Free to Use Sounds Story

Who would have thought a handy sound recorder in Cambodia would lead us here? Hi there we're Marcel and Libby and every sound on this site has been recorded by us. For nearly 10 years, we've been traveling around the world recording unique sounds for others to use! 

A circular logo with a black background and a white border. Inside, there is a black circle with a white, abstract sound wave pattern in the center. Around the white border, the text reads 'FREE TO USE SOUNDS' at the top and 'SOUNDS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE' at the bottom.
A man and woman enjoying iced drinks with straws, smiling at the camera, in a tropical setting with a wooden thatched roof in the background.

FREE TO USE SOUNDS

FREE TO USE SOUNDS

About Libby and Marcel

Two smiling people celebrating in front of a black camper van with a mountain and sunset graphic, in a parking lot near a lake, with one person sitting on top of the van and the other standing with arms raised.

It all began in 2017 in Siem Reap, Cambodia with an idea and a Zoom H1 recorder in hand, we set out to archive our very first sound recording. We weren’t sure what we would do with the audio track of “Cambodian Women Sifting Gravel at a Construction Site” but we figured someone would appreciate it.

Nearly 8 years, over 30 countries, and thousands of recordings later, we’re still out exploring. We consider ourselves slow travelers because our intention isn’t to move fast and record. Instead, we take our time to immerse ourselves in different cultures and regions. That’s why our recordings include a diversity of sounds of daily life and unique soundscapes. To us, every sound we record is a way to archive a location and its authenticity.

Our Story

A few big (and small) moments that shaped our journey. Plenty of stumbles, but we’ve learned a lot along the way.

2014

A smiling couple is closely embracing and touching foreheads in a joyful moment outdoors.

June 2014
Marcel walks up to Libby on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France.

2015

A man and woman with backpacks standing face-to-face on a street, near a red van, appearing to argue or have a disagreement.

May 2015
Less than a year into a long-distance relationship, Libby quits her job in LA and Marcel leaves his in Switzerland. They buy a camper van and hit the road full-time in Europe.

2017

Group of people working together to spread gravel or small rocks on a road or path. Some individuals are wearing hats and gloves, and a man is crouching with a microphone, likely reporting.

April 2017
After nearly two years of travel, Marcel records his first sound on a Zoom H1 in Cambodia.

Person holding a Zoom H6 Handy Recorder with a microphone windscreen, taking a mirror selfie in an airplane bathroom, with their reflection visible in the mirror.

May 2017
Marcel upgrades to a Zoom H6.

A smiling man with curly dark hair, wearing headphones and a dark green long-sleeve shirt, sitting at a table with a silver Apple MacBook and a DJI sticker on it, in front of him.

June 2017
We register the domain: freetousesounds.com

A city skyline with tall buildings in the background, and a residential neighborhood with houses and parked cars in the foreground, during sunset or early evening.

July 2017
Our first Bandcamp sound library goes live: Los Angeles Sound Effects – Traffic Sounds Pasadena.

2018

A man squatting on a sidewalk holding a microphone with a windscreen, surrounded by audio recording equipment, with cars on the street and trees in the background.

August 2017
We receive our very first donation on Kofi for sound recordings. It meant the world.

Two men standing indoors, smiling, holding packaged products, one with a luggage handle visible.

January 2018
We make our first major gear investment—DPA 4060s—while in Singapore.

2019

A man wearing a neon green and black raincoat with headphones is holding a portable recorder near a rushing waterfall surrounded by lush green foliage

January 2019

Marcel rents a motorbike and rides from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, recording sounds the entire way.

A young man with headphones, backpack, and sneakers is kneeling on a city sidewalk near a red taxi, looking at his camera in an urban setting at night.

January 2020
We leave Hong Kong as the pandemic begins and move to La Réunion.

2020

Person wearing black jacket, black hat, and headphones filming with a large camera microphone near a powerful waterfall surrounded by rocky terrain.

2021

June 2020
We purchase a pair of Sennheiser 8040s and Cinela Albert ORTF wind protection. Iceland reopens to tourists, so we rent a camper and explore the island with mics in hand.

A person with a backpack and walking poles standing on a dirt trail during sunset, with a few trees in the background and cloudy sky.

September 2021
Marcel walks 500 miles on the Camino de Santiago, capturing the journey one step at a time.

2022

Two people sitting on train station tracks with recording equipment, smiling, and making peace signs. Founders of Free to Use Sounds.

August, 2022

CNN Travel interviews us and publishes a story about our sound recording journey,

A man and woman taking a selfie with a high-speed train at a train station. The man is wearing a gray beanie and black jacket, and the woman is wearing a black beanie and jacket. They are standing outdoors under a metal and glass structure with a blue sky in the background.

2023

November 2022
We spend three months recording sounds across Japan—from Sapporo to Okinawa.

Two smiling people wearing sunglasses and black hats, making peace signs, with a body of water, mountains, and a sunset in the background.

2024

2025

December 2023
One month in Taiwan, chasing unique soundscapes around the island.

A camera microphone mounted on a stand and a backpack are set up on a beach at sunset, facing the water.

March 2024
We travel across Sri Lanka in a rented Hustler, exploring nearly every corner of the country.

A man wearing sunglasses and headphones stands outdoors on a sunny day with a film crew sound boom and equipment, smiling and looking to the side, in a rural setting with trees and fields in the background.

April 2025
We buy an SUV in Australia to start recording the sounds of the Outback (and beyond).

Our community

Black and white silhouette of a person climbing a mountain on a circular background.
A black and white drawing of a woman standing with her hand on her head, wearing a long dress and looking thoughtfully to the side.
A black and white outline illustration of a medieval knight holding a sword and shield, wearing armor and a helmet, with a castle in the background.

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Our commitment

Free to Use Sounds was created to be a source for others to utilize. We want to bring the highest quality sounds for anyone to afford. Over the years, our royalty-free recordings & sound effects from our best-selling All in One Bundle have been used by novice sound artists to professional sound designers working in the film, music, or video game industry all over the world. 

A product box for All in One Bundle, featuring a young woman with headphones, surrounded by iconic landmarks and symbols from around the world including the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Petronas Towers, and various cityscapes and nature elements.

Moving Forward

Our aim is clear and we don’t plan to stop anytime soon. Not only can you read about our journey here on our website, but you can also watch our travels and stories on our YouTube Channel which has – grown to be the most subscribed dedicated field recording channels on Youtube!

Open laptop displaying the YouTube homepage with a video titled 'Zoom H1 Review for Filmmakers: Still the Best Budget Audio Recorder?'

FREE TO USE SOUNDS

FREE TO USE SOUNDS

Join us on Instagram

We’re also updating our daily lives on our Instagram account (@freetousesounds) Feel free to stop by and say hi! CNN Travel recently featured our story about traveling around the world recording sounds. You can check it out right here!

Smartphone displaying an Instagram profile named 'freetouseSounds' with a grid of various images, including people using virtual reality headsets, a coffee roasting process, outdoor activities, and people on escalators.