Royalty-Free Sound Effects - Artlist Blog https://artlist.io/blog/royalty-free-sound-effects/ Just artlist blog website Mon, 15 Sep 2025 09:53:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://artlist.io/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Artlist-Favicon-1-150x150.png Royalty-Free Sound Effects - Artlist Blog https://artlist.io/blog/royalty-free-sound-effects/ 32 32 Perfect is dead – why authentic content wins today https://artlist.io/blog/authentic-content/ Mon, 15 Sep 2025 07:32:31 +0000 https://artlist.io/blog/?p=49544 For decades, video creators chased perfection. Smooth tracking shots, polished lighting, flawless edits — the kind of production value only studios could afford. But today, the tide has turned. In a world obsessed with analog nostalgia, retro vibes, and social media aesthetics, authenticity is finding its place alongside perfection. The cultural shift toward real Audiences […]

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For decades, video creators chased perfection. Smooth tracking shots, polished lighting, flawless edits — the kind of production value only studios could afford. But today, the tide has turned. In a world obsessed with analog nostalgia, retro vibes, and social media aesthetics, authenticity is finding its place alongside perfection.

The cultural shift toward real

Audiences now value storytelling that feels genuine and relatable. This trend rewards creators who embrace experimentation and let personality shine through, rather than trying to produce something flawless.

Analog nostalgia

Film grain, scratches, and vintage filters are back in style. Like vinyl records, these lo-fi visuals have a more human and authentic feel. For audiences, they bring a sense of comfort and familiarity, reminding people of old home movies and TV shows. This makes content feel warmer than polished digital video. From music videos shot on VHS to short films with 16mm overlays, the analog look gives viewers the sense they’re watching something timeless and authentic.

Social media fatigue

With 40% of videos on major social media platforms now made by AI, people are noticing content that feels real more than ever. A polished shot can feel more like an ad than a real moment. Imperfect clips with uneven lighting, shaky movement, or rough audio feel closer to everyday life and are easier to relate to. For filmmakers, this is good news too. Lower production value means less time on set and less money spent while still connecting better with audiences.

Early internet and home video influence

The grainy charm of early webcams, pixelated YouTube uploads, and awkward framing have grown into their own style. Many Gen Z creators copy these lo-fi quirks to give their content a nostalgic feel and connect with audiences who grew up online. For creators, this style is practical, too. Faster production enables them to stay ahead of social media trends.

How to get the aesthetic of imperfection

Creating the look of imperfection means intentionally using small flaws in camera work, lighting, texture, editing, and sound to make your content feel more authentic, relatable, and alive for viewers.

Camera work

When the camera shakes, zooms in suddenly, or frames something in a way that feels a little “off”, the video feels more real. These small “mistakes” copy the way people move in real life, which helps your viewers feel like they are there in the moment.

Lighting

Instead of using studio lights and softboxes, you can play around with sunlight, shadows, and even the lamps already in the room. The video will look less perfect, but feel more natural, making the scene feel more like a real place.

Texture

Adding film grain, noise, fuzz, blur, or overlays can change how your video feels, making the picture look less perfect and more human. These effects remind people of old movies and home videos, adding a sense of familiarity and warmth.

Editing and pacing

When a video uses jump cuts, small mistakes, or changes that don’t line up perfectly, it can feel messy but exciting. These editing choices break away from the smooth style and give your video energy and personality.

Sound design

Including ambient room tone, mic pops, or leaving in a laugh or stumble makes audio feel more alive. These sounds make the scene feel real and help people connect with what’s happening, as if they were there in person.

Why raw connects and how creators use it

From online influencers to filmmakers, both big and small brands are using raw, unpolished content to create a sense of trust, emotional connection, and authenticity that stands out in crowded feeds.

Trust and relatability

With raw content, viewers feel like they’re seeing the real you, not a curated façade. That trust translates into deeper loyalty and higher engagement. Small brands in particular are embracing this by filming behind-the-scenes clips on their phones, capturing team members, day-to-day processes, and products in progress. These lo-fi glimpses invite audiences into the room, creating a sense of authenticity that polished campaigns can rarely match.

Anti-advertising

In a crowded feed, polished content often screams “ad.” Unpolished content, by contrast, feels more like a friend’s post — and that makes people lean in instead of scrolling past. 

Larger brands have even begun experimenting with this approach, layering in shaky handheld footage or deliberately rough edits to bring a raw, organic feel to campaigns that would otherwise seem overly manufactured.

The Lululemon campaign featuring Joan MacDonald used splitscreen, fast edits, and lots of film grain to create an energetic and relatable feel. The video used photos and phone-filmed clips on a pale pink background, giving it a VHS-style vibe.

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Emotional immediacy

Imperfections — a shaky laugh, a quick pan, a clipped breath — make a video feel alive in the moment. They create presence and immediacy that’s hard to replicate with heavily produced content. YouTubers play with this dynamic through jump cuts, unpolished B-roll, and off-the-cuff commentary. At the same time, TikTok creators sometimes go as far as to downgrade video quality on purpose to mimic the lo-fi, filmed-at-home aesthetic. Both platforms thrive on this sense of intimacy, making rawness part of the brand.

Algorithm advantage

Feed-based platforms are designed to reward content that feels native, and authentic-looking clips often perform better than glossy, overtly “produced” videos. Musicians have leaned into this by creating VHS-style lyric videos or stripped-back performance clips. The DIY aesthetic not only connects fans to a more intimate vibe but also accelerates the content cycle, as these formats require significantly less production time. That speed allows creators to stay present in the feed, which is exactly what the algorithms favor.

Artlist picks — Perfect is dead collection

Artlist has handpicked sets of footage, music, sound effects, and templates that embody the imperfect-but-powerful look.

Imperfect stock footage

This collection features handheld B-roll, gritty textures, and authentic moments that bring a natural, unpolished feel to your projects. It’s perfect for intros, transitions, or cutting raw sequences into a polished timeline.

Check out the Perfect Is Dead Footage collection now

Raw music 

This collection includes lo-fi beats, hazy synths, and rough acoustic takes that add an intimate, unpolished vibe to your videos. It’s great for vlogs, indie projects, or any video where “too polished” feels wrong.

Check out the Perfect Is Dead music collection now

Lo-fi sound effects

If you’re looking to enhance authenticity and bring more grit to your project, this is the perfect place to start. It features ambient noise, mic pops, static, and raw textures that make scenes feel more real and immersive, ready to layer into your footage.

Check out the Perfect Is Dead SFX collection now

Gritty templates

These gritty template packs give you everything you need to create a “perfectly imperfect” look with ease. 

Use Ink Stamp to add rugged stamped titles that give your text a raw, handcrafted feel, or try Ink Flow for messy transitions layered with analog texture that bring energy and unpredictability to your edits. 

Shapes Animation adds playful, imperfect shapes that work perfectly for retro-style sequences, while Bright Glitched Vaporwave Titles deliver nostalgic 90s lo-fi vibes that instantly set the mood.

For more dramatic effects, Time Machine applies analog distortion and time-warp effects to footage, giving your edits a tactile, vintage feel. Together, these templates let you quickly craft projects that feel alive, authentic, and visually striking, all while maintaining the flexibility to mix and match elements to suit your style.

Perfectly imperfect

The art of imperfection is here to stay. Unfiltered visuals connect on a deeper, more human level. For creators, that connection is priceless. This isn’t just a passing trend, it’s the future of authentic content.
The good news is that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. With Artlist’s Perfect Is Dead collections, you can download ready-made footage, music, sound effects, and templates that embrace the raw aesthetic of today’s content culture.

FAQs

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How Artlist powered an Amazon Prime docuseries https://artlist.io/blog/sonic-gods-interview/ Sun, 17 Aug 2025 14:16:35 +0000 https://artlist.io/blog/?p=47460 The power of sound  On 31 July 2025, Amazon Prime released a four-part docuseries that follows Torsten Gross on his relentless mission to compete against the world’s most elite race car drivers. Torsten is quadriplegic, having broken his neck in an accident when he was 15. Just Hands: For the Love of Racing is a […]

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The power of sound 

On 31 July 2025, Amazon Prime released a four-part docuseries that follows Torsten Gross on his relentless mission to compete against the world’s most elite race car drivers. Torsten is quadriplegic, having broken his neck in an accident when he was 15.

Just Hands: For the Love of Racing is a story of human resilience, determination, and defiance. And we’re proud to say that Artlist plays a leading role — because every sound effect and composition you hear in this series comes straight from our catalog. 

In this article, we’ll hear more from the team at Sonic Gods, the production studio behind the Just Hands documentary series, and find out how they utilized Artlist in both pre- and post-production to enhance storytelling, mood, and build tension and emotion.

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Who are Sonic Gods?

Sonic Gods is an entertainment studio that merges production, digital, and brand content to create unscripted TV formats and community-driven storytelling that reaches and inspires global audiences. Their team has decades of experience in the film and TV industry, and their long-form content focuses on sports, business, and lifestyle.

Just Hands: For the Love of Racing

This four-part documentary series shares Torsten Gross’s journey to compete amongst some of the best race car drivers on the planet. Torsten, who is paralyzed from the neck down, has spent most of his life in a wheelchair. But that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his dreams. 

“There are very few sports that make us equal to everybody,” says Torsten. “I’ll never compete against able-bodied people, but with car racing I can.” 

In this series, we learn all about Torsten’s entry into motorsports after his wife surprised him with a track day for their wedding anniversary. After that, he was hooked, partly thanks to his adrenaline-loving nature as well as the sense of empowerment he felt behind the wheel. 

That’s when he decided to share this newfound gift with the rest of his community, co-founding Just Hands Foundation, an organization that opens doors for disabled athletes to compete in motorsports with the rest of the world. Their main focus is performance driving and adaptive mountain biking through workshops, courses, and excursions. 

The Just Hands docuseries tells Torsten’s story and his journey to the top, with the hope to inspire disabled athletes across the globe to compete on the world stage. “It’s about breaking barriers, exceeding limits, chasing after your dreams and the things that set your heart on fire,” says Michelle Delamore, executive producer on the show. 

Artlist for TV production

When Sonic Gods joined forces with Amazon Prime to create the Just Hands documentary series, they turned to Artlist for the soundtrack. With storytelling this raw and real, sound design is essential, so every wheel skid, gear change, and brake squeal was crafted using sound effects from Artlist’s catalog, and the music was hand-picked to elevate emotion and amp up the energy.

High-quality SFX and music help set the mood, build tension, and bring high-energy scenes to life. Our catalog helps the audience connect with Torsten’s journey and bring the documentary visuals to life.

These days, TV production involves creating a massive range of content across multiple platforms. To promote one production, companies need to create content for streaming services, social media, behind-the-scenes clips, promos, and more. To keep up with such a fast-paced production line, companies need speed, consistency, high-quality output, and tools that help speed up workflow, all without compromising on creativity.

Artlist helps production houses take on these challenges thanks to our vast library of royalty-free music, sound effects, and video assets, ideal for sound designers. Editors can quickly find the right sound or visual with an easy search, meaning they can stay on schedule and maintain a cohesive tone across the board.

How Sonic Gods Studios utilized Artlist

The team at Sonic Gods Studios says that Artlist helped them every step of the way, from pre-production visualization to post-production finishing touches. They even used Artlist to create audio storyboards to help them set the mood and tone for each episode.

Pre-production

Ian Hotchkiss is the director of Just Hands: For the Love of Racing, and says their goal is to get their audience emotionally invested in the story they tell.

“We want to create the best TV shows possible, not just for our audience, but for ourselves,” Ian says. “You can capture these wonderful stories, and edit them together, and if you can’t get those last assets — the music and SFX that make a scene — then you don’t achieve what you want.”

Ian says that Artlist’s musical catalog came in handy to build the foundations for each scene. “Usually when constructing a scene, I like to find a song first,” he says. “In Just Hands, we kept to a similar genre for each episode, so I could easily source the perfect track to instantly bring a scene together.”

As the director, Ian was thinking about music from the beginning. “Music is definitely in talks at pre-production,” he says. “When we’re creating a series, we discuss the mood, the vibe, the tone we want to set. So we go on Artlist, create sonic art boards of the type of music we want for this piece, and start thinking about which songs will help us tell our story.”

Greg McKarus was the editor on this project, and says that Artlist saved him time every step of the way. “Artlist allowed us to focus on the narrative,” says Greg. “I love using their AI search, so I can find the exact mood or feeling or a certain instrument, and then have a plethora of options to choose from.” 

This helped the team set themes for each episode, and guided the mood and flow of the series.

Post-production

Streamlining post-production was a high priority when making the Just Hands docuseries, because they were up against tight deadlines and had a huge amount of footage to sort through.

Michelle Delamor can attest to this. As the co-founder of Sonic Gods and the executive producer on Just Hands, she says Artlist helps navigate huge workloads. “We create so much content,” she explains. “There’s the show itself, then all of the promotional assets, and trailers. There’s a high volume, so we must maintain the quality. Having a tool like Artlist allows us to do that; there’s so much high-quality music at our fingertips that allows us to move with speed while maintaining the integrity of the project.”

Michelle says that when it comes to filming TV, efficiency is everything, so having Artlist to streamline post-production was a game-changer for the team.

Music

“Music is such an important part of creating an emotional connection with the audience,” Ian says. “We use music and sound design to bring our scenes to life.”

Tracks like Jameson Nathan Jones’ “Grounded” helped create that cinematic, big-screen energy in the high-pressure moments, while Amir Marcus and Stephan Fischer’s piano-led track “Awaken” helps share the freedom Torsten feels when he’s racing.

Every episode has a theme and a genre. For example, the team built tension in episode two through orchestral cinematic music, and when they filmed at night in Daytona on episode 3, they leaned into synthy, atmospheric tracks. 

“Before Artlist, finding those high-quality assets was very challenging,” says Ian. “You’d have to source through a lot of different types of media libraries, which took a lot of time, and maybe you don’t find the asset you want, so you settle.”

Greg says that Artlist’s music library didn’t just save time and streamline post-production, but elevated all the content they created.

“Music was very important to Just Hands because each episode had a theme,” he says. “We used a lot of orchestra and strings to accentuate the high quality of the cars. So a lot of the music we used through Artlist’s library was designed to immerse the audience in Torsten’s world.”

Ultimately, Artlist’s musical catalog saved Greg dozens of editing hours. “It allowed us to create a special and unique show that will affect millions of lives,” he says. “I feel proud of the show.”

SFX

Ian says that to cut through the noise, you need to have a story that’s engaging, entertaining, and emotive, and sound effects are one of the best ways to capture an audience and keep them hooked. While Ian was filming with Torsten, he found that every race, every track, and every behind-the-scenes clip had a different energy, and the best way to convey that on the screen was through sound effects.

The team used Artboards to build their design template, referring back to it throughout the project to ensure consistency and streamline the process. 

“We wanted the audience to go into each episode feeling like they were watching something they’d never seen before,” Ian explains. “So we leaned into creating these soundscapes through music and sound effects to allow the audience to follow along with Torsten’s journey.”

Episode 1, for example, is full of tension; it’s Torsten’s first time competing, and the viewer can feel it as he gets into his car and sees his competitors for the first time. “There’s sections where we don’t use music, we just use sound design,” Ian explains. We want the audience to experience what it’s like to be in a race car, so it’s the sound of the motors as the cars pass, the sound of these wrecks that happen when you’re competing.”

Why production houses and TV shows use Artlist

From mood boards to post-production, Artlist helped shape Just Hands’ emotional and cinematic impact. The music and SFX set the tone, guided editing choices, and ensured the story flowed seamlessly, bringing this team’s vision to life within tight timelines. 

“With Artlist, we had all the high-quality digital assets we needed in one place,” Ian says. “High-quality sound effects, music, and even graphic templates for the promotional content we do around our shows.”

Michelle says that partnering with Artlist helped the team create a sonic landscape for the project. “Artlist gives us high-quality music, sound design, and all the elements that bring the story to life in an impactful way,” Michelle says. “There’s a lot of layers to storytelling, and sound is one of the most important ones. It’s what creates an immersive experience, brings people into the story, and  it’s what makes a project feel cinematic and premium.”

Ultimately, Michelle hopes people will feel so inspired by Just Hands so they’ll jump off the couch and go chase after their dreams. “That’s really what this show is designed to do,” she says. “We tell stories around the pursuit of greatness. That moment when people go from ordinary to extraordinary.”

Want to see how you can do this for your business? Contact us to get your team set up with an Artlist Business Plan. 

Dive into the full collection featured in the docuseries,  including every track in the series, exclusively on Artlist.

הפוסט How Artlist powered an Amazon Prime docuseries הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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The best summer stock footage to make your summer reels shine https://artlist.io/blog/summer-templates-travel-footage/ Sun, 10 Aug 2025 09:11:56 +0000 https://artlist.io/blog/?p=47899 Summertime is simply the best. Longer days mean more time to explore, unwind, chase new adventures, or spend long afternoons relaxing near water. If you’re a video creator, travel influencer, or part of the hospitality world, it’s more than just peak season — it’s your moment to shine. Travel and Summer time footage High-quality stock […]

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Summertime is simply the best. Longer days mean more time to explore, unwind, chase new adventures, or spend long afternoons relaxing near water. If you’re a video creator, travel influencer, or part of the hospitality world, it’s more than just peak season — it’s your moment to shine.

Travel and Summer time footage

High-quality stock travel footage is a great time-saving tool for video creatives who want to capture the vibrancy of summer, without the generous budget or schedule. Plus, saving time and money on production means you’ll have more freedom to enjoy those longer, sunny days. With Artlist’s vacation collection, you can explore the world without ever boarding a plane. Here are some of our favorite cinematic, timeless clips to bring your summer stories to life.

We watch two friends hop off a cliff into an aqua swimming spot and then switch to an underwater view with tons of tiny bubbles. This GoPro shot is a versatile one that could easily work for a travel vlogger’s social media reel or a mountain resort looking to highlight the area’s recreational activities. The framing of this shot would work well for a variety of formats too — vertical, horizontal, or square. 

This clip features a classic view from the side mirror of a car on a winding desert road. This particular piece of stock footage was shot in Zion National Park, and the area’s distinct red rocks are prominently featured. This clip is useful for any business that serves visitors to these National Parks or as a transition clip for a vacation reel. 

A waitress walks by holding a tray of appealing drinks in an upscale hotel bar. The brass pineapple beverage gives the impression that we’re somewhere tropical, but the actual location remains ambiguous. Stock clips like this one are great because they can really be used anywhere. We could see this one being useful in a video reel for a hotel or a cocktail lounge. 

The epic POV shot shows a surfer’s perspective as a tube wave crashes over him. We love the vibrant color of the water and the unique perspective. This 14-second clip would work well to promote a surfing school, activities at a resort, or a summertime recap video.  

A vertical POV shot featuring two relaxing hikers clinking metal mugs with a spectacular view. The vertical shot makes it perfect for use in a reel. This travel footage would be useful for outdoor brands, a lifestyle content creator, or a travel vlogger. 

We love the unique perspective in this summer stock clip. It begins with a view through a pair of sunglasses, then shifts as the man in frame takes them off, revealing a pristine, sunlit beach. The playful framing perfectly captures the carefree vibe of the season. While it was filmed in Cyprus, the shot feels intentionally location-neutral, making it ideal for telling a visual story about any beach, anywhere.

A stunning piece of underwater footage featuring a woman snorkeling through a big school of fish. The vertically shot footage is ideal for a social media reel. This clip would be useful for seaside resorts or snorkeling schools looking to attract new customers through social media. This type of aspirational b-roll footage is a great choice to show potential customers what their own vacation might look like. 

This short clip captures the energy of summer love. It features a man and woman sitting next to a small beach bonfire, sipping beers and playing guitar. This clip could be used as a useful b-roll for any business in a resort town or as a wide shot for a regional beer company — the bottles are far enough from the camera that you don’t see any distinct labels, so a smaller brand could mix them with existing branded footage to create a short online ad. 

It’s a simple vertical shot of the edge of a pool, but its simplicity is what makes it such a versatile piece of summer stock footage. It’s best suited for a vertical reel, but something this universal is great for all types of content creators — small businesses, micro influencers, or big brands.  

It wouldn’t be summer without a little bit of nervous anticipation before you head out on that great vacation. This clip of a child looking out the window at an airport captures just that. This could be a great opening shot for a vacation recap video or an airline advertising low-price summer fares. In this particular shot, you don’t see the child’s face, which makes it a great addition to a project that mixes stock travel footage with existing production-shot footage. 

Save time with templates

Once you’ve downloaded your footage and made an edit, add one of Artlist’s summer-inspired templates to give it that final polish. 

This simple 3D animation is a good choice for an opening sequence, so viewers and potential clients know exactly who made the summer-inspired video. 

Looking for something simpler? Check out these cute summer-inspired animated icons. They feature hand-drawn elements and can be used to add emphasis in your summer travel videos. 

How does Artlist’s licensing work? 

Artlist makes licensing high-quality travel footage easy if you have an Artlist subscription, and a variety of subscription levels are available. 

A Footage and Templates plan lets you download unlimited stock footage from the catalog and takes the hassle out of negotiating usage rights with individual creators. You can then use that footage in your projects and publish on any platform worldwide. The licence includes social-media usage and commercial projects. 

Looking to explore Artlist’s LUTs, royalty-free music, and AI-generated features? The Artlist Max subscription covers it all. 

Are you on the creative team of a business with more than 50 employees? Contact the Artlist Business team to customize a license to cover your specific needs. 

Add royalty-free music and SFX

Artlist’s curated Summer royalty-free music catalog makes it easy to find the perfect song for your video creations. 

This vintage-summer inspired playlist is filled with upbeat bops that are sure to inspire nostalgia. Perfect for videos about long road-trips, lazy days on the beach, or a low-key hang at a backyard BBQ. 

“Get Hit” by Monako has an old-school, uplifting vibe that reminds us of the DJ Jazzy Jeff and The  Fresh Prince’s classic “Summertime.” This track’s carefree groove makes it a great fit for vacation recaps, timelapses, and video content looking to inspire viewers. 

High-quality SFX can give your vacation reels and summer stories an extra creative boost. The stock footage of folks relaxing on the beach will really come to life once you add in some crashing waves and kids laughing in the background.

This SFX combines the sounds of a wave crashing on the shoreline and some birds chirping in the background. This versatile SFX manages to catch the wave at different intensities, which will make it easier to match with your stock footage. 

Looking for something a bit more lively? This SFX sonically captures the chaotic joy of a hot day at a local swimming pool — splashes, excited laughter, and a bouncing ping pong ball. 

Check out the Artlist summer SFX catalog to explore more classic summertime sounds. 

Summer-inspired LUTs

LUTs are a video editor’s best friend when it comes to elevating the look and feel of your summer footage. LUTs can be particularly useful when you are mixing together different pieces of stock footage, because they will give the project a unified look and feel. 

Look for LUTs with vibrant tones for summer-time projects. Warm-toned LUTs will help you recreate the dreamy, golden-hour light we associate with summer. 

Artlist’s AI-powered search function lets you explore LUTs by style, tone, temperature, and contrast. 

Sit back and unwind

Artlist’s collection of summer stock video footage, summer templates, SFX, LUTs, and royalty-free music has everything you need to make an epic summertime video project. Working with stock travel footage can also save you time and money, which means you can squeeze in one last day of leisure time before the summer slips away.  

הפוסט The best summer stock footage to make your summer reels shine הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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How to preserve the spirit and culture of a disappearing island https://artlist.io/blog/tuvalu-creative-journey/ Mon, 26 May 2025 07:45:13 +0000 https://artlist.io/blog/?p=44523 For most of us, pointing to Tuvalu on a world map may prove tricky. But soon, even for those who do know where Tuvalu is, finding this tiny, Pacific-island nation on the map could prove impossible. That’s because, in the coming years and decades, Tuvalu is on course to slip beneath a rising ocean. It’s […]

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For most of us, pointing to Tuvalu on a world map may prove tricky. But soon, even for those who do know where Tuvalu is, finding this tiny, Pacific-island nation on the map could prove impossible. That’s because, in the coming years and decades, Tuvalu is on course to slip beneath a rising ocean. It’s a nation that is being hit hardest by climate change.

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Ironically, it’s this very threat that has, in recent years, drawn far more attention to one of the world’s smallest nations. But Tuvalu is so much more than just some sort of impending doomsday attraction. Look beyond the YouTube titles and clickbait thumbnails, and you’ll find a genuinely rich history and culture that the people of Tuvalu are rightly proud of.

To document this incredible island, as a way of preserving its unique culture and keeping its spirit alive for generations to come, Artlist sent four leading artists to capture the unique sights and sounds of Tuvalu. These assets form the Tuvalu collection, available for download in the Artlist catalog. The team consisted of content creator Joshua Guvi, filmmaker Spencer Frost, composer Tristan Barton, and audio naturalist Charles Rose.

Arriving in Tuvalu

Now…back to that map. “It’s definitely way out there — a tiny island in the middle of the South Pacific,” explains Spencer. Tuvalu lies smack in the middle of the Pacific Ocean — right between Australia and Hawaii. It’s made up of nine coral atolls and reef islands, scattered across just 26 square kilometers of land. 

Spencer continues on the trials of how to travel with a drone and all of his other gear — “I wanted to document this place properly, so bringing a good amount of camera gear to do this place justice was a must. RED cinema camera, big drones, underwater housings, lenses, tripods, and all the other extras we needed — we were not travelling light! There are only one or 2 flights to the island a week, and it’s not a big plane, so we all had to sneak on as much carry-on camera kit as we could, as well as paying a good fee in excess baggage to get everything over.” In short, then, it was a little bit more than just your essential travel vlogging equipment!

Thanks to the lack of flights, most of the time, the airport runway is actually just a giant playground for the many local kids who run around playing football, flying kites, and, it turns out, looking for any opportunity to get in front of the camera. “Seeing all the children gathering there, playing together, and feeling that joyful, positive energy was moving,” says Charles. “Knowing that this place could disappear under the sea in the coming years makes those memories even more precious. Moments like these are a reminder of how important it is to preserve both cultures and places of life.”

The creative process

But the boys don’t immediately hit record with cameras and microphones. Each has their own process. Charles explains, “When I get to a new place, I don’t record straight away. I take a bit of time to walk around and listen. I let myself be immersed in the sounds around me. Sometimes a tone or a rhythm catches my ear. Other times, I notice something moving – two objects rubbing, leaves shaking — and I wonder what kind of sound it makes. That’s usually when I decide to record. I trust my instincts and follow whatever grabs my attention.”

It’s a similar story for Tristan, too. “Typically, I try to keep things organic, and not go in with too many preconceived ideas of what to expect. Despite doing a little bit of research beforehand, I was very open to anything and everything that Tuvalu had to offer. I think this approach, for me anyway, helps to ground the experience and allow for the unexpected when it comes to inspiration.”

This harmony in the creative approach “made it feel more collaborative, less like a shoot and more like a shared project,” says Josh. “Everyone brought something different to the table. Tristan was building music from kids singing, and Charles was running around with all kinds of mics recording textures and underwater sounds. Spencer and his team were just quietly capturing everything — really thoughtful shooters, super dialed in. It wasn’t just about filming stuff, it felt like we were all trying to absorb the place in our own way.”

Over the course of the week, the boys captured gorgeous, cinematic footage, beautifully moving music, and natural sounds that are truly unique to Tuvalu. These now form the assets found in the Tuvalu collection, where you can continue to keep the Tuvalu spirit alive in your own projects.

Capturing the unique sounds of Tuvalu

For any creative, SFX are an important cornerstone for a project. “Sound is a powerful way to raise awareness of the richness of the living world, to help us hear what we don’t even stop to look at,” explains Charles. “These recordings remind us that nature is always there, alive, active, even in its quietest forms. Making those sounds audible is a way of reconnecting people with that presence.”

Charles focused not just on nature sound effects, but culture and everyday life, too. His ability to pick out seemingly random objects in the landscape led to a variety of unique recordings. “We were standing around a barrel, and a kid nearby started hitting it with his hand. Right away, I thought it could be interesting to capture the metallic resonance using a contact microphone — especially since Tristan was with us. Depending on whether the barrel was empty or full, the sound would change, and I was curious to hear what it could produce.”

Charles immediately leapt at the opportunity. “Together with Tristan, Spencer, and the child, we started drumming on the barrel, creating this spontaneous scene, all connected through sound. What I really loved was letting the child listen back through the headphones, so he could hear how different the sound felt compared to what you hear with your bare ears.”

It’s all about the people

There’s no doubt that the local children and people of Tuvalu made the biggest impression on the team and ensured their trip was so wonderful. Tristan was blown away — “the thing that will always be etched into my heart and mind is the people. Some of the most inviting and beautiful human beings I’ve ever met!”

“The local people of Tuvalu were all so happy for us to be there documenting their culture and home. Everywhere we went, we were greeted with nothing but smiles and happiness. The kids on the island don’t have much — but they have the ocean and are so happy just to swim, jump, and play in the ocean every day” reflects Spencer. 

Josh agrees — “when they were swimming, jumping off the pier, just messing around. It was super simple, but something about it stuck with me. They were just being kids, but there’s this weight in the background when you know their future here isn’t guaranteed. That contrast really hit.” 

Click to download the full Footage Collection of The Youth of Tuvalu

The responsibility and importance of a trip like this was not lost on the four creatives. “You talk to kids who are being adopted overseas because their homes are disappearing. You hear people say they don’t know what the future holds. That’s heavy. And I think the least we can do is tell those stories while they’re still unfolding,” says Josh.

Preserving Tuvalu culture through music and film

For Spencer, it’s his work as a filmmaker that helps document what’s happening to Tuvalu in this moment. “We now have a beautiful visual documentation of Tuvalu, a place that not many people in the world will get to visit, and also a country that might not be around much anymore. I think a mix of all the imagery that we captured helped show the spirit and soul of the place — the friendly smiles of all the kids on the island, the pristine, crystal clear water, and tropical palm trees. It was really a visually beautiful place.”

“Tropical islands are really a hard place to make look bad, but in Tuvalu I really loved that wherever you point a camera it was beautiful. Combined with some amazing sunrises and sunsets, crystal clear water and palm trees on a remote tropical island, it was an incredible place to document for artlist.”

Of course, when it comes to preserving the culture itself, music plays a key role. Historically, Tuvalu’s story starts with Polynesians settling the islands centuries ago, navigating vast ocean distances with nothing but stars and skill. It’s no surprise, then, that Tristan picked up on this with the traditional music they heard during their time here. “The music was very raw in nature and had that ‘island-uke” style sound,” Tristan reflects, referencing the unique Oceania musical instruments that were being used by the locals. “I think my immediate thoughts were how similar it sounded to a lot of Hawaiian music. There was also an obvious Samoan influence in a lot of the traditional songs, so I definitely tried to incorporate elements of that into my compositions.”

Click here to download the complete Sounds of Tuvalu SFX collection.

For Charles, the Tuvalu music was a standout moment. “What touched me the most in Tuvalu were the cultural moments shared with the local community. I’ll never forget the kava ceremony we experienced together with the team and the residents. The songs from that evening were unforgettable, and listening to them again at home brings back strong memories.”

The Tuvalu collection

Through the Artlist Tuvalu collection, you can expect to feel and evoke these strong memories of culture and traditional dance, too. Spencer’s stunning cinematic footage is perfect for creating travel videos using stock footage, while new tracks from Tristan, inspired by Oceania music, and the unique sound effects recorded by Charles all work to bring the island to life. 

Click to download the Sinking Island Album by Tristan Barton

This project, Spencer believes, can “help raise awareness for what’s happening to Tuvalu and the people on the island. As humans, we need to all do our part to help combat global warming, climate change, and rising sea levels. I think beautifully documenting a place like this is a great way to do that.”

For Charles, it’s a form of testimony. Nature is changing, and with climate change, environments and their soundscapes are vanishing. By capturing these sounds, we’re creating living archives of a time and place under threat. The same goes for culture. During this trip, I recorded unique cultural elements: local Tuvalu dances, songs, language, and other traditions deeply rooted in Tuvaluan identity. These too are at risk because of climate change.”

If you have a story to tell and a vision to bring to life, we believe that all you need is the right creative toolkit. Artlist is all about empowering people from all walks of life to create anytime, anywhere. By sending creators across the world to document what they see, hear, and feel, we provide you with the highest-quality, original, and exclusive creative assets and tools. The Tuvalu collection is now available for download.

Check out more work from the Artlist x Tuvalu creators: 

Joshua Guvi, Travel filmmaker, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, IMDb
Spencer Frost, Filmmaker and cinematographer, Website, Instagram, YouTube 
Tristan Barton, Musical artist and composer, Website, YouTube, Instagram
Charles Rose, Field recorder, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok

הפוסט How to preserve the spirit and culture of a disappearing island הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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Artlist’s top creative assets for filmmakers in 2024 https://artlist.io/blog/best-creative-assets-2024/ Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:15:50 +0000 https://artlist.io/blog/?p=36691 Get inspired by 2024’s top music, footage, and SFX Every year, filmmakers and content creators push the boundaries of their creativity to produce new and exciting experiences for their viewers. Artlist has been right by your side, providing high-quality assets for your video projects. As the year draws to a close, take a look back […]

הפוסט Artlist’s top creative assets for filmmakers in 2024 הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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Get inspired by 2024’s top music, footage, and SFX

Every year, filmmakers and content creators push the boundaries of their creativity to produce new and exciting experiences for their viewers. Artlist has been right by your side, providing high-quality assets for your video projects. As the year draws to a close, take a look back at highlights from 2024’s top creative assets, hand-picked by the Artlist curators, based on what you loved over the past twelve months.

Here we’ll take a look at some of the highlights, but make sure to explore the full lists in the Artlist Spotlight stock footage collection, music collection, and sound effects collection for 2024.

Top songs and music of 2024

Music trends come and go, but video content always needs a killer track to set the mood. From cinematic scores to upbeat pop tunes, the most popular songs of 2024 cover a vast range of genres and styles, inspiring you to create your next project.

Escape Velocity by Steven Beddall

With a stunning orchestral arrangement of strings, percussion, and backing vocals, ‘Escape Velocity’ evolves into a powerful cinematic composition. The music builds throughout, creating an emotive soundscape that enhances the emotional depth of your film or campaign.

Tic Tac Toe by Captain Joz

‘Tic Tac Toe’ is an upbeat Hip Hop track with electric drums, sharp claps, and snappy percussion. The groovy vocals drive the energy, while the fast-paced beat keeps things lively and vibrant. It’s the perfect blend of rhythm and excitement, guaranteed to get you moving.

Celestial Rhythms by Ariel Dahan

With fast-paced drums, a deep bass, and gritty synths, ‘Celestial Rhythms’ delivers a high-energy electronic sound, perfect for sports content or action-packed montages. The track’s dynamic rhythm and energy enhance the excitement of any high-action sequence.

Sunny Daydreams by Danny Shields

‘Sunny Daydreams’ is the ideal summer groove, with a smooth beat and plenty of funky brass. The warm piano and electric drums back up the soft vocals, creating the perfect soundtrack for a hot summer afternoon relaxing in the shade.

Good Times by Rynn

One of the best songs of 2024 has to be the uplifting indie track ‘Good Times’ by Rynn. The infectious, upbeat vibe and folk-style backing vocals create a warm and exciting tone, reminding us of the good times in 2024.

These are some of our favorites, but make sure to check out the full Best of 2024 music collection

Top footage of the year

Stock footage is an invaluable asset for filmmakers and content creators alike. Whether you’re using the Artlist collection for storyboarding, adding stunning location shots to your films, or constructing entire narratives, it gives creatives the freedom to bring your visions to life.

Animated Bloom

The ‘Animated Bloom’ animation showcases vibrant pink blossoms bursting into life in hyper-realistic, high-speed motion. In the background, soft-focus cherry blossoms add contrast and depth, creating a dynamic and captivating scene.

Slow Mo Inferno

‘Slow Mo Inferno’ features a wooden house burning in a desert at dusk. The flames move slowly, casting an eerie glow as they flicker through the windows and door. The front of the house is silhouetted against the dimming sky, creating a haunting, atmospheric scene. 

Morning at the River

This stunning shot captures a serene, misty lake in the fall. The camera follows a swan as it takes off, creating slow-motion water splashes as it lifts into the air. The tranquil scene showcases nature’s quiet beauty and gentle movement in fall.

Faroe Islands FVP

This breathtaking drone shot captures the rugged coastline of the Faroe Islands, showcasing its remote wilderness. The drone glides effortlessly through the rocky landscape, gradually revealing a vast panorama of lush green mountains.

Animated Multiple Reality 

The ‘Animated Multiple Reality’ sequence offers a high-angle view of a bustling Tokyo crosswalk. Hundreds of pedestrians move in all directions, creating a dynamic contrast against the dark concrete and stark white road markings. The scene captures the organized chaos of city life with stunning visual depth.

There are even more stunning clips ready for you to download in the full Best of 2024 footage collection.

Best sound effects of 2024

The Best of 2024 SFX collection features some of the year’s most downloaded and viewed sounds. Artlist boasts an incredible library of sound effects, widely used in everything from animated commercials to feature films, adding depth and impact to every project.

Tonal synth transition

‘Sonic Shifts Vol 2’ is a short tonal whoosh with a dark, ominous feel. The reverb gives it a foghorn-like sound, while the synthetic strings add a musical touch. Part sound effect, part score, this can be easily layered into compositions in unique ways.

Back in Time Atmosphere

‘Back in Time Atmosphere’ is a chilling effect that begins with a slow, breathy wind sound layered with distorted clicks and claps. The tension gradually builds, culminating in a sudden, dramatic finish. The perfect SFX for horror, thriller, and sci-fi projects.

Howling Wolfpack

This minute-long track features wolves and coyotes howling in the wilderness. It includes pack howls and individual calls, perfect for setting an atmospheric tone or isolating specific sounds.

Bubble Pop

‘Bubble Pop’ is an incredibly versatile sound effect. This cartoon-style popping sound is perfect for accentuating movements in animation and motion graphics. Use it to emphasize the motion of elements, titles, or transitions — engage your audience with a playful, energetic touch.

Soft Synth

‘Soft Synth’ is a soothing, soulful loop featuring smooth percussion, warm keys, and rich synths. With its laid-back, summery vibe, this track is perfect for creating mellow lounge music, smooth club beats, and groovy RnB vibes.

Make sure to explore the full Best of 2024 SFX collection for even more high-fidelity sound effects recorded by leading sound engineers.

Looking forward to 2025

As you get ready for 2025, you’ll need the right tools and creative assets to bring your creative vision to life. Whether you’re an up-and-coming influencer or a business building your online presence, the Artlist library is perfect, offering high-quality, royalty-free stock assets, including LUTs, plugins, and AI voiceovers. Head to the Artlist Spotlight to explore more incredible curated collections and kick-start your next project.

הפוסט Artlist’s top creative assets for filmmakers in 2024 הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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Top tips for spooky Halloween videos https://artlist.io/blog/top-tips-for-spooky-halloween-videos/ Sun, 29 Sep 2024 09:54:47 +0000 https://artlist.io/blog/?p=32451 If you’re in marketing, you’re probably already well aware of the importance of creating relevant social media content related to major holidays and celebrations. Doing this enables brands to leverage the heightened interest and emotional connection people have with these various events, increasing the likelihood of content being shared and interacted with. By aligning content […]

הפוסט Top tips for spooky Halloween videos הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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If you’re in marketing, you’re probably already well aware of the importance of creating relevant social media content related to major holidays and celebrations. Doing this enables brands to leverage the heightened interest and emotional connection people have with these various events, increasing the likelihood of content being shared and interacted with.

By aligning content with current festivities, brands enhance their visibility, build stronger relationships with their audience, and tap into seasonal trends to drive engagement and sales. 

One of the biggest events of the year for the western calendar is Halloween. So, if you’re looking for Halloween video ideas, then you’ve come to the right place.

Spooky activity on social media

To capture your audience’s attention with a Halloween atmosphere, you want to immerse your content in the holiday’s distinctive elements. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

  • Use classic spooky visuals like haunted houses, ghosts, and pumpkins
  • Incorporate eerie sounds and Halloween-themed music into your content
  • Craft engaging, Halloween-themed stories or challenges
  • Leverage color schemes like orange, black, and purple to create a festive mood
  • Produce interactive elements such as polls about favorite costumes or virtual trick-or-treating, which can all boost engagement
  • Offer exclusive Halloween-themed promotions or giveaways to encourage participation and create a buzz around your content

The main ingredients for spooky Halloween videos

Every video should be unique and different, especially if you’re looking to stand out and go viral. However, with the above in mind, there are a few main elements that, when combined together, can help you in creating the perfect Halloween video.

Atmosphere

To create a spooky atmosphere in your Halloween videos, you should consider using dim lighting with eerie sources like candles that can cast unsettling shadows. Creepy sound effects such as distant thunder or whispering voices are always a good idea, while some fog or smoke can add an otherworldly feel and even obscure parts of the scene for added mystery. Additionally, utilize Halloween-themed props like cobwebs and skeletons and stick to a dark color palette that uses orange and black to maintain a consistent, unsettling tone.

Visuals

When considering the visuals in your Halloween video, you should use unsettling props like jack-o’-lanterns, creepy dolls, and cobwebs to enhance the eerie atmosphere. You could also add some ghostly elements such as floating sheets or supernatural effects like glowing eyes.

As mentioned above, you could also utilize dim or colored lighting to create dramatic shadows and highlight key details. And think about your shot choices and framing, too. Close-up shots and angles can help create a sense of unease or suspense, while bright, cheerful colors may end up detracting from the horror theme.

Editing

When it comes to the edit, you can really have fun and perfect the disturbing, scary feeling in your Halloween videos. You can use suspenseful music and sound effects to build tension, and incorporate jump scares or unexpected visual transitions to surprise and unsettle your viewers. Utilizing quick cuts and shaky camera movements can also create a sense of chaos or danger.

Storytelling

To captivate viewers and ensure audience retention, as well as shareability, you want to craft a compelling narrative that has a clear, eerie plot. You can build suspense by introducing unsettling elements gradually, maintaining a sense of mystery.

Whenever possible (it depends on your video), develop intriguing characters or creatures with dark backstories to enhance the horror, and use foreshadowing and unexpected twists to keep viewers engaged and on edge. You want to ensure the story unfolds in a way that creates emotional impact, whether through fear, surprise, or intrigue.

Costumes and Makeup

Costumes and makeup are a huge part of Halloween — it’s what we all love about this holiday! You should focus on creating striking, authentic looks that enhance the spooky atmosphere and captivate your viewers. Choose costumes that reflect classic horror themes or unique, unsettling characters and use detailed makeup to add scary effects like ghostly pallor, dark under-eye circles, or some ghoulish scars. Remember to have fun and get creative with it — you could maybe use special effects like fake blood or prosthetics for some added realism.

Effects

A lot of Halloween videos make good use of special effects. If the time and budget allows, use visual techniques like ghostly overlays, supernatural distortions, and unsettling transitions to enhance the horror-like atmosphere. During filming, you could also experiment with some practical effects such as fog machines, hidden wires for moving props, or simulated blood splatters to add to the realism.

Meanwhile in the edit, use digital effects for creepy elements like floating objects or spectral figures and integrate sound effects like sudden crashes or whispers to complement the visual effects and build that suspense. Artist has plenty of fun stock footage and effects that could come in useful here.

How to create a Halloween video fast

Making a Halloween video can be time-consuming. If you’re in a rush and want to create something quick (without compromising on quality), Artlist assets are the solution for you. 

From scary music and horror sound effects to voiceovers and special effects, there are so many different elements that go into a great Halloween video and you can source all of them directly through Artlist.

Music

Artlist has a large library of royalty-free Halloween music, ready for you to use in your projects right now. By using search filters and curated collections, you can source your horror film soundtracks quickly, downloading with the click of a button. To make your life easier and for some inspiration to get you started, we also put together special collections of music based on themes and genres. In this case, be sure to check out the Halloween music collection.

Sound effects

Looking for horror sound effects? There are plenty of great options available from evil, devilish laughs to creaking doors and booming thunder. Perhaps you have a certain film in mind? Just like for the music catalog, there are various curated collections for SFX, including these Beetlejuice inspired SFX.

Voiceovers

Did you know that on Artlist, you can create free, spooky voiceovers too? Check out the new voice catalog, where you can instantly generate text-to-speech passages with our AI. You can select from a wide range of presets and fine-tune with advanced settings to get the spookiest result. Gloom, or Balance might be good starting points.

Stock footage

If you’re tight on both time and budget, Artlist’s Halloween stock footage can save you a world of headaches. There’s 4K footage made by professional filmmakers, in RAW and LOG formats. To get you started, check out this haunted footage collection, and if you want to get even more niche, you can find other collections like Joker-inspired footage.

Halloween video templates

Alongside the selection of scary footage, there are also plenty of Halloween templates to choose from in the Artlist catalog. These templates provide a great starting point from which you can quickly tailor and produce an effective piece of content in a fraction of the time it would take to create something from scratch.

Wrapping up

Whether you’re looking to create funny Halloween videos or Halloween invitation templates, it’s often a lengthy process. Working in the busy, frantic world of marketing, there’s often time pressure to quickly create multiple pieces of content for holiday seasons.

Rather than creating everything from scratch, making use of Artlist’s music, footage, SFX, AI voiceover, and video templates can help you create effective, spooky Halloween content faster than ever.

*This article’s cover image was inspired by footage from the Monster Halloween story by Danil Nevsky 

הפוסט Top tips for spooky Halloween videos הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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How we made it: Recording the Sounds of Determination https://artlist.io/blog/paralympics-sounds-of-determination-recording/ Wed, 24 Jul 2024 06:53:22 +0000 https://artlist.io/blog/?p=27010 What does determination sound like? The challenges in recording sports sound effects When the Artlist team decided to record Paralympic athletes as they trained, they didn’t know what to expect. This project was uncharted territory, and recording the best athletes in the world while they trained without getting in their way was a new experience […]

הפוסט How we made it: Recording the Sounds of Determination הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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Artlist Blog Artlist Blog Artlist Blog Artlist Blog Artlist Blog

What does determination sound like? The challenges in recording sports sound effects

When the Artlist team decided to record Paralympic athletes as they trained, they didn’t know what to expect. This project was uncharted territory, and recording the best athletes in the world while they trained without getting in their way was a new experience for everyone. 

Never ones to shy away from a challenge, a team of five Artlist sound designers, audio engineers, and producers attended training sessions in field tennis, kayaking, wheelchair basketball, table tennis, and hand bike, and came up with innovative ways to capture the sound of these world-class athletes as they give everything to their sport – while trying not to bother them too much.

Nadav Elovic was the content lead on this project and can attest firsthand to the lengths Artlist will go to record and source authentic SFX for our community. 

Nadav Elovic, a content creator, sitting outdoors, wearing a beige cap and a blue shirt, gesturing while engaged in conversation. Perfect for stock footage and video editing projects focused on casual and natural settings

“We aimed to convey the unbreakable spirit of these athletes”

– Nadav Elovic, Artlist


“The purpose of this project was to capture the authentic sounds of Paralympic athletes during their most intense moments of training and competition,” he says. “We aimed to convey the determination, resilience, and extraordinary spirit of these athletes, while also providing unique and inspiring sound assets for filmmakers and content creators.”

By sharing these stories, Artlist hopes to empower filmmakers worldwide to push boundaries and be fearless in their craft. Just as these athletes defied the odds to push their limits, “Sounds of Determination” encourages creators to embrace the limitless potential of their own artistic vision. 

Getting to know the athletes

The SFX collection includes audio from Nico Dreimüller and Thomas Böhme, who are competing in Germany’s Chair Basketball Paralympic team. Both born with disabilities, the pair fell in love with the sport as kids, and always dreamt of competing in the Paralympics. As team-mates and best friends, they understand their role models for the next generation, and hope to encourage kids with disabilities to push the limits of what is considered possible. “I know how they feel because I also was that kid who was looking up to the athletes,” says Thomas. 

This is exactly the essence Nadav hoped to capture with these sound effects. “When you’re armed with determination and an unbreakable drive for excellence, the only limits are the ones you set for yourself,” he says. “This is not a project about disabilities, it’s a project about the power of will. Our key message is: “In the world of filmmaking, be the Olympic athlete of your craft — approach your filmmaking with the same bold, fearless mindset to create without limits and leave a lasting impact.”

Caroline Tabib is competing for Israel’s Paralympic Table Tennis team. She was born with partial disability and has never walked before. She built up strength when she started swimming as a child, and then tried basketball and hand tennis. But it was only when she discovered table tennis that she knew she’d found her sporting home. Now, she’s won three National Championships and this will be her third and last Paralympic event.

Talia Eilat, the 2023 European Championship Bronze Medalist in Kayaking, is also featured, together with Road Cyclist Amit Hasdai and Tennis player Maayan Zikri.

You can check out a small sample of the authentic sound effects here, or listen to the full collection in the Artlist catalog.

The unique challenges of recording athletes in action

Avishai Karawan was on the team of sound designers who recorded the athletes. He says it was one of the most challenging projects he’d worked on because there were so many variables that were out of his control – but it was also one of the most rewarding.

“I was in charge of recording all the sound effects, so putting the microphones on them and documenting their effort sounds,” Avishai says. “They’re athletes, not actors, so they’re not accustomed to being recorded with gear. They were training intensely for the Paralympics, and some of the sports were more difficult to record than others.”

Wheelchair basketball players practicing in a gymnasium, captured by content creators for a documentary. The scene offers excellent stock footage for video editors.

To record the kayak, Avishai and the team had to follow the athlete around on a motorboat, which was loud and impacted the quality of the recording. They attached the microphone to her hair so it could be directed at her mouth from the edge of forehead, and then had to make sure they stayed in range to capture the sound of her training. “So keeping all these things in check and getting a versatile and clean recording was not easy,” he says.

To record the athletes, Avishai used Lavalier microphones, usually used on TV and hidden away inside a shirt or blouse. “The hand bike athlete was wearing a helmet, so I had to improvise and attach the mic to the helmet instead of his hair. I couldn’t keep up with his speed, so we had to put the receiver and recording device in a backpack and give it to his trainer to ride alongside him,” Avishai says.

“Sometimes it was windy, sometimes the athletes didn’t make any relevant sounds, so there were a lot of different variables,” Avishai says. “Every session was its own quick-learn, quick-adapt situation with its own challenges.”

A paralympic athlete in a wheelchair using battle ropes in a gym, filmed with high-quality video equipment, ideal for adding dynamic stock footage and sound effects to video projects

The effects were recorded over three days, and each sport took between one and four hours to record. Artlist recorded video footage, while Avishai recorded audio, to create a behind-the-scenes documentary of the project which has been released alongside the sound effects. 

Avishai says the editing process was easier than recording. “I had over an hour and a half of material just for one sport, and we decided to produce just 12 or 13 sound effects from that,” Avishai explains. “We had to pick out the interesting sounds, so that was challenging because there was a lot of material. But it ended up turning into a cool collection of samples.”

Feeling inspired to reach every goal

Despite its challenges, this project was hugely rewarding, and both Nadav and Avishai walked away feeling inspired. “Just being in their presence was inspiring,” says Avishai. “The amount of work they put in is insane. It’s such a high level of athleticism, it’s incredible to witness, so I felt humbled and honored to document the amount of effort they put into what they do.”

“Just being in their presence was inspiring”

– Avishai Karawan, Artlist

Portrait of a Avishai Karawan, a content creator, smiling outdoors, framed by trees in the background. Ideal for video editing projects involving royalty-free music and natural sound effects.


When Nadav was shooting in Frankfurt, he remembers asking why wheelchair basketball player Nico was running late. “His teammate said he was late because he’s in court,” Nadav says. “So I asked what happened to him, and his teammate said, ‘No, no — he’s in court representing a client. The trial is just running a bit late.’ And that’s when I discovered that Nico is not just a 4-time Paralympic athlete, but he’s also a lawyer.”

Nadav says this truly embodies the spirit of these athletes. “Not only are they incredibly ambitious in their sport, but incredibly ambitious in every aspect of their lives. They truly live by the motto ‘nothing is unattainable.’”

After spending many hours with nearly a dozen paralympic athletes, Nadav noticed they all share an almost euphoric joy of life. “They’re so happy doing what they love, and they never question if a goal is unreachable,” he says. 

A paralympic athlete in a wheelchair performing strength training exercises in a gym, with professional lighting setup for capturing high-quality footage for video editing.

“For many Paralympic athletes, their sporting careers began as an unexpected outcome of their rehabilitation journey. These individuals often started their physical therapy or medical treatments as a necessary step in recovering from injuries or managing physical disorders. 

“What makes their stories particularly inspiring to me is how they’ve transformed these circumstances into springboards for greatness. Starting from what might be considered a disadvantage, these athletes pushed themselves to extraordinary heights, making the absolute best of their situations.”

Now, the Artlist community can listen to the sounds of these athletes competing at their best, ahead of one of the most exciting tournaments on the planet: the Paralympics. We hope these sounds inspire creativity in unexpected ways, and become the backdrop to a scene about perseverance in a completely new context.

“Moreover, we want the Artlist community to gain a deeper appreciation for the Paralympic athletes and their journeys,” Nadav says. “Each sound effect carries with it a story of incredible determination and resilience. We hope this understanding translates into more inclusive and diverse storytelling across all types of creative projects.”

Download authentic sports sound effects for your videos

Check out the Sounds of Determination collection on Artlist to add high-quality sports sound effects to your videos.

הפוסט How we made it: Recording the Sounds of Determination הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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Download top 10 sports SFX https://artlist.io/blog/sports-sound-effects/ Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:33:27 +0000 https://artlist.io/blog/?p=26594 Sound plays a huge role in bringing the scene to life in every thrilling sports moment. Whether it’s the anticipation of a boxing match or the electric atmosphere of a soccer game, every sound effect has the power to transport your audience right into the heart of the action. Check out some of our favorite […]

הפוסט Download top 10 sports SFX הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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Sound plays a huge role in bringing the scene to life in every thrilling sports moment. Whether it’s the anticipation of a boxing match or the electric atmosphere of a soccer game, every sound effect has the power to transport your audience right into the heart of the action. Check out some of our favorite sports sound effects, which you can use to immerse your viewers in every play, punch, and point.

1. Basketball Heavy Ball Dribble

The rhythmic bouncing of the basketball on hardwood perfectly captures the intensity and beat of the game. Add this sound to your videos to create a realistic and tactile basketball effect that echoes every player’s move on the court.

2. Boxing Gym – Punching Speed Ball

The rapid thud of a punching speed ball isn’t just about aggression. It’s a testament to speed, timing, and precision. Use this sound in training montages or boxing gym scenes to enhance the impact of every hit.

3. Volleyball Game – Ball Net Touch

The unique twang of a volleyball hitting the net can signify missed chances or strategic plays. This sound effect adds a layer of tension and excitement to matches and can help feature a critical moment in your footage

4. Sporty Vibe – Sports Arena Ambience

From the distant roar of the upper deck crowd to closer chatter and cheers, arena ambiance is your go-to for crafting a live sports event atmosphere. It’s ideal for scenes needing a backdrop filled with the buzz and excitement of thousands of spectators.

5. Ball Games – Tennis Racket Ball Hit

The crisp, sharp smack of a tennis ball meeting a racket offers a variety of tones, from a light slap to a heavy hit, reflecting the game’s dynamic nature. These ball sound effects are essential for bringing authenticity to any tennis footage.

6. Human Body – Heartbeat

A throbbing heartbeat sound intensifies sports scenes and humanizes them by highlighting the immense pressure and physical demand athletes endure. It’s perfect for peak moments and can help build suspense and empathy.

7. Soccer Game – Football Crowd Ambience

Nothing captures the global passion for soccer like the sound of a stadium crowd cheering, chanting, and reacting to every play. This sound effect draws the viewer in and makes them feel like they are amongst the die-hard fans.

8. Focused Sports – Badminton Birdie Hit

The subtle, swift sound of a badminton birdie being hit serves as a sharp, engaging audio marker ideal for fast-paced and strategic exchanges. Use it to add realistic sounds alongside the game’s quick shifts and sharp reflexes.

9. Gym Day – Gymnastics Mat Landing

Did they stick the landing? The thump of a gymnastics mat after an impressive aerial movement is one of the tensest moments in the sport. Add it to your videos to emphasize the athlete’s skill and execution.  

10. Basketball – Footwork, Shoe Scuffing, and Sliding on Parquet

Footwork is fundamental in basketball, and the scuffing and sliding of shoes on a wood floor can be as much of a signature sound as any game-winning shot. These SFX provide a gritty texture to scenes, highlighting the intensity of the sport.

Wrapping up

Now that you’ve got the sounds, it’s time to bring your sports projects to life. Dive into Artlist’s extensive library of sports sound effects and start creating content that looks spectacular and sounds powerful. Whether you’re producing a promo, a documentary, or a social media clip, these authentic sounds will enhance every play and resonate with every viewer. Start creating with sports sounds from Artlist today. 

הפוסט Download top 10 sports SFX הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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How To Create The Perfect Showreel https://artlist.io/blog/how-to-create-a-showreel/ Wed, 15 Nov 2023 13:02:00 +0000 https://artlist.io/blog/?p=14859 Whatever you class yourself as – a filmmaker, a videographer, a cinematographer – there’s one key thing that you’ll all need to succeed in the industry: a showreel. A showreel is effectively your visual business card – for most people, this is the first time they will encounter your work. With that in mind, it’d […]

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Whatever you class yourself as – a filmmaker, a videographer, a cinematographer – there’s one key thing that you’ll all need to succeed in the industry: a showreel. A showreel is effectively your visual business card – for most people, this is the first time they will encounter your work. With that in mind, it’d best be good!

Read on to find out exactly what a showreel is and why it’s so important, before diving into some of the top tips on how to create a truly great showreel that stands out from the crowd.

What is a showreel, and why is it important?

Essentially, a showreel (also known as a sizzle reel) is exactly what it says it is. It’s a reel of footage designed to show off the very best of your work. Sometimes, they might also be referred to as a “sizzle reel” which is another great indicator of what this should be – a video that has that special something to it, giving people a taste of your work.

As much as we’d love for potential employers to sit down and take the time to watch all our amazing films and videos, they most likely don’t have the time. A showreel is that one video (your visual business card) that gives them an immediate idea of who you are and what you do. This is most likely the first video of yours that people are going to watch, and it will more often than not determine whether you get the job or not. If you don’t have one, you’re effectively invisible.

Who should have a showreel?

Pretty much anyone involved in the industry of filmmaking should have a showreel to show off their best work. Whether you’re a director, a cinematographer, an editor, a VFX artist, a colorist, or even a makeup artist, you should have a showreel that showcases your best work!

How long is a showreel?

There are no strict rules about how long or short a showreel can be, but if we keep in mind that potential employers view dozens of showreels every day and are really busy, you don’t want to waste their time. The sweet spot for a showreel is between 90 seconds to two minutes in length. If you’re pushing over the three-minute mark, it’s probably time to cut back a little.

The main components of a showreel

A sizzle reel comes in all different shapes, styles, and sizes. That’s important because you want to stand out and be unique. However, with that being said, if you’re looking at how to create a showreel, there are a few key, main components.

  • As discussed above, one of the rules of thumb is that a showreel should probably sit between 90 seconds to 2 minutes of footage.
  • Every showreel should have a catchy, memorable music track accompanying the footage. You can read a bit more about this below!
  • Opening titles should be inserted in the intro of the reel, telling viewers who you are and what you do. For example, my name is Josh Edwards and I’m a director/cinematographer.
  • This goes without saying, but the main component of any showreel is to showcase your very best work. Include your best work, always.
  • End titles at the end should provide your contact details. Remember, this is like a visual business card. Hopefully, viewers have enjoyed watching your reel and want to reach out, so provide them with an email address and a website they can check out.

Examples of showreels

There are a million showreels out there on the internet for you to watch and research but below, we’re sharing just a few of our favorites in recent years. There are a few from our very own showreel competition at Artlist! Watch these, and identify their differences and similarities. What makes them great? Why do they stand out?

Top tips for how to create a showreel

So, now you know what a showreel is and why they’re so important…it’s time to create your own! Below, we’ve put together a few tips from the industry that can help you in crafting a memorable reel that stands out from the crowd.

Always (and only) show your best work

It seems really obvious, but you want your showreel to showcase your best work. Because you only have around 90 seconds to two minutes of runtime, you need to think long and hard about what makes the cut. If at some point you shoot footage with your smartphone on a family holiday, but you’re creating a showreel that demonstrates your skills as a professional cinematographer, the phone footage might not be the right choice.

Ask yourself why am I including this footage? Is it relevant? Is it my best work? If the answer is no, take it out. One average shot can easily bring down the whole quality of the reel.

Create a showreel for the work you want

Not only do you want to create a sizzle reel that shows your best work, but you also want it to reflect the work you’d like to be hired for in the future! For example, if you’re focusing on travel and outdoor adventure, it’d be a good idea to incorporate this type of footage into your showreel. If your reel doesn’t showcase this and instead, you’re highlighting your talking-head interviews and commercial work for a bakery…why would you be hired for work in the travel and outdoors adventure industry? You need to show people what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about.

Flow and sequencing

The best kind of showreels aren’t just random clips and pieces of footage stuck together on a video editing software timeline. They have a pace and flow to them.

Wherever possible, try to ensure that your footage is sequenced and flows nicely from one scene to the next. If you can achieve this, it will be a much more memorable, enjoyable watch for your viewers. It also enforces the notion that you’re a professional creative who understands how to tell great visual stories

Music choices

As you may have already noted from some of the examples of showreels above, music choice plays a huge role in how good your showreel is. Picking the right track can make or break your showreel project – it dictates the mood and feel of the piece, impacting on how your footage flows and comes across.

Do you go big, bold, and brash with a memorable anthem that compliments your fast, energetic gym workout footage? Or do you pick something subtle and more classic, to reflect your calming drone shots of nature?

Using Artlist, you can listen to thousands of royalty-free music tracks, filtering them down through moods and genres such as “powerful” and “playful”, “cinematic” and “ambient”. Whatever mood and feel you’re going for, there’s a song for you. To help get you started, we’ve even put together our very own collection of showreel music tracks.

Sound design

This one is subtle (and often gets overlooked), but it can make a huge difference. By making use of sound effects, you can help your showreel stand out that much more, bringing your footage to life with beautiful, detailed sound design. It’s a little extra work, but it’s well worth it.

Working with stock footage

This may not apply to every type of showreel out there but, if you’re an editor putting together a sizzle reel, why not make use of stock video? Because you’re not claiming to have shot all of the footage in your reel like a director or cinematographer might have to, you have more license to experiment. Your reel aims to show off your editing skills!

With Artlist, you can find all kinds of great footage, using filters such as “video theme” and “shot type” to hone in on what you need. For example, if you’re looking to show off your skills as an editor for blue-chip nature documentaries (the type that gets shown on National Geographic or the BBC), you could select “animals & wildlife” as your video theme, then click 4K on shot type, so that you’re presented with the very best, most crisp stock footage out there.

Wrapping up

So, that’s everything you need to know about how to create a showreel. This is the most important part of your portfolio and website, so take your time with it and make sure it’s a true reflection of who you are as a filmmaker and what you’d like to work on in the future.

While there are general rules and key components, don’t be afraid to experiment. The showreels that impress and stand out most are the ones that do things a little better and a little differently. Keep your eyes peeled for the next Artlist showreel competition, too!

הפוסט How To Create The Perfect Showreel הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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Dealing with copyright infringement as a content creator https://artlist.io/blog/copyright-infringement/ Wed, 08 Nov 2023 09:59:34 +0000 https://artlist.io/blog/?p=13511 Whichever social media platform you’re using – whether it’s YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or any of the others – they all demand an unlimited, constant supply of content. Social media has ensured that we’re now exposed to far more photos, words, and videos than ever before – so much so that it’s proving hard to keep […]

הפוסט Dealing with copyright infringement as a content creator הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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Whichever social media platform you’re using – whether it’s YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or any of the others – they all demand an unlimited, constant supply of content. Social media has ensured that we’re now exposed to far more photos, words, and videos than ever before – so much so that it’s proving hard to keep up. Of course, this explosion of video being produced on a scale never seen before has had massive implications when it comes to copyright infringement.

When there’s monetization involved and a never-ending demand for fresh, new videos, it’s sadly inevitable that sometimes, your videos may be stolen and shared elsewhere. So, if you’re a part of the creator economy, making and sharing videos online, it’s a good idea to learn the basics of copyright infringement – what is it, and how can you protect yourself and your work from being stolen?

What is copyright infringement?

There can be a lot of nuance to this, but in general terms, copyright infringement takes place when a piece of work that’s been copyrighted (in our case, a video) is reproduced, distributed, and shared publicly elsewhere without the permission of the copyright owner (you).

As an example, imagine creating an engaging TikTok that recaps your holiday to Nepal. You share it and get a few views and likes. Three days later, you find that same TikTok being posted by an account that focuses on trekking and outdoor adventures. They have a far bigger following and have generated a lot more views and likes on the video. But you gave them no permission to share your work here, and you’ve not even been credited. Frustrating, right? This would be a classic case of TikTok copyright infringement.

Get everything you need to create the perfect video

What type of work is protected from copyright infringement?

Put very simply, if you create and post an original video on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, that piece of work is now protected from copyright infringement and you, as the creator and owner of the video, are also the wonder of the copyrights for that video.

Taking a closer look at Instagram’s Help Centre Copyright Page, here’s what they have to say:

“In most countries, copyright is a legal right that protects original works of authorship. Typically, if you create an original work, you have a copyright from the moment that you create it.

Copyright covers a wide variety of types of works, including:

  • Visual or audiovisual works: videos, films, TV shows and broadcasts, video games, paintings, photographs
  • Audio works: songs, musical compositions, sound recordings, spoken word recordings
  • Written works: books, plays, manuscripts, articles, musical scores”

They go on to note that “to be original enough for copyright protection, a work needs to be created by the author themselves and have some minimal amount of creativity.”

So, names, titles, slogans, or short phrases and symbols aren’t really enough to qualify for copyright protection. However, if it’s an original video expressing an idea in a way that’s unique to you, this would be copyrighted.

TikTok states that “copyright protection only extends to original expressions. It doesn’t extend to ideas, procedures, methods of operation, or mathematical concepts. For example, a person may own the copyright to a film, but not the underlying plot or themes that are expressed in the film.”

How do you avoid copyright infringement?

If you’d like to avoid a copyright strike and steer clear of any potential trouble, there are a few golden rules to stick to. First and foremost, you should only post content that you’ve created yourself. There is a caveat called “fair use” which we’ll explain below, but stick to this rule and you’ll be fine. Before posting, simply ask:

  • Have I created all of the content myself?
  • Do I have permission to use all of the content included in my post?
  • Is the content protected by copyright (e.g. is it a short phrase, a concept or idea, or a work that has fallen into the public domain)?

But what do you do if you can’t create all of the content yourself? For example, there may be certain footage you can’t capture, and you probably don’t have the time to create a song from scratch. It’s possible that you could search for public domain music – songs that have been cleared for use by anyone…but the options aren’t amazing, and how to check if a song is copyrighted can be a little tricky.

This is where royalty-free music licensing, stock videos, and stock photos can really come in handy! With Artlist, you can access an incredible catalog of high-quality songs, as well as thousands of hours worth of stock footage – all of which can be used in your video copyright-free.

To do this, you make use of Clearlist, providing Artlist with links to your channels which ensures that you’re immediately protected from any content claims. Additionally, if you do receive a content claim, it can be managed and removed within minutes, saving you a lot of time and hassle.

Get unlimited royalty-free 4K footage

The caveat of “fair use”

As we mentioned above, there is a caveat called “fair use” that you could be aware of. Instagram defines fair use as the following:

“These laws allow people to use, under certain circumstances, someone else’s copyrighted work. Common examples include use for the purpose of criticism, commentary, parody, satire, news reporting, teaching, education and research.”

There are plenty of examples of fair use in our everyday lives.

  • Popular comedians such as YouTuber Cody Ko will routinely use other people’s material for the purpose of commentary and satire.
  • On TV, there are plenty of panel and discussion shows where the host and guests will show other people’s work to make comments, criticize, and report.
  • For education and research purposes, “fair use” can apply. For example, in this article, I’m writing right now, I’m using various quotes from Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. This is helping you to research and learn about copyright infringement.

Copyright infringement tools

Naturally, given the implications and repercussions of copyright infringement, there are plenty of great tools out there that help in identifying any copyright violation of your content.

YouTube content ID is probably the best example of this! The YouTube copyright matching tool is essentially a digital fingerprint, helping YouTube to identify and track the countless hours of content uploaded every single day. On each and every upload, the content is scanned to check for copyrighted content and if there are any issues, it’ll be flagged immediately. This has been a major force in stopping a lot of YouTube copyright infringement.

Similarly, Meta (the parent company of Instagram, as well as Facebook, etc) has their own copyright match tool in “Rights manager”. Much like YouTube content ID, this is a tool that’s been developed for copyright holders of all sizes, enabling Instagram copyright infringement to be detected relatively quickly and easily.

TikTok also scans all of its content to detect any TikTok copyright infringement, but they’re a little more secretive about the tools they use to do this. From personal experience, given the nature of the site, where using viral songs, sounds and video clips is common, as well as the ability to repost other TikToks, things can be a little more tricky to police here.

How to report copyright infringements of your content

Unfortunately, as good as the copyright match tools are, sometimes copyright infringements will slip through the net. There’s simply too much content being uploaded every minute. This can be frustrating for creators.

But the good news is that these major social media platforms care about you – they want you to trust them and continue to upload your videos to their sites. With that in mind, they’ve ensured that reporting copyright infringements is a relatively easy, straightforward process.

How to report copyright infringement on TikTok

Reporting a copyright infringement on TikTok is simple:

  1. In the TikTok app, tap the Share button on the side of the video you’d like to report.
  2. Tap Report.
  3. Tap Intellectual property infringement.
  4. Tap the Copyright Infringement Report and follow the instructions provided.

How to file an Instagram copyright report

For Instagram copyright infringement, there are a few ways you can report this:

  • You can report it to Instagram by going to the Help Centre and filling in this form.
  • You can also use Brand Rights Protection, which enables a rights holder to identify and report violating content for trademark, copyright, and counterfeit.
  • Failing this, you can even contact Instagram’s designated agent under the notice and counter-notice procedures of the United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). If you contact this DMCA-designated agent, you’ll need to make sure that you include a complete copyright claim in your report.

How to flag a YouTube video for copyright infringement

Reporting YouTube videos for copyright infringement is a simple, yet thorough process. All you have to do is navigate to YouTube Studio, select Copyright from the left menu, and then click NEW REMOVAL REQUEST.

What happens next?

Once you’ve submitted a copyright infringement report on any of these sites, what’s the next step? For example, how does Instagram notify you about copyright infringement issues?

Instagram

If the copyright infringement report is straightforward, it’s most likely that the offending content will be removed. Instagram will remove the content and a notification will be sent on Instagram to the person, informing them of the decision and reasoning.

If the user in question feels that their content was wrongly removed, they are entitled to an Instagram copyright infringement appeal. Instagram will take it from there and have a closer look. In some cases, Instagram may contact you for more information about the report.

YouTube

It’s a similar story with YouTube. Once you’ve filed your report, the user in question will be informed and have the option to either remove the offending video or challenge the report. Challenging the report is a rigorous process which, if they are proven to have committed copyright infringement, can result in a damaging copyright strike on their YouTube channel. Naturally, if they know they’re at fault, most users will opt to remove their video.

TikTok

All TikTok copyright infringement claims are reviewed by a team of IP specialists (I imagine it’s a BIG team). They’ll assess whether the report contains all the necessary information for them to investigate the claims and whether it has been submitted by the copyright owner or their authorized representative. TikTok may reach out if they need you to provide any missing information.

If a violation of their intellectual property policy is identified, they’ll remove the content from the platform. They will notify both you, the reporter, and the reported user of the action taken.

Wrapping up

Phew, there we go. Copyright infringement can feel like a bit of a daunting, confusing topic but as a creator, it’s really important you learn and understand what it is, as well as the tools you have to protect you and your original content.

In a world where millions of videos are uploaded to these social media platforms every day, there are always going to be issues around copyright cropping up. Having your work stolen is a horrible feeling, but now you know what your rights are and how to deal with it. The law, and the social media platforms, are firmly on your side.

הפוסט Dealing with copyright infringement as a content creator הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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What are foley sounds? https://artlist.io/blog/foley-sound-effects/ Wed, 20 Sep 2023 06:12:37 +0000 https://artlist.io/blog/?p=12324 While movies are primarily a visual spectacle, we all know how important audio and sound effects are when it comes to filmmaking. While our eyes take in the events unfolding on screen, that’s telling only half the story. Our ears are working just as hard, picking up on all the intricate details that assist in […]

הפוסט What are foley sounds? הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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While movies are primarily a visual spectacle, we all know how important audio and sound effects are when it comes to filmmaking. While our eyes take in the events unfolding on screen, that’s telling only half the story. Our ears are working just as hard, picking up on all the intricate details that assist in creating a scene and drawing us into a world.

For example, if someone is walking or running on screen, how distracting would it be if you couldn’t hear their footsteps, the rustling of clothing or their heavy breathing? The film wouldn’t feel professional or complete. These specific and small, everyday details, though often going unnoticed by general audiences, are essential for any film. They’re called foley sounds.

What are foley sound effects?

It may surprise you to know that everyday sounds like running, walking or the rustling of clothes aren’t necessarily captured on camera at the time of filming. Instead, they’re created in a recording studio during post-production, in sync with the visuals. These are foley sounds, and this process is known as foley art.

The history of foley art

Foley sounds are named after the sound effects artist Jack Foley, who developed the technique. During live radio broadcasts of plays and dramas in the 1920s, radio studios would hire sound artists like Jack Foley to create effects on cue. This was seen as a more reliable, higher-quality way of creating sound effects, in comparison to playing them from a phonograph which were much more unreliable and very low-quality. On the back of this success, Jack Foley transitioned into the film industry, pioneering foley art as it’s known as used today.

There are a few clips on YouTube which show foley art in action, like this one:

Why use foley sounds?

While sound picked up during filming (known as field recording) is often usable and works well enough, most filmmakers, like the radio broadcasters before them, opt to use foley art in post-production because the quality of the audio is so much better and more reliable.

Foley effects make a scene far more realistic and immersive. Ideally, an audience won’t even notice that they’re there! They just feel natural and blend into the world you’re creating. If you don’t have foley sound effects in your scenes, they’ll feel empty, less believable and potentially a little jarring to the audience.

How are foley sounds made?

Believe it or not, there was a time when foley artists would record their foley effects for a film in one non-stop take, with the film playing out in front of them. They’d have to time every single foley sound effect perfectly! As you can imagine, this was not ideal. Watch these foley artists in action for some very early Disney movies:

Nowadays, there are a lot of different processes when it comes to capturing foley sounds, but as a general rule of thumb, foley artists will watch the film in its entirety beforehand, making notes about what sounds they’ll need to produce for each and every scene. They’ll then go ahead and gather whatever props and materials are going to be needed to create these foley sounds, before recording in a foley studio. With the film editing techniques we have nowadays, foley artists are free to do multiple takes, and may even play around with their effects further, editing or enhancing them with sound editing software.

Sometimes, you’d be surprised what goes into making a certain sound! Take a look at this amazing behind-the-scenes for “A Quiet Place”, where there are some great foley sound examples. The foley artist uses all kinds of creative solutions, some of which you may never have thought about before.

How to find foley sounds in Artlist?

Finding foley sounds that you can use for your films is really easy with Artlist. If you don’t have the time or resources to create your own foley sounds from scratch, this is a great way to solve that. Simply navigate to the sound effects tab and then, on the left-hand side menu, select foley.

Our foley sounds are organized into several distinct categories that represent the most commonly used foley effects. Under the body hits and martial arts section, you’ll find body falls, punches, kicks and even voices sound effects.

Under footsteps, you’ll find foley sound effects for wooden floors, high heels, natural surfaces, walking and running.

Voices and body sounds includes kids, women, men, reactions and yes, even some classic bodily functions.

In fashion, you can find sound effects covering clothing, bags, jewelry, accessories and straps.

Additionally, on top of our specific foley sounds collection, Artlist is home to plenty more sound effects. We cover everything from bar ambience foleys and ASMR to stadium sounds and even specially tailored selections such as the winter sports SFX collection.

Wrapping up

So, that’s just about everything you need to know about foley sounds. They may well go unnoticed 99% of the time, but if you take them away, your film will suffer for it. This small, seemingly insignificant detail of sound design is a crucial lynchpin that allows your audience to fully connect with and immerse themselves in the world you’ve created.

We’re looking forward to seeing how you can make the most of the foley collection on Artlist! Sign up today to get instant, unlimited access to thousands of high quality foley sounds.

הפוסט What are foley sounds? הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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Download free SFX for YouTube https://artlist.io/blog/free-youtube-sfx/ Tue, 19 Sep 2023 14:47:31 +0000 https://artlist.io/blog/?p=12329 To be a truly successful content creator on YouTube, you must ensure your videos are well-produced and engaging to your viewers. If you look at any of the top YouTube creators, their content will likely use a variety of sound effects to forge a unique style for their videos. Back in the day when YouTube […]

הפוסט Download free SFX for YouTube הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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To be a truly successful content creator on YouTube, you must ensure your videos are well-produced and engaging to your viewers. If you look at any of the top YouTube creators, their content will likely use a variety of sound effects to forge a unique style for their videos.

Back in the day when YouTube started, the most popular videos were very authentic and contained almost no editing at all (cat videos, pranks…)
But over the years, a new style of video editing has formed, and it features a very modern editing style, with transitions, titles, thumbnails, b-roll, and many other ingredients to engage audiences. 

Today, we will look at why SFX is important for your YouTube videos and how you can use them to create your own branded audio signature.

Download Artlist Free YouTube SFX Pack

Why use sound effects in your videos?

YouTube Content Creation covers a massive variety of video types, from vlogs and reaction videos to documentaries and films. Within Narrative film editing, Sound Effects play an enormous part in building a world your audience can believe, but it can be difficult to see where they fit in influencer content.

The truth is you don’t need to use sound effects in your vlogs and reaction videos, but they help you create an audio signature for your videos that is unique and engaging. No matter what type of videos you create, sound effects can be a fun addition to your content, making your brand instantly recognizable to your audience.

How to use SFX in your YouTube videos

If you look at popular influencers and YouTube creators, sound effects emphasize the content’s tone and give the audience an audio cue on how to feel. 

In his edits, Mr. Beast creates exciting, action-packed videos, so he uses plenty of whooshes, explosions, and action music. Safiya Nygaard produces fun reactions and reviews content, using quirky sound effects to emphasize comedy and slow builds for dramatic moments. Zach King, a YouTube special effect magician, uses sound effects perfectly to help sell the visual trickery.

There are many different ways to use sound effects in your videos, and you can be as creative as you want.

3 tips for using SFX in your videos

While you can use sound effects however you’d like in your videos, there are a few rules you can use to ensure you’re making the most of these assets.

 

1. Don’t use too many

With such a vast sound effects library, using different sounds throughout your video content can be tempting, but you can overdo it. Too many sound effects will result in a confusing and sometimes annoying viewing experience. Ensure you use your sound effects sparingly and only when the content calls for it.

2. Add other effects

One of the best things about using sound effects is that you can add other effects to them. You can add echos, distortion, speed, or pitch changes to create new and exciting sounds unique to your video projects.

3. Create an audio signature

As you work on your videos, you will use the same or similar sound effects multiple times throughout the video. The sound effects you choose don’t need to fit your visuals realistically, but you should offer consistency to your audience. 

If you use explosions as a transition sound, use similar effects throughout your transitions. If you use comedy drums to emphasize a punchline, make it your go-to punchline sound effect. By being consistent with your effects, you can build an audio signature that your viewers will not only understand but also what they will come to expect.

 

Explore and download Artlist YouTube SFX

Artlist has a vast sound effects library, which can give your projects higher production value, creating fun and engaging video content for your viewers. Check out these sounds with some top ideas on how to use them.

Download free Artlist SFX for YouTube

Vibrant Transitions – Short Low-End Tonal Whoosh

Whoosh, sounds are fantastic for highlighting movement in your videos, either within the scene or the edit. The Short Low-End Tonal Whoosh is perfect for wipe and slide transitions, moving your audience to the next scene and covering changes in your diegetic audio. 

Camera shutter button shoot

Camera Shutter sounds are often used in digital content when photos are being shown to the viewer. Mixing the Camera Shutter Button sound with a fun camera lens transition can help make your photo slideshows more engaging for your viewers.

Sitcom Audience – Big Crowd Love Reaction Awww Soft

Sitcom Audience sounds are still used today in live audience productions, but in digital content creation, they are often used for comedic effect. Audiences are aware of the pre-recorded audience reaction sounds, so they often come across as a little fake. You can use the Big Crowd Love Reaction for a romantic audio cue and a funny, sarcastic tone.

Anime Go – Massive Explosion

Explosions are incredibly versatile sound effects that can be used in a variety of situations beyond seeing a literal explosion. Try using the Massive Explosion sound effect to highlight dramatic title animations, impactful transitions, and moments of surprise in your narrative.

Anime Action – Dramatic Shock Moment Surprise Emotion

Anime cartoons have created a whole genre of sound effects and are a brilliant example of using sounds to add an emotional cue. The Dramatic Shock Moment sound is a short and surprising effect that can be used to highlight the emotive response of the on-screen talent in your video.

Classic Toons – Sad Trombone Descending

The Sad Descending Trombone sound is a classic effect used in cartoons and films going back to the silent film era. In fact, the effect is so recognizable it has become a comedy cue used across the globe to emphasize a sad or disappointing moment. 

Cartoon Mania – Comedy Drum Fill

The Comedy Drum Fill is another recognizable effect that started life in live comedy shows. Originally used to emphasize a good punchline, the effect has, over time, taken on a life of its own. Along with good jokes, the Comedy drum can also be used to highlight poor jokes, cheesy jokes, or even a lack of jokes altogether.

Classic Recalls – Sad Violin Phrase 

If you’re looking for sad music, choose a track with plenty of violins. The Sad Violin Phrase packs a punch at just 6 seconds, with a melancholy series of ascending notes, ideal for overly exaggerated sad moments in your videos.

Dramatic Clocks Vol 1 – Cuckoo Clock Strike Telling Time

Cuckoo Clocks have an incredibly distinctive sound, but you don’t see many of them around these days. Instead, the fun SFX is often used similarly to the sound of crickets – to emphasize silent moments of confusion or bemusement by the content creator.

Sound Effects are a lot of fun and can help elevate your content, creating a unique audio signature to your work. If you liked the sound effects included here, you can download 18 fantastic stock assets for free from Artlist or check out our full range of fabulous sounds ready to download today.

Download free Artlist SFX for YouTube

 

הפוסט Download free SFX for YouTube הופיע לראשונה ב-Artlist Blog.

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