canned laughter

Idioms  

1. Also, canned music. Prerecorded sound effects that can be played repeatedly, as in That canned laughter doesn't make his jokes any funnier, or Canned music is greatly reducing the number of musical jobs available. O. Henry had the term in his story, Cabbages and Kings (1903): “We'll export canned music to the Latins.” Canned laughter today is often used in broadcasting to simulate the reaction of a nonexistent live audience. [c. 1900]

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Example Sentences

Kimmel has replaced his live audience with canned laughter that sparkles forth in all the right spots.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2021

A test episode screened last week for reporters had no studio audience and no canned laughter.

From New York Times • Apr. 12, 2018

If it wasn’t canned laughter and there was a real audience, then they must have had a copy of the script.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2017

"No one believes it, but with Porridge there's no canned laughter at all - what you hear is the real audience reaction. It's like being at the Young Vic."

From BBC • Dec. 5, 2016

It was pretty quiet except for a sudden burst of canned laughter from the neighbor’s TV and the occasional buzzing from an annoying mosquito.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas