Freesound vs Rogue Waves Libraries
Freesound
freesound.orgRogue Waves Libraries
roguewaveslibrary.comSide by side
| Figure | Freesound | Rogue Waves Libraries |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Spec score · Sound Effects Libraries | 8.9 (#2) | 7.9 (#13) |
| Integrations | The privacy policy names Mapbox, Amazon, Zendesk, PayPal, Stripe and Google as service providers or subprocessors. | The FAQ says older macOS versions may need a third-party unarchiving app to open some larger libraries using .7zip. |
| Support | The FAQ directs users to a contact form for further questions, and the FAQ says Sam Headphaze handles support requests. | The FAQ directs questions to [email protected] and says the team will try to respond as soon as possible. |
Plans
Rogue Waves Libraries
- Close ContactFree
- Kawaii UI€4,999, paid once
- Anime Studio€9,999, paid once
In their own words
Freesound
Freesound is a collaborative web library and API for audio snippets, samples, recordings, and other sounds shared under Creative Commons licenses. Users can search by keyword or find sounds resembling a reference, and explore packs, collections, tags, charts, a map, and a forum. Community members can upload and download sounds and interact with sound artists. Files are available in MP3, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, AIFF, and WAV formats. Each uploader selects CC0, CC BY, or CC BY-NC, so commercial-use permissions and attribution requirements vary by sound. Downloading requires a registered account. The API can search and retrieve sound, pack, and user information, access audio features, and support uploads, comments, and ratings; an API key is required. API call volumes may be limited, and commercial API terms are negotiated case by case with Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Institutions seeking large datasets are directed to the Data Packs Portal. Freesound's homepage lists 737,070 sounds, while its catalog listing gives 736,091. The service is based in Barcelona, Spain.
Rogue Waves Libraries
Rogue Waves Libraries sells thematic sound-effects collections for game audio and post-production, with projects ranging from games and films to television, animation, trailers and apps. Sound-effects collections come as WAVE files at 24-bit/96 kHz; atmospheres use 24-bit/48 kHz. The libraries include detailed Universal Category System (UCS)-compliant metadata. A free option, Close Contact, contains 276 recordings of metal objects activated with different props. Anime Studio offers 1103 anime effects, including lasers, punches, explosions and mecha sounds. Prices listed are free for Close Contact, €4,999, paid once for Kawaii UI, and €9,999, paid once for Anime Studio. Purchased content carries a lifetime, non-transferable, non-exclusive, royalty-free license for media productions. Download links are emailed after payment. Downloaded libraries generally cannot be returned or refunded; exceptional refunds may be offered at the seller's discretion.