# How To Properly Market My Sound Effects



## brkootnekoff (Feb 9, 2020)

I'm in the process of producing my first collection of horror sound effects. I'm going to make a facebook page and am going to sell the sound effects from my website (yet to be created). 

I plan to put together a bundle of free sounds and then have a much bigger collection available to purchase if people like that free sound pack. 

Where do I advertise so I can get the most exposure? I know of a few facebook groups that will accept advertising, but I don't think that will be nearly enough. Any suggestions? 

Thanks in advance!


----------



## timprebble (Feb 9, 2020)

brkootnekoff said:


> Any suggestions?




There is this amazing online research tool available, and best of all it is free
Have you tried it? Simply choose a sound library company eg "SOUND IDEAS"
then you use this tool to find where they 'advertise'
Or you can even put in "horror sound effects" and discover where those are available!!
The tool:





__





Google


Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for.



www.google.com


----------



## brkootnekoff (Feb 9, 2020)

I did that search already, but was looking for recommendations based on people's experiences.


----------



## timprebble (Feb 9, 2020)

Ok good luck with that


----------



## Jaap (Feb 9, 2020)

Find all the good audio forums (read carefully where and how to post), same with facebook groups, find the correct reddit pages, twitter, instagram, youtube, get yourself into newsletter/pages like rekkerd, sample library review etc.
Build a mail network from people who bought your free or paid products or whom signed up. When new products are released, send newsletters. If you build up after some time some money and a collection of products then consider a facebook campaign, which can be very helpfull if you target it right (or very expensive when you target it wrong).
Don't expect a success straight away, just like anything else, these things take time to establish.

Google is indeed your best friend and if you are a composer/sound designer yourself, reverse engineer where you are looking for products or where you see them and how your own mind works in what you like to see, what triggers you to check out a product etc.


----------



## Beluga (Feb 10, 2020)

I think you need to distinguish if you are producing a sound effect library of "real" sounds (creaking doors, metal and chain jangles, etc.) or designed sounds (whooshes, scary stingers, etc). The second one is relevant also relevant to musicians. If so, I guess here is a good place to start. 

I personally (to my surprise) bought samples I learned about from Facebook ads. So I guess this is a good place to start.


----------



## Alex Fraser (Feb 10, 2020)

Jaap said:


> Build a mail network from people who bought your free or paid products or whom signed up. When new products are released, send newsletters.


^ This x 100.

In my experience, building a mail list and using it to drive people back to your site is easily the best bang for buck. Usually a single payment will allow you a month's worth of running your list however you see fit. There's no "pay extra to reach your subscribers" silliness as there is with social media.

Use a company like Mailchimp or Constant Contact for this.


----------



## brkootnekoff (Feb 10, 2020)

Beluga said:


> I think you need to distinguish if you are producing a sound effect library of "real" sounds (creaking doors, metal and chain jangles, etc.) or designed sounds (whooshes, scary stingers, etc). The second one is relevant also relevant to musicians. If so, I guess here is a good place to start.
> 
> I personally (to my surprise) bought samples I learned about from Facebook ads. So I guess this is a good place to start.



What if I'm doing both "real sounds" and designed sounds? And how should I display them on my website? In separate playlists?


----------



## Beluga (Feb 11, 2020)

brkootnekoff said:


> What if I'm doing both "real sounds" and designed sounds? And how should I display them on my website? In separate playlists?


What is the best of them your design or your recordings? If it's the design I'd market it as Horror design product PLUS the source sounds - if it's the sounds I'd market it as sound library PLUS the design. I think you need to make a choice so people can find you. And yes separate playlists.


----------



## brkootnekoff (Feb 11, 2020)

Beluga said:


> What is the best of them your design or your recordings? If it's the design I'd market it as Horror design product PLUS the source sounds - if it's the sounds I'd market it as sound library PLUS the design. I think you need to make a choice so people can find you. And yes separate playlists.



Ok sounds good! 

I'm also going to make an mp3 version of the sfx, so people can use them as is and don't have to worry about adjusting volume level. What "volume" level should I master the mp3 versions to? I was thinking -3db.

I think I'm going to master the wav versions to -6db. Is that too loud?


----------



## Beluga (Feb 11, 2020)

brkootnekoff said:


> Ok sounds good!
> 
> I'm also going to make an mp3 version of the sfx, so people can use them as is and don't have to worry about adjusting volume level. What "volume" level should I master the mp3 versions to? I was thinking -3db.
> 
> I think I'm going to master the wav versions to -6db. Is that too loud?


I don’t think anyone will buy or use a mp3. The standard for sound effects is at 96000 Hz  48 KHz very least. 

For the volume I’d check industry standard releases to compare. -6db sounds good to me. Good luck !


----------



## brkootnekoff (Feb 11, 2020)

Beluga said:


> I don’t think anyone will buy or use a mp3. The standard for sound effects is at 96000 Hz  48 KHz very least.
> 
> For the volume I’d check industry standard releases to compare. -6db sounds good to me. Good luck !



I was thinking mp3 because I'm also marketing it to casual halloween enthusiasts who don't make music. They would just use the sfx as they are or possibly mix them with other sfx they have using audacity.

If I make mp3 versions, what volume level do you suggest I master my sounds to? -6db just like the wav version or slightly louder since some of them may be used as they are?

I was talking to this guy who creates spooky soundscapes for a living and he only creates mp3s because wav files are way too big and "normal people" can't really tell the difference in sound quality. He will make wav versions only if people request them.


----------



## Beluga (Feb 11, 2020)

brkootnekoff said:


> I was thinking mp3 because I'm also marketing it to casual halloween enthusiasts who don't make music. They would just use the sfx as they are or possibly mix them with other sfx they have using audacity.
> 
> If I make mp3 versions, what volume level do you suggest I master my sounds to? -6db just like the wav version or slightly louder since some of them may be used as they are?
> 
> I was talking to this guy who creates spooky soundscapes for a living and he only creates mp3s because wav files are way too big and "normal people" can't really tell the difference in sound quality. He will make wav versions only if people request them.


Well whatever works. Yeah I’d make the mp3 louder in that case. Close to 0.


----------



## Uiroo (Feb 11, 2020)

timprebble said:


> There is this amazing online research tool available, and best of all it is free
> Have you tried it? Simply choose a sound library company eg "SOUND IDEAS"
> then you use this tool to find where they 'advertise'
> Or you can even put in "horror sound effects" and discover where those are available!!
> ...


You're in quite a good mood recently, eh?


----------



## gsilbers (Feb 11, 2020)

brkootnekoff said:


> I'm in the process of producing my first collection of horror sound effects. I'm going to make a facebook page and am going to sell the sound effects from my website (yet to be created).
> 
> I plan to put together a bundle of free sounds and then have a much bigger collection available to purchase if people like that free sound pack.
> 
> ...




how many sounds or type of sounds? it might be better to have distirbutors to deal with all the selling part. depending on the style but kontakthub, bigfish , adrs and so on. they have the followers and they send the emails and advertising. that way you can focus on makig sounds. they do take a % so price accordingly.

you can still put posts on groups and build a following but if the sounds are good, distributors will want to sell them.

and also think outside the world of composers and look into distirbutors that sell sounds straight to video editors. they also sell video filters and luds etc and also have sound fx section.


----------



## brkootnekoff (Feb 11, 2020)

gsilbers said:


> how many sounds or type of sounds? it might be better to have distirbutors to deal with all the selling part. depending on the style but kontakthub, bigfish , adrs and so on. they have the followers and they send the emails and advertising. that way you can focus on makig sounds. they do take a % so price accordingly.
> 
> you can still put posts on groups and build a following but if the sounds are good, distributors will want to sell them.
> 
> and also think outside the world of composers and look into distirbutors that sell sounds straight to video editors. they also sell video filters and luds etc and also have sound fx section.



I would go that route, but as of right now, I'm an unknown quantity. So i highly doubt distributors would want to carry my stuff right now. That's why I'm going to start selling on my own and advertise like crazy.

But yeah, advertising it to video editors is a great idea. Thank you.


----------



## gsilbers (Feb 11, 2020)

brkootnekoff said:


> I would go that route, but as of right now, I'm an unknown quantity. So i highly doubt distributors would want to carry my stuff right now. That's why I'm going to start selling on my own and advertise like crazy.
> 
> But yeah, advertising it to video editors is a great idea. Thank you.



well, once you completed the prodcut, have the artwork and demo. video walthrough etc. you contact all of these and let them know you are starting out. there is plenty of brands that are only selling via these distributors. yes, some do want some bigger brands to get traffic but others might take newcomers if they like the prodcut. if u still gonna do all the promote maybe just give it a go and get a large list of diastributor. maybe one of those offer exlusivity for a good percent or incentive. 
its just the different ways it can go.


----------



## timprebble (Feb 11, 2020)

Uiroo said:


> You're in quite a good mood recently, eh?



There is no freedom without dissent


----------



## brkootnekoff (Feb 11, 2020)

gsilbers said:


> well, once you completed the prodcut, have the artwork and demo. video walthrough etc. you contact all of these and let them know you are starting out. there is plenty of brands that are only selling via these distributors. yes, some do want some bigger brands to get traffic but others might take newcomers if they like the prodcut. if u still gonna do all the promote maybe just give it a go and get a large list of diastributor. maybe one of those offer exlusivity for a good percent or incentive.
> its just the different ways it can go.



Ok I'll think about that. I was talking to some people on this sound design fb group and they said to sell my sounds on asoundeffect.com and to possibly create an LLC for myself. Should I do anything else before I sell my sounds? 

Obviously the sounds are going to be royalty free and they're not going to be used on tv, film etc, so I don't need to register them with a PRO or anything.


----------



## wst3 (Feb 12, 2020)

I would agree with gsilbers - your energy, at least now, would be better put towards developing the library and getting the word out. Let someone else handle all the "other stuff", and help you make your name known.

Teaming up with someone like A Hiss and a Roar (not picking on you Tim!), or Boom Library could make a lot of sense - if they like your product. The downside is you won't have complete control (if that's a thing for you).

And that means you may not be able to market MP3 versions to casual users. Years ago I would have argued that marketing to both pros and casual users would not work, but I'm not sure anymore - at the very least one can market to serious amateurs along side pros with no penalty.

If you still want to go it on your own then you need to use the world wide web, in all its forms, as your marketing arm. That might mean give-aways, instructional videos, exposure on social media platforms, it does mean participation in forums where your prospects hang out.

That can work - there are a number of sample library developers that grew from zero to pretty dang big by generating a buzz here. I'm not sure how much further they cast their net, but their presense here was definitely a factor, as were their annual give-aways, a couple of which I still use.


----------



## Voider (Feb 12, 2020)

timprebble said:


> There is this amazing online research tool available, and best of all it is free
> Have you tried it? Simply choose a sound library company eg "SOUND IDEAS"
> then you use this tool to find where they 'advertise'
> Or you can even put in "horror sound effects" and discover where those are available!!
> ...



Did you understand the purpose of a forum? Seems not. You could answer every single question like that.










brkootnekoff said:


> Where do I advertise so I can get the most exposure?




If you create a website to sell your stuff, add a blog to it and create articles, to give potential customers production tips on how to use these sounds most effectively. And other articles about related stuff that is relevant for your target audience, topics that you have precious knowledge about. That will generate more traffic on your website and if people end up on your blog reading it (when your SEO is optimized so that your website gets shown), you can easily lead them to the store to buy the packs.


----------



## Beluga (Feb 12, 2020)

Voider said:


> Did you understand the purpose of a forum? Seems not. You could answer every single question like that.



LOL, I have to agree here. Every time I'm doing a research on a topic on a forum or with Google and finally find someone asking the same question somewhere there is always this first guy replying: "Use the search function". :D No, it's not helping. :D


----------



## brkootnekoff (Feb 12, 2020)

wst3 said:


> I would agree with gsilbers - your energy, at least now, would be better put towards developing the library and getting the word out. Let someone else handle all the "other stuff", and help you make your name known.
> 
> Teaming up with someone like A Hiss and a Roar (not picking on you Tim!), or Boom Library could make a lot of sense - if they like your product. The downside is you won't have complete control (if that's a thing for you).
> 
> ...



Sounds good. 

I do want to try on my own initially. And I do plan to release a small "taster pack" of sfx. I was thinking limiting it to something like 25 to 30 sfx for the "taster pack". So people can get a sense of what my sounds are all about. Then they can decide to purchase the much bigger thing if they like those sounds.

Since I'm starting out, I was thinking of selling the bigger pack for maybe $3. Does that sound reasonable? It's likely going to have way more than 50 sounds. I haven't finished recording yet, so I don't know the exact amount yet.

I looked at a person who does a somewhat similar thing and am basing my price off of that, taking into account I'm just starting out as well.

Is it a good idea to also sell on places like reverbnation and bandcamp?

I only know of VI Control, but I won't get paid ads yet. Are there any other good forums I can post on?

I know I can advertise on this fb page called Haunter's Hangout and Halloween Forum. That's where all the guys who do haunt music and soundscapes post their new releases.

Also, how would I go about doing artwork? I am by no means an artist and am not familiar with adobe products. Is there a free online service that creates artwork? And would it be considered unprofessional for me to grab a royalty free picture and use it as artwork for my product?


----------



## Voider (Feb 12, 2020)

brkootnekoff said:


> Since I'm starting out, I was thinking of selling the bigger pack for maybe $3. Does that sound reasonable? It's likely going to have way more than 50 sounds.



You need to decide that by your own and figure out what works, but don't go too cheap, otherwise your products will feel cheap to the consumer as well just by the first impression.



brkootnekoff said:


> Is it a good idea to also sell on places like reverbnation and bandcamp?



Afaik on Bandcamp you can only sell music. 



brkootnekoff said:


> Also, how would I go about doing artwork? I am by no means an artist and am not familiar with adobe products. Is there a free online service that creates artwork? And would it be considered unprofessional for me to grab a royalty free picture and use it as artwork for my product?



You can try out Adobe Stock for free, you get 10 stock images, then can cancel your subscription right away before ever having spent a penny. And your customers most likely won't know where the artwork is coming from, so if it looks professional and fits into the products theme, why not.


----------

