Want to see what libraries have been dazzling sound designers this year? In no particular order, here are 14 libraries that have proven particularly popular in 2017:
Please share: 
'Polarity' by Mattia Cellotto has sounds of electricity, science and technology. It has Jacob's Ladders, Tesla Coils, Ruhmkorff lamps, and other impacts and bursts of energy, as well as sounds of welding, plasma spheres, and 3D printers. It also has sounds of old phones, telegraphs, dynamo wheels, rotary dials, whirling watchers, alarms, lab centrifuges, roller rockers, servos, neon lights, a Wimshurst machine, sparklers - the list goes on! As an impressive collection with unique recordings, this one is one to check out!
'Gateway – Part 1, 2 & 3' by The Library by Empty Sea features three massive libraries, giving you all the door sounds you need! You'll get the creaks and knob sounds from entering sheds, offices, bathrooms, classrooms, stairways, aircraft hangars, and more. You'll also get sounds of opening cabinets, gates, compartments, mailboxes, refrigerators, dishwashers manhole covers... and with over 3,200 sounds, you know the list doesn't end there! Whether you're looking for your first door library or you already have an extensive collection, there is definitely something here you don't have.
'Thermal Flux' by Collected Transients discovers extreme temperatures for an interesting collection of elemental sounds. Ranging from -119°F to 1900°F, you’ll hear molten metal and glass being poured into water, water beads falling on hot pans, dry ice interacting with coins, white hot sand hitting liquid, and more. Captured with multiple microphones, this library also gives you the perspectives you need from the designers’ curious minds and ears. For a thermodynamic library with plenty of experimental sounds to play with, check this one out.
What can be harder to acquire than gunshots? Sounds of where those bullets went! 'Bullet Impacts' by Diegetix Sound LLC solves this dilemma with over 300 pings, pops, dings, and cracks of rounds destroying their targets. You will find metallic hits on a car door, shattering wall debris, meaty thuds of a targeted body, and much more. You will also get ricochets, reverb tails, near-misses, and underwater pass-bys to create a convincing reality in your sound design. It's no wonder this library has been so popular!
'Just Chains' by SoundBits gets you nearly 1,000 sounds of chains ranging from small, metal links to large pulley systems. You'll hear jingles that are perfect for armor, heavy clicks of a winding drawbridge, swinging and whipping metal weaponry, rhythmic chained footsteps, and more! Each performance has from 21 to 162 takes, so you'll have enough consistency to design long scenes without repeating sounds. To hear what has convinced many others to invite this into their collection, give the demo a listen!
'WINGS' was the first library created by Bonson and they couldn't have compiled a better collection. Featuring 1,400 sounds of wings - from the tiniest of insects to fantastic dragons - this library will inspire the creatures you design for your project. These detailed recordings of carefully-crafted flaps offer variation in speed, proximity, and performance with sounds of landing, taking off, hovering, and flying frantically. Plus, the 192kHz sample rate and designed versions offer immediate use as well as flexibility. This collection of airborne travel will last you for projects to come!
'Swordfighter' by Squeaky Fish doesn't hold back in its sword-swinging warrior action. This library has 180 vocals of male and female fighters giving it all for the Queen, both as lone soldiers and as a mighty horde. It has swooshing, slicing sword action, as well as sounds of the weapons being dropped, drawn, sheathed, and more. It also features sounds of knife-throwing, surface impacts, and two separate folders optimized for film/TV and game development. This well-rounded library is a no-brainer for your collection, and it deserves its admiration.
'Tinnitus' by Badlands Sound has effects that emulate that strange feeling most of us have felt when a loud sound suddenly engulfs us and leaves us light-headed with ringing ears. In this library, you'll hear high-pitched tones baked into evolving soundscapes that wash over you like tense, threatening waves. The metadata also includes plenty of information to lead you through these abstract sound ideas, such as "ear piercing", "pulsating", and "airy" to help you find what you need quickly. For a creative take on this medical condition, check out this library.
The 'Gamemaster Pro Sound Collection' by Gamemaster Audio has been a favorite practically since it was released! Compiling the 14 Gamemaster Audio libraries - including popular collections like 'Guns, Bullets, and Explosions', 'Magic and Spell Sounds', and 'Human Vocalizations' - this bundle is a steal for fast prototyping and adding punch to your game. All together you get over 8,000 ready-to-go sounds for your FPSs, RPGs, mobile games, and more, so give the demo a listen and hear why it's a steady favorite.
Mattia Cellotto went all out to create this diverse library of ice sounds. 'Glacier Ice' contains 300+ sounds from every frozen scenario imaginable — crackling hollow ice and river surfaces, exploding ice blocks, falling chunks of various sizes, swirling ice cubes, collapsing icebergs, massive avalanches, underwater sounds, and even a horrific sledge hammer as it's dragged across the ice. Mattia braved two winters in the Italian Alps to give you these high-quality ready-to-go ice sounds, and it was definitely worth it!
'Noise Elements: Electrical & Interference' by Glitchedtones features buzzing sounds of imagined electricity and interference that will add distinct tones to your alien transmissions and harsh static. You'll get 36 of these interesting sounds, allowing you a much richer range in your sci-fi and horror projects. Plus, you'll get bonus content with selections from their other libraries 'Data Disruption', 'Drones', 'Signal Interference', and more. Whether you're working on a project inspired by Dead Space, Fallout, or Stranger Things, you'll find the tense noise you're looking for here!
'Eclectic Whooshes' by Airborne Sound is a collection 375 whooshes with a subtle touch to give your objects in motion the uncanny recognizability they need. In this library, you will hear buzzing pass-bys, airy blasts, fiery bursts, plasmic stutters, power downs, lightning strikes, tonal warbles, and much more. Being from Airborne Sound, these recordings are no doubt high-quality, so you can bend them to fit a large machine or even a quick logo. If you need that a perfect movement, check out this library.
'Lethal Energies' by Digital Rain Lab packs a punch that many cannot resist. This library was created to be the ultimate sci-fi weapon library, and with over 1,000 comprehensive sounds, it has achieved its goal. You can hear buzzes and explosions for blasters, cannons, lasers, electric currents, force fields, servos, sensors, and more. It even has its own construction kit that will give you seemingly limitless options. Once you see its jaw-dropping price, we bet these sounds will be on your next timeline.
For dynamic, sparkling User Interface sounds that seem to trickle from a spacecraft dashboard, 'High Tech Interface Sounds' by Lesser Vibes will put you in the captain's chair. This library features 280 sounds of beeps, bloops, and clicks that signal notifications, data processing, text transmissions, and more. It also has bursts, crackles, sparks, alarms, drones, and buttons sounds to give you all the components of a functioning ship dashboard. This library has proven its favor, so let it inspire your next sci-fi RTS or space opera.
