The following audio search tools will enable you to find specific audio files and audio content. Use these tools to find sound effects, sound-based content (podcasts, interviews, speeches, interviews, and historical events), as well as books read aloud by a wide variety of authors, news, and streaming audio sites.
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Audio Search Directories
- Open Directory Audio: Points to a wide selection of audio links.
Specialized Audio-Specific Sites
- The Quiet American: Take a one-minute vacation right at your desk with these sixty-second audio recordings from all over the world.
- The Free Information Society: historical sounds of the twentieth century in audio format.
- NASA Space Mission Audio: Use the drop down menus to the left of the page to find audio from the NASA space mission flights.
- Internet Archive Audio Archive: a ton of great audio content is available here. Frequently updated.
- The History Channel – Famous Speeches: Listen to over 500 famous speeches that have made history.
- SermonAudio: “largest and fastest-growing library of audio sermons on the web with over 90,700 free audio sermons.”
Streaming Audio Music Sites
- Pandora has become part of my daily routine. Great application that you can use to create your own music station.
- Last.fm: Create your own music station and invite others to share – a great social networking site with audio.
- Creative Commons Audio Search: Find audio content distributed through the Creative Commons license.
Audio News
- IT Conversations: Listen to podcasts from technology notables.
- BBC Audio A-Z Interviews: huge database of BBC audio interviews.
- Audio and Video Directory. Excellent collection of news sources.
- NPR National Public Radio. Search past news broadcasts as well.
- CNN Video.CNN’s video is always top-notch; you can search past broadcasts, too.
Audio Books
- LearnOutLoud.com: free audio books, MP3 downloads, podcasts, and DVD videos.
- Project Gutenberg Audio Books: Find classic books in audio format.
- LibriVox: free classic audio books; frequently updated.
- PodioBooks: “free, serialized audio books – delivered on your schedule.”