Sound Effect Sourcing

Adobe Audition Sound Library (12,000+ Free Effects)

Access

• No Subscription Required: Available to everyone
• Quality: Broadcast-quality, fully uncompressed
• Access: Via Adobe Audition or Premiere Pro
• License: Royalty-free

Categories

Available sound effects:
├─ Ambience (nature, city, crowds)
├─ Animals (birds, dogs, wildlife)
├─ Crashes (glass, metal, impacts)
├─ Drones (atmospheric, industrial)
├─ Fires & Explosions
├─ Foley (movement, cloth, objects)
├─ Footsteps (surfaces, paces)
├─ Impacts (punches, hits, falls)
├─ Interfaces (buttons, beeps, UI)
├─ Machines (engines, tools, tech)
├─ Nature (weather, water, wind)
├─ Transportation (cars, trains, planes)
└─ Voices (crowd reactions, shouts)

Download

Adobe Audition → Effects → Sound Effects
Browse by category
Preview in application
Download individual or bulk

Freesound (Community Library)

Overview

• Size: Vast library of user-contributed sounds
• License: Mostly Creative Commons
• Quality: Variable (check ratings)
• Attribution: Check each sound's license

License Types

CC0 (Public Domain):
- No attribution required
- Use freely

CC BY (Attribution):
- Credit required
- "Sound by [author] from Freesound.org"

CC BY-NC (Attribution-NonCommercial):
- Credit required
- Non-commercial use only

Search Best Practices

# Use specific terms
"wooden door creak slow" (better)
vs "door sound" (too broad)

# Filter by:
- License type (CC0 for easiest use)
- Duration
- Sample rate
- File type (WAV preferred)

# Check:
- Preview before download
- Read description
- Verify license

ElevenLabs Text-to-Sound-Effects

API Generation

await mcp__elevenlabs__text_to_sound_effects({
  text: "Heavy wooden door creaking open slowly",
  duration_seconds: 3,
  loop: false,
  output_format: "mp3_44100_128"
})

Effective Prompts

# Be specific and descriptive
GOOD: "Footsteps on gravel path, slow pace, approaching from distance"
BAD: "walking sound"

GOOD: "Old typewriter keys clacking rhythmically with carriage return"
BAD: "typing"

GOOD: "Thunder crash followed by rain gradually increasing"
BAD: "storm"

GOOD: "Coffee machine brewing with steam hissing and dripping"
BAD: "coffee sound"

Duration Guidelines

Short SFX: 0.5-2 seconds (impacts, clicks)
Medium SFX: 2-5 seconds (actions, movements)
Loop-able: 3-5 seconds (ambience, backgrounds)

Maximum: 5 seconds

Sound Library Organization

File Naming Convention

[Category]_[Description]_[Variation].wav

Examples:
SFX_DoorCreak_Wood_Slow_01.wav
AMB_CoffeeShop_Busy_Morning_02.wav
FOLEY_Footsteps_Gravel_Walk_Fast_03.wav
IMPACT_Glass_Break_Small_01.wav

Directory Structure

sound-library/
├─ ambience/
│   ├─ indoor/
│   ├─ outdoor/
│   └─ nature/
├─ foley/
│   ├─ footsteps/
│   ├─ movement/
│   └─ objects/
├─ impacts/
├─ interfaces/
└─ voices/

Layering Sounds

Base Layer:    "Rain on window, medium"
Mid Layer:     "Distant thunder rumbles"
Detail Layer:  "Occasional wind gust"

Result: Rich, immersive rainy atmosphere

Resources

• Adobe Audition: audition.adobe.com/sounds
• Freesound: freesound.org
• ElevenLabs SFX: elevenlabs.io/sound-effects
• BBC Sound Effects: bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk