Update: We no longer are running our forum due to some technical issues. All sound requests should now be made in our Facebook group here.
Very often I receive emails stating something like “I can’t find the sound xyz in your library, do you know where I can find them or can you create it for me”. I love receiving requests because it a) helps me understand what we are lacking and can build the library around this and b) because it opens up dialogue between you and I. Running any website (or any business) relies heavily on interaction between ‘customer’ and owner, so please don’t be shy in asking.
But I thought it may be useful to put a little post up that I can reference in the future for those of you that can’t find what you need and need me to either try and create it for you, or point you in the right direction.
When should you request sounds?
No sound effects library can contain every possible sound, that’s well… impossible. Many libraries (us included) offer multiple variations of many sounds. For example, we’ve loads of metal impacts, because I love creating them. So if you need a particular size of impact, type of metal etc, you’ll likely find what you need. If you can’t find the right sound, these are easy to create so I can normally do so quickly. If you know how to use a DAW and can edit sounds easily yourself, our sounds can be edited to fit your needs.
But very often, you may need something that’s less easy to find. For example, a specific car engine. While we have many car sounds, we don’t have every make and model ever made. So if you can’t find that rare 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 (apparently it’s the rarest car in the world) should you request it?
In such situations where I know we are highly unlikely to every provide such a sound, I’ll either have a quick Google and point you in the right direction or just say, nope, sorry not likely. The last thing I want to do is give you false hope and make you wait for something we’ll never have.
Another scenario… I may be asked for the sound of an animal that inhabits lands thousands of miles away…. There is a chance in the future we’ll have it, or if it’s possible to recreate it with the human voice then we can try, but if not, all I can do is add it to our list.
So the most likely sounds we can create for you are things that are easily sourced, synthesised, mixed from other sounds we already have or can be created using creative techniques without much expense.
How quickly can I make sounds for you?
I’m pretty busy, but normally I can attempt sounds within a few days. If all you need is a sound editing to a shorter version or a looped version, normally I can do this within 24 hours, but if it requires any kind of traveling, complex editing or mixing, the wait is usually 2-7 days. Sometimes things crop up and I suddenly am busy again…. as this is a completely free service, I have to prioritize my workload so occasionally this may happen. I try to reply to every request in our Q&A forum the same day, but sometimes when things are hectic, I may be late replying or even miss it completely. I hope in these situations you understand. Never take it personally, I just work on zapsplat.com mainly on my own so I try my best.
What if you haven’t replied to my Q&A request, should I keep pestering you?
YES, by all means do. Or email me directly via our contact page (in the main menu) and I’ll reply asap. Due to modern day smart phone technology, I usually reply within an hour of receiving emails (unless I am asleep, and I’m in Australia, in case you’re wondering) in which case it may be a few hours before I reply.
In short, please request whatever you need and I’ll do what I can to help, but don’t take it personally if I don’t reply straight away or even miss your post… DO email me in this case or message again so I see it and can help.
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