Free Ambient Sounds and Backgrounds

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Ambient beds are what stop a scene sounding broken. Silence between sound effects reads as a bug to a player, and a quiet loop under everything fixes it for almost no effort. Look for long clips, since a short loop gives itself away, and keep the level low enough that you notice it only when it stops. Freesound has the deepest catalogue here, with licences ranging from CC0 to attribution.

Everything here is free to download from the source site. These results come from Freesound, OpenGameArt. Licences vary by file and are shown on each card. Nothing is hosted by us, and every link goes to the original page so you get the current version and the real licence terms.

PDP BIRCH 14x5 AMBIENT VELO9.wavFreesound · sandyrbCC (see page)107 BPM Industrial Ambient Loop #6855 (WAV)Freesound · looplicatorCC (see page)SteamPipe 4 Ambient Landscape G#3.wavFreesound · JovicaCC (see page)SFX Ambient - kleiner Wald -SR016R-02.aiffFreesound · studiobCC (see page)[Ambient Hits] Ambient Hit 0Freesound · waveplaySFXCC (see page)Ambient Sound Walk Inside a Store.wavFreesound · IsakesGames05CC (see page)[Ambient Loop] Deep ambient pulses 3 (Added drums)Freesound · waveplaySFXCC (see page)ambient0987654321.wavFreesound · 1jmorrisoncafe392CC (see page)Ambient Groove 019.wavFreesound · stripthebandCC (see page)107 BPM Industrial Ambient Loop #17210 (WAV)Freesound · looplicatorCC (see page)Ambient Hip-Hop 75bpm loop ver2Freesound · AudioCoffeeCC (see page)192 BPM Industrial Ambient Loop #16056 (WAV)Freesound · looplicatorCC (see page)128 BPM Industrial Ambient Loop #15818 (WAV)Freesound · looplicatorCC (see page)Ambient late night street sounds, New OrleansFreesound · shelf-employedCC (see page)Tragic ambient main menuOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CCHorror AmbientOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CCSpace ambientOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CCAmbient Mountain, River, Wind and Forest and WaterfallOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CCAmbient Bird SoundsOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CCAmbient Bird, Cricket and FrogOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CCDark AmbientOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CCScary Ambient WindOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CCAmbient Water DripsOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CC13 Ambient Machine SoundsOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CCAmbient NoiseOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CCUpside Down Grin (freaky Ambient)OpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CC12 Ambient Machine SoundsOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CCDark AmbientOpenGameArt · OpenGameArt CommunityVarious CC

Search all sound effects in the live asset library →

Using these sounds in a game

Download the highest quality version available, then convert for delivery rather than shipping the original. For the web, OGG Vorbis or compressed MP4 audio at a modest bitrate is fine for effects, and the difference is inaudible under gameplay.

Two habits cover most of the quality gap between hobby and professional audio: keep several variations of any sound that repeats, and randomise pitch slightly on playback. If you can't find the exact sound you need, the sound effect generator makes one from a text description, and the music generator handles the soundtrack.

Check the licence on each file. Freesound and OpenGameArt both host a mix of CC0, attribution, and share-alike work, and the requirements are per-file, not per-site.

Licences, briefly

CC0 means public domain: use it commercially, modify it, ship it, no credit required. That covers everything from Kenney, Quaternius, KayKit, Poly Haven, and AmbientCG.

Freesound and OpenGameArt host a mix. Some files are CC0, others are CC-BY (credit required) or CC-BY-SA (credit required and derivatives must carry the same licence, which is a real constraint on a commercial game). The licence is set per file by whoever uploaded it, so check the source page before you ship.

The complete guide to game asset licences covers what each one actually requires and where teams usually get it wrong.

More free sound effects

Free Footstep Sound Effects · Free Explosion Sound Effects · Free UI and Interface Sound Effects · Free Gun and Weapon Sound Effects · Free Water Sound Effects · Free Engine and Machine Sound Effects · Free Door and Interaction Sound Effects

Or search every source at once, and see the complete guide to free game assets for the full picture on where this art comes from and how to use it.