Sounds of summer. Sound effects and soothing ambient sounds
What sounds say “summer” to you? What comes to mind? In this article, we researched a variety of soundscapes that evoke summer—from timeless classics to scorching, exotic vibes.
We curated a wide selection, carefully picked, so please take your time and enjoy! Close your eyes and you can picture everything from tropical resorts and remote deserts to jungles and fireworks festivals.
These can be used for healing, as sound effects, or as substitutes for pseudo–field recordings to add color to your music.
Most of them cannot be used commercially, so be sure to check the licenses carefully!
- Festival sounds. Sound effects and everyday ambient sounds.
- A collection of summer-like songs: tracks that go perfectly with summer, like the sea and the sky.
- Sound of wind. Sound effects and soothing ambient sounds
- A classic song themed around a summer festival. A song of summer memories (2026).
- Firework sounds. Sound effects and relaxing ambient sound
- Love songs you want to listen to in summer. Love songs that color the summer.
- Reiwa-era summer songs: A roundup of new staple tracks that color the hot summer
- Sound of rain. Sound effects and natural ambient sounds
- Cool songs to listen to in summer: a roundup of music to help you cool down
- [Summer Songs] Stylish Japanese Hits: A Collection of Masterpieces That Bring a Refreshing Breeze
- [Summer Classics] When it comes to summer, it’s got to be this song! A roundup from timeless staples to the latest hit tracks.
- Songs to Enjoy in Summer! Classic Hits Special (Showa & Heisei)
- [Masterpieces to Enjoy During Summer Vacation] A collection of summer songs bursting with summer vibes
Sounds of Summer: Sound Effects & Soothing Ambient Audio (11–20)
The call of a black kite
Speaking of black kites, surely anyone can recall their beautiful “pee-hyorororō” call.
Since their breeding season runs from spring to summer, they sing especially beautifully with long melodies.
You can almost picture them gracefully circling across the summer sky.
Chirping of the large brown cicada
This is the call of the large brown cicada with mottled brown wings (Aburazemi).
It perches not only on trees but also on utility poles and house walls, making its familiar buzzing “jee-jee” sound.
Hearing this instantly wraps you in the sweltering air of summer.
Since it is widely distributed from Hokkaido to Kyushu, it might be the most common summer sound effect among cicada calls.
The call of the large brown cicada
This is the call of the large brown cicada (Kumazemi), which is widely distributed from the Kanto region to the Nansei Islands.
Among cicadas found in Japan, it is the second largest species, and it calls most frequently from sunrise until noon.
Its sound evokes the heat of summer, but compared to the aburazemi (large brown cicada), it feels a bit cooler—perhaps suggesting a slightly lower heat index.
The calls of higurashi (evening cicadas) and tsukutsukubōshi cicadas
Rather than the blazing, scorching heat, higurashi and tsukutsukubōshi cicadas evoke a kind of summer where you can feel a hint of coolness in the air.
When the tsukutsukubōshi start to sing, you sense that summer is drawing to a close.
Their sound makes you feel quietly reflective, thinking, “A lot happened, but it was a good summer.”
A quiet forest on a summer night
On summer nights, in stark contrast to the hot daytime, the weather is comfortable.
It seems there’s a river flowing nearby.
Some kind of insect is chirping—what could it be? From time to time, I also hear calls—perhaps birds, perhaps frogs.
These sound effects make you feel as if you’ve wandered into a nature-filled forest.
Summer: the chirping of cicadas
Alongside the sound of cicadas, you can also hear other insects.
When it’s the brown cicada (aburazemi) that keeps droning nonstop with its ji-ji-ji call, it brings to mind sweltering heat, but this is different—it conjures the feeling of a pleasant summer day.
It makes me feel as if I were on the tatami mats at my grandmother’s house in the countryside.
Sounds of Summer: Sound Effects and Soothing Ambient Sounds (21–30)
The Murmuring River and the Minmin Cicadas
When it comes to the sound of cicadas, it’s a classic summer sound effect.
In addition to the cicadas’ chirping, this also includes the gentle murmur of a stream.
Just with those elements, it creates such a cool and refreshing atmosphere.
It’s a soothing sound effect that evokes both the heat of summer and the chill of water.