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As animators, you will no doubt need access to music and sound FX to score your projects. Since not everyone can afford to purchase commercial sound libraries or music services, I will happily share with you some links I have accrued over the decades.
Important Notes
Always make sure to check your license types, and needed credit for all music and audio sources. I actually suggest saving a screenshot or copy of any licensing terms or credit needs with a copy of any royalty free or free download audio or music.
Royalty Free Music
Bensound - Offers a wide range of styles, lengths, and genres with both a Creative Commons license and pro options. This sites license terms cover all music on the site, which makes it easy to keep track of.
Incompetech - Offers a selection of music all from one particular author, in various lengths and styles. The site also offer Creative Commons license or Pro option. This sites license terms covers all music on the site, unless a pro license is purchased for specific tracks.
Free Music Archive - Offers a wide range of music by independent composers covering multiple genres. Each Artist or song may have it's own licensing terms - so caution must be taken to read the terms of each track. While there are many tracks that do have a creative commons license requiring only credit, there are far more that need to have a license purchased or arranged.
Audionautix - Music written and released under Creative Commons 3.0, free to use with credit even commercially.
Sound FX
What is a video without some good sound effects. If you don't have your own purchased sound libraries, and can't go record your own, these online sound banks may help.
ZapSplat - A wide selection of sounds, royalty free, most only needing to be credited.
Soudbible - This site purports to have free sounds, though they lack a specific legal page or license terms. All sounds are listed as either Creative Commons or Attribution 3.0 public domain works.
PacDV - An online bank of royalty free sounds for use in video, film, and audio projects.
Planit 3D - Hosts sound samples, but in the disclaimer at the bottom of the page states outright they do not own and can not license them, so it is a use at your own risk type issue. For personal projects this might still be a useful resource.
freeSFX.co.uk - This appears to have a collection of sounds for use in private or commercial productions given certain conditions.
BBC Sound Effects Library - This has a lot of sound effects from the BBC library, but the terms of use are fairly restrictive and may render some of them unusable. It primarily seems to be only for personal uses, and editing or modifying the content is strictly prohibited by the license. Still, it may be of use for personal projects to some.
AUDIO TOOLS
Audacity - A free, open source audio recording, editing, and mixing software. Seems to be fairly feature rich.
SonicFire - While the free version has limits, and the musical tracks are licensed commercially separately, I have found that the pro version of this is invaluable in my editing, and some of the tracks have been indispensable to me. I first came across it with demo versions included with a video capture card I had on Windows 98 and loved the concept.
Rubberduck - A virtual Acid and techno software-synthesizer based off the legendary Roland TB-303 for those who want to make their own loops. (Free)
Jeskola Buzz - A VST Machine/tracker based audio composition tool. Very complex. Some of the demos are amazing though - but I have not had the time to really dig into it and figure it out. (Free)
Of course the best option for an serious editor and animator is to purchase a few sound libraries meant for editing and production.
I will add more as I dig through my archives and verify working links and licensing terms. If anyone else has suggestions feel free to add them here.
Important Notes
Always make sure to check your license types, and needed credit for all music and audio sources. I actually suggest saving a screenshot or copy of any licensing terms or credit needs with a copy of any royalty free or free download audio or music.
Royalty Free Music
Bensound - Offers a wide range of styles, lengths, and genres with both a Creative Commons license and pro options. This sites license terms cover all music on the site, which makes it easy to keep track of.
Incompetech - Offers a selection of music all from one particular author, in various lengths and styles. The site also offer Creative Commons license or Pro option. This sites license terms covers all music on the site, unless a pro license is purchased for specific tracks.
Free Music Archive - Offers a wide range of music by independent composers covering multiple genres. Each Artist or song may have it's own licensing terms - so caution must be taken to read the terms of each track. While there are many tracks that do have a creative commons license requiring only credit, there are far more that need to have a license purchased or arranged.
Audionautix - Music written and released under Creative Commons 3.0, free to use with credit even commercially.
Sound FX
What is a video without some good sound effects. If you don't have your own purchased sound libraries, and can't go record your own, these online sound banks may help.
ZapSplat - A wide selection of sounds, royalty free, most only needing to be credited.
Soudbible - This site purports to have free sounds, though they lack a specific legal page or license terms. All sounds are listed as either Creative Commons or Attribution 3.0 public domain works.
PacDV - An online bank of royalty free sounds for use in video, film, and audio projects.
Planit 3D - Hosts sound samples, but in the disclaimer at the bottom of the page states outright they do not own and can not license them, so it is a use at your own risk type issue. For personal projects this might still be a useful resource.
freeSFX.co.uk - This appears to have a collection of sounds for use in private or commercial productions given certain conditions.
BBC Sound Effects Library - This has a lot of sound effects from the BBC library, but the terms of use are fairly restrictive and may render some of them unusable. It primarily seems to be only for personal uses, and editing or modifying the content is strictly prohibited by the license. Still, it may be of use for personal projects to some.
AUDIO TOOLS
Audacity - A free, open source audio recording, editing, and mixing software. Seems to be fairly feature rich.
SonicFire - While the free version has limits, and the musical tracks are licensed commercially separately, I have found that the pro version of this is invaluable in my editing, and some of the tracks have been indispensable to me. I first came across it with demo versions included with a video capture card I had on Windows 98 and loved the concept.
Rubberduck - A virtual Acid and techno software-synthesizer based off the legendary Roland TB-303 for those who want to make their own loops. (Free)
Jeskola Buzz - A VST Machine/tracker based audio composition tool. Very complex. Some of the demos are amazing though - but I have not had the time to really dig into it and figure it out. (Free)
Of course the best option for an serious editor and animator is to purchase a few sound libraries meant for editing and production.
I will add more as I dig through my archives and verify working links and licensing terms. If anyone else has suggestions feel free to add them here.
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