Weekly Site Review: The Freesound Project
Judging by a recent $50,000 Google research grant for Freesound, I’m guessing I’m a little late hopping on the bandwagon. But boy, am I glad I finally got on! According to the front page, “the Freesound Project is a collaborative database of Creative Commons licensed sounds. Freesound focusses only on sound, not songs. This is what sets freesound apart from other splendid libraries.”
I was sold at a site solely featuring Creative Commons licensed soundbits, but I was wholly unprepared for the massive volume of high quality, user generated content available for download. This site is not only a composer’s dream, but also a great place to store your own found sounds and share them with others. “Mootcher,” an opensource programming library that indexes the sounds, is also available for integration in personal programs. Bulk uploading via FTP makes life even slicker. True to its name, the site makes it about as easy as possible to enjoy, manipulate and disseminate sound.
On a broader level, The Freesound Project puts a previously impossible spectrum of sound in the hands of anyone, and for that reason, earns a place in my book next to Wikipedia and others of the like. Obviously Freesound didn’t come up with the “found sound for everyone” idea, but their implementation and commitment to the cause is an inspiring feat in a music world that’s getting more and more friendly.
