A Sound Motif is a sound effect or combination of sound effects that are associated with a particular character, setting, situation or idea through the film, repeated throughout a film.

Example –

An example of a sound motif is a film is the Jaws theme. Whenever the Jaws shark is around, the simple sound motif is played. This creates a huge sense of suspense for the audience, making them know that the shark is present, creating great suspense throughout the whole film. This makes the film exciting to watch.