Review: One of the largest free sound download websites

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Most of the time, sound effects are the unsung heroes of any of our media, be it movies, audio tracks, video games, explainer videos, and others. People usually think these special effects are not necessary or give them less respect they deserve, but when they are removed from the media, it becomes very obvious that they have disappeared, and the music or video becomes bland. Can you imagine a nightmare on Elm Street without the scary razor fingers sounds by Freddy Krueger scraping along the wall, or imagine Star Wars without the iconic buzz of an extravagant lightsaber?

Although visuals are believed to be very important, there’ll be no meaning to the visual without good dialogues and music, which must be present in the right quality. Without the right sound effects, whatever scenes there are would simply not make complete sense. If you take sound effects without the seriousness it deserves, the quality of the pictures you’ve created would be anti-climactic and weird, to say the least. That’s why it’s so important to consider sound effects when creating content that should contain audio! So where can you download quality sound effects for your media –for free?

Where to download quality free sound effects?

There are quite several free sound effects download sites that boast of offering “the highest quality” or “the most cost-effective sound effects downloads”. However, the only way to know which of them fits the bill is to use them –and you know, you do not have all the time in the world to use the sound effect websites, before concluding. That’s why we’ve gone through the pain, and have selected the bests. And today, we will be reviewing one of the best sound effects websites to download free sounds: Zapsplat.com

What is Zapsplat?

Zapsplat.com is a digital resource that is dedicated to the supporting and promotion of independent sound effects creators as well as sound designers and libraries. The independent sound effect creators provide a small portion of their amazing works so they can enjoy the top-level exposure and promotion of the extensive network of animators, filmmakers, developers of games and applications, students, teachers, schools and many other users of sound effects who make use of Zapsplat.com.

Zapsplat offers a collection of around 57,000 free sounds (as of 29 Jan 2020) as well as a royalty-free music collection. The ability to post your requests with the “Top Searches” section gives this site a “social network” feel.

To enjoy the site, you’ll have to register for an account, then you can start downloading sound effects, but if you want to use the free sound you get from Zapsplat for commercial purposes, you must include attribution.

Of course, you may want to release your media without attribution to Zapslpat. So, to do that, you have to give a small donation, of at least £20 a year, or a small monthly fee –whatever you choose. Upon doing that, you become a “Gold Member”. As a “Gold Member” you are no longer obliged to include an attribution in your media, you’ll get faster downloads, you can download all sounds in high quality WAV or MP3 and many more.

Pros of Zapsplat

You enjoy a social media feel
New sound uploads every day
Large community (also available via smartphone app)
Facebook group for sound requests and questions
Very easy to use
You can contribute with your sounds and get advertisting for your own project (YFS also contributes sounds to Zapsplat)
You enjoy over 57,000 free sounds (as of 29 Jan 2020)

Size of the sound effect library

The sound effect library is approximately 57,000 (as of 29 Jan 2020)!

Licensing

Attribution is required for commercial purposes, however, this can be removed by providing a small donation.

Where you can use the sounds from Zapsplat?

Youtube

You may use the sounds from Zapsplat for your YouTube videos provided it is used to add value and not as the main value of the video. This means the sounds you get from Zapsplat must only be used to improve the quality of your video, and shouldn’t be the main thing.

In a game or an application

You can also use the sounds from Zapsplat as an additional effect used to enhance the quality of your games or application. This could be done through the addition of sounds for on-screen actions, menu navigation, background sounds for ambiance, and many more.

Again, you may not use the sound to be the main value of the app or page. This means you cannot use the sound to create a game where users are made to guess the sound playing. To do that, you have to contact the Zapsplat team for approval.

In a movie

Yes, the sounds from Zapsplat are very popularly used in movies and lots of users of Zapsplat use the sounds for this purpose. There is no restriction on the use of the sounds from Zapsplat in your movie. However, if you do, you must follow the stipulation of giving credit. But again, this can be eliminated by a donation.

Use in a commercial

Yes, you may use the sound from Zapsplat in your ads or commercials. The sound are free, but if you do not want to give attribution, you have to drop a small donation. If you decide to go with the monthly donation, you decide what to give – that’s fair.

Can I mix or combine Zapsplat sounds with others to create new sounds?

If you can, then there is no stopping you. You are free to combine any amount of Zapsplat sounds and use them to improve your project. However, in this case, you will not be able to claim them as new sounds to distribute outside your project, even if one of the sounds mixed from us combines completely with someone else’s. The copyright of the sound from Zapsplat stays with the sounds forever, even if they are mixed with others –unless you have paid for the rights.