How to Create a Sound Effects Library

Sound effects have become a popular commodity in recent times due to the proliferation of video. Therefore, it may be that sound designers and recording enthusiasts will want to assemble libraries of their sounds to take economic advantage of these valuable audio assets. The steps below will provide a general outline of the process involved in creating a sound effect library to distribute for profit as single online downloads.

1. Record ambiances and single hits at a 48k sample rate with a mobile hand-held digital recorder.

2. Import this raw audio into a digital audio workstation (DAW) and edit, using eq, filters, and normalization, to take out noise and maximize sonic impact.

3. Mix distinct stereo .wav files at 48k 24bit sample rates if possible.

4. As you bounce each file, name them with consistent SKU numbers with three unique letters followed by 5 digits such as AOS00001 Dog Bark 1, AOS00002 Bird Chirp 1 and so on.

5. Make an excel sheet that includes file name, categories, sub-categories, SKU numbers, length, descriptions, keywords, and pricing.

6. Make different formats for all the files such as .mp3s based on 44.1k sample rate for web use and .aiffs for people who use Macs.

Shoot for creating a few thousand sound effects if you want to actually generate enough money to pay some sizable monthly bills. Find as many online outlets as possible through which to license your sounds. With a bit of determination, one can find a dozen or so online distributors willing to host and license your library.

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