Free Online Libraries for Artists

From Collective91: We created a selection of online resources for visual and aural content that are (almost) free of charge!

Check ‘em out –

freesound.org

An extensive sound effects library where users submit their own recordings, with the added benefit or creating a huge variety on the same sound!

Lost and Taken

This website offers a myriad of high-res texture images that you can use for design projects of any kind. The name implies the edgy, grungy emphasis on textures found on the site.

YouTube Audio Library

Free tracks for your video that aren’t corny or cheesy? That’s right – you can download 150+ tracks on YouTube’s Audio Library, categorized by genre or mood. Even if you don’t end up using them in your final projects, they’re pretty great placeholders.

Vimeo Music Store

If you want more “indie” sounding tracks, Vimeo has a large library of high quality tracks and SFX. They’re created by legitimate music and audio artists. While some are free, you can purchase licenses for pretty cheap, starting at $0.99 for individuals, and $98 for corporate (and support the community). What’s great is that you can be very creative in the search bar with your description on what exactly you’re looking for.

archive.org

If this website were a physical location, it’d be something like Salvation Army. It holds films/videos, images, audio recordings, texts, etc. Browsing through the archive is really a game of hit-or-miss, and if nothing else but a really great way to get inspired.