ZapSplat - Thousands of Free Sound Effects

ZapSplat is a website that offers more than 20,000 sound effects and songs that you can download and re-use for free. The licensing that ZapSplat uses is quite clear. As long as you cite ZapSplat, you can use the sound effects and music in your videos, podcasts, and other multimedia projects.

ZapSplat does require you to create an account in order to download the MP3 and WAV files that it hosts. Once you have created an account you can download as many files as you like. ZapSplat does offer a "Gold" account. The benefit of a Gold account is that you don't have to cite ZapSplat and access to an expanded library of sounds.

Applications for Education
ZapSplat could be a good resource to bookmark for the next time your students need a sound effect to use in a video or podcast. On ZapSplat they'll find typical sounds like a doorbell ringing and a dog barking. ZapSplat also provides some unique sound effects and recordings like a pilot speaking to passengers and alien creatures eating.

iNudge - Experiment with Sound Patterns

iNudge is a neat little web-based application that allows users to experiment with sounds and rhythms. iNudge features a grid of boxes. When a box is checked in iNudge it plays a sound in a repeating rhythm that you can adjust. The more boxes you check in the iNudge grid, the more sounds and rhythms you can make. When you're happy with the sound pattern you've created you can share your iNudge grid by emailing it or embedding it into your blog. I've embedded my creation below.


Applications for Education
iNudge could be a good little application that students can use to experiment with and share sound patterns they create. If you have students creating videos or podcasts that need buffer music, iNudge could be the perfect tool for creating that buffer music. 

Download Sound Effects from Sound Clips

SoundCli.ps is a gallery of free sounds that I just learned about from Stephen Ransom. SoundCli.ps is a community-powered site on which you can upload sounds to share and download sounds shared by others. I was able to download sounds without registering on the site. To upload sounds you do need to register on the site. The video below gives a short overview of the site.



Applications for Education
If you're looking for a new source of sounds that your students can use for their multimedia projects, SoundCli.ps might just be what you're looking for. Remind students that they should credit the source of the sounds that they download and use in their projects.

Free Music from Moby for Amateur Filmmakers

I don't particularly care for Moby's music (hear a sample here), but if you or your students like Moby, he's got a present for you. Through Moby Gratis you can download more than one hundred songs and sounds for use in your video creation projects. The music is available to amateur filmmakers as long as you adhere to the simple use guidelines. To access the music you do have to register for a free account on Moby Gratis.

Applications for Education
Finding free music and sounds that are appropriate for a video project can be a challenge sometimes. Moby Gratis is a source of music that you can add to your list along with the sources in this list and this list that I've previously published.

H/T to Open Culture. 

The Art of Movie Sounds

A key element in most good movies is the soundtrack of that movie. There is more to a sound track than a compilation of songs. The sounds of horses galloping, a crowd cheering, or the bustle of a busy subway are also sound elements that can become part of what makes a movie great. The people that create those sounds are called foley artists. In the video below foley artist Gary Hecker demonstrates and explains the creation of many sounds heard in movies.

SoundWorks Collection: Gary Hecker - Veteran Foley Artist from Michael Coleman on Vimeo.

H/T to Open Culture.

Applications for Education
If you have students creating videos, it might be worth showing them this short video to help them get ideas for creating sound effects and how those sound effects can influence the way their video production is perceived by viewers.

Free Sound Effects Library

Free SFX is a provider of free, royalty-free sound effect loops. The catalog of free sound effects can be browsed by genre or searched by keyword tag. Once you have registered for a free account you can begin downloading any of the free sound effect loops. One thing to take note of is Free SFX does mix in some “premium” results. Premium sound effects are not free to download.

Applications for Education
Free SFX could be a good resource for locating sounds that your students can use in podcasts, videos, and other multimedia productions.

Here are some related items that may be of interest to you:
5 Resources for Creating and Hosting Podcasts
Myna - Free Online Audio Mixer
Free Guide - Making Videos on the Web