äänipuolella

Äänipuolella is a Finnish term used in media production to denote the audio side of a project. It encompasses all aspects of sound that accompany the visual material: dialogue, music, sound effects, ambient sounds, and the processes of recording, editing, design, and mixing. The term is commonly used to distinguish the work of the sound team from the kuvapuolella, or visual side, in planning documents, shoots, and post‑production.

In practice, the audio department may include several roles. The äänisuunnittelija (sound designer) creates the acoustic world of the piece, the äänittäjä or ääniteknikko records dialogue and ambient sounds on location, and the äänimikseri handles the on‑set and post‑production mixing to balance levels and space. During post‑production, editors may perform dialogue editing, Foley artists create synchronized sound effects, and composers or music supervisors provide musical content. The final stage is the äänimiksaus, or mixing, followed by mastering to ensure consistency across playback systems. The concept is applied across cinema, television, theatre, radio, and digital content.

The idea of ääni puolella reflects the technical and artistic decisions involved in sound, including microphone choice, room acoustics, sound treatment, and the integration of music and effects with picture. While the exact responsibilities vary by production, ääni puolella generally denotes all planning, recording, editing, and mixing tasks relating to sound separate from the visual track.