So... what are Sound Effects?

You've come to the right place to find an answer this question. At Sound Ideas, we record, design and publish thousands of different single isolated sounds, special sound effects, Foley sounds and background ambiences. Together, these different types of sound effects create the Sound Ideas Sound Effects Library.

Isolated Sounds

Isolated sounds include the sounds of everyday items like doorbells, car horns and telephone rings. These are the real and specific sounds that you hear such as dogs barking, guns firing, doors slamming and car tires screeching during a car chase.

Specialty Effects

Specialty effects include sounds that are designed to be used for objects and places that exist only in our imaginations. You might use special effects in cartoon, fantasy and science fiction productions.  They would enhance the production by creating a special sound for a space transporter, the magic of a genie's brass lamp, or for gigantic purple people eater cartoon animals.

Foley Sounds

Foley sounds are synchronized with the visuals in a motion picture or television program.  This synchronization process is also called audio sound replacement. The magic of Foley places footsteps into a film soundtrack – recreates the rattle of a coffee cup being put down on a table – provides the realistic rustle of clothing and the ever popular punch in the face.  These and many other sounds must be dubbed during post production on the film's soundtrack in order to be heard by the audience. They are named after Jack Foley – a pioneer in the sound replacement field.

Background Ambiences

Background ambience tracks provide the basic environment for a production.  They provide all of the subtle atmosphere that makes the film-goer or radio listener really feel like he is in a courtroom, a church, a train station, a thunderstorm or a jungle.

All of these different royalty free sound effects types are available from Sound Ideas - on CD, DVD and Hard Drive – and as individual file downloads.

See the Sound Ideas General Collections and the Sound Ideas Collections by Category.