What Is a Soundproof Booth and How Does It Work?

A soundproof booth is a small, enclosed space designed to block outside noise from getting in and prevent sound inside from leaking out. They’re commonly used for recording vocals or podcasts, voiceovers, music practice, video calls, broadcasting, testing, and focused work in noisy environments.

What Is a Soundproof Booth?

A soundproof booth (sometimes called an isolation booth or acoustic booth) is a prefabricated or custom-built enclosure made with multiple layers of sound-blocking and sound-absorbing materials. Unlike simple foam panels, a true soundproof booth is engineered to control both noise isolation and internal acoustics.

How Does a Soundproof Booth Work?

Soundproof booths work by combining four key acoustic principles:

1. Mass (Blocking Sound)

Sound travels as vibrations through air and solid surfaces. Heavy, dense materials make it harder for sound to pass through.

Common materials:

• Steel or aluminum frames

• Thick MDF or composite panels

• Laminated or double-pane glass

 More mass = better sound blocking

2. Damping (Reducing Vibration)

Even heavy materials can vibrate and transmit sound. Damping materials reduce these vibrations.

How it’s done:

• Viscoelastic layers between panels

• Rubber or polymer isolation layers

• Specialized acoustic compounds

3. Decoupling (Stopping Sound Paths)

Sound easily travels through connected surfaces. Decoupling separates the booth structure from the outside environment.

Examples:

• Floating floors

• Isolated wall panels

• Rubber feet or isolation mounts

This prevents sound from “bridging” through the building.

4. Absorption (Improving Sound Inside)

Once sound is inside the booth, absorption materials reduce echoes and reflections so recordings sound clean and natural.

Common absorption materials:

• Acoustic foam

• Mineral wool or fiberglass panels

• Fabric-wrapped absorbers

Important: absorption improves sound quality but does not make a space soundproof by itself.