Ambient sound refers to any sound other than the primary sound being monitored. It is also known as background noise or ambient noise and can include environmental noises such as water waves, traffic noise, alarms, extraneous speech, bioacoustic noise from animals, and electrical noise from devices such as refrigerators, air conditioning, power supplies, and motors. Ambient sound is an important concept in setting noise levels and is a form of noise pollution or interference.
In recent years, the term "ambient sound" has also been used to describe a feature on headphones and earbuds that allows the user to hear the sounds around them while still listening to music or other audio. This feature uses the external microphones on the headphones or earbuds to pick up ambient sound and play it back to the user, allowing them to stay aware of their surroundings.
In film and video production, ambient sound refers to the background sounds that are present in a scene or location, such as wind, water, birds, crowds, office noises, and traffic. Ambient sound is important in providing audio continuity between shots, preventing unnatural silence, and establishing or reinforcing the mood of a scene.
Overall, ambient sound refers to any sound that is present in a given environment or situation, whether it is being actively monitored or not.
