Free to Use or Share: Images, Audio, & Video : Other Audio
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Copyright law allows for some uses of otherwise protected materials. For more information about how and when you might make a "fair use" of copyrighted materials, see this fair use information page.
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This page provides links to databases or search engines that enable users to find audio files--ranging from historic speeches to sound effects to podcasts-- that can be REUSED, REVISED, REMIXED, or REDISTRIBUTED more freely than can materials limited solely through traditional copyright protection.
Audio found in these resources may be in the public domain because they don't qualify for copyright protection (eg. U.S. government creations) or because the copyright protections have expired. Alternatively, they may be explicitly licensed by their copyright owners (through Creative Commons, GNU, or other formulations) for free use and distribution beyond what is allowed by copyright protection.
Search for audio you can use...
- FreesoundA collaborative database of audio snippets, samples, recordings, bleeps, etc. Look here for sound effects.
- Internet Archive Presidential RecordingsRecordings of presidential speeches since 1940.
- Internet Archive AudioIncludes a wide variety of audio, not all of which is available for re-use. Take care to note the copyright status of materials.
- American RhetoricText and audio of a wide variety of speeches. Many of the resources here are freely available but still associated with traditional copyright restrictions.