YouTube Video Soundtracker ‘Epidemic Sound’ Bulks Up Audio Effects Library

Epidemic Sound, which provides a soundtracking subscription service for digital creators to orchestrate their YouTube videos, has significantly expanded its sound effects library.

Following user feedback, the Swedish outfit says it’s increasing the number of sound effects offered from 60,000 to 90,000 — covering everything from crowd noises to animal sounds to weather to transitional effects, like whooshes. At the same time, the company pledged to add at least 5,000 more new effects every year.

Furthermore, Epidemic says that it has improved its search functionalities surrounding sound effects — specifically with respect to the metadata behind each effect, including a larger number of more accurate keyword tags — which will make it easier for creators to locate a pertinent snippet.

In recent months, Epidemic has also improved search discovery features for its music library, including a new machine learning-based tool called Music Recommender that suggest personalized songs based on creators’ past selections.

“Sound effects are the unsung heroes of video creation,” Epidemic co-founder and CEO Oscar Höglund said in a statement. “We’re proud to be in a position where we can receive and act upon feedback from our creators so we can stay in touch with their workflows and give them the tools they need to thrive from their creations.”

Epidemic, which raised $450 million last month at a $1.4 billion valuation, offers a total of 35,000 royalty-free music tracks and 90,000 sound effects, with a subscription starting at $15 per month.