A text search is not the only way to find sounds. Click here to learn how to perform a sounds-like search.

File Formats  You can find audio files in AIFF, AU, MP3, and WAVE formats. To exclude a format, un-check the box beside its name.

Number of Channels  Check one or both of these choices to find mono audio files, stereo audio files, or both.

Minimum Resolution and Sample Rate  These values specify the minimum quality of retrieved audio files. A higher resolution and sample rate indicate a higher-quality recording, but also a larger audio file.

Maximum File Size  Specify the maximum size of retrieved audio files. You may wish to set this value to 256k or less if you have a slow modem connection.

Search Results  After performing a search, you will see a page displaying the top ten hits. Click on the Next Page button at the bottom of the page to view the next ten hits. Click on the Previous Page button to display the previous page of hits.

For each hit, you will see the URL of an audio file and information about the audio file, including its size, number of channels, resolution, sample rate, and duration. To download and play the audio file, click on the URL or . Depending on the size of the file and the speed of your Internet connection, it will take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes to download the file. Be sure to have your speakers turned on.

Each hit includes a colorful graphic image like the one shown above. This is the Comparisonics waveform display, which provides valuable visual information about the content of the audio file. Like other waveform displays, it is a graph of amplitude (or loudness) over time. Unlike other waveform displays, the graph is colored to reflect the frequency content of the audio file. Similar sounds are represented by similar colors, and changes in sound can be seen as changes in color. For stereo files, the waveform display represents the left and right channels combined.

For each hit, you can find audio files that sound like it by clicking on . See the Sounds-Like Search page for information.

Click on "show page" to view a Web page that links to this audio file. Additional information about the file may be found there.

Click on "e-mail this sound" to create and send an e-mail message containing the URL of the audio file. When a recipient of the message clicks on the URL, the file is downloaded and played.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Where can I find an audio player program?

Here are links to three:

FindSounds Palette
Apple QuickTime
Windows Media Player

How do I download an audio file to my hard drive?

On Windows, right-click on the audio file URL and choose Save Target As or Save Link As in the popup menu. On the Macintosh, click on the audio file URL while holding down the Control key and choose Save Link As or Download from the popup menu.

How do I send a sound to a cell phone so that it can be used as a ringtone?

This can be done if the cell phone has Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS).

1. Download an audio file, saving it to your hard drive as described above.
2. Create an email message with the audio file as an attachment.
3. Send the email message to the email address of the cell phone. This is typically the cell phone's ten-digit phone number (with area code), followed by @ and a domain name provided by the cell phone company. For example, if the cell phone number is (530) 555-1234 and the cell phone company is AT&T, send the email message to 5305551234@mms.att.net. If the company is Verizon, send it to phonenumber@vzwpix.com. If the company is Sprint Nextel, send it to phonenumber@messaging.nextel.com. If the company is T-Mobile, send it to phonenumber@tmomail.net. If the company is Alltel, send it to phonenumber@message.alltel.com.

How do I tell Windows to play a sound for various events such as startup?

1. Download an audio file, saving it to your hard drive as described above.
2. Click on Start, then Settings, then Control Panel.
3. Double-click on the Sounds icon in the Control Panel. This should display the Sound Properties window.
4. Select a Sound Event in the list, such as "New Mail Notification," and then click on the Browse button.
5. Locate the audio file you saved in step 1 and click on the OK button.

How do I attach a sound to an e-mail message so that it plays automatically when the message is opened by the recipient?

This can be done using Microsoft Outlook Express Version 5 or 6.

1. Download an audio file, saving it to your hard drive as described above.
2. Create a new message in Outlook Express.
3. From the Format menu, select Rich Text and then from the Background sub-menu, select Sound. The Background Sound window will appear.
4. Click on the Browse button, locate the audio file you saved in step 1, and click on the OK button.
5. In the body of the message, remind the recipient to turn on his speakers.
6. When finished composing the message, send it.

Why does my browser complain that I need Sound Machine to play sounds?

This problem can occur when running a Netscape browser on the Macintosh. The browser is complaining because it does not know which application to use to play audio files. If you do not already have an audio player, try downloading QuickTime. If the problem persists after installing QuickTime, try the following:

1. From the browser, click on Edit/Preferences.
2. In the list shown on the left, select Applications under Navigator. A list of helper applications should appear on the right.
3. Click on AIFF Audio, AU Audio, or Wav Audio in the alphabetized list depending on which file type is giving you trouble.
4. Click on the Edit button to display the Edit Type dialog box.
5. Click on Plug-in or choose a different application by clicking on the Choose button.