Soundsnap - what do you think?

[rbro]

I usually use Freesound.org, but I've been looking around for another source of high quality sound fx and samples. I guess soundsnap used to be free, but now they want $250 for an annual unlimited membership. What do you think? Is it worth it? Any reasonably priced alternatives?

[jestermgee]

I usually use Freesound.org, but I've been looking around for another source of high quality sound fx and samples. I guess soundsnap used to be free, but now they want $250 for an annual unlimited membership. What do you think? Is it worth it? Any reasonably priced alternatives?

What type of SFX and for what purpose?

It's slow going at the moment but I am in the process of getting a SFX library setup to distrubute the somewhat thousands of FX I have recorded over the years. It's a mammoth task and most of the "packs" will be small packs for just a few $$$ but I still have to design a cart system for the site and create the packs (just have a database at the moment.

I do foley/real sound effects so I have loads of things like cars, doors, punches, trains, ambience, household sounds etc etc.

Because I work with film producers I cannot trust free sources like freesounds as even though the sounds are free and claim to be CC they could be a ripoff from something else. Last thing you want is the producer getting a lawsuit from lazy sound sourcing.

[rbro]

I use a lot of sound fx and foley type stuff mixed in with my music. I like to have an easy to search database with a ton of high quality fx and samples. Never know when I need someone snoring or the sound of a train station in Tokyo. User friendly searching, large library and high quality without breaking the bank is what I'm after.......

[jestermgee]

That is my target.

The current project outline for the site is to offer a complete category of sounds which are all mostly 96K 24bit all perfectly processed with loopable files looped. The main offer will be in WAV format in small "packs" where if you need the sound of "breaking bones" for instance I would have a pack of 20-50 sounds of different materials that sound like breaking bones for $5.

I tested a model over a year ago to try and sell single sounds but that becomes just way too much work. If someone is after "city ambience" for the background of a film or music track then I am sure they would be happy to get 5 or 10 loops of different ambience for $5 instead of a single loop for $1.

The idea is to keep it affordable (independant film students don't have money) but bring in enough money to pay for the sites hosting. All that is an offset of doing location recordings etc... I get to harvest the sounds

[rbro]

That is my target.

The current project outline for the site is to offer a complete category of sounds which are all mostly 96K 24bit all perfectly processed with loopable files looped. The main offer will be in WAV format in small "packs" where if you need the sound of "breaking bones" for instance I would have a pack of 20-50 sounds of different materials that sound like breaking bones for $5.

I tested a model over a year ago to try and sell single sounds but that becomes just way too much work. If someone is after "city ambience" for the background of a film or music track then I am sure they would be happy to get 5 or 10 loops of different ambience for $5 instead of a single loop for $1.

The idea is to keep it affordable (independant film students don't have money) but bring in enough money to pay for the sites hosting. All that is an offset of doing location recordings etc... I get to harvest the sounds

Good luck with your project! In the meantime I'm looking for existing solutions like Soundsnap, Freesound etc. I much prefer free or a subscription based model of some sort or even a giant HD filled with sounds (if it's not outrageously expensive)

[zaloo]

i have to say, i used to love Soundsnap, the interface is good, the quality of material can be good BUT:

their pay structure sucks now.
you have to subscribe. the bane of ALL of us now, but fine.

what SUCKS is you get a certain number of downloads per month and if you don't download them you LOSE them.
DAMMIT you've PAID for them.

so what happens in practice with me is, i don't need 10 sounds EVERY month.
i'll go for two, three months without needing any, then i'll get a project where i NEED sounds and i get 10.
the 10 from that month.

so i end up getting not enough when i NEED them, but most months they just take my money for nothing.

i talked to Soundsnap about this he just basically said tuffshit.
politely but with 0 empathy.

so even though it was nice to have a backup to my library and a convenient place to get a new sound on a whim,
i consider their model to be abusive and ripped myself out of there.

it's just such a small common sense tweak:

you bought 10 sounds (or whatever the plan is) a month, didn't use them?
they accumulate to the next month where they're useful.

why insist on ripping us off if we're paying their bills monthly?
at least let it roll over to the end of the year.

seems like sense but not to them.

if they ever change (and i find out about it) i might come back,
but i consider their model currently unfair to designers and artists and recommend instead:

Soniss.com

ASoundEffect.com

Detunized.com

where you just buy full, REALLY GOOD QUALITY libraries for download at good to reasonable prices without the shellgame.

[rbro]

Soniss.com

ASoundEffect.com

Detunized.com

where you just buy full, REALLY GOOD QUALITY libraries for download at good to reasonable prices without the shellgame.

I'll check it out. I've started using these guys: https://www.zapsplat.com/

they're decent and reasonably priced.