Tag Archives: sound library

Sound Libraries Continued, Two More Free Resources

In a previous article, I listed 8 great free sound resources that students can use to download fun and engaging sounds to add to their stories, presentations, or other digital creations. Fortunately, there are new sound libraries posted regularly and here’s a couple we found that are appropriate for educational use. If you have others to recommend, please let us know.

BBC Sound Effects

  • search by suggested category, then narrow the search by a specific term, e.g., Animals – lion
  • all 16 000 sound effects are in WAV format
  • sounds are available for download under terms of BBC copyright but may be used for personal, educational, or research purposes
  • clear and easy preview with description and sound duration listed

BigSoundBank

  • search feature includes alternate suggested search terms to help find suitable results
  • all sounds are free and royalty-free
  • sounds are in a variety of formats: MP3, WAV, AIFF, and more
  • limited library of hundreds of sounds, but if no fitting sounds are found, other external sound websites are suggested
  • also included is a thorough listing of additional sound and music websites
  • sections of the site are in the creator’s native language French, but the library of sounds are listed in English

free sound libraries

Project-Based Lessons for Technology Integration

TechnoKids has projects in which students add sound or music to engage their audience and add interest.

In TechnoCode, students use Scratch to build games, puzzles, mazes, animations, stories, and more. They write scripts to add sound blocks that play audio clips, make them repeat, and combine sound with other actions.

In TechnoInternet, students learn about responsible digital citizenship. As they practice Internet safety, they also explore online radio stations and music services, search for sound clips, and bookmark sound libraries.

Sound Libraries Caution Note

Some sound collections may contain sounds inappropriate for school use. Discuss digital citizenship responsibilities with students before using these resources to confirm their understanding of suitable content.

New Free Video and Sound Library

sound library

As a sound library resource for students, I posted a blog a while ago with a list of free sites. Here’s another one that’s definitely worth a visit! Videvo is a great resource for high quality music, sound effects, video footage, and motion graphics. The site was originally created as a resource for filmmakers to find free video and sound clips, but they aim to be a powerful educational tool too. And best of all, much of the Videvo sound library is free.

Here are six features I liked about Videvo:

  • Free!
    When browsing through the library or performing a search, you can always select to show only free clips.
  • Multiple Search Options
    To find a sound or video clip, you can search by keywords, type of clip, category, resolution, or license. The site is engaging, simple, and easy to use. Clips are clearly labelled with file information such as duration, file size, resolution, format, and more, as applicable.
  • School Themed Categories
    The categories suit use by students. Themes include animals, food and drink, nature, musical, sport, people, and more.
  • Easy Preview
    Mouse over to preview a sound or watch a motion clip. Note: when previewing sounds before downloading, there is a Videvo voice over, but it’s not part of the sound after saving.
  • Free Account
    You can register for a free account, but it’s not necessary. A free account allows you to see your download history, create a profile, and upload your own video content to the site.
  • License Information
    Downloading and using online materials is a practical way of teaching students about copyright. Students should be made aware that copyright belongs to the author of each clip even if they are royalty free. For free clips, you are asked to share your Videvo experience via social media, but this is not required.

    There are 4 different types of licensed clips on Videvo:

    1. Royalty Free – can be used for any use, just not be made available to any other site for download
    2. Videvo Attribution License –the author must be credited when using a clip
    3. Creative Commons 3.0 – free to share and adapt; you can remix, transform, and add to a clip
    4. NASA Guidelines – free to use but should acknowledge NASA as the source