Today, I want to share my passion and excitement for something truly special: Sound Effects Crowdsourcing projects!

No matter if you're just starting out as a sound designer or already have a storied career, we all know that our sound effects library is the backbone of everything we do. We're all constantly on the hunt for fresh sounds to use as source material for our designs, and there will always be at least one specific category of sounds that is always lacking (or you can never get enough of).

Of course, purchasing sound effects libraries is an absolutely valid way to add professionally recorded and designed material to your arsenal, but many libraries can be prohibitively expensive, especially when you're just starting out.

One of the greatest ways to build up your library with a selection of diverse material from all around the globe is by participating in crowdsourcing projects.

What happens in a Crowdsourcing Project?

In short, everyone submits some of their own recordings and receives everyone else's in return. An SFX crowdsource is usually hosted by someone who provides the storage solution and a set of rules that participants must fulfill in order to receive all of the recordings that will be contributed. As long as you fulfill these requirements - which can range from minimum number of submitted files to adhering to a specific metadata workup - you will receive every single sound that has been uploaded.

Why should I participate?

These projects are a great way to establish routines for recording and practicing sound design on a regular basis. At the same time, you get to virtually collaborate with recordists of various skill levels hailing from all over the world. Each project also has the chance of bringing in tens, if not hundreds of gigabytes of recordings! For example, my own library grew by over 200GB just this past June through August because I participated in a number of large-scale projects.

Things to know before starting

When participating in a crowdsourcing project be sure to follow these simple rules to make sure whatever sounds you will contribute will be a worthwhile addition to your fellow collaborators' libraries.

• Only upload sounds that you created and/or recorded. Do NOT include any third-party recordings in the sounds you submit, even if they're just subtle layers. This also applies to sounds from CC-0 sources like FreeSound or the Web Archive. Similarly, do not create these sounds using unmodified synth presets or sampler libraries (Kontakt, Weaponiser, etc.).
• Create descriptive file names, ideally using UCS and provide at least basic metadata using a Sound Library Manager app.
• Don't submit unnecessarily large files.
  • No 32-bit files as this level of dynamic range is almost never needed. Rather, master your samples to a decent loudness (like -32 or -24 dB LUFS-Integrated) and make sure to avoid exceeding -1 dB True Peak.
  • If you're not recording using ultrasonic-capable microphones that can capture above the usual 20Hz-20kHz range, don't bother submitting anything above 96 kHz. An app with spectrogram view (Izotope RX, Adobe Audition, REAPER, Wavelab, Audacity) will give you a good idea of how much high-frequency energy is actually contained in your recordings.
  • Cut down long ambience recordings and only submit the best parts. Instead of submitting a 30-minute recording, cut it down to 5 to 10 instead. If there are many interesting sonic events, consider cutting them into A/B/C chunks of 3-10 minutes in length each.
  • Trim out long stretches of silence between sounds.
  • Make sure to not export mono recordings as stereo files.
• Deliver "sausage files": If you're recording many variations of something like footsteps, deliver them all in a single audio file, spaced apart by 0.3 to 0.5 seconds. This is an industry standard method and makes it easier to source all variations from your library without having to dig for the individual files.
• Be creative and don't shy away from trying new things! This is a great learning opportunity, and a sound you though was nothing special might end up in someone else's blockbuster project!

A little primer courtesy of ToneBenders

This informative roundtable featuring industry veterans Tim Nielsen (co-developer of  UCS) and Kai Paquin (developer of SoundMiner & UCS) sheds light on some inspiring projects that have taken place in the past and the amazing things that can be achieved by harnessing the power of the global sound design hivemind.