Scary Sounds: Sound Effects and Horror Ambience

Bursting in (sound effect)

Bursting in (sound effect)

This sound effect piece evokes a gripping sense of immediacy and intimidation, as if a monster suddenly bursts through a door or wall.

Rather than creeping closer, it conveys a full-on attack-style horror effect with great success, and despite its short length, it offers a highly satisfying listening experience.

Free-to-use sound effects, video production materials: footsteps, slightly scary, following, clack-clack, shoes, concrete, floor

Free-to-use sound effects, materials for video creation: footsteps, slightly scary, following you, clack-clack, shoes, concrete, floor

This piece is striking for its quiet yet assertive footsteps—the kind you might hear while walking through an office late at night.

The sound effect itself is just footsteps, but the cold, clicking quality stirs an indescribable sense of loneliness and fear, heightening the horror effect.

Copyright-free, commercially usable [sound effect]: man’s scream, middle-aged man, fear, “Ah!”, horror, scary

Copyright-free, available for commercial use [sound effect]: man's scream, middle-aged man, fear, “Ah,” horror, scary

As a fear-inducing sound effect, this male scream is outstanding.

With crystal-clear audio free of noise and background music, it’s perfect for games and audio productions.

It’s copyright-free and available for commercial use, so creators can use it with confidence.

It also works great as BGM for Halloween parties or haunted houses, and is recommended for surprising your easily scared friends.

However, because the scream is so realistic, it may be best to avoid using it in places with small children.

If you’re looking to add a scary touch, this track is sure to be a perfect fit for your work.

Fear of heights / wobbly dizziness (sound effect) — Fear of Heights Sound Effect

Fear of heights / wobbly dizziness (sound effect) — Fear of Heights Sound Effect

An eerie horror sound effect that creates the illusion of being on a high, unstable scaffold.

The heavy, oppressive fear one would feel at a great height is deftly conveyed through low frequencies, and once you hear it, it will linger in your mind for a long time.

Waterphone sound (sound effect/onomatopoeia)

A waterphone that’s 30 cm makes a real difference!

It’s a piece you can’t listen to for very long; it provokes a visceral sense of fear.

The waterphone’s unpleasant, distinctive high tones agitate the listener’s mind and strip away mental composure.

When paired with eerie visual scenes, the panic effect is doubled.

A scary sound that suits summer

Beginning with an eerie sound effect that’s somewhere between a clock and a bell, this video layers a creepy synthesizer melody with a woman’s laughter for a highly effective horror piece.

As it progresses into the latter half, a variety of terrifying sound effects are introduced, making it a work that gradually unsettles you mentally just by listening.

Royalty-free sound effects, materials for video production: zombie groans, growling, snarling, horror film, woo, menacing, scary

The zombies’ groans echo eerily through the air.

This track feels like a scene lifted straight out of a horror film.

The performance, stripped of any hint of humanity, leaves a strong impression and plants fear in the listener’s heart.

It also seems perfect as background music for Halloween parties or haunted houses.

It’s been 55 years since the release of Night of the Living Dead—the work that cemented the modern image of zombies—and this spine-tingling sound calls it to mind.

It will surely shine as an accent when telling scary stories, or as a source of inspiration for creating horror games.