Frequently Asked Questions
Why would I pay for something that is free?
This is probably the most frequent question currently, which is hardly surprising, why would you pay for something that is free?
It's simple maths really. For a professional studio or individual or even an educational institution, the amount of time it would take to download all of the sounds from Sound Library is probably more expensive than simply buying the DVD set. This mostly applies to professionals as time is definitely money. For casual users who only need a few sounds or for students and amateurs who may have more time, then downloading is probably more viable. This business model effectively allows me to support those who can't afford good quality libraries because they are too expensive while still providing a high quality product for professionals.
It's simple maths really. For a professional studio or individual or even an educational institution, the amount of time it would take to download all of the sounds from Sound Library is probably more expensive than simply buying the DVD set. This mostly applies to professionals as time is definitely money. For casual users who only need a few sounds or for students and amateurs who may have more time, then downloading is probably more viable. This business model effectively allows me to support those who can't afford good quality libraries because they are too expensive while still providing a high quality product for professionals.
Do you have a license agreement?
Yes, I have contracted a lawyer to create a simple but thorough user licence agreement.
It can be found here.
It can be found here.
Why are you doing this?
There are several reasons why I started to build Sound Library. They are listed below in no particular order.
I have been working with sound and music for most of my professional life and I am lucky enough to be doing something I love. I have always wanted to give something back and encourage others to get interested in a field that I have found enjoyable. By providing some basic tools, resources and a few quick starter lessons, maybe I can help others get into audio. The more people who understand and appreciate audio, the higher the standards will become across all media.
Music and sound is what I love doing and I believe it's the thing I do best. There is no better way of illustrating what I do than to make it easily available. I am proud of the work I do and want to continue producing sound and music. If this gets people's attention then that will be a good thing.
I believe that what goes around comes around and that the support I get through users of the library will allow me to continue to work with and grow Sound Library.
I have been working with sound and music for most of my professional life and I am lucky enough to be doing something I love. I have always wanted to give something back and encourage others to get interested in a field that I have found enjoyable. By providing some basic tools, resources and a few quick starter lessons, maybe I can help others get into audio. The more people who understand and appreciate audio, the higher the standards will become across all media.
Music and sound is what I love doing and I believe it's the thing I do best. There is no better way of illustrating what I do than to make it easily available. I am proud of the work I do and want to continue producing sound and music. If this gets people's attention then that will be a good thing.
I believe that what goes around comes around and that the support I get through users of the library will allow me to continue to work with and grow Sound Library.
What is it costing you?
A lot of time and some capital outlay to get it running and keep the website live. I am now working full time to develop Sound Library, so this is my business and I need to be able to sustain an income to live. Hopefully I can achieve that goal and continue to build Sound Library.
What does it cost me?
It does not have to cost you anything. Users are more than welcome to support the site through purchasing either the professional or educational versions of Sound Library, but that’s up to each user as to how valuable Sound Library is to them. There are now and never will be fees to download or use the sounds from Sound Library. I will make further material available through the website for sale in the future but all material will be included in Sound Library and will remain free to download and use. Support given to Sound Library will allow me to expand it further and continue to provide existing and new services.
Are the sounds royalty free?
Yes. The sounds are all free to download and use with a few exceptions. You may not use any of these sounds to create your own sound library to sell. If you make a profit out of the sounds by selling them in a library I will throw a very large lawyer at you. Also if you wish to use a sound from the library as an iconic company logo sound you will need to negotiate that with me. Think Apples computer “on” sound, or the THX logo sound. These sounds become major factors of a company's identity and if you are going to use a sound from Sound Library for such a purpose it will need to be negotiated. I am prepared to make a sound the sole property of a company if they so desire it, I would suggest however that it might be more appropriate for me to create a new and unique sound to suit your purposes.
Do you wish to be credited?
Yes please. If at all possible I would appreciate Sound Library www.stephanschutze.com being credited on any project it is used in. I will not try to enforce this because:
a. It’s not always possible or practical for people to credit everything.
b. I couldn’t enforce it as a rule even if I wanted to.
I personally believe that crediting people fairly is just being polite. Claiming someone else's work as your own, or purposefully not crediting someone is basically theft or at least being selfish. It would be great to be credited for everything as it will help build the community of Sound Library and encourage others to be creative, but I am also realistic about the way things operate
If you would like to add the Sound Library splash screen to a project, you can download the image here.
Sound Library Splash Screen.
a. It’s not always possible or practical for people to credit everything.
b. I couldn’t enforce it as a rule even if I wanted to.
I personally believe that crediting people fairly is just being polite. Claiming someone else's work as your own, or purposefully not crediting someone is basically theft or at least being selfish. It would be great to be credited for everything as it will help build the community of Sound Library and encourage others to be creative, but I am also realistic about the way things operate
If you would like to add the Sound Library splash screen to a project, you can download the image here.
Sound Library Splash Screen.
splash screen preview
I can't afford to purchase an entire library, can I still support you?
Yes. The Sound Library disks are for professionals and companies as well as educational groups that want to have a hard copy of the sounds or simply want to acknowledge the value of the sounds they are using and support Sound Library. It is also possible to support Sound Library via PayPal. If you only use a few sounds, or you simply want to support the library with what you can afford, then you can make a payment through our PayPal account.
Money supporting Sound Library will go towards its growth and developing new libraries.
Sound Library Paypal page
Money supporting Sound Library will go towards its growth and developing new libraries.
Sound Library Paypal page
Why are there often many versions of the same sound?
The more I worked on building Sound Library the more I realised that I cannot possibly comprehend all of the possible uses people might come up with for a particular sound. Because of this I will always try to add as much material as is possible and practical for everything I record. There will always be limitations. Sometimes I may have limited access to the original source when it was first recorded either because of time or simply opportunity. When it comes to cutting up the raw material I will listen to all of the footage and try and select as many different samples as I have available. In some cases there is absolutely no need to have more than one or two sounds. Some sounds when generated will vary very little or not at all. I will grab as much raw material as I can, but because I have little control over things I may get some sounds only once while I get others many times. This is obviously not the best situation for creating the library, but in many cases getting better access to the sound sources is either difficult or impossible, so I will do what I can.
When I have the leisure to spend time carefully recording something in the studio, I have the freedom to collect a large number of samples that I can select from when adding to Sound Library. In these cases I will include a large number of good samples to provide users with a variety of options. In other instances the recordings were made of a particular rare or one off event. If a thunderstorm only produces three cracks of thunder then that is all I can record. Should one of those be contaminated by an aeroplane fly over then I am left with only two samples to add to the library.
When I have the leisure to spend time carefully recording something in the studio, I have the freedom to collect a large number of samples that I can select from when adding to Sound Library. In these cases I will include a large number of good samples to provide users with a variety of options. In other instances the recordings were made of a particular rare or one off event. If a thunderstorm only produces three cracks of thunder then that is all I can record. Should one of those be contaminated by an aeroplane fly over then I am left with only two samples to add to the library.
Some sounds don't sound as I would expect them to, why not?
In the same way that plastic can be made to look like metal by replicating how light reflects or shines off its surface, some materials can sound similar to others under certain circumstances. A shard of glass hit against concrete can often sound like metal. They are both hard substances that produce a ringing sound, and sometimes when taken out of context they can sound very similar. This can often be used to the advantage of a clever sound designer.
This is one of the amazing and interesting aspects of sound recording and sound design. Listen to lots of different sounds and think about the different ways you might be able to use them to create interesting new sounds.
This is one of the amazing and interesting aspects of sound recording and sound design. Listen to lots of different sounds and think about the different ways you might be able to use them to create interesting new sounds.
How can I help?
There are various ways in which users can help Sound Library grow and improve. One of the main ways is by reporting any issues with the library and its content. Broken functions on the website need to be reported, but more importantly corrupted or mislabeled sounds need to be fixed or removed from Sound Library. If you find a broken link, or a corrupted sound file, or if you really believe a certain sound is not up to the quality of the rest of Sound Library, then please report it in the errors section of theforums
The database used to search for sounds in Sound Library works by matching user requests with keywords attached to sound files. If you find it difficult to find a sound and eventually find it under a keyword you think is not the best way to describe the sound please let us know in the forums. Different cultures have very different ways of describing objects. In Australia we might say rubbish bin, while in the US it might be trash can or dustbin in the UK . All three terms are correct but very different. I have tried to think of as many different ways of defining objects as possible, but I can't know them all. Because the search tool can be easily updated I will take note of keyword requests and update the search tool as often as possible. The more you let me know, the better I can make the search tool for everyone.
Also there are often sounds recorded that I am unaware of their true identity. If you hear a bird or animal sound that is marked "unknown" and you know from hearing it what species it is I would love to have that information passed on so we can update the entries in Sound Library.
I would also love to hear from people who think they have access to unique or interesting sound sources. If you own or run a factory, or you own an interesting vehicle or unusual animal or if you just think you have something that makes a really cool sound, then I'd love to hear from you. Ultimately I hope I will be able to travel far more and get to record amazing sounds no matter where they are in the world, but for the moment I am limited to Australia. That doesnt mean I dont want to hear from other people all around the world, it just means I won't be flying over to you straight away. However if I got a whole bunch of invitations for great recordings in a aprticular country then it would definately be worthwhile to jump on a plane and pack all my gear. I am also hoping that once I am in a position to travel more I can make myself available to do lectures and presentations in many of the places I visit so I can keep giving back to the community I love working in.
Send us your interesting sound ideas
Contacts Page
The database used to search for sounds in Sound Library works by matching user requests with keywords attached to sound files. If you find it difficult to find a sound and eventually find it under a keyword you think is not the best way to describe the sound please let us know in the forums. Different cultures have very different ways of describing objects. In Australia we might say rubbish bin, while in the US it might be trash can or dustbin in the UK . All three terms are correct but very different. I have tried to think of as many different ways of defining objects as possible, but I can't know them all. Because the search tool can be easily updated I will take note of keyword requests and update the search tool as often as possible. The more you let me know, the better I can make the search tool for everyone.
Also there are often sounds recorded that I am unaware of their true identity. If you hear a bird or animal sound that is marked "unknown" and you know from hearing it what species it is I would love to have that information passed on so we can update the entries in Sound Library.
I would also love to hear from people who think they have access to unique or interesting sound sources. If you own or run a factory, or you own an interesting vehicle or unusual animal or if you just think you have something that makes a really cool sound, then I'd love to hear from you. Ultimately I hope I will be able to travel far more and get to record amazing sounds no matter where they are in the world, but for the moment I am limited to Australia. That doesnt mean I dont want to hear from other people all around the world, it just means I won't be flying over to you straight away. However if I got a whole bunch of invitations for great recordings in a aprticular country then it would definately be worthwhile to jump on a plane and pack all my gear. I am also hoping that once I am in a position to travel more I can make myself available to do lectures and presentations in many of the places I visit so I can keep giving back to the community I love working in.
Send us your interesting sound ideas
Contacts Page
