How to Make Marketable Sound Effects

By SFXsource

A well designed sound effect library will sell online as single downloads. Since internet speeds are now fast enough to accommodate downloadable products, sound effect buyers are moving toward downloading a handful of sound effects for specific products as opposed to buying full CD libraries. To access this new internet revenue stream, sound designers can use the following tips when designing a online library for sale.

1. A main tenet in building a profitable sound library is to record at least several thousand sound effects. In order to provide enough choices for customers, three thousand total products is a good goal.

2. Video editors like to use loops that they can fit to particular scenes so create loopable elements from longer ambiances such as traffic noise.

3. A wide variety is better than a small variety with tons of repetition so its preferable to have 10 different ambiances of three clips each then one ambiance type of 30 clips.

4. Create a variety of formats including 48k 24bit for video editors, 44.1 16bit for online applications, .wavs for PC use, and .aiffs for Mac editors.

5. Do not be afraid to market your sounds through as many distributors as possible as every website through which you sell will increase your overall sales.

6. You might find that creating your own e-commerce site to sell your sites might well be worth it in the long run. You can promote your e-commerce site by link exchanges, writing articles, and forum participation.

As more and more internet users arrive online, the number of buyers for sound effects will only increase and the above tips are general fool proof guidelines for increasing the attractiveness, and thus the sales, of your library.

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