Rivers and Waterfalls

This collection has over four hours of streams, rivers, and waterfalls, all recorded without birds or man-made noise. The 91 recordings offer a variety of perspectives, from close-up to distant, highlighting the natural gurgles and splashes. Everything was recorded in northern Norway, Belgium, and northern France.

I created this collection primarily for myself, aware of the many Rivers and Streams libraries out there, but I couldn’t resist sharing it after enjoying the recording process so much. The sounds capture everything from the intense rush of water just above the roaring rapids to the gentle flow of rivers hundreds of meters away. In quiet natural environments, the sound of flowing water can be heard from very far and this really impacts the soundscape in a beautiful way. I also designed some waterfall samples, focusing on texture to avoid the typical pink noise. These additions sound powerful yet natural. There are also low-end recordings of a large waterfall, captured between rock formations, which deliver a deep roar with minimal high frequencies—perfect for enhancing water sounds.

Many of the recordings were captured during a 30-day hiking trip through the northernmost parts of Norway. Crossing rivers without bridges was a significant part of the journey, and these sounds instantly take me back there, wet feet and all. I hope you’ll find them useful!