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:

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    These sounds are meticulously processed and polished, yet intentionally left with enough space to sit perfectly under your own layers. They’re bold enough to add instant character, but subtle enough to leave room for further creativity. This makes Seismic Core not just a toolkit, but a true starting point for powerful, flexible, and unique sound design.

    This collection of Building Blocks contains following categories:

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    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

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    • Over 350 sounds! 
    • All assets have been processed including noise reduction
    • Over 15 minutes of content 
    • Universal Category System (UCS) Compliant 
    • Deliverables of 192khz, 24 bit, Stereo WAV files
    • Royalty-Free for Commercial Use 
    • Full Embedded Metadata 
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    All sounds are provided in stereo format.

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    The results are rich and resonant gong like tones perfect for sound design, ambient compositions, cinematic soundscapes or adding unique character to your creative projects.

     

    Recorder : Sound Devices Mix Pre 10II and Zoom F3

    Microphones : LOM Geofon, Stille and Klang, Organic Audio Cjossul

    Microphone Perspective : Magnet and Contact

    Source Files – WAV Mono

    Grouped Files for Easy Reference Included

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

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    A variety of actions were recorded, including handling, shaking, sliding, and pickup/drop movements on various surfaces and inside both wooden and metal ammo boxes. The combination of metal links and cartridges provides a rich palette of mechanical textures, manipulations, and impacts.

    Captured using both stereo and mono setups, this collection offers foley recordings suitable for weapon handling design, military props, mechanical sound layering, and more.

    Gear used

    MixPre-6 II • MKH30 • MKH8040 • C411 • MKH416


    Metadata

    This sound library is UCS compliant and comes with fully embedded metadata compatible with Soundly, Soundminer and Basehead.

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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:

  • Seismic Core is a modern sound effects library crafted to give your sound design its defining foundation. Every element in this collection is built for layering. Designed not to dominate, but to enhance, shape, and energize your creations. Whether you’re working on cinematic hits, trailers, motion design, game audio, or abstract sonic branding, Seismic Core delivers the essential low-end weight, transient snap, and textured grit that bring your designs to life.

    These sounds are meticulously processed and polished, yet intentionally left with enough space to sit perfectly under your own layers. They’re bold enough to add instant character, but subtle enough to leave room for further creativity. This makes Seismic Core not just a toolkit, but a true starting point for powerful, flexible, and unique sound design.

    This collection of Building Blocks contains following categories:

    • IMPACT *
    • BREAK *
    • WHOOSH *
    • SUSTAIN *
    • TRANSIENT (high and low)

     

    * Also including HEAVY & SUB variants

    Build with it. Layer on top of it. Drop the anchor. Feel the quake. Design from the core.

    25 %
    OFF
  • 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

    45 %
    OFF
    Ends 1754776800
  • Charge up on magical energy with our Spells Variations Vol 1 sound library! We’ve designed this collection to give you a wide range of magical effects, allowing your project to shine with an extraordinary variety of sounds. With 361 fully categorized and carefully named magic sounds, you’ll have everything you need to create an immersive and magical atmosphere.

    Explore categories such as arcane magic, water magic, electric magic, zaps, whooshes, celestial magic, dark magic, summons, and much more. Each effect has been meticulously recorded,edited and distributed at 192 kHz and 24-bit, ensuring exceptional sound quality. Whether you’re a professional sound designer or just looking for magic effects to drag and drop into your projects, you’ll find what you need here.

    Our files have been named to reflect the essence of each magic, making it easy to intuitively find the perfect sounds for your creation.

    More about the pack
    – Intuitive file naming
    – All you’ll ever need regarding magical elemental 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
    – 361 spell sounds
    – Number of Audio Waves: 361
    – Format: 192KHz / 24 bits
    – Do Sound FX loop yes
    – Minutes of audio provided: 12 minutes and 31 seconds

    45 %
    OFF
    Ends 1754776800
Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • Destruction & Impact Sounds METAL CANS Play Track 200+ sounds included, 15 mins total $7

    A large range of METAL SODA CAN Impacts, Friction, Hand Pats, Movement Foley, Crushing Sounds and much more…
    Recorded and processed at 192khz using MKE600, EM272 and Zoom F3 32-bit Float. 

    • Over 350 sounds! 
    • All assets have been processed including noise reduction
    • Over 15 minutes of content 
    • Universal Category System (UCS) Compliant 
    • Deliverables of 192khz, 24 bit, Stereo WAV files
    • Royalty-Free for Commercial Use 
    • Full Embedded Metadata 
    13 %
    OFF
  • This sound library presents a rich collection of natural recordings from a mixed European forest in spring. Captured across several locations and times of day, it ranges from vibrant morning bird choruses to the gentle rustling of leaves and subtle nocturnal ambiences.

    The library includes distinct ambiences from early morning, morning, evening, late evening, and midnight hours — each with its own tonal character and wildlife activity.

    All sounds are provided in stereo format.

  • Ethno Instruments Urban Gongs Play Track 128 sounds included, 68 mins total $10.20

    Urban Gongs is a field recording collection of 128 sounds of metal and glass objects struck with a variety of mallets and hands and recorded with top end contact microphones and geophones.

    The results are rich and resonant gong like tones perfect for sound design, ambient compositions, cinematic soundscapes or adding unique character to your creative projects.

     

    Recorder : Sound Devices Mix Pre 10II and Zoom F3

    Microphones : LOM Geofon, Stille and Klang, Organic Audio Cjossul

    Microphone Perspective : Magnet and Contact

    Source Files – WAV Mono

    Grouped Files for Easy Reference Included

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

    Metadata : Files are stamped with detailed UCS compliant metadata in Soundminer, including pictorial references.

    Urban Gongs Sound Library
    15 %
    OFF
  • The Urban Gun Acoustics sound effects library features gunshots from 3 weapons in 6 different industrial spaces.

  • Firearms Sound Effects Ammo Belts Play Track 1334 sounds included $41.30

    This sound library focuses on the detailed handling of two different types of ammunition belts: a long 7.62x51mm belt with spent shells, and a shorter .303 British belt loaded with live bullets.

    A variety of actions were recorded, including handling, shaking, sliding, and pickup/drop movements on various surfaces and inside both wooden and metal ammo boxes. The combination of metal links and cartridges provides a rich palette of mechanical textures, manipulations, and impacts.

    Captured using both stereo and mono setups, this collection offers foley recordings suitable for weapon handling design, military props, mechanical sound layering, and more.

    Gear used

    MixPre-6 II • MKH30 • MKH8040 • C411 • MKH416


    Metadata

    This sound library is UCS compliant and comes with fully embedded metadata compatible with Soundly, Soundminer and Basehead.

    30 %
    OFF

   

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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