Game Dev Cheat Sheet

Unity Audio Import Settings Reference

Recommended import settings for every type of audio in your Unity project.

Unity audio import settings have a huge impact on memory, load times, and sound quality. The defaults are rarely optimal. This reference gives you the exact Load Type, Compression Format, Sample Rate, and other settings for each category of audio, with explanations of why each choice matters.

Select audio asset
Inspector
Audio Import Settings

File Format Comparison

Which format to use as your source file before Unity re-encodes it.

FormatCompressionLossyLoop SafeLicence Free
.wavWaveform Audio (WAV)None (PCM)NoYesYes
.oggOgg VorbisLossy (Vorbis)YesYesYes
.mp3MPEG Layer 3Lossy (MP3)YesNoNo
.aiffAudio Interchange (AIFF)None (PCM)NoYesYes
.flacFree Lossless Audio CodecLosslessNoYesYes

Quick Decision Guide

What kind of audio is it?

Short and frequent (under 2s)?

Decompress On Load + ADPCM + Mono. Covers SFX, footsteps, UI.

Medium length (2 to 15s)?

Compressed In Memory + Vorbis. Covers dialogue, one-shots, looping SFX.

Long and continuous (over 15s)?

Streaming + Vorbis. Covers music and ambient loops.

Needs absolute zero latency?

Decompress On Load + PCM. Only for critical UI sounds.

Related Tools

Audio Calculator

Convert between linear volume, decibels, and perceived loudness with engine code output.

Frame Budget Calculator

CPU/GPU budget breakdown by platform and target frame rate.

Scripting Order

Interactive Unity MonoBehaviour lifecycle diagram. When does Awake, Start, Update, and every callback run.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use Streaming, Decompress on Load, or Compressed in Memory?
Use Streaming for music and any clip longer than ~10 seconds: it streams from disk and uses very little RAM. Use Decompress On Load for short, low-latency SFX (gunshots, footsteps): tiny CPU cost, plays instantly. Use Compressed In Memory for medium-length clips you play often (UI, ambience).
Which compression format should I use for Unity audio?
Vorbis for music and most SFX: small file size, good quality. ADPCM for very short, frequent SFX where instant playback matters and CPU decoding cost should be near zero. PCM (uncompressed) only when you really need zero compression artefacts and the file is tiny.
What sample rate should I use for game audio?
44.1 kHz or 48 kHz for music. 22 kHz is usually fine for SFX, dialogue, and footsteps and halves the file size. Override sample rate per-clip in the Inspector under Override Sample Rate. Most players will not hear the difference on game SFX.
How do I make audio louder or quieter at runtime in Unity?
Use AudioMixer with exposed Volume parameters and call audioMixer.SetFloat("MusicVolume", Mathf.Log10(linear) * 20f). The log conversion is necessary because mixer volumes are in decibels but UI sliders are in linear 0-1.

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