Acoustic painting or acoustic artwork? The difference

An acoustic painting and an acoustic artwork are often used interchangeably, but are not automatically the same. An acoustic painting is usually a print on canvas or fabric, stretched on a wooden frame, without the material itself absorbing sound. An acoustic artwork is made of a sound-absorbing material such as felt, where the damping is in the material itself. The difference is therefore not the name on the website, but what actually hangs on your wall.

If you search for "acoustic painting", you will find results that use that word for a regular canvas print, thin fabric, wooden frame, with nothing else special about the material. This is not a problem if you are just looking for a beautiful painting, but if you actually want to dampen reverberation, you are not really buying anything acoustic. Below you will find the difference, and what to look out for before ordering.

What exactly is an acoustic painting?

The term "acoustic painting" is widely used in practice, and that is precisely the problem. With many providers, it is simply a print on canvas, with the same thin, stretched fabric as any other painting. Canvas itself absorbs hardly any sound; it is a tightly stretched, relatively hard surface. Without a thick, porous layer behind it, such a painting will do little to nothing to reduce reverberation in a room, even if "acoustic" is in the product name.

What then is an acoustic artwork?

An acoustic artwork, like the artworks from Pieces of Art, is made from recycled felt, a thick, porous material that actually absorbs sound waves instead of reflecting them. This applies to both the 3D relief works and the Fine Art Prints; the distinction from a regular painting lies in the material, not the image on it. The damping has also been measured at three levels: Essential (60%), Extra (80%), and Ultimate (100%).

How do you recognize the difference before ordering?

Material. Ask what the "painting" is made of. Canvas or fabric is decorative, felt or a similar open, absorbent material is acoustically functional.

Thickness. Acoustic performance is related to thickness and density. A thin, flat work of a few millimeters does little acoustically, regardless of the name. Our own artworks, depending on the damping level, have a frame depth of 4.1 to 7.2 cm.

Concrete figures. A provider who cannot quote a damping percentage or similar value is probably selling a regular painting with an acoustically sounding name attached.

Customer Sigrid aptly described the difference after hanging the artworks Ada & Iva: "Very happy with our acoustic paintings. Delivery as agreed and very well packed. They are beautiful." Exactly that, an artwork that is truly acoustic, instead of just being called one.

Why is a regular painting still called "acoustic"?

Often, it's not intentional deception, but a marketing term that has stuck. "Acoustic" sounds appealing for interior art, and many sellers use the word for atmosphere, without any sound-absorbing material behind it. For those who just want a beautiful wall, it doesn't matter much. For those who actually want to dampen reverberation, it is the difference between spending money on a solution and spending money on just an image.

Does every acoustic artwork work the same way?

No, and that's an honest caveat: the more felt, the more sound is absorbed. Every artwork in the collection can therefore be ordered in three damping levels, Essential, Extra or Ultimate, including bestsellers such as Noé & Noah and Ezer & Ezra. This way you choose based on how strong the reverberation is in your room, not just based on the image.

How do you choose between a painting and an acoustic artwork?

If you're purely looking for a beautiful image for your wall, you still don't have to settle for a regular print. Pieces of Art's artworks are, first and foremost, simply beautiful; the acoustic function is an added bonus, with no extra cost or compromise on design. If you want the artwork to actively contribute to a calmer space, it's worth consciously choosing a damping level, instead of just going by the image. Want to read more about how acoustic panels and materials in general work? We explain it in Acoustic panels: what they are and how they work. Curious about how the felt feels and which color suits you? Order a sample box, the amount will be refunded with your order, or check out the bestsellers immediately.

Frequently asked questions about acoustic painting versus acoustic artwork

Is every acoustic painting truly acoustic?
No. The term is often used for ordinary canvas prints without sound-absorbing material. Ask about the material and a concrete damping value to see the difference.

What makes felt acoustic and canvas not?
Felt is thick and porous, allowing sound waves to penetrate the material and convert into heat instead of reflecting. Canvas is thin and tightly stretched, reflecting sound largely, regardless of the image on it.

Does the image on an acoustic artwork make a difference to the damping?
No, the acoustic performance lies in the material and thickness, not the design. A 3D relief and a Fine Art Print of the same damping level work equally well acoustically.

Can I make a normal painting acoustic afterwards?
Not really. A thin print remains largely acoustically inactive, even with a thicker frame. For true damping, you need an artwork made from an open, sound-absorbing material.