Freesound Forums

Hello all,

I would love to use some of the sound effects that this website offers in order to create a spoken word CD/DVD (poetry) that I would sell.

Am I allowed to use any sound effect on a commercial project?

Thank you for your time!

Thank you for your reponse. In all honesty, the wording of the legal document confuses me. It says I can transform the sample for commercial or non-commercial purposes. At the same time, it states that I cannot use it in a commercial endeavour.

I think I will contact the creator individually and ask them their conditions, because I do not really understand how this website works...

I read it as you can use it for a commercial product, like a music album or movie or anything. But you cannot use it in a commercial, meaning an advertisement for a product that does not use the sample.
So you can use it on a music album and advertise for the album using some of the music that may contain a freesound sample, but you cannot use it for a car advertisement which has nothing to do with the sound.

soulpoetrysite
Hello all,

I would love to use some of the sound effects that this website offers in order to create a spoken word CD/DVD (poetry) that I would sell.

Am I allowed to use any sound effect on a commercial project?

Thank you for your time!

IANAL, but here is my take on the CC-sampling+ license:

You are allowed to use the samples on this site which use the CC-sampling+ license in commercial products, so long as you attribute the original creator. You do not have to ask permission as long as you follow that condition.

Section 3a further explains the type of use allowed. It seems pretty straight-forward. It's deliberately vague rather than laying down strict rules of what is allowed and not allowed; otherwise the license could easily reach dozens or hundreds of pages. But if you read it, you can get an idea of what it envisions as allowable use of samples under the license. They give the example of merely syncing sounds to an audio-visual work as not allowable use. I take that to mean the syncing of full songs or longer, more complex sound beds rather than short samples. So your spoken word piece should be ok, but that's just my opinion.

3c adds an additional prohibition against using the samples for advertising purposes, even if they are used in a way that satisfies 3a. This is different from commercial use. It is confusing, I mean, they're saying "You can use this commercially but not in commercials." But there is a difference. You can sell the works you create with samples under the license. But you can't use them if the work you create is solely for the use in an advertisement. You can advertise and promote your own derivative work, that's ok, but you can't use the original work to advertise or promote other products.

This is a protection for the original sample creator. They obviously, by using this license, wish to share their work to allow others to make creative works. But they might not be too happy if they find out their work is being used to sell something they oppose. For example, a PETA member hearing their sample in a KFC commercial.