Free Sound Effects: Top 5 Websites to Search
Are you a video producer, Youtuber, or content creator? If yes, then you are probably often searching for sound effects for your videos. It can be difficult to find the right website that offers royalty free sounds without restrictions.
Finding the right sounds and effects is hard, but if you search the correct websites it can be a breeze. Check out the websites listed below to find the top websites that offer royalty free sound effects. The sites below offer great search functionalities with filtering, so you can find exactly what you need! Special thanks to Matthew Henry for the photo used in the cover image.
Related: Free Music for Video Editing: Find Background Music for Your Videos
Free Sound
Free Sound is a wonderful website with thousands of free sound effects. It has thousands of sounds that are all released under the Creative Common license making them usable for reuse.
This website is incredibly easy to use. It is very easy to find that one specific sound you are looking for. With their large database of sounds you can be specific as you need to be to find the exact sounds you need.
One area to be cautious of using this website is the way they use their licenses. All the sounds on Free Sound are free. Just make sure to check the right side of the page to see the license type. There will be one of three things next to the Creative Commons logo: zero (no license), attribution (credit the author), and attribution-noncommercial (can’t be used for commercial purposes).
Free SFX
Free SFX is a United Kingdom based website offering more than 4,500 sound effects. Beyond the sound effects they offer another 850 music tracks in a wide variety of genres you have access to it all for the low price of free.
They separate their sound effects into four different categories. The first category is isolated sounds. These sounds are the everyday sounds we hear often such as doorbells, horns, and dogs barking. The next category is specialty effects. Sound SFX considers specialty effects “sounds that exist only in our imaginations.” The next sound category is Foley sounds. Foley sounds is named after Jack Foley who pioneered the sound replacement field. This is a unique category that contains sound effects like footsteps, rustle of clothing, and items being placed on a table. These sound effects are very specific and are intended to be used in films to be dubbed in post production. You may know this Foley sound category as audio sound replacement. The last category is background sounds and this includes atmospheric sounds to provide a soundscape.
The only catch to using Sound SFX is that you must credit freesfx.co.uk if you choose to use their sound effects.
Sound Bible
Sound Bible is another great website that offers thousands of free sound effects. On their website you will see they have a section called “Royalty Free Sounds.” Under this tab you will see all the sounds they offer that are completely free with no restrictions. This results in these sounds that are free for you to use anyway you see fit.
On Sound Bible you will see another tab that says “Sound Effects.” The sound effects in this tab are also free, but will require a more careful look. Ensure that you check the license type on these to ensure you are giving credit if necessary or using them for non-commercial purposes. However, many of the sounds in that tab are zero license sounds. Be sure to do your due diligence before using them though.
An interesting feature Sound Bible offers is the ability to request a new sound. However, to take advantage of this offer you must become a patron on their Patreon.
ZapSplat
ZapSplat offers 55,117 sound effects across many different categories. From specific animals like pigs and dogs to kitchen appliances to glass shattering you can find whatever you are looking for on ZapSplat. With 26 different categories there are plenty of sounds to choose from.
On their website they offer many different sounds. You can find free SFX packs with multiple different specific sounds like mountain streams, footsteps in high heels, and footsteps on dry grass. To go along with this ZapSplat offers 286 royalty free music tracks. ZapSplat records new music daily so if you cannot find the sound you are looking for at the moment check back later.
ZapSplat has a growing community where you can upload your own sound effects and even request new sound effects. Requesting a sound effect is easy and they will typically create the sound you request in a day or so depending on difficult or easy your request is.
SEE ALSO – 10 Websites to Download Freebies for Videographers
99 Sounds
99 Sounds is an indie design label who’s goal is to provide high quality sounds for free. All of the sounds featured on 99 Sounds are made to be used commercially and non-commercially. However, they do not offer individual sounds like the other websites listed. They instead offer bundles of up to 158 sounds.
Their categories are unique and specific making it easy to find what you need. However they do not carry as many sounds as the other websites listed. 99 Sounds at the moment offers 32 different bundles that range from “hands make sound” to “rain and thunder” to “punching percussion.” If you want specific high quality sounds be sure to check them out.
