Free is great and so are sound effects! They allow you to layer sounds onto your audio files. Why would you do this? That’s a huge question and I covered that in some depth in the Soundscaping post. The act of adding sounds increases the depth of your files almost exponentially.
My first attempt at this is located here and is about homemade Bread. It is from my Sound Collages show which is a very intermittent show. When I have a creative idea, this is where I drop it, for the moment. Some experiments don’t work but I leave them up so I can relisten much later with a clear mind and critically analyse them before another re-edit. This is the issue with sound effects. Getting the balance right is difficult, to start with. You’ll get better over time.
Be Podsafe!
You can access a reasonably large body of podsafe sound effects at Youtube: HERE. Equally, a quick and dirty Google search: “Free Sound Effects” will return a plethora of options. Some of these require you to join a site, some don’t. All though, from my reading, do have a various levels of Creative Commons licences. The creator of these files has allowed others to use them. Some require an attribution, some a free to play with as is. Read the licence carefully and don’t misuse the files.
Another way to find sound effects, audio clips and quotes is to rip the audio from youtube videos. Again, only do this from those marked as creative commons. There is an option in the filters to find these videos.
DIY
Of course, for the old school, boots on the ground types, you can create your own. In the Bread piece referenced above, that’s what I did. Once you train your ear to the background sounds around you, you will find possibilities everywhere. Having an outside recording setup will make life easier. You can though design a way to capture sound effects indoors. Think about the radio plays of the 1920s to 1950s, here’s a pic, back in the day when smoking indoors was not only permissible but almost compulsory. You don’t need a room like this but you can create something that works for you. You’re a podcaster! Be creative!
Takeaways
- Be podsafe
- Use available resources
- Be careful with Creative Commons Licences
- Create your own sound effects