A
laugh track (or
laughter track) is a separate soundtrack for a recorded comedy show containing the sound of audience laughter. In some productions, the laughter is a live audience response instead; in the U.S., where it was most used, the term usually implies artificial laughter (
canned laughter or
fake laughter) made to be inserted into the show. This was invented by American sound engineer
Charles "Charley" Douglass.