Scratch Track

A temporary audio recording used as a placeholder in a project, often for dialogue, narration, or sound effects. In motion design and video production, a scratch track helps guide the timing and pacing of the visuals before the final audio is recorded or added.Scratch tracks are typically recorded quickly and don’t need to be perfect—they’re there to keep the project moving forward until polished audio is ready. For example, a director might record their own voice as a placeholder for a voice actor’s final performance.