Soundproofing walls involves ripping the existing drywall off the walls (and perhaps the ceiling), filling the walls with fiberglass insulation, attaching metal strips called “resilient channel” to the studs, and fastening new drywall to the channel.

Soundproof drywall, also known as pre-damped drywall or acoustic drywall, is constructed in a unique way from standard drywall. Manufacturers create standard drywall with a combination of gypsum, clay, and mica between two thin layers of paper. Soundproof drywall has multiple layers of drywall with a sound-deadening barrier between them.

These are the most effective ways to soundproof existing walls from my list. Add Insulation Install a Second Layer of Drywall With Green Glue Use Resilient Clips & Channels Add Mass Loaded Vinyl Build a New Wall in Front of Existing Install Acoustic Foam Panels

The two main types of drywall commonly used in soundproofing are your regular type X drywall and your soundproof drywalls such as QuietRock drywall. Soundproof drywalls generally use an inner layer of gypsum, viscoelastic, and ceramics to up their STC. Some of the most popular soundproof drywalls are: QuietRock CertainTeed’s SilentFX