Pulse After Effects Template: Create Music-Reactive Visuals and Audio Visualizers
- Noel Powell
- Jan 12
- 3 min read
Creation Effects has released a new template that offers an easy and flexible way to create audio-reactive visuals in Adobe After Effects. Named “Pulse”, it lets music lovers and motion designers turn sound into striking visuals – no advanced After Effects knowledge required. Whether you’re creating lyric videos, VJ loops, concert visuals, music-driven Reels or Shorts, or pre-rendered backgrounds that move with sound, Pulse gives you a powerful starting point that’s easy to customize.
Pulse includes 30 unique audio visualizer “presets”, and each one can be transformed into something completely original using simple customization controls. One of the standout features is the inclusion of audio-driven effects for your own footage, allowing video clips to react directly to music. These effects include audio-driven glitches, timecode shifting, stylized filters, and 3D warping.
Pulse includes 30 unique audio visualizer “presets”, and each one can be transformed into something completely original using simple customization controls. One of the standout features is the inclusion of audio-driven effects for your own footage, allowing video clips to react directly to music. These effects include audio-driven glitches, timecode shifting, stylized filters, and 3D warping.
If you’re new to After Effects, don’t worry—Pulse includes a detailed tutorial that walks you through everything you need to know. These visualizers use a combination of your audio’s volume and frequency data to drive the animation. If you want something quick, you can simply drop in your audio, adjust a couple of volume settings, and render. If you want more control, every visual property can be customized to respond exactly the way you want.
Getting started is simple. You drop your song into the “Put Your Audio Here” composition, make sure it matches your final frame rate, and convert the audio to keyframes so the effects can read it. From there, you can preview all of the visualizers with your music and choose the style that fits best. Each visualizer is built differently, but most include hidden effects and an Optional Effects layer that you can unhide to fine-tune the look. Many styles also include 3D cameras and use the free AfterGlow preset (available on the freebies page) to create a cleaner, more consistent glow than the default After Effects glow effect.
At the heart of every visualizer is the Control Layer, which acts as the main customization hub. Controls are grouped into three easy-to-understand sections: Base Appearance, Audio Response, and Audio Amplitude. Base Appearance controls define what the visualizer looks like before the music affects it. Audio Response controls determine how properties shift as the music gets louder or quieter. Audio Amplitude controls decide which audio layer is driving the animation and how sensitive the reactions are, allowing you to fine-tune intensity, smoothness, and responsiveness for different songs.
The visualizers themselves are organized into clear categories, making it easy to find the right style for your project. Some styles react directly to your footage, while others use lines and shapes, particle-based effects created with CC Ball Action, or wispy trails that flow with the music. Many of these effects were adapted from other templates and rebuilt specifically to react smoothly and automatically to audio.
If you want a fast, flexible, and beginner-friendly way to create audio-reactive animations in After Effects, Pulse is a powerful tool that grows with you. You can check out Pulse here, to start creating visuals that truly move with your music.
To get started, download Adobe After Effects.