Freesound Forums

I've read FAQ, but still want to ask a question.

I compose music for casual games and would like to use some sounds from TFP in my tracks to help create necessary mood. But i can't ask developer/publisher to add in the game credits names of the people, whose sounds i could use.

So, would it be okay, if i mention names and sources at my website (there is something like porfolio with my works)? As an example:

-------------------
A Brand New Game (c) developer, 2006

description description description description description
description description description description description
description description description description description

In the music for the game were used the following sound files from Freesound (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu):
sound1.wav (by author), sound2.wav (by author), etc.
-------------------

Did you read this FAQ?

http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1541

you have to mention the names of the original sound creators!

you could use:
http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersAttribution.php?id=2
to get a detailed list of files you downloaded...

- bram

I think thats what his gonna do at his website, but it cant be done in the "credits" part.
Thats what I think he means, Bram..

and I am so Honored that you picked my Downloaded Files lol
At least it looks A LOT like my downloaded files lol

Co3
and I am so Honored that you picked my Downloaded Files lol
At least it looks A LOT like my downloaded files

Its to do with the login. if i were to look at that link it would show my downloaded files

aaaah.. aaw I got so happy lol

Co3
I think thats what his gonna do at his website, but it cant be done in the "credits" part.

Why can't it be done in the credits?
It SHOULD be done in the credits.

- bram

Bram

Why can't it be done in the credits?
It SHOULD be done in the credits.

Let me describe my situation more accurate. I work at freelance basis with small game developing companies, not as an employee, so i can't demand to include in game credits something from myself. Sometimes all that is written there is just a game studio & publisher names without any specifications. Not even mentioning my part as a composer.

So i asked if i could credit authors of sounds at my web portfolio, enclosed it with game/music description where the sounds were used.

Probably the best thing to do in this case is to get permission from the sample authors to go uncredited (or be credited elsewhere)... best to play it safe. What you proposed (attribution on your website) is also a good idea but might not be enough to satisfy the license.

Vibe _CRC i had the same problem ...
i did a scene with some fantastic sounds i found here . but i had to scrap the entire piece because of complications of getting clear enough answers through the maker about it being uncredited and how to go by this and not break any agreements.

because i cant ask the director of the film im doing some sound editing for to apply some extra names to the credit list of a movie ...
it would be like for us to mention the list of sound effects cds we used at some parts.
but i know how the rules goes ... and ive done the bit asking the artist of sounds to be used uncredited ...
all i got was a vague vague no ... and a finger pointing to the rules of using it .
atleast i think it was a no hehe...
well ... in bigger productions things like crediting people for every sound is totally not going to happen ... thats just the way it is and im not saying that the creators shouldnt be mentioned. but i also do understand its not possible to thank every last maker of a sound in say. .. a cinematic movie.

but YES i know RULES are RULES .

just mentioning this.

One sound used in the movie Children of Men was correctly placed in the credits of the movie, sound name, author name and freesound link.

Ok, it was one sound, but that means individual sounds can be added to credits.

I guess we'll have to wait for someone to add 5 sounds to the credits of a movie to be able to say "it can be done"

Before Children of Men, most argued that it was not possible to get anything in the credits.

A link in the credits to a website where all sound authors are properly mentioned should do the trick for most people, anyway.

Non credited sounds in profit oriented productions does not sound fair, since using those sounds saves time and money, under my point of view.

i do understand what you mean ... but i believe the person who got it placed on the credit list must have been the main sound designer.
a sound editor would'nt "wield" that sort of power over the credits. its a bad habit in the tv and movie world that they dont mention everyone in the credits , they do that all the time ...
this is not a "protest" . just saying what i think was the case, because i know for sure i dont have anything in my power to do any changes to a credit list.
hopefully there will be a "culture" to do this later , or sooner hopefully.

One thing to consider is the possibility of uncredited sounds becoming part of the
copyright of the media you would be adding it to.

An example:
I use a freesound sample in a game that I am freelancing on. The game launches
with the usual commercial copyright protections. Later on, the original creator
uses the same sound in another commercial project and receives a cease and desist
order from the game publisher. The credit may or may not have been posted on my
website but either way the original creator would have to spend time and or money
to clarify who actually owns the license. This is MOST LIKELY a situation that would
never come come up but I would err on the side of caution and not risk compromising
the original creator's CC or wasting their time.

bright daylight

I agree that there must be a cultural change on the subject of Creative Commons, attributive licenses and the like.

That would be one reason to keep up the rules unless the author of the sound chooses to do elseway.

Each one can decide according to their interests, but to be strict and say "if you don't attribute you can't access this database of sounds" specially for profit oriented productions, and specially for BIG productions, may be a way of pushing them to attribute correctly.

This, of course, would work if sites like freesound happen to be a real save of time and/or money for this kind of productions.

So, what i mean is;

In the case that freesound (and the like) is really an alternative that saves time/money for big profit oriented productions, and understanding that there have been precedents of correct attribution of freesound sounds in big profit oriented productions (Children of Men), we should keep ourselves strict in demanding correct attribution for our sounds (one way or another), to suggest/push a change of mentality and procedure.

So, as a strategy, we should grow bigger and bigger, expect to be of use to as many fields as possible while we push the rules to be used specially in big profit oriented productions, achieving a fantastic way of promotion for CC licensed material producers (and time/money savings for the party on the other side of the deal)

Bright Daylight

I use a freesound sample in a game that I am freelancing on. The game launches with the usual commercial copyright protections. Later on, the original creator uses the same sound in another commercial project and receives a cease and desist order from the game publisher.

I don't think game publishers control traces of games content, because it's usual that many sound libraries/music tracks/textures etc can be used in many productions, it's not exclusive. So you can get desist order only if an owner (who has the rights for a content piece) informs publsher about his fx or texture used without permission. As i know.

But i get your point too, and i think i would abandon idea of using freesound samples for my commercial tracks... though i will upload here sounds created by me sometimes.

Sorry for bringing up this old topic, but in my opinion the game company can't be forced to credit the sounds that someone used to make the soundtrack. This is one step too far, because the game company only uses a "song" and not "sounds".

Just an example: Let's say you create a sound of a very cool snare drum. Now, someone uses it and creates a nice song out of it. Then he has to credit you, and that can be done on his homepage or inside the CD cover or wherever.
But now, someone makes a film and wants to use the song inside the film. He would just have to credit the musician, since he's using his song, but it's not his job to also credit the creator of the cool snare drum.

The same should apply to the game. If the game company has to credit someone, it's the musician of the soundtrack, and not the creators of the samples he used. Of course, if the game company uses some additional sound EFFECTS (for shooting etc) that they downloaded from freesound, they also have to credit those. Also if they compose the music by themselves. But not if they buy a finished song.

What if TFSP made it an option for the sound designers to require credit given to them on their sounds that they upload? I love the idea of TFSP, but I probably won't ever use any of the sounds in commercial work because of the hassle it takes to worry about crediting the author of the sound. I definitely respect the work that goes into making the sounds, but unfortunately, I don't think many of these sounds will ever be used in larger productions because of this part of the agreement.

Maybe another option would be that the author of the sound must be notified of any commercial works that you use their sound in. Just brainstorming.... It would just be really nice to use these sounds by such talented sound designers in commercial works where everyone can hear them.

Dizzi45Z
Maybe another option would be that the author of the sound must be notified of any commercial works that you use their sound in.

I think this would be nice.. now i'm taking sounds from SoundSnap for my commercial works (outsourcing music) because there is an option when you don't have to credit the authors under some circumstances (as in my case).
And i wouldn't be sad if my sounds are used in such way, because i upload them just to share among everyone who'll like and need them. Notification would be enough.

Wow! I hadn't even heard of Soundsnap. It looks like there is no requirement to attribute the artists. They say:

"Our terms make attribution optional- but recommended, and don't allow commercial distribution of the material if it is not transformed at all or included in a derivative work (film, other music)."

So except for out of courtesy, you don't have to stress attribution.

EDIT: So an option for designers to post sound effects with this type of agreement here would make this site much more usable for me and many others.