Freesound, an online platform where more than 675k sounds contributed by thousands of users all over the world are shared under Creative Commons licenses, is turning 20 years old in 2025. Freesound was started in 2005 in the Music Technology Group of Universitat Pompeu Fabra, and is possible thanks to the support of the Fundació Phonos and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra.

During 2025, we will organize a number of activities around a main theme for the celebration: Freesound sounds as an archive to safeguard the world’s Intangible Heritage. Intangible Heritage includes the intangible and ephemeral elements that shape our world – whether rooted in human culture, natural environments, or the entangled interplay between them. These sounds reflect what is fragile, ever-changing, and at risk of disappearing. Freesound, with its extensive archive, provides a digital space where these sounds can be preserved and reimagined.

Freesound-based composition contest

We invite all sound artists, composers, and sound explorers to participate in an open call for compositions that explore the theme of Intangible Heritage.

Find the terms of the contest on the Phonos website.

The selected compositions will be published online, ensuring open access and alignment with Freesound’s mission of fostering collaboration and sharing within the global community. Furthermore, a Freesound live event will take place on the 28th of October at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, in which the selected works will be presented, and the authors will be able to perform live on-site or remotely.

The deadline for submitting compositions is the June 30th 2025.

Freesound event

Besides presenting the selected works of the composition contest, the Freesound live event we are planning for October will also include talks from members of the Freesound community and the Freesound team at Phonos/Music Technology Group. The event will be live-streamed, and it will be possible to participate remotely. More details soon.

Sound installation

The Freesound anniversary celebration will also include a sound installation that explores the theme of Intangible Heritage through the lens of Freesound, which will premiere this fall in an exhibition hall in Barcelona. This installation is being developed with the curation of Fito Conesa, and will also feature a virtual version. Again, more details are coming soon.

Other activities:

“BAR-CEL-ONA” by the group Ekho: Using the sounds of the city, the Ekho group proposes a new sonic narrative, a sound portrait that goes beyond postcards, monuments, and urban clichés. “BAR,” “CEL,” and “ONA” symbolize the social spaces of streets, squares, parks, as well as the poetic horizons of the acoustic material that inhabits Barcelona, the sky, and the sea. The use of AI in the piece reveals hidden patterns that will be unveiled on the premiere day. Furthermore, as is always the case with Ekho’s works, the audience will take part. (June 12th, SONAR+D)

“Soundsystem for Silence” by Myubio Collective: immersive installation inspired by the emergent patterns of nature. Using a constellation of ‘living’ sound sources, the installations sets in motion tiny fluctuations that cascade into complex shapes and movements. Soundsystem for Silence is supported by Creative Industries Fund NL and the Phonos Foundation. The exhibition will be open to the public from June 13th to 29th at Can Framis museum, of Fundació Vila Casas.

The 20 years of Freesound have been possible thanks to the effort and dedication of all the people who contribute to Freesound: people who upload sounds, people who download sounds, people who donate, the team of moderators and support, researchers and developers at Fundació Phonos and the Music Technology Group (where Freesound happens), IT and administration staff at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, artists, developers and companies that use API to integrate Freesound sounds in their projects, funding bodies that supported research grants related to Freesound, and all the people who will contribute in the future.

Freesound blogpost: https://blog.freesound.org/?p=2162

Compostition contest: https://www.upf.edu/web/phonos/inici/-/asset_publisher/6o5hhSb6iSMy/content/freesound-composition-call/maximized

The activities of the 20th anniversary of Freesound are supported by Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Programme CEX2021-001195-M, funded by MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033

And the Ajuntament de Barcelona / Institut de Cultura de Barcelona:

And in the frame of:

Cátedra UPF-BMAT en Inteligencia Artificial y Música (TSI-100929-2023-1). Project funded by Secretaría de Estado de Digitalización e Inteligencia Artificial, the European Union-Next Generation EU, and by BMAT Music Innovators, the Music Operating System