We have talked about making money by selling your music and even selling beats here on MoneyPantry.
We even had a post about getting paid to listen to music!
But did you know you could also make money selling stock audio tracks (you know, like sound effects)?
Table of Contents
What do I mean by “Sound Effects”?
Well, anything from a loud bell, running water, and a gunshot to a door opening, footsteps on a wooden floor, a dog barking in the distance, or cars passing by… you get the picture.
Even though it all started with royalty-free photos and illustrations, there is now a growing need for royalty-free audio files.
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This seems to be a great opportunity for anyone whose hobby is audio recording. It can help semi-professional artists grow their audience, and it can also help professionals earn extra income on the side.
What’s even better is that the recording doesn’t necessarily have to be musical. There’s a strong need for non-musical recordings, too.
What Do You Need to Get Started?
There are a few requirements you have to meet if you want to use any of the sites mentioned below to sell your sound effects and other audio files.
- An account on one of the go-between platforms (we will list a few of the most reliable sites later in the post).
- Apart from the usual requirements for signing up, these websites may sometimes require a scanned picture identification or a social security number.
- Three prepared samples of your work that demonstrate the quality of your work and whether it matches the type of material they are looking for.
- A way of proving that you are the actual creator of the audio tracks. This might not be a requirement for every website, but keep in mind that they may ask for it.
- A Payoneer, PayPal, or similar account that allows you to receive payments.
Top Sites to Sell Your Audio Files
Before you set up an account, you need to be sure that the website you’re relying on is actually reliable.
After some digging, we came up with a few possible solutions.
1. Sonniss
This is the absolute biggest site when it comes to sound effects.
You retain full ownership of all your files (indefinitely), while earning a 40% commission for every sale you make. The neat thing about this site is that you get paid instantly after every sale.
2. Pond 5
This site is a “Royalty-free footage, audio, images, and visual effects. All you need, all in one place” kind of site. Their sound effect market is very popular indeed.
The revenue is split 50/50 with you. You upload your work, and they handle the rest, including hosting your files, processing orders, and everything else.
3. Fantero
Selling through Fantero brings you 50-70% per credit every time one of your tracks is bought.
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4. Audio Jungle
With Audio Jungle, you have the option of becoming either an exclusive or non-exclusive contributor.
While exclusive contributors can earn 40-70% per credit, others earn only 25%.
However, another great thing about Audio Jungle is the feature enabling you to earn 30% of the first purchase or deposit made by people you refer.
5. iStockStudio
Update: Getty Images acquired iStockphoto in 2006, and sadly, they no longer offer work for sound effects and audio file creators.
If you are looking for the website with the most visits and sales, you should definitely opt for this one. It is actually a section of iStockPhoto.com (one of the biggest stock photo sites), which is owned by the giant media company, Getty Images.
In order to help their contributors gain more visibility, iStockStudio created 2 separate categories:
- Standard audio (which can include almost anything, from the sound of a car alarm to smooth jazz).
- Pump audio (which you should opt for if you want to increase your presence as an independent artist).
As a regular contributor, you can earn 20-40% per credit with each download. As an exclusive contributor, the percentage is 40.
The Bottom Line
It can be a little disheartening when you consider the amount you earn from the sale of an individual audio file, but when you factor in that you can keep selling that same audio file over and over again, plus other audio files you are selling, you can see how the numbers can add up pretty quickly.
If you are an audio artist, selling your work on royalty-free audio track sites can be a great way to present yourself to a broader audience while making money.
What is the best place to start? Is there a right way and wrong way? I am in school for audio production and are pretty comfortable making Foley sounds. I am just Leary about giving my SS number and ID to a stranger, is there a place that does not require this? Last question, does this income need to be put on my taxes? thanks
Gary, they are all good. If you want to get a feel for the company, do what I usually do. Contact them, via support and ask a few questions. That usually gives me an indication of how good the company is. If they respond within a reasonable amount of time and are actually helpful, that’s a good sign. If they never even respond or take too long, that may be a red flag. This is ONE way I try to learn about any company or website I want to deal with.
As for taxes, yes, you are required by law to report any and all income over $600.
This is outdated and all info need to be rechecked
Example:
Sonnis > “We charge 40% commission (an industry low) – meaning you get to keep 60% of all revenue generated.”
So not 80% as this article states and that statement above is not an industry low when they were giving 80%
Thanks for the heads up, John. Post updated.
Pond 5 takes 65% of each sale, never had they given a 50/50 split. Also as a long time user of pond 5 i cannot recommend it, its too much time for such little profit.