Sound Types
The three types used throughout the Unity Audio Manager — whether you assign sounds in the Inspector or retrieve them at runtime.
Overview
Every sound in the Audio Manager maps to one of three types: AudioCollection, SingleSound, or SoundFromGroup. The type you use depends on how the sound is organized in the Audio System window, not on how you reference it in code.
Both Inspector Assignment and Get Functions return these same types — the only difference is whether you wire them up in the editor or look them up by name at runtime.
AudioCollection
An AudioCollection is a grouped set of related sounds — music tracks, footstep variants, ambient loops, character voice lines, or UI sound packs. Use it when you need to manage or play from an entire group rather than a single clip.
Collections support playing a specific sound by name, triggering a random entry from the group, and stopping individual sounds without affecting the rest of the set. For the full API, see the Audio Collections page for the API reference and common use cases.
SingleSound
A SingleSound is a standalone clip for one-off moments — button clicks, jumps, item pickups, and similar isolated effects. Use it when the sound exists on its own and does not belong to a larger group.
Single sounds support the same playback controls as other types, including volume, pitch, fades, and random pitch variation. See the Single Sound page for the API reference and common use cases.
SoundFromGroup
A SoundFromGroup is a reference to one specific sound inside a collection. It gives you direct access to a single entry while keeping the parent group organized in the Audio Manager.
Use this type when you know exactly which sound within a group you need — for example, a specific footstep variant or a named UI click inside a larger sound pack. Details are on the Sound from Group page for the API reference and common use cases.
Choosing a Type
The type is determined by how you set up audio in the Audio System window — you do not pick it arbitrarily in code. If a sound is registered as a single clip, you get a SingleSound. If it lives inside a group, you either reference the whole collection or target one entry with SoundFromGroup.
Quick reference
AudioCollection — work with an entire group of related sounds.
SingleSound — a standalone effect or clip outside any collection.
SoundFromGroup — one specific sound pulled from inside a named collection.