Travel Video Editing Tips
1. The Ratio of Music to Video Sound
The relationship between the music and video sounds (like noises, footsteps, wind etc…) has a big impact in how people perceive your video.
The sounds you capture from nature, nearby people, and weather contribute to an immersive and realistic impression of your footage. Your audience will get a sense of how this place sounds.
However, when using only video sounds, the emotions often times come too short. Luckily, for this, we have the music.
To add emotion, you do not need to tell a heartfelt story. Think of it this way: Music = pure emotion.
How loud should the music be? Well, there is no definitive answer to this. It always depends on what your intention is. For every clip, ask yourself:
Should the scene look cinematic and evoke strong emotions? → Make the music louder
Should the scene give a realistic impression of the place you are at? → Mainly (or only) use videos sounds.
Still need video sounds? 🍃 → Check our sound effect library for ambiance sounds.
Still need music? 🎵 → Check our category of Royalty Free Music for Travel Videos
2. Why Slow Motion Makes Everything Cinematic
Actions in real life happen at normal speed. As soon as a scene or action is played back in slow motion, our brain reacts to it by labeling it as something “unreal”, telling it that “this is something important”.
Because the movements are slower, we have more time to process the visual information, making the footage appear richer in detail than it would at normal speed.
This also triggers the so-called "oddball effect". It is known from the psychology of perception that when we experience something new or in great detail, time seems to pass slower subjectively than on footage played back at normal speed. This adds dynamics to your footage and is a great way of keeping your travel videos interesting.
You can use slow motion sparingly in your travel videos to further intensify particularly beautiful scenery or moments. This makes it easier for your audience to notice all the little details which you want to emphasize. Paired with the right music for slow motion scenes, you can create super powerful b-roll footage.
3. Don’t always fill silence with music
If all of your scenes contain music, the one without a musical backdrop will be perceived as something special because it differs significantly from the rest of the experience.
The absence of music immediately draws the viewer's attention, making the scene feel more intimate, tense, or emotionally raw. You can use this contrast strategically to make important moments stand out, allowing the audience to focus entirely on the visuals, dialogue, or ambient sounds.
Sometimes, removing music can be even more powerful than adding it, precisely because it breaks the pattern the viewer has become accustomed to.
The right music for every travel video type
1. Adventure Travel Videos
Adventure travel content thrives on energy, excitement, and movement. When you're hiking through remote landscapes, surfing, ziplining, or exploring rugged terrain, the music should express the same feelings you felt while doing these activities.
These styles fit perfectly to adventure videos:
- Indie rock
- Electronic dance music (EDM)
- Energetic pop
- Cinematic action tracks
- Upbeat percussion
Check out our full collection of energizing adventure video music here.
2. Luxury Travel and Resort Videos
Luxury travel content evokes comfort, exclusivity, and sophistication. The soundtrack should feel elegant and refined without becoming distracting.
Best music styles:
- Lounge music
- Chill electronic
- Smooth jazz
- Deep house
- Ambient soundscapes
Our suggestion
Use our elegant and minimalist music tracks which leave enough room for the visuals to shine.
3. Nature and Scenic Travel Videos
When showcasing breathtaking landscapes, mountains, forests, beaches, or national parks, the goal is often to evoke wonder and appreciation. For the music it is beneficial to include acoustic instruments highlighting the “natural imperfection”.
Best music styles:
- Cinematic orchestral music
- Ambient tracks
- Piano compositions
- Acoustic instrumentals
- Atmospheric soundscapes
Our suggestion
Explore our collection of music inspired by the raw beauty of nature.
4. City Guides and Urban Exploration Videos
City-focused content typically moves quickly between attractions, restaurants, neighborhoods, and landmarks. The music should match the energy of urban environments. Here we are talking about upbeat and more energetic styles of music.
Best music styles:
- Electronic music
- Funk
- Modern pop
- Lo-fi beats
- House music
Our suggestion
Our music category “Urban & Fashion” is a gold mine for these types of travel videos.
5. Cultural and Documentary-Style Travel Videos
The purpose of a travel documentary is to explain and highlight cultural traditions, the history of a country, local communities, and authentic experiences. Music should support the storytelling and incorporate country specific instruments.
Best music styles:
- World music influences
- Acoustic compositions
- Instrumental folk
- Cinematic storytelling tracks
- Light orchestral arrangements
Our suggestion
Cultural traditions can be very different. Find our complete collection of authentic world music here. Be sure to further narrow down your search by typing in keywords related to the country you travel to (arabic, italian, spanish, etc…).
6. Road Trip Videos
Road trip content captures freedom, discovery, and the excitement of the journey itself. With music sounding rebellious, upbeat, inspiratonal and energetic with an “indie” character, you’ll be on the right track.
Best music styles:
- Indie folk
- Americana
- Acoustic rock
- Country-inspired instrumentals
- Feel-good pop
Our suggestion
We recently curated a diverse playlist of road trip music that captures the feeling of unlimited freedom and pure inspiration.
7. Drone Footage and Cinematic Travel Films
Drone shots are all about stunning views of vast landscapes and dramatic perspectives. The music should help create a sense of scale and emotion. You can best achieve this by choosing music which sounds big and has a slower tempo.
Best music styles:
- Epic cinematic music
- Orchestral scores
- Emotional piano pieces
- Atmospheric electronic tracks
- Inspirational instrumentals
Our suggestion
One of the best words to describe the character of this type of music is “majestic”. Check our collection of majestic music to make your drone footage even more impressive.
8. Beach and Tropical Travel Content
Beach destinations are associated with relaxation, sunshine, and pure uplifting summer vibes. Depending on what your video is about try to consider adding music which sounds more party-like or relaxing and carefree.
Best music styles:
- Tropical house
- Reggae-inspired instrumentals
- Acoustic guitar
- Chill electronic
- Summer pop
Our suggestion
Just as the name suggests, Paradise FM is a summer music playlist featuring tracks that are perfect for relaxing beach vibes, tropical getaways, and lively island parties.
9. Food and Culinary Travel Videos
Food-focused travel content benefits from music that enhances the sensory experience without competing for attention. On a foundational level we are going for a relaxing sound with inspirational and slightly uplifting vibes.
Best music styles:
- Jazz
- Bossa nova
- Acoustic instrumentals
- Light world music
- Relaxed lounge tracks
Our suggestion
In our playlist The Coffee Shop you will find exactly the type of carefree, relaxing soundtracks which are perfect for culinary travel videos as they express serenity and enjoyment.
Conclusion
The truth is, no medium can fully capture the exact emotions you experienced during your journey. The best you can do is recreate those moments in a way that allows your audience to feel as if they were there with you.
Thoughtful editing techniques such as slow motion, cinematic color grading and a carefully crafted sound design all help bring your story to life. But music adds an entirely different dimension. It shapes the atmosphere, reinforces the narrative, and gives emotional depth.
That's why music is such an essential element of travel videos. It has the unique ability to amplify emotions, strengthen the connection between the viewer and the story, and transform beautiful footage into a memorable experience.
