BBC Sound Effects

http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/

by tmalsburg2 • 7 years ago

183 38 7 years ago

bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk

revicon• 7 years ago

Not free for commercial use

dang• 7 years ago

A thread from 2018: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16864050

neves• 7 years ago

This is a great lib for your personal videos. I'm always impressed how adding some sound effects increase the fun and quality of home videos.

squarefoot• 7 years ago

The license only contemplates personal or commercial uses. What if one or more of these fx were used for a FOSS game or a CC licensed song which the developers/authors released for free but could ask for donations? Would it be allowed?

miker64• 7 years ago

Per the linked licensing doc:

When you need permission

If you’re intending to use it for any other purpose, for example....

• substantially to do your job – as an employee, contractor or consultant

• for commercial purposes – to make a profit

• for non-profit and government organisations

...you’ll need to get our permission first, and you might have to pay a fee.

Find out more about getting permission to use BBC content at http://www.bbc.co.uk/helpandfeedback/use-material

(edited for copypasta format failures)

sandworm1012• 7 years ago

Like all copyrights, you can add relevant local laws to that list, such a the US 1st amendment -> FAIR USE. That can be commercial use too. And limited educational uses. Even the mighty BBC cannot demand total monopoly on use.

mongol• 7 years ago

Great, I like getting to sleep with background sounds. Plenty to explore here

afterburner• 7 years ago

Yeah, these should be totally, uh, relaxing:

Tropical forest, West Africa at night/dawn.

rgovostes• 7 years ago

There is something a little antagonistic about an organization officially linked to the British government using the domain acropolis.org.uk.

(Edit to add: ... Especially using it to assert a license over what others can do with the artistic work that they have created.)

msla• 7 years ago

It's the Elgin domain name!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgin_Marbles

acqq• 7 years ago

There's some history behind that, the context wasn't a pure BBC project:

https://bbcarchdev.github.io/res/faq#faq-what

noisesculptor2• 7 years ago

Excellent resource. I actually these sounds in a browser synthesizer I made a while back. www.noisesculptor.com

kleer0012• 7 years ago

Oh wow, that's really pretty!

I do wish all the controls were on the page at once.

noisesculptor2• 7 years ago

Thank you! Yea I made it with mobile in mind but it seems most of my users are on desktop for some reason.

mark-r4• 7 years ago

There were some Dr. Who episodes from I think the 1970's that were made while the sound effect technicians were on strike. The show must go on, so they were released without any effects dubbed in. It was always a low budget show, but seeing it without the cheesy sound effects was especially hilarious.

codedrome4• 7 years ago

Even the Tardis was silent?

mark-r4• 7 years ago

I don't remember specifically, but I assume so. The best part was a fight scene, where they were shooting these energy weapons but it was totally silent.

mikehall3144• 7 years ago

Silly trivia: the effect they’ve called “Martian Computer 1972” was used in Doctor Who in 1966, without some of the twinkly bits over the top and at a slightly slower speed.

Presumably it was reworked for a production in 1972, and so is in the library under that name.

bazzargh• 7 years ago

There's a copy of the same effect at a lower pitch without the 'twinkly bits' under the name 'Electronic Signals. (Computer atmosphere.)' - I guess that's the original. There's a few with this name, and there doesn't seem to be a way to link to just one? 4th down here for me: http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/?q=electronic+signals

mikehall3144• 7 years ago

Good spot!

hexagonsun• 7 years ago

navigate to 'Guns' and click play on all of them. Surprisingly realistic battle atmosphere!

tpmx• 7 years ago

After browsing around quite a lot:

These sound effects seem remarkably well selected, recorded, isolated and categorized.

The curator(s) of this archive are really good.

codedrome4• 7 years ago

They were made for use in TV and radio programmes so need to be of the highest quality and well indexed. I assume the BBC employs people to go out and record them. I also assume they licence them to film companies and other TV companies.

tomc1985• 7 years ago

Is there anywhere to download this library in bulk? I've always wanted a copy of the BBC sound library on my hard drive

edit- nevermind, it's something they sell :/

blondin• 7 years ago

this has got to be the most readable license terms i have ever seen. it was so intriguing that i pretty much read all of it! i wish other businesses were similar.

filereaper• 7 years ago

Grab one of these: http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/?cat=waterfalls

Play on a loop... Nice white-noise generator :)

lozf• 7 years ago

Other's here may prefer to install `sox` and generate their own white/pink/brown-noise from 100% recycled electrons by invoking e.g:

    play -n synth 08:00:00 whitenoise

for 8 hours of whitenoise, additional filters and modulations create more pleasing output.

mzanchi• 7 years ago

My dad had a vynil LP with BBC sound effects, which I remember listening to when I was a kid. I particularly liked to listen to the disaster sounds, like cars skidding and crashing and, shockingly, a crowd of people being shot at.

codedrome4• 7 years ago

My dad did the sound effects for the local amateur dramatics group and he had a few of these records. He would record them onto reel to reel tape and edit them with a small guillotine, sticking them together with special tape. Incredibly primitive and time consuming by today's standards.

goodmachine• 7 years ago

Acid blobs

http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/?cat=acid+blobs

DoubleGlazing• 7 years ago

Back int hr 80s it was common for UK libraries to stock the BBC sound effects LPs and cassettes. I used to borrow them occasionally and try to make musical tunes like the Radiophonic Workshop, only in terrible quality.

The library is also useful if you need to worry a sheep.

sandworm1012• 7 years ago

A very deep FT reference indeed.

BBC Sound Effects

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