Turn words into soundscapes
Backgrounds allows you to build soundscapes by dragging words and elements onto a canvas. Mix "Strings" with "Rain", or "Analog Bass" with "Thunder" and get evolving soundscapes based on your input.
See it in action.
What is Backgrounds?
Backgrounds is a sound design tool that allows you to create immersive soundscapes by simply dragging words/ideas onto a canvas. It runs 100% on your machine. No tokens or subscription needed.
Under the hood, Backgrounds is a Semantic Audio Retrieval model and a curated bank of sound cells. It handles 11,000+ embeddings locally to return meaningful audio results.
Change the audio of the scene
Watch the scene. Play each mood below — same picture, different atmosphere.
A bank curated by musicians and sound designers.
Backgrounds is built upon a library of 22,000+ audio cells and 11,000+ embeddings carefully curated by our team for musicality. Backgrounds doesn't pull random cloud noise. Every result comes from days of experimentation and curation.
Some examples of what you can create.
100% local. No subscriptions.
Most AI audio tools meter your creativity: tokens, credits, monthly plans that expire when you stop paying. Backgrounds is different. You pay once and you own it — with unlimited hours of soundscape generation, no clock ticking, no balance running out.
Everything runs 100% on your computer. No cloud uploads. No waiting on a server. No surprise invoices. Design atmospheres all night for a film cue, a game level, or a live set — as many times as you want.
Built for how you work.
Sketch an underscore by dropping scene words on the canvas. Get a usable cinematic bed in seconds, then score against picture.
Build locations and moods from keywords — forest, hangar, neon city — without digging through sample packs.
Drop atmospheres under a beat. Mix unexpected concepts and bounce stems straight into your DAW.
Layer evolving beds from word combinations. Design long-form pieces without browsing libraries for hours.
Describe the texture you need. Let semantic retrieval pull the right cells, then refine on the canvas.
Run Backgrounds as a standalone app or plug-in and trigger keyword mixes for evolving stage atmospheres.
Features
- Local soundscape engine — no cloud, no tokens
- Drag keywords onto a canvas to design atmospheres
- Mix concepts (e.g. Strings + Rain, Bass + Thunder)
- Semantic Audio Retrieval with 11,000+ local embeddings
- Evolving cinematic ambience and atmospheres
- Standalone app for Mac and Windows
- VST3 and AU plug-in
- High-resolution UI (Retina & 4K ready)
- One-time purchase — no subscription
Part of the audio content was created
with Stable Audio Open. Powered by Stability AI.
System Requirements
macOS- Supported on Apple Silicon (Native) and Intel Macs.
- Standalone app, VST3 and AU included.
- Works on macOS 10.13 or later.
- Host must support VST3 or AU plug-ins.
- 200 MB HDD.
- 4 GB RAM.
- 64-bit app and plug-in.
- Standalone app and 64-bit VST3 included.
- Windows 10 or later.
- Host must support VST3 plug-ins.
- 200 MB HDD.
- 4 GB RAM.
Online activation required.