What Pro Sound Effects does

Pro Sound Effects is a private, founder-led, self-funded music and media production company founded in 2004 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. It operates a proprietary library of 1.2M+ professionally recorded, human-curated sound effects spanning 650+ categories (4,200+ hours, 5.8 TB) sourced from 40+ exclusive artists including three Oscar-winners (Mark Mangini for Dune and Richard King for Oppenheimer and Inception). Every file is tagged with the Universal Category System metadata by in-house sound designers, and access is delivered via browser web app, the free SoundQ desktop application, a Download Manager, and native integrations with Avid Media Composer (industry-first SFX panel), Adobe Premiere Pro, Pro Tools, and Reaper.

The company monetizes through tiered subscriptions (Standard $29/mo, Pro $99/mo, Complete $299/mo), perpetual CORE 7 bundles ($1,999-$12,999), per-sound and per-library unit purchases, enterprise Teams licensing (starting $549/yr/user with SSO, admin panel, IP authentication), education site licensing, and an AI/ML audio data licensing vertical selling rights-cleared datasets to technology customers such as Google, Sony AI, Dolby, Samsung, Bose, Xperi, and Cisco. Customer concentration spans AAA games (EA, Riot, Epic, Sony, Nintendo, Activision, Remedy), film/TV and streaming (Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery, Skydance, Spotify, Condé Nast), education (Academy of Art University, SCAD, Berklee, Full Sail), and AI/ML technology buyers; channel distribution includes Adobe, Roblox, Splice, APM Music, Musicbed, and Kanjian.

Operating as a deliberately small, fully virtualized team since inception, Pro Sound Effects added 110K+ sounds in 2024 via the CORE 7 release, targets 3M sounds by 2028, and in January 2026 partnered with Musical AI to position its catalog as cleared, attributed content for generative AI licensing.

Name

Pro Sound Effects

Legal name

Pro Sound Effects

Website

https://prosoundeffects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pro Sound Effects is a founder-led Brooklyn company that develops a proprietary, 1.2M+ professionally recorded sound effects library, sold via subscriptions, perpetual bundles, and enterprise and AI/ML data licensing to film, TV, gaming, media, and technology customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sound Effects Library

NAICS

Other Sound Recording Industries (51229), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Music/SFX Asset Libraries & Licensing Platforms (MPACABAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sound Effects (SFX) Editorial & Library Services (MPAHAEAD)

Keywords

• Sound effects library
• Audio post-production
• Royalty-free sound effects
• Sound design software
• Audio data licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Subscription Plans: Monthly or annual subscription tiers (Standard $29/mo, Pro $99/mo, Complete $299/mo) providing access to the PSE library with unlimited usage. Annual plans offer ~16% savings. Includes 1 user license.
2. CORE Library Bundles (Perpetual/Owned): One-time purchase bundles for perpetual ownership: CORE 7 Standard $1,999, CORE 7 Pro $4,499 (regularly $5,499), CORE 7 Complete $12,999 (regularly $15,999). Saves up to 83% vs. individual sounds. Includes instant cloud access and 1 user license.
3. Individual Sound and Library Purchases: Per-unit purchase of individual sounds (e.g., $5 per track) and individual themed libraries (e.g., Cinematic Winds $199, Borneo Rainforest $119). Used for targeted acquisitions beyond subscription tier coverage.
4. Enterprise/Multi-User Licensing: Custom enterprise licensing with unlimited, royalty-free usage tailored to organization needs. Per-user pricing starting at $549/yr for Teams plans. Includes admin panel, SSO, IP authentication, local access, and dedicated support.
5. AI/ML Audio Data Licensing: Licensing of proprietary 1.2M+ sound dataset for AI training, testing, and deployment. Covers speech recognition, generative audio, noise cancellation, and RAG systems. Flexible licensing for startups, SMBs, and enterprise with full rights clearance.
6. Education Site Licensing: Institution-wide licensing for educational organizations with unlimited, non-commercial, royalty-free academic usage. Customized agreements for schools and universities, with up to 1 year free trial access for qualified institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Pro Sound Effects (PSE) develops and curates professional, royalty-free sound effects libraries and complementary software tools for sound artists in film, television, gaming, advertising, and AI/ML. Its catalog spans 1.2 million+ professionally recorded sounds delivered via tiered subscriptions, perpetual bundles (CORE 7 Standard, Pro, Complete), enterprise Teams plans, and AI data licensing.

Product overview

Pro Sound Effects operates as a sound effects library platform with multiple integrated products. The core offering is their proprietary sound effects library containing 1.2 million+ professionally recorded sounds across 655+ categories, delivered through CORE 7 subscription bundles (Standard, Pro, Complete tiers). Access is provided via the SoundQ desktop application for MacOS/Windows, browser-based web app, and integrations with professional tools including Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer, Pro Tools, and Reaper. Additional products include Download Manager for library management, Media Composer Panel Extension for native Avid integration, Teams and Education institutional plans, and AI Data Licensing services for machine learning applications. All content is royalty-free, legally cleared, and tagged with UCS (Universal Category System) metadata.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PSE Subscription Library Annual/monthly access to the full PSE library of 1.2M+ royalty-free sound effects with download credits, used by sound designers, editors, and producers.
• CORE 7 Standard Bundle Perpetual-license bundle of the CORE 7 flagship sound effects library, providing standard-tier volume of professionally recorded sounds for production use.
• CORE 7 Pro Bundle Mid-tier perpetual bundle of the CORE 7 sound effects library with expanded volume of professionally recorded assets for ongoing production.
• CORE 7 Complete Bundle Top-tier perpetual bundle containing the full CORE 7 sound effects library for studios requiring maximum volume and rights clarity.
• PSE Teams Plan Multi-seat enterprise plan providing teams with shared library access, admin controls, SSO, and dedicated support, tailored for studios and post-production houses.
• Education Plan Discounted subscription tier of the PSE library offered to students and accredited educational institutions for instructional and project use.
• AI Data Licensing Licensed use of the PSE audio catalog for AI/ML training of audio and sound models, with explicit commercial licensing terms for AI developers and technology companies.
• SoundQ Desktop Application Free macOS/Windows desktop app for browsing, auditioning, and managing PSE sound effects using Universal Category System (UCS) metadata, distributed alongside PSE subscriptions.
• Media Composer Panel Extension Avid Media Composer integration panel that allows editors to browse and place PSE sound effects directly inside Media Composer timelines.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72% of AAA game releases from 2024 used Pro Sound Effects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Musical AIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2026Musical AI, a generative AI attribution and rights management platform, has secured Pro Sound Effects as a content partner. PSE's audio library is included in Musical AI's rights management ecosystem, enabling AI companies to license PSE content while ensuring creators are credited and paid. This positions PSE as a key rights holder in the emerging AI audio licensing space.
• AdobeflagshipTechnology or IntegrationAdobe is listed as a partner on PSE's Partnerships page. PSE's sound library integrates with Adobe Premiere Pro via the SoundQ 'Spot to Timeline' feature, enabling direct sound transfer from PSE into Adobe editing workflows.
• Avid (Media Composer)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationPSE developed the industry-first native Media Composer Panel extension for Avid Media Composer, enabling direct in-app access to PSE sound libraries. Deep product integration with dedicated PSE panel inside the Avid interface.
• BaseheadcoreTechnology or IntegrationBasehead is referenced as a compatible database/search software for PSE's UCS-optimized metadata. PSE metadata integrates natively with Basehead for enhanced sound search workflows.
• SoundQflagshipTechnology or IntegrationPSE's proprietary free desktop application SoundQ serves as a hub for integrating PSE libraries with local files, third-party libraries, and editing software including Pro Tools, Reaper, and Adobe Premiere. Key differentiator for workflow integration.
• RobloxcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRoblox is listed as a partner on PSE's Partnerships page, suggesting platform-integrated SFX distribution for the Roblox creator ecosystem.
• SplicecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSplice is listed as a partner on PSE's Partnerships page under Platform Integrated SFX and Music Libraries & Stock Platforms, suggesting content distribution through Splice's audio platform.
• APM MusiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAPM Music is listed as a partner, indicating a music/stock platform partnership for expanded distribution of PSE's sound library alongside APM's music catalog.
• MusicbedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMusicbed is listed as a partner under Platform Integrated SFX, suggesting PSE sound effects are distributed alongside Musicbed's music licensing platform.
• KanjiancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKanjian is listed as a partner, indicating a music/stock platform distribution partnership, likely targeting the Asian market.
• SourceAudiocoreTechnology or IntegrationSourceAudio is referenced alongside Pro Sound Effects in the Musical AI announcement as an audio rightsholder partner, indicating a content and technology relationship for rights management and platform integration.
• Symphonic DistributioncoreTechnology or IntegrationSymphonic Distribution is referenced alongside Pro Sound Effects in the Musical AI announcement as an audio rightsholder partner in the AI attribution ecosystem.
• One Percent for the PlanetminorOthersPro Sound Effects is a proud member of One Percent for the Planet, committing 1% of revenue to environmental causes and the planet. Reflects PSE's conscious business values.
• MIT-Affiliated ResearcherscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSE collaborates with MIT-affiliated researchers to ensure practical, efficient solutions for AI data licensing and dataset development. This academic partnership supports PSE's AI product roadmap and ethical AI positioning.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Soundsnap: Subscription and per-clip SFX library targeting film, TV, game, and advertising sound designers. Directly comparable on subscription tiers, royalty-free commercial use, and search-by-category workflow for professional sound editors.
• Musicbed: Music and (selectively) sound effects licensing platform for filmmakers, brands, and content creators with curated artist-driven catalogs. Already a PSE distribution partner, but also competes for the same creator-economy customer base and indie filmmaker spend.
• Artlist: Subscription content platform offering music, sound effects, video, and footage under unified licensing. Competes directly with PSE on subscription audio offerings, self-serve GTM to video creators and agencies, and unlimited-download licensing model.
• Audio Network: Music and sound effects licensing company serving broadcasters, production companies, and brands. Comparable to PSE on rights-cleared catalog, enterprise and broadcast licensing, and overlap in film/TV post-production customers.
• Boom Library: Premium SFX library targeting film, TV, and game audio professionals with high-end designed and recorded sound effects. Closely comparable to PSE on content quality, theme-based libraries (e.g., Cinematic, Fantasy), and professional tier pricing for studios.
• Pond5: Large stock media marketplace (now part of Getty Images) offering audio, video, and effects on per-asset and subscription licensing. Overlaps with PSE on SFX catalog breadth, marketplace model, enterprise licensing, and creator-supplier ecosystem.
• Epidemic Sound: Subscription-based music and sound effects licensing platform serving content creators, brands, and enterprises globally. Matches PSE's subscription GTM, similar targeting of independent creators and enterprise teams, and overlapping SFX catalog with self-serve web platform.
• Sonniss: Game-audio-focused SFX library publisher issuing annual GDC bundles with thousands of royalty-free sounds for indie and AAA game developers. Directly comparable on game audio vertical, royalty-free licensing, and indie-creator self-serve distribution.
• Sound Ideas: Longest-established commercial SFX library (founded 1978) with tens of thousands of professionally recorded effects across feature films, TV, and games. Directly competes with PSE on sound catalog depth, royalty-free licensing, and enterprise customers in film/broadcast post-production.

Emerging players

• Splice: Music creation and sound sample marketplace with subscription downloads widely used by independent producers and creators. Already a PSE distribution partner, but expanding into broader audio categories creates emerging overlap with PSE's independent creator customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/prosoundeffects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pro Sound Effects