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Free sound effects for social media

The best free sound effects for social media come from Pixabay (free to use, no credit needed), Freesound (each sound CC0, CC BY or CC BY-NC, with a free account) and YouTube’s Audio Library (cleared for YouTube videos, including monetised ones). Check each sound’s licence, credit the creator where it asks, then add it in your editor.

By Angelina F. · Updated · 5 min read

Where can you get free sound effects for social media?

Illustration: a hand drops a waveform clip onto a video editing timeline under a landscape frame, beside headphones, a speaker sending sound waves and three checked licence tags.
Free sounds, each with its own licence.
  • Pixabay

    One licence for every sound: free to use and edit with no credit needed. You cannot resell a sound as-is or use it as a trademark.

  • Freesound

    A large community library. Each sound has its own licence, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-NC, shown on its page; a free account is needed to download.

  • YouTube Audio Library

    Inside YouTube Studio. Sounds are cleared for YouTube videos, including monetised ones, without Content ID claims; Creative Commons tracks need a credit.

Which sound licences can you use in a paid post?

Free sound-effect licences at a glance (each source’s own terms, read 5 November 2026)
LicenceCredit needed?Paid or client posts?Where you find it
Pixabay licenceNoYes, but not resold as-isPixabay
CC0NoYesFreesound
CC BYYes, name and linkYesFreesound
CC BY-NCYes, name and linkNoFreesound
YouTube Audio LibraryOnly Creative Commons tracksYes, in YouTube videosYouTube

A post that promotes a business is usually commercial use, so skip CC BY-NC sounds there. YouTube’s library is cleared for YouTube videos; for Instagram, TikTok and the rest, a Pixabay or CC0 sound is the safe choice.

How do you find and use a free sound effect?

  1. Pick a source. Pixabay for the simplest licence, Freesound for the widest selection, or YouTube’s Audio Library for videos you post on YouTube.
  2. Search for what you need. Use the source’s own search and category filters to find a sound that matches your post.
  3. Read that sound’s licence. On Freesound each sound carries its own licence (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-NC), shown on its page; do not assume one applies to all.
  4. Credit the creator if asked. CC BY and YouTube’s Creative Commons tracks need a credit, usually in the post or video description; CC0 and Pixabay sounds do not.
  5. Add it to your edit. Download the file, place it in your video editor, export the finished clip and schedule it.

What does it look like in practice?

Three sources, three kinds of licence

Pixabay uses one licence for every sound: free to use without credit, but not to resell as-is. Freesound sets the licence per sound. YouTube’s Audio Library clears its sounds for YouTube videos, including monetised ones.

Crediting a Freesound sound

A CC BY sound needs a credit such as “Sound: rain-loop.wav by username, freesound.org, CC BY 4.0” in the description; a CC0 sound from the same site needs none, and a CC BY-NC sound cannot go in a paid post.

How do you add a sound effect to a social video?

Download the sound, place it on your editor’s timeline under the moment it marks, keep it quieter than any voice, and export the finished clip. Check the clip against each network’s video length limits, then schedule it in SkedCast to every network at once, as in how to schedule Instagram Reels and how to schedule TikTok posts.

Diagram: pick a free source, check the sound’s licence, add the sound in your editor and export, then schedule the video in SkedCast.
From a free sound to a scheduled video.

Free sound effects FAQ

Are these sound effects really free?
Yes, all three sources are free. The terms differ: Pixabay needs no credit, Freesound sets a licence per sound, and YouTube clears its library for YouTube videos.
Do I need to credit the sound-effect creator?
Only when the licence says so: CC BY sounds and YouTube’s Creative Commons tracks need a credit; CC0 and Pixabay sounds do not.
Can I use free sound effects in a paid or client post?
Pixabay and CC0 or CC BY sounds from Freesound, yes. Not CC BY-NC sounds, which cannot be used in work that earns money.
Can I use YouTube Audio Library sounds on Instagram or TikTok?
YouTube clears them for YouTube videos and does not cover use elsewhere, so pick a Pixabay or CC0 sound for other networks.
Do I need an account to download from Freesound?
Yes. Freesound asks you to sign in to a free account before downloading.
Does SkedCast host sound effects?
No. This page links to each source, so you get the licence from the owner. SkedCast schedules the finished video to every network.

Sources

Each licence on this page is quoted from its source’s own terms:

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