Freesound
Free, collaborative sound archive run from a Barcelona university
Quick Overview
| Company | Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Music Technology Group) |
|---|---|
| Category | Sample Marketplaces |
| Headquarters | Barcelona, Spain |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - Spain (EU) |
| Data Location | Partly outside the EU: the privacy policy names Amazon Inc., USA for data hosting and email |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Free sounds, packs, collections, tags, sound map, forum, random sound, charts |
| Pricing | Free to use; a Donate link is shown |
| Best For | Sound designers and producers who need free field recordings and effects |
| Replaces | Splice |
Detailed Review
Freesound describes itself in its privacy policy as a project of the Music Technology Group at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, domiciled at Plaça de la Mercè 10-12 in Barcelona. The policy is governed by the laws of Spain unless local regulation says otherwise.
The home page invites visitors to find any sound in a collaborative collection and showed 739,484 free sounds on 5 November 2026, with new uploads arriving the same day.
A community archive, not a store
Users upload the sounds, and the site offers browsing by sounds, tags, packs, collections, a map and a forum. A random sound button and charts are also in the navigation.
Nothing in the pages we read shows a paid plan, only a Donate link.
Where the data goes
The privacy policy lists processors outside Europe. Amazon Inc., USA handles data hosting and email, Zendesk.com Inc., USA handles support, and PayPal Inc. and Stripe Inc. process donations.
The policy itself warns that such entities may be in jurisdictions without adequate safeguards for personal data.
Freesound compared with Splice
Freesound has no subscription, no curated packs from labels and no DAW plugin in the pages we read. It is the better fit for effects, ambiences and field recordings than for finished, genre-tuned loop packs.
Licences are set per sound by each uploader; we did not read those terms.
Limitations to Consider
Quality and licence terms vary because users upload the sounds, and the pages we read do not summarise the licences. Hosting and email use US processors named in the privacy policy. There is no curated pack store or plugin like Splice. For finished loops compare Looperman or Noiiz.
Who Should Use Freesound
Sound designers, game developers and hobbyists who need free effects and recordings and will check each sound's licence.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Free to use
- 739,484 sounds on the day we checked
- Run by a Spanish university group
- Tags, packs, collections and map browsing
- Privacy policy lists its processors openly
Cons
- Licence differs per sound
- US processors for hosting and email
- No curated label packs
- No DAW plugin shown on the pages we read
Alternatives to Freesound
Other European sample marketplaces worth comparing before you decide:
See all European sample marketplaces or compare them directly against Splice on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The pages we read show no paid plan, only a Donate link, and the site listed 739,484 sounds.
Freesound is a project of the Music Technology Group at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain.
Not entirely. The privacy policy names Amazon Inc., USA for hosting and email and Zendesk.com Inc., USA for support.