While live streaming, it’s really important to have a quiet environment that doesn’t distract you or your viewers. When there’s no background noise, it not only helps you come off as a professional but also allows your viewers to give you their undivided attention. But, when it comes to it, the most common question that arises among streamers is whether to go for room soundproofing or sound tiling. Today, we will take a look at whether you should go with soundproofing or sound tiling to take your streams to the next level.
Let’s say you’re ready to stream live and have done a test live stream. As soon as you click the “Go live” button, the neighbours start to talk. You don’t want that nearby construction site noise, your neighbour’s noisy family, or simply a busy street to impede your viewers’ live streaming experience. This is why it’s important to know all about soundproofing and sound tiling.
Despite what many people believe, using acoustic panels for sound tiling does not guarantee room soundproofing. Rather, it is a method for absorbing sound. How does soundproofing work then? How does it differ from sound tiling? The purpose of this guide is to help you determine what is the best live streaming solution for you – soundproofing or sound tiling.
What is soundproofing and how does it work?
Soundproofing is basically making a room sound-resistant to prevent outside noise from entering it as well as preventing inside noise to escape. Sound transfers and leakage to other rooms are prevented by it by isolating a room from the outside world. Solid and dense soundproofing materials keep sound contained in a particular space by reflecting it. It is typical for these products to be built into walls to prevent the passage of sound. Consequently, soundproofing a structure after it has been built requires invasive modifications. Alternatively, soundproofing foam creates a barrier between a room and its noise source. Keeping the room soundproofed is the ultimate goal.
Soundproofing a room can be done in several ways, including:
- Using materials that absorb sound : Comprised of dense, heavy materials, such as carpets, curtains, blankets, etc., these substances trap sound waves so that they do not reflect off of hard surfaces
- Using insulation : Filling gaps and cracks can reduce the amount of sound entering a room.
How does sound tiling work?
The process of sound tiling involves the absorption of sound. Sound is absorbed by special materials within a room, reducing echo, reverberation, and noise. This method does not block the sound but instead directs it away from hard surfaces to avoid creating an echo. The sound travels further with higher ceilings, which makes this method more effective for sound absorption in high-ceilinged rooms.
A sound-absorbing material can be porous or non-porous. Fibreglass, rock wool, and open-cell foam are the most common materials for porous absorbers. Conversely, non-porous materials for sound absorption include solid wood doors, suspended ceilings, glazing, windows, etc.
Acoustic tiles, panels, ceiling baffles, etc., are typically used in sound tiling for acoustical treatment. Various sizes, shapes, and colours are available, and they are lightweight, easy to install and help absorb sound. The panels will help dampen sound and improve the acoustics of the room.
You can either purchase sound tiling materials or make your own acoustic soundproofing tiles by attaching egg crates to a wall to reduce unwanted noises and improve room acoustics.
While sound tiling reduces reverberation, standing waves, etc., it isn’t effective at stopping sound from escaping. However, because it does not interfere with a building’s interior, it is much simpler to implement.
Soundproofing or Sound Tiling: What should you invest in?
Now that you understand soundproofing versus sound tiling, you can choose the right noise reduction solution for your room based on its construction, size, and its volume. You should also consider the noise level in your neighbourhood. For instance, if you want to create studio-quality live streams and podcasts, etc., and live in a busy area with high ceilings and windows, you may need soundproofing for total sound isolation. In addition, you may have to take this route if your roommate happens to be another streamer like you. As a result, soundproofing will prevent noises and disturbances from entering and exiting the rooms.
The problem with soundproofing, however, is that it is often difficult and expensive to install. So, if you’re searching for a fairly scalable alternative, sound tiling is the option for you.
Remember that you should talk to your housemates if you have an in-home studio and they are present. In that case, you want some noise to go between the rooms. Sound tiling can, therefore, be more cost-effective and efficient if you only want to address mid and low-end frequencies. However, exercise caution here as excessive sound tiling might produce strange recordings.
Besides, the overall aesthetics of your live streaming setup may be negatively impacted by various sound tiles. Start with the very minimum to prevent that. For instance, keep part of the current configurations of your ceilings and walls. Furthermore, just employ the number of tiles necessary to effectively absorb echoes and reverbs.
From here, you may increase the volume until your live streams have the ideal sound. Additionally, it will protect the area from becoming overly static with little activity on the walls.
You can choose the ideal solution for your livestreaming setup by knowing the differences between sound tiling and soundproofing. Both techniques reduce noise, but because they employ different materials, they are best suited to particular situations.
Select soundproofing if you want to completely block out noise. On the other hand, sound tiling is the greatest acoustic treatment method for capturing sound waves and minimising echoes. Start working on reducing noise today and test out your streams on Flutin.
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