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 and Soothing Ambient Sounds (21–30)
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.
Chirping white-eyes: the song of warbling white-eye birds in early summer
Because of its body color, it’s often mistaken for a Japanese bush warbler, but the bird with white around its eyes is the Japanese white-eye.
It’s a very cute bird and often sings complex melodies in summer.
Here, it sounds as if two birds are happily chatting together.
Summer Chirping
This is a recording of songbirds chirping in the mountains in summer.
Even if you don’t know what kind of bird it is, you can imagine the quiet air of the mountains and a bird you can’t see, calling somewhere very close by.
The clear, translucent song transports you to a soothing space completely different from the bustle of the city.
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 in Shiga Kogen
It captures sounds like running water, birdsong, and the rustling of the wind.
Even without visiting Shiga Highlands in the summer, the audio conveys the atmosphere vividly.
If you close your eyes, you may feel as if you’re strolling leisurely across the plateau, or sitting at a scenic spot savoring the highland summer.
Mimmin cicadas at the end of summer
When you think of cicada calls, many people probably answer, “min-min-min-min…” That’s the call of the min-min cicada (Hyalessa maculaticollis), a species commonly found on the plains of the Kanto region.
Because its call is loud and it sounds from mid-July to mid-September, it tends to leave a strong impression.
It’s not often seen in Hokkaido, so people there may be less familiar with this particular call.