Music and SoundFX Libraries Buyer's Guide

Tony Bruno
July 2007

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All you need to complete the moment is the bark of a gun, the gasp of a crowd and the sudden sting of an orchestra. Unfortunately, you're locked in the editing booth, you don't own a gun and the closest thing you have to an orchestra is the junior high band down the street.

Fortunately, you have options. Be it a CD collection of royalty-free music and sound effects, a la carte downloads or even tools no more complex than video editing software, the average videographer has everything needed to make those videos sing.

As with all other elements of the video production process, the choice of both music and sound effects requires careful attention. Nothing can kill the climactic moment, when your hero fires his honkin' Desert Eagle pistol, like having the muzzle flash accompanied by a sound of something akin to a gassy poodle hiding off-camera.

Big studios solve these problems by paying big money for big soundtrack artists, orchestras and Foley studios to fill up their production's soundscape. But what about everyone else? Fortunately, there are three incredibly useful options available to the Average Joe:

• Royalty-free music and SFX CDs
• Downloads on demand
• Loop-based software packages

All three options will do the trick to saturate your video with sound. Which one is right for you depends on the needs of the video at hand.

We've all done it. Lacking time, energy or a little of both, we drop a favorite song into our video to show our friends as a "temp cut." Sure enough, it plays well. It doesn't take too long before you become convinced that maybe that song belongs in your video. Why not just make it a permanent fixture?

If money is no object, then there's no problem. You just have to pay the appropriate license fees to obtain permission. Be warned, however. You could probably buy a nice-sized boat for the cost of an average license. What's worse is that it's seldom a one-time fee. Depending on the terms of the agreement, you might have to pay royalties to the licensor every single time your video shows. Gee, maybe that song doesn't belong in your video after all. Fortunately, lots of talented folks make their music available for a one-time, up-front royalty-free fee. Sure, you won't normally hear these tunes on the radio, but they're usually just as good as - and sometimes far better than - many of the already-claimed pieces of music. Great! You have a solution. But where the heck can you find this stuff?

Many royalty-free producers make their work available for easy access via the Internet. [See sidebar.] Web sites such as RoyaltyFreeMusic.com, Shockwave-Sound.com and others let you hear snippets of music to find the perfect fit. When you've selected what you need, you can either buy the pieces online or order a compilation CD for delivery.

Even though you aren't paying royalty fees, prepare yourself for a case of sticker shock. These compilation CDs often top $100 per collection. Even downloading a single track can result in prices as high as $60. Remember that you're not merely paying for the tunes; you're actually purchasing a license to use this music in your video. That's all well and good for music, but what about those sound effects you so desperately need?

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