A Foley artist is a sound professional who recreates sound effects that are synchronized with the visuals of a film, television show, or video game. 

Their work begins with a spotting session, where they sit with the sound team to watch the visuals and identify which sounds need to be added or replaced, such as footsteps, rustling clothing, or the clinking of keys. This session helps them plan what specific sounds are needed and when.

Using an assortment of props, Foley artists perform these sounds in real-time — performing sounds live to picture — often in a specially designed studio with different floor surfaces and materials. For example, a pair of gloves might mimic the sound of a bird’s wings, or a bundle of celery might simulate breaking bones.

One of the most critical aspects of Foley work is timing — the recreated sounds must be perfectly synced to the actions on screen to make them feel natural and believable.

They often work in a team of two Foley artists and one mixer, also referred to as a Foley engineer, in the studio.

The mixer must understand the goal of each Foley artist-produced sound and manipulate microphone placements so that they’re clearly and accurately recording the sound needed.

Good Foley work is seamless and often goes unnoticed by audiences, which is exactly what makes it so essential to immersive storytelling.

Though it’s highly creative, it’s also a physically demanding job — Foley artists often spend hours on their feet and need excellent coordination and a keen ear for subtle sound differences.

A Day In the Life of a Foley Artist

Foley artists can have fairly regular working hours, especially when they’re part of an in-house post-production team at a studio. In those cases, their schedules typically follow a standard weekday routine

However, things can shift depending on deadlines. If a project is behind schedule or a last-minute change is needed, Foley artists may need to work late or adjust their hours to meet a delivery date.

Freelance Foley artists or those working on multiple projects might have more irregular hours, especially if they’re juggling different clients or working with international teams.

​The average annual salary for a Foley artist in the United States varies based on factors such as experience, location, and union affiliation.

As of January 1, 2025, the average base salary is about $67,184 per year, with a range typically between $59,000 and $75,000¹.

Unionized Foley artists, particularly those affiliated with the Motion Picture Editors Guild, often earn higher wages.

The standard union rate is about $2,773 per week, equating to about $144,202 a year for a full 52-week year. In high-cost areas like New York City, union Foley artists may earn even more — up to $3,123 per week or roughly $162,396 per year².

Despite the growing demand, the field remains highly competitive due to the limited number of positions available.

Many Foley artists work as freelancers or are employed by established studios, and breaking into the industry often requires networking and mentorship.

While a significant part of this career is cultivating the skills to be a proficient Foley Artist, you also need to continually be nurturing the professional relationships that will lead to future jobs.

As a result, the life of a Foley Artist means constantly hustling for the next gig. Moreover, the intermittent nature of Foley work means that many artists supplement their income with other roles in post-production sound, such as dialogue editing or sound design.​

But if you’re passionate about Foley artistry, you can make a decent living at it.

There is no one clear path to becoming a Foley Artist, which can be liberating for some people and disappointing for others to hear.

Here are a few things you can do to get your Foley artist career started…

Learn How Sound and Microphones Work

The very first thing you need to do is learn how sound travels, how it interacts with our ears, and how we can trick our brains into thinking one sound is another.

It’s also important to know how microphones capture sound so you can choose the right props and movements to get the desired sound effects.

Create Your Own Foley Content

If you have no experience as a Foley artist, a good way to build your portfolio and show people what you can do is to make your own Foley content.

Experiment with sounds, then find a clip from a show or movie that you can add your sounds to. Film yourself doing this and you’ll have videos to post on social media and on your website.

You can then include these videos in your Foley artist portfolio.

Shadow a Foley Artist

It never hurts to ask a professional Foley artist if you can (quietly) shadow them for a day.

Through professional sites like IMDB Pro or local post-production houses in your area, you can find and reach out to Foley artists.

Foley artist Gregg Barbanell (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Revenant) suggests sending a simple email, like this: Hi, [NAME]. Would you let me stop by and spend an afternoon just watching you at work?

“Tell them you won’t get in the way,” he said. “And then it’s up to you to ingratiate yourself to the people and, hopefully, come back and do it again.”

Network

Try to find local Foley artist groups, both in-person and online. Offer to take them out for coffee.

This is where going to school for Foley work can come in handy — you can start to build a community of like-minded people.

Here are some skills you’ll need to develop if you want to succeed as a Foley artist…

Thinking “Outside the Box”

The sound of someone walking in the rain in a movie may not have been made by someone actually walking in the rain. Many times, Foley artists have to get creative and use sounds to make other sounds.

This is why you need an imaginative mind to succeed in Foley work.

Listening

You need an excellent ear for subtle sound differences and details.

Being able to match tones, textures, and intensities of sound is important to creating believable sound effects that blend seamlessly into a scene.

Timing

Because Foley artists record sound effects live to picture, their timing has to be impeccable. Otherwise, the recording sessions will take much longer than they should.

Physical Coordination and Stamina

A lot of Foley work is done standing, walking in place, or manipulating props with your whole body.

You may be crouching, walking, stomping, or tossing objects repeatedly to get the right effect. You may be hunched over for long periods of time.

You’ll need the physical stamina to do this all day.

Technical Knowledge

While you’re main job as a Foley artist is not to engineer the sessions (that’s what the Foley engineer is for), it’s important to know how microphones capture sound.

This will help you make creative decisions to get the most accurate sound possible.

Collaboration and Communication

Foley artists work on a team, so it’s important to be easy to work with, have good communication skills, and be able to collaborate.

An aspiring Foley Artist does not need a film school degree to get into this line of work.

However, film school can be a great place to start your career. As mentioned, it’s in film school where an aspiring Foley Artist can better understand and learn the role of sound in movies and perhaps get early experience on a Foley stage.

A general education in sound or music can also give an aspiring Foley Artist a firm foundation for the rest of their career. While in school, they can also begin forging those professional relationships that can prove invaluable down the road.

Outside of formal education, an aspiring Foley Artist will absolutely need real-world experience in post-production sound to build their skillsets and reputation as a solid professional in this particular field.

That means taking on any sound-related job that could help in building those skillsets. On-set gigs can initially prove useful, but if there’s an opportunity to work in a post-production sound facility, someone looking to become a Foley Artist should take it.

As an aspiring Foley Artist begins to grow their resume of work and professional contacts, more legitimate Foley gigs will become available. That might mean smaller projects such as an indie film or streaming show that could eventually translate into more high-profile productions like a studio-backed feature or network television show.

Both for networking and building one’s expertise in Foley, the internet can be a valuable resource for an aspiring Foley Artist.

Sites like MasterClass and YouTube offer articles and tutorials on the craft. Social channels like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube also allow aspiring Foley Artists to connect with others who are interested in sound design. One of our expert sources, Alyson Dee Moore, was even featured in this Great Big Story YouTube video.

Even if an aspiring Foley Artist isn’t yet part of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, it’s never too soon to find out about its benefits. Barbanell advises, “You have to have a union gig in order to join the union and then you have to report around 400 hours bi-annually to keep your health benefits. It’s a tough one if you’re not working regularly, but the healthcare is excellent if you’re managing to clock the hours.”

Foley Artists may also take advantage of events through their union to connect with other Foley professionals.

Let’s take a look at some of the most outstanding use of foley work through some landmark motion pictures…

• • Jurassic Park – Kitchen Scene

By now, we’re all (hopefully) familiar with JURASSIC PARK, a movie that brought dinosaurs back to life. In the film’s third act, when the velociraptors have cornered the kids in the kitchen, sound (read: foley work) plays an instrumental part in creating the tension and suspense that pervades the sequence. From the noises of the kids’ footsteps to the clinking of the utensils to the breathing and claw tapping of the dinosaurs themselves, the scene plays like a masterclass in sound supporting visuals and story. The work is expertly crafted to immerse the audience into the harrowing experience right along with the children on screen and the scene is infinitely more memorable because of its sound design.

• • • No Country For Old Men – Moss In The Motel Room

The Coen brothers’ masterpiece NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is a shining example of filmmaking at its purest level. As the film’s hero Moss awaits a killer approaching his room, the subdued but brilliant foley work plays a key role in ratcheting the film’s intensity. Using minimalist visuals and sounds, the sibling filmmakers created an expertly-crafted sequence that dares the audience to breathe as it builds to a stunning climax.

• • • • Alien – Ripley Discovers The Alien

Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking science fiction/horror film ALIEN raised the bar for suspense and tension in both genres. In this scene, the film’s climax (warning: spoilers!), all but one member of an exploratory space crew are dead, having been killed by an unstoppable alien species. At the movie’s end, Ripley, the lone survivor finds herself in the same space as the creature. To her luck, the beast happens to be sleeping. Watch the scene and pay particular attention to the way sound is imbedded into the sequence, moving it along both narratively and emotionally.

• • • • • Avatar – The Final Battle

James Cameron’s AVATAR reshaped the cinematic landscape in terms of aesthetics and audio when it first graced the big screen in 2009. The story of an Earth soldier who goes to a far-off planet, meets a native tribe, and soon becomes one of them set new standards for filmmaking. In the film’s climax, an epic battle is joined through the skies of the planet Pandora, as the heroes do battle on flying creatures called Ikran against the machinery of the enemy. Watch some of the sequence and discover how sound couples with visuals to truly elevate the filmic storytelling.

• • • • • • Wall-E – Opening

Wall-e is Pixar’s animated story of a robot tasked with cleaning up trash on a ruined, debris-covered Earth. Much of the opening of the film’s exposition is spelled out not through dialogue, but rather images coupled with excellently-crafted foley work. In this clip, notice how sound plays a crucial role in building this world and creating a bedrock for the movie’s narrative. And while the images can speak for themselves, the sequence itself would be far less impactful had it been missing sound.

• • • • • • • Psycho – The Shower Scene

The landmark shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s signature film PSYCHO set a new precedent for the way movies are made and not just watched, but experienced. In the film, protagonist Marion Crane has made off with some stolen money. She stops at a motel, speaks with the proprietor, and then takes a shower where she meets a terrifying end when a knife-wielding maniac enters the bathroom. Hitchcock and his sound team experimented with microphone placement that created a new sense of immersion for the audience. The stabbing sound of the knife is particularly noteworthy, as even though we hear it, we never see the blade cutting skin. It’s all imagination and foley work.