Sound effects survey results Asbjoern Andersen


Looking for ideas for your next sound effects library? Good news, the SFX survey results are in – and this time around, we’ve gathered 56 ideas in total!

I’ve carried over some of the ideas from the previous surveys, too; these are marked with an *. I’ve also added some suggestions for existing material in brackets.

A big thanks to everyone who participated – hope you find the list inspiring!

Ideas for new sound effects libraries:

• African-american walla
• Animal vocalisations, clean, 192 kHz (check out the animal libraries from Krotos here – but the more, the merrier)
• Australian crowds
• Babies crying (Baby Boom or Oh Baby could come in handy here)
• Bamboo forest *
• Basketball Trash Talking
• Car engine recordings to use with LeSound Audiomotors
• Car interiors. Especially with open window
• Cars that run normally. I often find it hard to find a car pulling in or out at a normal speed. Most of the times it’s either too fast or too aggressive. Also nice, constant drive interiors again with subtle gear changes.
• Caves – textures and layers that can be used in designs
• China Ambiences – countryside, no humans
• Christmas – Especially carolers, church interiors, vintage toys (not video games), congregations singing carols, reindeer. The only album I was able to find was all bells, store interiors, traffic, sleigh bells and winter sports. It needed sounds like wrapping presents and decorating the tree, Christmas morning unwrapping gifts, family dinners, etc.
• Circus *
• Comedic sounds/accents, updated and decently extensive.
• Common Birds for city ambiences, organized per time of day
• COMMON stuff every project needs, but recorded with several perspectives: DOORS recorded from 1 meter AND 3 meters AND 5 meters, and so on.
• Crowds Library – but not angry crowds, there are tons of those. Crowds that you can’t hear exactly what people talk about, sad crowds, happy crowds, frightened crowds – and all kind of emotions we have!
• CU tires screeches and tires on different terrains, mostly tires arriving and departing in slow speed without motor or bg bleed
• Dog foley – “footsteps”, panting, breath (there are 3 dedicated dog SFX libraries here – not specifically for dog “Foley” though)
• Dragging sounds (this could be helpful)
• Electronic console sounds
• Everyday roomtones and exteriors (these may be useful)
• Explosions (there are a number of explosion-focused libraries here)
• Fishing sounds *
• Global events (Olympics, World Cup, Tour De France etc) *
• High quality big electricity sounds / sparks (libraries such as Sparks N Arcs, Polarity or Electronic Drain might be useful here)
• HQ classic combat sounds, punches, kicks
• Individual screams and insane vocal reactions, of every age and gender
• Kids, not babies, both genders, multiple characters, solo, not field recordings, a wide variety of natural/not-hammy laughs, screams, emotes etc. Avoiding words/accents so as to remain internationally applicable *
• Metal cable snaps with that whip kind of snap and cable resonance sounds
• Metal piercing sounds (there could be something useful in the Metal category)
• Middle East cars *
• Military Voices – giving orders, taking orders by single soldier and group of them. Soldiers responses to orders etc.
• Modern car alarms
• More ‘source’ libraries – ie, not designed sounds and not raw recordings
• Motor ‘sweeps’. Not just cars; other vehicle types, tools, servos, toys, WWI biplane
Office ambiences, modern – printers, scanners, copiers, modern phones and computer keyboards. Same for police stations, hospitals, hotels etc. (this office SFX library might work – for hospital ambiences, try this)
• Organic morphing sounds. Not robotic, but mutating type fx
• Outdoor “roomtone”: just a tone of exterior air (Street, park, desert etc)
• Outdoor sport practice (without crowds)
• People Moving – sitting down, getting up, single and groups *
• Pedestrians walking and moving on sidewalks without distinctive speech and with clear footsteps, light or no traffic. (something like this, this or this might work)
• Prison *
• Pro wrestling sfx – wrestling ring, bell etc *
• Quiet crowds and group movement (Quiet Spaces or Room Tones and Quiet Places could be a good starting point)
• Rolling loops of different size, weight, texture and if possible by layers organized in frequencies of wood, metal, plastic and their corresponding squeaks. For example, loops of tree logs rolling, or different size metal tanks or pipes rolling downhill on concrete etc etc. *
• Room movement
• Seagulls (there’s a dedicated Seagulls pack here)
• Severe American Weather – Midwestern blizzards, ice storms, derechos, sandstorms and real hurricanes and tornadoes, tornado warning sirens, storm shelter doors, cleaning up debris, falling debris, TV/ Weather Channel Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Signals
• Shop bells *
• Slingshot bys library *
• Small and large crowds – general murmuring, talking, clapping, rioting, panicking… It would be really useful *
• Small “fire” (candle, lighter, old lamps) *
• Thunder hits and rumbles, clean CU (there are a number of thunder SFX libraries here)
• Tropical vacation – Tropical atmospheres not all surf, boat docks, cruise ship terminals, rainforest insects and thunderstorms, wind in palm trees, beach front sports, scuba diving, wind surfing, tropical rainshowers, Carribbean town ambiences like supermarkets and department stores, fishing boats.
• UI SFX, modern game audio
• Vocals. I do all audio for short animation now and then, mostly without dialogue but with endless amounts of ‘huh’s, ‘hmm’s, ‘ah’s and ohs’, etc.
• Walla
• Weapon impacts (for regular bullet impacts, this or this library could be what’s needed)
• Wolf vocals and howls
• Worldised Royalty Free Music

Anything missing from the list? Please leave a comment below, and I’ll add it!

 

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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:

  • Step into a world of spells, mysticism, and creative power with Spells Variations Vol. 2, the follow-up to our acclaimed magical sound collection. This time, we’ve expanded the elemental and thematic range, offering 405 professionally crafted sound effects that are fully categorized and ready to use.
    Inside, you’ll find a wide variety of magical types:
    🔥 Fire
    💧 Water
    🌪️ Air
    🌍 Earth
    Electricity
    ❄️ Ice
    ☠️ Poison, Mud, Rocks
    ✨ As well as Arcane, Dark, Monstrous, and other mystical spell types.

    Each category is organized into individual folders, with multiple variations for every spell, giving you complete flexibility to choose the perfect sound for each moment, All this makes a total of 44 different spells.
    Just like in Volume 1, every sound in this collection was recorded, edited, and mastered at 192 kHz / 24-bit, ensuring top-tier quality and adaptability—perfect for professional sound designers or anyone looking for drag-and-drop magical effects for games, trailers, animations, or any audio-visual production.

    More about the pack
    – Intuitive file naming
    – All you’ll ever need regarding magical sounds [Use them again & again
    – Use the sound effects over and over, in any of your projects or productions, forever without any additional fees or royalties. Use the SFX in your game, in your trailer, in a Kickstarter campaign, wherever you need to, as much as you want to.
    – Totally mono compatibility
    – All sounds have several variations.
    – Use your imagination and feel free to use any sound for a creature other than the one described, remember that the world of sound is totally subjective.
    – For any questions or problems: khronstudio@gmail.com

    Features
    – 405 spell sounds
    – Format: 192KHz / 24 bits
    – Win/Mac: Yes
    – Minutes of audio provided: 22:26

    18 %
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  • Metal Sound Effects Moving Ship’s Steps Play Track 26 sounds included, 8 mins total $6

    Haunting, metallic creaks and moans of a ship’s steps as it shifts with the sea in Reykjavik Harbour. Recorded with a LOM Geofon this sound library contains eerie, dissonant textures and deep resonant tones, ideal for abandoned, post-apocalyptic or ghostly atmospheres.

  • NeoVolt is a carefully curated collection of over 600 electricity sounds across 60 files. Inspired by the iconic Tesla coil zap sound from Red Alert, but with so much more to offer. Perfect for any scenario featuring electricity, magic, or futuristic sci-fi elements. Contains both designed audio and source files.

     

    NeoVolt | Sound Effects | Trailer
    48 %
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Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • Electricity Sound Effects The Arcane Electric Spells Play Track 622 sounds included, 78 mins total $30

    622 meticulously processed stereo electric and lightning spells sound effects recorded in 96 khz and 24 bits for high audio definition.

    The collection comes with hundreds of variations, more than 1 hour of content and many different type of spells. It also includes raw files for more flexibility for your projects.

    This collection is perfect for any films, video games or trailers.

    The library is fully focused on electric, thunder and lightning spells. You will find simple one shot electric impacts, powerful high level thunder spells, magic weapon enchantments and so on. Spells such as lightning strike, electric blast, thunderbolt, magnetic field, thunder hammer, electric sword, lightning projectile, etc. are included in this library.

    THE ARCANE ELECTRIC SPELLS

    Recorded assets: Thunder, big and small adhesive tapes, inflated balloon, styrofoam, cellophane, various clothes, baseball glove, winter gloves, metal objects, aluminum foil, oven door, etc. Analog/digital synths and ultrasonic/geophone usage for more variety.

    40 %
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  • Bring the world of board games to life with Board Game Sound Effects Kit – Sounds for Digital Tabletop, Card, Dice and Match Games and Apps. It’s a carefully curated collection of interactive sound effects that are made especially for tabletop and mobile game creators, app designers, and RPG sound artists. Whether you’re designing a card or tile-laying game, word puzzle, family party game, or roller/dice-based adventure, this sound library is packed with the tactile, satisfying, and characteristic sounds you need for all your gameplay mechanics.

    •  1203 sound effects in total
    • All in 96kHz/24bit WAV + other formats
    • 700+ MB of samples
    • 19+ minutes of crystal clear HD audio
    20 %
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  • Delirium is a sound effects toolkit, lovingly prepared to accompany your unique and personal descent into madness. Bask in the radiance of wobbling washes of muffled screams, or perhaps some swaying, spiralling tones that make you feel dizzy and nauseous!

    Designed primarily using Madrona Labs SUMU, Delirium is perfect for creating tension-filled atmospheres, hypnotic trances, dream sequences, hallucinations and generally unusual, other-worldly situations. Wavering drones that are writhing and moving, fragmented vocal splinters of what used to be human voices before they were dragged into the void, static bursts of interference from a long forgotten transmission that should never have been found… that sort of thing.

    It does cover some areas that are more grounded in the real world (Comms Static, UI Glitches), but the majority of stuff in here is proudly un-tethered from reality.

    The library is broken down into the following categories and sub categories as part of its comprehensive UCS metadata.

    • COMMUNICATIONS: Static, Telemetry – Scrambled, Lofi, Glitch
    • DESIGNED: Distortion, Drone, Eerie, Ethereal, Granular, Rhythmic, Rumble, Synthetic, Tonal, Vocal, Whoosh – Bubbling, Clicks, Demonic, Energy, Evolving, Fizzing, Gloopy, Gritty, Hissing, Metallic, Movement, Muffled, Neutral, Pulsing, Rattling, Riser, Robotic, Scrambled, Spinning, Static, Steady, Submerged, Sweeteners, Swells, Synth, Texture, Throbbing, Tonal, Watery
    • MAGIC: Shimmer, Spell – Fragments, Metallic, Movement, Steady, Swells, Tonal, Vocal
    • SCIFI: Energy – Evolving, Movement, Riser, Steady, Surges, Swells, Texture
    • USER INTERFACE: Data, Glitch, MotionGritty, Malfunction, Movement, Smooth, Watery, Gestures

    The sounds of Delirium will allow you to travel to weird, wonderful and sometimes unpleasant places with your sonic creations whilst maintaining subtlety and versatility. They are layers waiting to be interwoven, a bag of choice ingredients, a palette of strange colours. Go forth and paint!!!

    Artwork by Jeff at Freakshow Industries.

  • Step into a world of spells, mysticism, and creative power with Spells Variations Vol. 2, the follow-up to our acclaimed magical sound collection. This time, we’ve expanded the elemental and thematic range, offering 405 professionally crafted sound effects that are fully categorized and ready to use.
    Inside, you’ll find a wide variety of magical types:
    🔥 Fire
    💧 Water
    🌪️ Air
    🌍 Earth
    Electricity
    ❄️ Ice
    ☠️ Poison, Mud, Rocks
    ✨ As well as Arcane, Dark, Monstrous, and other mystical spell types.

    Each category is organized into individual folders, with multiple variations for every spell, giving you complete flexibility to choose the perfect sound for each moment, All this makes a total of 44 different spells.
    Just like in Volume 1, every sound in this collection was recorded, edited, and mastered at 192 kHz / 24-bit, ensuring top-tier quality and adaptability—perfect for professional sound designers or anyone looking for drag-and-drop magical effects for games, trailers, animations, or any audio-visual production.

    More about the pack
    – Intuitive file naming
    – All you’ll ever need regarding magical sounds [Use them again & again
    – Use the sound effects over and over, in any of your projects or productions, forever without any additional fees or royalties. Use the SFX in your game, in your trailer, in a Kickstarter campaign, wherever you need to, as much as you want to.
    – Totally mono compatibility
    – All sounds have several variations.
    – Use your imagination and feel free to use any sound for a creature other than the one described, remember that the world of sound is totally subjective.
    – For any questions or problems: khronstudio@gmail.com

    Features
    – 405 spell sounds
    – Format: 192KHz / 24 bits
    – Win/Mac: Yes
    – Minutes of audio provided: 22:26

    18 %
    OFF

   

3 thoughts on “The 2017 SFX survey results are in: Here are 56+ ideas for new sound effects libraries

  1. SEVERE AMERICAN WEATHER – Midwestern blizzards, ice storms, derechos, sandstorms and real hurricanes and tornadoes, tornado warning sirens, storm shelter doors, cleaning up debris, falling debris, TV/ Weather Channel Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Signals

  2. Pedestrians walking and moving on sidewalks without distinctive speech and with clear footsteps, light or no traffic. Also subtle bar and restaurant ambiences with murmured, indistinct walla, light glass clinks etc. Most are too busy. And finally – a modern cell phone/computer library with new ringtones, beeps, tablet taps and tones, notifications, text alerts, start up and power down etc.

  3. Modern office ambiences – printers, scanners, copiers, modern phones and computer keyboards. Same for police stations, hospitals, hotels etc.

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