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Make money selling sound effects and royalty free audio
Sound effects are artificial or natural sounds made to accompany videos, theater productions, movies and games.
Just like stock images, stock sound effects have become popular with the growth of platforms like youtube and social media.
If you have an interest in audio sound or are a skilled sound artist, making tracks and selling them online can provide you with cash and passive income.
The choices for selling your productions range from selling on stock music platforms to creating your own sound effect business.
This industry has many specialties and sound artists generally specialize in one or more niches.
The business models for sound artists are also varied, from marketplaces to running your own music and sound business or freelancing.
Sound Effects Categories
There is a good deal of commercial sound effects for sale, these are some of the top effects on demand by online platforms, game developers and creators.
These audios are used in corporate settings, games, videos and others.
- Background sounds
- Cinematic
- Advertising
- Door sound effects
- Rain sound effects
- Cartoon sound effects
- Movie Sound effects
- Trailers sound effects for games
- Sound effects no copyright
- Animals sound effects
- Unique sounds
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Sound Effects Platforms
These platforms allows you as an audio artist to create a store front to sell your audio work and earn.
You get paid upfront and royalties for sales and for referrals you bring in. Passive income earnings are possible for the resell of your work.
This model pays per download mostly, so the more you sell the more money you can potentially earn from your creations.
To earn more with your sound effects you may want to start with one or two platforms at first and then expand into other platforms and models.
Most of these platforms allow for exclusive and non exclusive selling agreements.
There has been a growth of commercial sound effects platforms, here are some of the largest ones.
Game Sound Effects
For artists committed to designing creative and professional sound effects for games, there are a few high quality marketplaces to sell your work and earn royalties.
Earning from your music for gaming can be in the form of up front payments or royalty shares to also earning passive income from your creations.
Since the gaming industry continues to grow, this is one niche where sound effects artists can earn from all their creations.
This is the biggest game engine store, selling graphics, games, audios and visual effects. It’s a marketplace where game developers go to for game audio effects and sounds.
After creating an account and getting approved, you can start selling audio effects for games. The royalty share is one of the largest in the industry at 88% for the artist.
This is another platform where game developers go to buy assets for gaming in general.
As a sound artist you can create an account and sell your audio files.
Unity Asset Stores has a 70% royalty rate for the artist selling Sound FX.
These are sound effect marketplaces where sellers need to complete an application process and be accepted. These two platforms are more for professional audio artists.
Once you are approved you can start selling sound files in bundles.
General Sound Effects
For general sound effects and also gaming, these platforms are some of the more popular to sell on.
This is one of the leading audio marketplaces with offices worldwide and administrative support for artists.
Sell your music and audio effects on your artist’s portal for your set price and get paid every time you sell the same file.
As an artist you can choose how to price your work and decide on the type of licensing rights available to buyers.
Pond5 also has a referral program, you can earn by referring other artists work on your website, social media or other channels.
Creators, advertising agencies and broadcasters use Epidemic Sound to purchase music and sound effects for their projects.
Submit your sound work to Epidemic Sound and get paid up front payments with non-exclusive agreements.
Envato
This platform is affiliated with Audio Jungle for the sale of music and audio effects.
Create an account and sell with exclusive or non exclusive agreements to buyers around the world.
Use your account to add items and to manage your audio tracks.
The list of marketplaces for sound FX continues to grow. Other audio platforms include; Dreamstime, Depositphotos and Shutterstock.
Freelance Your Sound Effects
Using general freelance websites like Upwork and Fiverr you can create gigs to sell your created sound effects.
On these platforms you’ll sell directly to whoever is buying and receive the price you set under the user agreements you choose.
Sound Effects Business
Sound effects artists who are not only freelancing, but treat their work as a business can sell from their own platforms.
These are some ways to set up your independent sound effect business.
Own Website
Creating an e-commerce site requires that you design a platform and upload your music tracks for sale.
You will also need to set up a payment system as well as maintain the site.
How to create your own website
This platform provides file hosting and delivery for your sound effect. You can start with a free trial and join the paid version, if you want to have your own sound effects stores on Sellify.
Youtube
A youtube channel to sell your sound effects is another way to reach audiences looking for free tracks and premium paid tracks.
Sound Effects Apps
Apps are a revenue generating model to be used along side your own website or youtube channel.
Selling exclusive sound effects on iTunes, Spotify, Sound Cloud and other audio platforms can earn you upfront money and passive income.
Final Thoughts
For professional sound effects artists and enthusiasts there are ways to earn money selling your digital work as single tracks or bundles.
There are multiple channels to maximize your potential earnings from your music including marketplaces, Apps and freelance opportunities.
Sound effects production can be a freelancer side gig or a business for an audio artist. You can expect to earn more from sound effects that are on demand.
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