Top 5 Mind-Blowing Sound Effect Subscription Services
If you’ve been looking for sound effects, you know that it’s not always easy to find one that fits your project perfectly. In this post, you will find a list of some of the most important digital libraries of the past year and that, for sure, will still be trendy in 2023.
But first, and to avoid legal problems, it is essential that you are aware of what types of licenses exist. It’s simple: on the one hand, there are sound effects without any kind of license; on the other hand, there are sound effects under the Creative Commons license, and, finally, there are sound effects under Royalty-Free licenses. When reviewing a digital library, never forget to read about it! It’s easy to feel amazed by the amazing services of a platform, and, after using it for your projects, realizing that things were not as pretty as they seemed in the first place.
Normally, in the first two categories, the effects are free. In the third one, those under royalty-free licenses are usually paid, although their price is usually low, and their quality and variety are much higher.
So, we will talk about these subscription platforms today.
The first one is Soundly. This application works with artificial intelligence and is dedicated to the management of both local and online libraries. It is based on a system that integrates the possibility of indexing audio files from the computer or searching through the network, as well as being able to expand the number of sound effects through an integrated store that offers both free and premium libraries.
In addition to the file organization system (which, by the way, integrates full support with metadata and Soundminer libraries), Soundly also integrates a basic audio editor that offers pitch, speed, and reverse control, with real-time pre-listening and drag-and-drop export transformation.
The second platform is the famous SoundQ. It is a library software that connects with virtually any audio editor, as it integrates seamlessly with all NLEs and DAWs. It offers you a countless range of high-quality sound effects and music tracks, which are downloaded directly from the cloud to your device (which is quite positive, considering that this speeds up the audio production process and improves the quality of your work with less effort…). In addition, the program is royalty-free and copyrighted for commercial use worldwide, which takes a lot of legal burdens off your back. SoundQ also has a wonderful file organization system that will save you a lot of time, since you won’t spend hours searching for resources and you’ll be able to focus on what is essential: creating.
On the other hand, we have Pond5. This is one of the most important and widely used free content libraries in the industry; quite popular among TV producers, advertisers, and filmmakers. Why? Well, because it is particularly useful in terms of finding and implementing high-quality content in your projects, thanks to a HUGE bank of sounds, images, music and video (and the latter can save you a lot of time and money if you learn to take full advantage of all the services of this platform…). Pond5 is licensed for commercial use, but the prices are fair. In addition, it offers you a range of editing and customization tools with which you will be able to find and use content efficiently.
Envato Elements is another gem that’s widely used by creative professionals of all kinds. It’s a media stock that offers a long list of assets, such as website templates, graphic elements, images, music, and sound effects. Unlike other stock platforms, Envato Elements offers a monthly or annual subscription that gives you access to its entire catalog of content (so you don’t have to buy each item separately). Note that this platform’s services operate with a license for commercial use, but the price is low in relation to the quality of the service (Individual plan — from $16.50 a month, and includes a free trial).
Finally, there is Soundsnap, the largest free sound bank you could find. On this platform, you can search and share audio files, as well as maintain a wide directory of sound effects, loops and mixes created by millions of users around the world (in fact, Soundsnap was created by a group of music lovers to build a file directory). It also has a “featured sounds” section to help users find the best resources for their projects.
Don’t forget that there are free platforms with Creative Commons licenses, such as Freesound, GRSites, or The Recordist, that allow you to download sounds at no cost — but that will be the subject of another post.
If you need more information about these topics, as well as advice about your audio or video projects, don’t hesitate to contact us. Enhanced Media Sound Studio will be happy to help you take your work to the next level.
