The Lost Art of Audio-First Animation — And Why It’s Time to Bring It Back!!

Sound-synchronized cartoons kicked off the Golden Age of Animation in 1928, giving rise to iconic cartoons like Steamboat Willie and The Skeleton Dance.  While media production was still in its infancy, one crucial practice was established early on: soundtracks were created before the animation. That’s right—dialogue, music, and sound effects were recorded first, locking in the timing of every scene so animators could literally “draw to the audio.” The result?  Precision, emotion, and timeless classics that continue to inspire today.

To better understand the advantage of an audio-first production, the animators work their magic over finalized audio to get perfect timing, pacing, and tone—without the stress of costly re-dos or awkward fixes down the line. Script changes and post-syncing dialogue are problematic and frustrating, while board revisions are costly and painstaking, so why not eliminate the need for pickups and revisions altogether by locking in your audio before animation begins? This workflow fosters seamless collaboration and keeps creative teams in sync, crafting more iconic gags, emotional moments, and memorable rhythms from the start.

But if "audio-first" was so effective... WHY did it fade away?

When television took off in the 1950s, the pressure to produce content faster and cheaper led to slashed budgets and tighter schedules. Animation became more limited in effort and scope, making timing adjustments expensive and time-consuming—especially with tape-based audio, which was notoriously hard to edit. Since dialogue and music were recorded on tape, any changes to scenes required manual splicing, re-recording, or complete rebuilds—slowing things down and racking up costs. The tools and budgets of the era simply couldn’t keep up with the demands of animation studios.  So, sound became an afterthought as the execs prioritized cutting costs above all else. And with that, there was no longer a tangible blueprint for everyone to follow.  The pipeline fragmented: writers wrote, board artists boarded, animators animated, and audio was considered part of post-production.  Standardized and recycled sound elements became the norm, and many cost-conscious studios began to ask: Why bother locking it in early?

Unfortunately, this process became accepted and it set a standardized pipeline that–especially today–results in so much bottle-necking, miscommunication and stress that impedes the creative fluency that animation thrives on.

But things have changed.

Audio technology has evolved DRAMATICALLY since the days of reels and razor blades. With modern digital audio workstations like Pro Tools, sound is now infinitely editable, flexible, and lightning-fast. Remote workflows allow teams to record, edit, and collaborate from anywhere. And with more integrated pipelines, experienced audio teams like PreSound with showrunning and storytelling experience can shape tone, timing, and emotion for every genre and from the very beginning—rather than layering it on at the end.

Animation demands are higher than ever, but timelines and budgets? Shrinking. That’s why starting with audio first isn’t just creatively powerful—it’s strategically smart.

So now, at long last, Audio-first makes sense again!

At PreSound, we’re reviving this golden-age approach with modern tools and tactics. We are the industry’s most experienced source for audio-driven preproduction, and we’ve become a trusted part of the creative braintrust—delivering broadcast-ready audio before a single frame is drawn. It saves time. It saves money. It reduces stress. And it works.

Over the past 12 years, we’ve helped create hundreds of episodes for major networks and studios. Our Emmy-winning team of composers, engineers, and showrunners has perfected the audio-first preproduction mode for all genres of animation—and now, our services are available to studios of all sizes!

🎧 Ready to hear the difference PreSound can make for your next project? 

🐟 Dive into our animated trailer and book a free consultation!

www.PreSoundStudios.com

👉 info@presoundstudios.com

📞 (888) 687-8743