Where can I get non copyrighted sound effects?

YouTube videos that feel the most complete are the ones with great sound effects. Sound effects can help stir emotion in viewers and set the tone for a video.

When making YouTube videos, you need to ensure that you have the right to use particular sound effects. Many websites allow you to download royalty-free sound effects, but not all sites are created equal.

This article introduces the best places to find royalty-free sound effects for your YouTube videos. Let’s jump right in!

1. Freesound

Freesound is a huge collaborative database of free sound effects with a forum for sound artists to interact and be inspired. They have thousands of sounds and sound effects released under Creative Commons licenses. You can upload and download sound effects to and from the website.

The site lets you search for sound effects using keywords and look at their ratings to determine their quality before downloading. You can also see other information about a track, like type, size, bit depth, and whether it’s mono or stereo.

2. PacDV

PackDV has been around since 2001. The site includes a collection of royalty-free sound effects that have been used in several TV programs, games, and films. Though PaCDV doesn’t have a search feature, it has a list of sound effect categories.

3. AudioJungle

Audiojungle is part of Envato Market, a marketplace with thousands of musicians, designers, and developers. AudioJungle has over 130,000 sound effects and is one of the largest collections of royalty-free sound effects. You can choose from nature, games, industrial, and much more.

This easy-to-use website has a fantastic search tool, allowing you to find the right sound clip fast. You can filter sounds by category, tags, and price. You can also view the rating of each track and the number of downloads.

AudioJungle, like Artlitst, a music licensing platform, hosts music and sound effects. You can get sound effects for as little as $1 or sometimes for free. The site offers a monthly freebie collection that includes sound effects, music, and video effects, that you can download and use.

4. SoundBible

SoundBible has thousands of free sound effects that you can use for your YouTube videos. Downloads are free, with no login required. Some sounds are covered under commercial and non-commercial licenses.

The website has a search bar you can use to find sound effects with keywords and has an option to request new sounds. It also makes it easy to see the license of each sound effect.

5. ZapSplat

ZapSplat is a collection of thousands of sounds and professional sound effects in categories like horror, nature, and cartoon, which makes it great for many YouTube video niches. The site has a clean and easy-to-use interface with an instant-download section.

The library gets updated weekly for new and fresh sounds. You can look up sound effects by typing keywords in the search tool.

While you can download just about any sound effect for free, there are some limitations for free users, like attribution for commercial use and no free WAV files. Those who upgrade to a Gold account for a fee can download higher-quality clips faster with no attributions.

6. FreeSFX

FreeSFX includes over 4,500 individual sound effects files. The platform offers free sound effects that you can use after recording a YouTube video. Although the sound effects are free, you’ll need to credit the site.

The sound effects are separated into a wide range of categories, including background sounds, specialty effects, and Foley sounds.

FreeSFX is easy to navigate, and you can use the search bar to find the right sound effect quickly.

7. AudioMicro

If you’re looking for professional sound effects at affordable prices, AudioMicro might be your best bet. The site hosts over 500,000 tracks, many from renowned media sources. Contributors include Oscar and GRAMMY-winning sound effects artists and production houses.

The site has sound effects like cartoon and comic effects, crowd sounds, guns and weapons, to mention a few. You can easily use the site’s powerful search tool to find what you want. Most of the sound effects aren’t free, and the free ones can’t be used in commercial projects.

8. SoundEffects+

SoundEffects+ offers over 5,000 sound effects recorded and produced by the site’s audio professionals. Their works are trusted by some leading companies, like Sony, Philips, and LG, and all their sound effects are royalty-free. While not all of them are free, they have clear licensing agreements.

9. Partners In Rhyme

Partners in Rhyme has been around since 1996. Though the site specializes in royalty-free music, it has a decent library of sound effects from many genres. Many of the free effects are not owned by the platform, so commercial users may want to use soundtracks from Free Sound Effects, their other site.

Partners In Rhyme is a well-structured, navigable sound effects database. It also includes a search bar you can use to search for the sound effect you need for your videos.

10. 99Sounds

99Sounds is a collection of sound effects that you can download for free. The sounds are split into categories, making it easy to find what you need on the website. The site lets sound designers share their work with the audio community.

While the number of sound effects is somewhat limited, the site hosts very diverse and distinctive sound effects. You can download and use them for commercial and non-commercial projects. However, sound clips are only available for download in packs.

11. PremiumBeat

PremiumBeat, a Shutterstock company, is a library of royalty-free sounds with flexible licenses. A team of composers creates the tracks, which are exclusive to the PremiumBeat library. The site has a selection of quality sound effects that you can use in any commercial or personal project for free.

Sound Effects Can Jazz Up Your Videos

Without proper sound effects, your visuals would feel too raw. The right sound effects can enhance the mood of your YouTube videos.

Loyalty-free sound effects allow you to get the appropriate sound effects for your videos at an affordable price or even for free. This article covers some of the best royalty-free sound effects libraries out there, so go ahead and try them out.