Soundly cloud sound effects library Asbjoern Andersen


Once in a while, a game-changer comes along – and in the world of sound effects, Soundly looks to be exactly that. It’s an entirely new way of getting sound effects: It’s cloud-based, offers drag-and-drop straight to your DAW, instant access to thousands of sound effects, and it’s lightening-fast.

Another thing that’s really exciting: Soundly founders Peder and Christian are huge fans of A Sound Effect, so they brought me on board to be their exclusive distributor of premium independent sound effects! I’m currently working on bringing the libraries from the independent SFX community into Soundly.

So how does Soundly work? Check out the video introduction, read my interview with founder Peder Jørgensen – and download it for free below, so you can try it yourself:



Soundly Intro


 

Hi Peder, just what is Soundly?

Soundly is an app for Mac and Windows that gives you access to a big 96kHz, 24-bit sound effects library in the cloud, and let’s you drag and drop sound effects from the cloud library straight into your project. It works with every sound and video editor that we have tested it with, and we’ve tested it with a lot. You can also add effects like pitching, reversing, summing, hear it in real time and have it instantly printed to the sound when you drag it out.
 

When did you get the idea for Soundly, and how long has it been in the works?

I started doing more and more sound design on my laptop, and it was a drag to always have to have a hard drive of sound effects with me, so I started researching if it was possible to solve this all in the cloud. I’m a decent coder and tested different ideas, and when I got the first test version running, I really felt I was onto something big. I was amazed at how fluent and fast everything was feeling and I just went from there.

I was amazed at how fluent and fast everything was feeling and I just went from there

I’ve been working on this on and off for the last 5 years, and we have been running beta tests for the last two years so it feels like it’s ready to meet the rest of the world.
 

Download Soundly for free – and get 300+ free SFX too:

Want to take Soundly for a spin? Simply download it below for Windows or Mac, set up an account and you’re off. Oh, and you get 300+ free sound effects in Soundly in the process too!

Download Soundly for free below:
 
Download for WindowsDownload for Mac


 

Soundly offers a unique cloud based approach to sound effects. How does it work, and how about performance?

Files come down blistering fast from the cloud in very high quality and people often won’t believe it’s possible to do it that fast, but we have done some very smart things to make this work as fast as it does. The servers are running on Google’s own infrastructure so this is very fast wherever you are, and scales perfectly when we are doing stress loads – so I’m very confident the servers will hold up even under heavy load.
 

Soundly comes with librarian features too, so you can manage your existing catalog too – how does the librarian aspect work?

Yes, you can also use Soundly to index your local sound effects or music and use it as a regular librarian tool.

You can also use Soundly to index your local sound effects or music and use it as a regular librarian tool

It supports meta data in many different formats and you can also import your entire library from other sound library tools.

A cool feature is that you can monitor a local folder, so if you add new sound effects to your sound effects folder they will be indexed by Soundly and instantly available.
 

Soundly & A Sound Effect

I’m really happy to have A Sound Effect on board for the Soundly app – and the independent SFX libraries are gradually being added. The A Sound Effect website will continue to work just as before, of course, and I have lots of exciting things coming up here, too. I look forward to sharing them with you!

 

There’s also a premium SFX library included. What’s the story behind that one?

The idea behind the app was to join a librarian app and sound effects in one tool. So from the very beginning I’ve been trying to get a good sound library on board. It’s been a lot of work as most people with a good library won’t sell it as a subscription. They want to sell the whole thing for a high sum instead of what we are doing, selling a subscription at $14.99 a month. I knew Christian Schaanning from the sound design community and he has done some great films here in Norway and has also been doing some work in LA on films like Transformers 3. You can check out his imdb here.
I had just lost another Library and met him randomly and drunkenly late at a bar in Oslo… Mid week. I had been to an award show – I do sound for tv and radio adds – and he had had a seminar with some junior sound designers. We made one of those drunken deals where we where going to meet tomorrow and discuss this further, and we actually did.

As it turned out, he has made one of the best sounding sound libraries I’ve ever heard

As it turned out, he has made one of the best sounding sound libraries I’ve ever heard. It wasn’t organized yet, but he promised to get it named and tagged, and he did. We uploaded the library to the beta testers in March, and they instantly loved it. As the library is in the cloud we are constantly adding new sound effects and it’s growing every day. Christian has now joined the company and we are trying our best to save the world, together.


Popular on A Sound Effect right now - article continues below:


Trending right now:

  • Fully Universal Category System (UCS) compliant sound effects library of isolated tire skids (without any engine sounds!). This library offers detailed recordings of various drifting sounds on tarmac with both onboard and exterior microphone perspectives – 22 files, 16 min 43 sec, a total of 472mb (24bit/96khz).

    The onboard recordings were captured with DPA 4060 and Sennheiser MKH 8020 microphones.

    The exterior recordings have both stereo and mono perspectives and were captured with Neumann KM184 and Sennheiser MKH 8060 microphones.

    Cars recorded: Porsche Taycan Turbo (2021) and Toyota GT86 (2014).

  • Industrial Ambiences Wind Turbines Inner Sounds Play Track 45 sounds included, 144 mins total $15

    Wind turbine rotations and motor movements recorded subterraneously, through wire fences, metal steps and the body of the turbine.

     The results are a selection of metallic movements, evolving eerie soundscapes, atmospheric hums, whines.

     Excellent design source and sound morphing material, eerie atmospheres and dystopian environments.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSGOZXKJWbc

    Number of Sounds : 45

    Number of Files : 45      

    Total Audio Time : 2 hours  22 minutes  18  secs  ( 142 minutes 18 seconds)

    Type : WAV Stereo

    Sample Rate / Bit Rate : 192 kHz / 24 Bit

    Mastered : No

    Normalised : No

    Size : 9.92 Gb

    Metadata : Files are stamped with detailed UCS compliant metadata in Soundminer

    Documentation Included : Copyright, EULA, Images, Metadata (exported in multiple formats)

    License : A Sound Effect EULA / Terms and Conditions https://www.asoundeffect.com/license-agreement/

    Recorders : Zoom F3 and Sound Devices Mix Pre 10 II

    Microphones :  LOM Geofon, Stille and Klang small spots, Sennheiser 8040’s and 8050

    Microphone Configuration : Magnetic, Spike, Contact. ORTF and Centre Mic

    KEYWORDS : Wind Turbine , Back, Wire Fence, Metal Steps, Underground, Rotate, Inner, Motor, Vibrate, Whirr, Bass, Hum, Whine, Pulse, Atonal, Disharmonious, Breeze

    FXNAME :  Abandoned Environment, Deserted Environment, Design Source, Dystopian, Eerie Atmosphere, Post Apocalypse, Sound Morph, Uninhabited, Wind Turbine

    25 %
    OFF
    Ends 1715205599
  • “Death Space” is a sound album about science fiction space horror. These cool sounds can be used in movie trailers, games, and online videos. The album is inspired by an old science fiction movie “Event Horizon” , “Dead Space” contains 100 sounds, 96K, 24bit high-quality WAV files, with a total duration of 11 minutes and 19 seconds. Hope you like it!

    20 %
    OFF
    Ends 1714687199
  • Destruction & Impact Sounds Broken Play Track 2266 sounds included, 273 mins total $149.99

    Nothing slaps a smile on a face like the sweet sound of destruction and mayhem. Designing sound for such complex events as a collapsing building or an earthquake requires a diverse and comprehensive palette of chaos. To create such havoc, one must be equipped with the ultimate destruction sound library.

    We stopped at nothing to put together this library of utter mayhem. BROKEN boasts over 9 GB of HD quality content spread across 1940 construction kit sounds and 326 designed sounds. From car crashes, explosions, crumbling buildings, earthquakes, ripping earth and metal, to debris, BROKEN features all elements of destruction.

    Recorded in the field and on the Paramount Pictures Foley stage, this library equips sound designers for film, games, and web with the tools for creating a ruckus.

    Get wrecked. Get BROKEN.


Latest releases:

  • ‘Cartoon & Animation Vol 2’ by Cinematic Sound Design delivers the ultimate sound effects library tailored for your comedic creations, cartoons, games, and music productions. Dive into a realm of whimsical wonders with this curated collection of handcrafted sound effects, featuring an array of delightful cartoon pops, boings, jumps, crashes, impacts and a lot more.
    Crafted and captured using top-of-the-line outboard equipment including the ‘Sound Devices 702’ field recorder and Neumann KM184 microphones, each sound is processed through an Apogee Symphony AD/DA for unparalleled clarity, depth, and impact. Discover an array of truly unique SFX meticulously crafted to infuse your projects with personality and charm with a selection of zany boings, energetic jumps, clumsy falls, quirky snaps, lively runs and playful mallets.

    Product Details:

    • 121 Designed Cartoon SFX
    • 24-Bit/96kHz
    • 100% Royalty-Free

  • Unleash the full potential of your audio production with the Tool Bag Foley Sound Effects Library. Meticulously recorded with precision, this library offers an expansive collection of sounds straight from the tool shed. Whether you’re in film, television, game development, or theatre, these sounds will enhance your soundscapes and bring your scenes to life.

    29 %
    OFF
  • CRRRACK!!!

    Introducing “Wood Destruction” – a powerful sound library that brings the raw and intense sounds of wood breaking to your audio projects. This collection is designed to provide sound designers, filmmakers, and video professionals with an extensive range of wood destruction sounds. From small wooden objects to massive structures, every breaking sound is meticulously captured to deliver a sense of power and scale.

    The sounds in “Wood Destruction” are presented in a clean and isolated format, allowing for seamless integration into your projects without the need for extensive editing. Each sound is carefully labeled and categorized, making it easy to find the perfect wood destruction sound for your specific scene or sequence.

    From explosive demolition scenes to suspenseful moments of destruction, this library will be your ultimate resource for authentic and impactful wood destruction sound effects.

    26 %
    OFF
  • Environments & Ambiences Natural Water Streams Play Track 10 sounds included, 30 mins total $18

    This meticulously crafted sound effects library is an essential tool for professionals in film, game development, and audio production who seek authentic and high-quality water soundscapes.

    Recorded using high-quality equipment such as Zoom H4N, H1, and H6, these sounds offer unparalleled clarity and realism. Whether you’re creating serene nature scenes or designing complex audio environments, ‘Natural Water Streams’ provides a versatile range of water sound effects.

    28 %
    OFF
  • Industrial Ambiences Wind Turbines Inner Sounds Play Track 45 sounds included, 144 mins total $15

    Wind turbine rotations and motor movements recorded subterraneously, through wire fences, metal steps and the body of the turbine.

     The results are a selection of metallic movements, evolving eerie soundscapes, atmospheric hums, whines.

     Excellent design source and sound morphing material, eerie atmospheres and dystopian environments.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSGOZXKJWbc

    Number of Sounds : 45

    Number of Files : 45      

    Total Audio Time : 2 hours  22 minutes  18  secs  ( 142 minutes 18 seconds)

    Type : WAV Stereo

    Sample Rate / Bit Rate : 192 kHz / 24 Bit

    Mastered : No

    Normalised : No

    Size : 9.92 Gb

    Metadata : Files are stamped with detailed UCS compliant metadata in Soundminer

    Documentation Included : Copyright, EULA, Images, Metadata (exported in multiple formats)

    License : A Sound Effect EULA / Terms and Conditions https://www.asoundeffect.com/license-agreement/

    Recorders : Zoom F3 and Sound Devices Mix Pre 10 II

    Microphones :  LOM Geofon, Stille and Klang small spots, Sennheiser 8040’s and 8050

    Microphone Configuration : Magnetic, Spike, Contact. ORTF and Centre Mic

    KEYWORDS : Wind Turbine , Back, Wire Fence, Metal Steps, Underground, Rotate, Inner, Motor, Vibrate, Whirr, Bass, Hum, Whine, Pulse, Atonal, Disharmonious, Breeze

    FXNAME :  Abandoned Environment, Deserted Environment, Design Source, Dystopian, Eerie Atmosphere, Post Apocalypse, Sound Morph, Uninhabited, Wind Turbine

    25 %
    OFF
    Ends 1715205599
Need specific sound effects? Try a search below:


What’s ahead for Soundly?

We have a lot of stuff coming out the door, and upgrading will always be free as this is subscription based. We like to keep things secret before we release new features, but I can say that we are working on a revolutionary way for sound designers and video editors to work together in the cloud. Get on board now and join the revolution :)
 

Soundly – at a glance:

 
• FREE TO DOWNLOAD and comes with 300+ free sound effects, hand-picked from the exclusive Soundly PRO premium SFX catalog
• 2 PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS: PRO ($14.99/m, 5000+ SFX), 24HR pass ($9.99)
• ACCESS sound effects in the cloud from anywhere in the world
• DRAG-AND-DROP whole sound files – or snippets – from the Soundly cloud straight into your DAW, video editing suite or to your desktop
• TWEAK AND EDIT pitch, speed and reverse on any sound, and hear the results in real-time
• IMPORT LOCAL FILES – including metadata -, to easily manage your existing SFX collections
• INSTANT SEARCH to quickly find the sounds you need, across cloud libraries + local files
• THE STORE allows you to get additional free and premium sound effects libraries – immediately delivered as you need them
• BUILT FOR SPEED, as Soundly uses Google’s infrastructure for unparalleled redundancy, safety and speed

Visit getsoundly.com for more


 

Please share this:


 



 
 
THE WORLD’S EASIEST WAY TO GET INDEPENDENT SOUND EFFECTS:
 
A Sound Effect gives you easy access to an absolutely huge sound effects catalog from a myriad of independent sound creators, all covered by one license agreement - a few highlights:

  • Twisted Zither introduces you to the haunting allure of the zither, a complete kit of sounds drawn from the resonant tones of this unique stringed instrument, characterised by its flat, wooden body and horizontal strings.

    Twisted Zither features:

    • A rich assortment of over 130 recorded gestures, textures, bows, sweeps, hits, and scrapes, providing a comprehensive toolkit for sound design.
    • Over 50 ready to go custom-designed sounds, including haunting whooshes, atmospheric drones, and powerful impacts and stingers.
    • 130 individually note samples spanning 2 octaves and 3 or more velocity ranges, perfect for creating your own melodic sample instruments or sound design.

    All captured in stereo 24-bit, 96kHz resolution.

    Don’t miss out on the opportunity to add an extra layer of haunt and horror to your projects with ‘Twisted Zither’. This is an excellent addition to your arsenal for horror and haunting sounds. With a diverse range of meticulously crafted gestures, textures, and custom-designed effects, this library is your key to creating spine-chilling atmospheres and immersive soundscapes.

    38 %
    OFF
  • City Life Sound Effects Diffuse City Play Track 116+ sounds included, 752 mins total $75

    Diffuse City is the unique urban ambience sound effects library you didn’t know you were missing. It captures the urban environment in its many forms – all based around the idea of diffuse ambience.

    The Diffuse City library is purpose-built for the times an environment needs to be felt, but not be distracting.

    Every track in Diffuse City was recorded with some sort of real life “filter” in mind; be it distance, elevation, time of day, physical material – Anything to provide the feeling of city life with out the specificity of many urban ambience libraries. No distracting close car pass-bys or people talking; only great natural ambience beds.

    Diffuse City was recorded in big cities, suburbs, small towns, and rural settings over a span of two years. It was largely recorded over very late nights, when very few people we’re around. Occasionally, however, a car would pass by… a gun would go off… While these were edited out of the recordings, they are included as “extras” in the library. Perfect for adding some flavor to a moment that’s authentic to the environment it was recorded in.

    Metadata – and markers:

    In addition to thorough metadata, each ambience in Diffuse City is embedded with markers highlighting unique moments that aren’t easily visible in a waveform. Software like Soundminer v4.5 and Reaper can display these markers, making it easy to identify distinct sonic moments in an otherwise nondescript waveform.

    reaper-markers-example

    Markers in Reaper

    There are 10 areas of focus in Diffuse City:

    Elevated City • Distant Highways • Underground City • Distant City • Under Bridges • City Rumble • Empty Parking Lots • Alleys • Industrial • Window Contacts

    Hear examples and learn more about each one below

  • Environments & Ambiences SEASIDE Play Track 16 sounds included, 50 mins total $16

    Get the sounds of the sea – captured at different beaches along the Japan coast and the French Normandy coast. Recorded at the marina, pier, harbor, bridges and beaches, the SEASIDE library delivers around 50 minutes of waves, water, seagulls and more. All recordings are AB ORTF stereo, and there’s a mono center added in some cases to deliver a LCR format.

Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • ‘Cartoon & Animation Vol 2’ by Cinematic Sound Design delivers the ultimate sound effects library tailored for your comedic creations, cartoons, games, and music productions. Dive into a realm of whimsical wonders with this curated collection of handcrafted sound effects, featuring an array of delightful cartoon pops, boings, jumps, crashes, impacts and a lot more.
    Crafted and captured using top-of-the-line outboard equipment including the ‘Sound Devices 702’ field recorder and Neumann KM184 microphones, each sound is processed through an Apogee Symphony AD/DA for unparalleled clarity, depth, and impact. Discover an array of truly unique SFX meticulously crafted to infuse your projects with personality and charm with a selection of zany boings, energetic jumps, clumsy falls, quirky snaps, lively runs and playful mallets.

    Product Details:

    • 121 Designed Cartoon SFX
    • 24-Bit/96kHz
    • 100% Royalty-Free

  • Unleash the full potential of your audio production with the Tool Bag Foley Sound Effects Library. Meticulously recorded with precision, this library offers an expansive collection of sounds straight from the tool shed. Whether you’re in film, television, game development, or theatre, these sounds will enhance your soundscapes and bring your scenes to life.

    29 %
    OFF
  • CRRRACK!!!

    Introducing “Wood Destruction” – a powerful sound library that brings the raw and intense sounds of wood breaking to your audio projects. This collection is designed to provide sound designers, filmmakers, and video professionals with an extensive range of wood destruction sounds. From small wooden objects to massive structures, every breaking sound is meticulously captured to deliver a sense of power and scale.

    The sounds in “Wood Destruction” are presented in a clean and isolated format, allowing for seamless integration into your projects without the need for extensive editing. Each sound is carefully labeled and categorized, making it easy to find the perfect wood destruction sound for your specific scene or sequence.

    From explosive demolition scenes to suspenseful moments of destruction, this library will be your ultimate resource for authentic and impactful wood destruction sound effects.

    26 %
    OFF
  • Environments & Ambiences Natural Water Streams Play Track 10 sounds included, 30 mins total $18

    This meticulously crafted sound effects library is an essential tool for professionals in film, game development, and audio production who seek authentic and high-quality water soundscapes.

    Recorded using high-quality equipment such as Zoom H4N, H1, and H6, these sounds offer unparalleled clarity and realism. Whether you’re creating serene nature scenes or designing complex audio environments, ‘Natural Water Streams’ provides a versatile range of water sound effects.

    28 %
    OFF
  • Industrial Ambiences Wind Turbines Inner Sounds Play Track 45 sounds included, 144 mins total $15

    Wind turbine rotations and motor movements recorded subterraneously, through wire fences, metal steps and the body of the turbine.

     The results are a selection of metallic movements, evolving eerie soundscapes, atmospheric hums, whines.

     Excellent design source and sound morphing material, eerie atmospheres and dystopian environments.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSGOZXKJWbc

    Number of Sounds : 45

    Number of Files : 45      

    Total Audio Time : 2 hours  22 minutes  18  secs  ( 142 minutes 18 seconds)

    Type : WAV Stereo

    Sample Rate / Bit Rate : 192 kHz / 24 Bit

    Mastered : No

    Normalised : No

    Size : 9.92 Gb

    Metadata : Files are stamped with detailed UCS compliant metadata in Soundminer

    Documentation Included : Copyright, EULA, Images, Metadata (exported in multiple formats)

    License : A Sound Effect EULA / Terms and Conditions https://www.asoundeffect.com/license-agreement/

    Recorders : Zoom F3 and Sound Devices Mix Pre 10 II

    Microphones :  LOM Geofon, Stille and Klang small spots, Sennheiser 8040’s and 8050

    Microphone Configuration : Magnetic, Spike, Contact. ORTF and Centre Mic

    KEYWORDS : Wind Turbine , Back, Wire Fence, Metal Steps, Underground, Rotate, Inner, Motor, Vibrate, Whirr, Bass, Hum, Whine, Pulse, Atonal, Disharmonious, Breeze

    FXNAME :  Abandoned Environment, Deserted Environment, Design Source, Dystopian, Eerie Atmosphere, Post Apocalypse, Sound Morph, Uninhabited, Wind Turbine

    25 %
    OFF
    Ends 1715205599

   

8 thoughts on “Meet Soundly – a revolutionary new cloud-based approach to sound effects:

  1. sorry for my language, but this is fucking amazing!! drag and drop works perfectly, playback is fast, the only thing right now is lack of sounds, but that is ofcourse will change in the near future as i imagine. Again amazing app!! Will be going for paid subscription asap.

    • Fantastic, thanks Linas, glad to hear that! And indeed, there’s much more content and features on the way – stay tuned :)

  2. Is there any way to get my Filemaker database into your program? I have a ton of sound effects that are using the Filemake as the search engine. But I see i can drag my folders into your program but how do I get my database to link to it?

    • Just got word from Peder at Soundly that he might be able to help with that Filemaker database :) You can email him at mail@getsoundly.com

  3. Hi there, I am very impressed with what I had seen of this software and I am extremely interested in using this in my workflow, but have a few questions. I have a pretty extensive sound library on a server and was wondering if your software will allow me to add all of libraries and then search them locally? I was also wondering if the the metadata feature allows you to add metadata to preexisting libraries? If you could answer these questions for me, it would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you

  4. Hi Anthony,

    Thanks so much for checking out Soundly!

    Yes, there is no limit on the amount of local files you can index if you subscribe to Soundly. In the Soundly Free version, there is a limit of 2500 local files.
    You can add metadata to whatever audio file you have indexed in Soundly, and Soundly will also print this meta data to the wave file itself.

    Thanks for your interest in Soundly! We are very happy that you like it!!

    Best Christian
    Soundly

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