Whether you’re creating an animated promotional video or looking to add audio flourishes to your vlogs, you can’t go wrong with classic cartoon sound effects. We’ve compiled a list of 25 mind-blowing SFX that you can download and use in your projects today.
Summary
Part 1: Classic & Comic Cartoon Sound Effects for Creatives
1. Free Cartoon Sound Effects
Featuring 17 sounds and variations of them, this mighty pack has a wealth of exciting screeches, pings, jumps, and whistles that are perfect for sport-based video or mobile games, apps, or retro animations.
Free Cartoon Sound Effects Download
2. Funny Cartoon Movement
If you’re looking for the ideal sound to highlight a character walking quickly, sneakily, or on tiptoes, your search is over with these 4 fast and fun sound effects. These synth-based sounds add that classic cartoon feel to any project.
Download Funny Cartoon Movement Now
3. Cartoon Slip
The 5 whistle-based sounds in the pack might not sound like much on their own, but once added to a character slipping on a recently polished floor or somebody falling over, a little bit of comedic magic is woven. Perfect for prank videos, animation, or adding a humorous touch to home movies.
4. Funny Cartoon Falls
If you’re looking to make a comedic impact, the Funny Cartoon Falls sounds effects pack is for you. These 12 cartoon falls come with cymbal crashes, whistling falling, and a wide selection of booms. Add that extra touch to your apps, animations, and YouTube videos.
Download Funny Cartoon Falls Now
5. Cartoon Boing Jump
The sound of a perfectly timed doink or boing has been a comedy staple for decades; whether it’s somebody falling over in a fail video to a video game or retro cartoon, this collection of vintage cartoonish sounds has something for you.
Download Cartoon Boing Jump Now
6. Cartoon Laugh
The Cartoon Laugh pack includes 11 different cartoonish giggles, high-pitched long and short laughs. These cutesy chuckles are ideally suited to games, cartoons, funny videos, or animations.
7. Cartoon Comical Pack
The Cartoon Comical pack is a must-have for any animator wanting to use sound effects. The collection of 15 sounds includes classics such as bubbles, pops, bells, swooshes, boings, and twinkles.
Download Cartoon Comical Pack Now
8. Cartoon Blinking Eyes
The Cartoon Blinking Eyes pack probably sounds how you’d imagine; a high fluttering of fast-paced notes. While ideal for cartoon blinking sounds, this pack is incredibly versatile and could be used for explainer videos, apps, and game sounds.
Download Cartoon Blinking Eyes Now
9. Cartoon Whistle
The Cartoon Whistle pack features 5 distinctive single slide whistle tones. Including 3 up-scale and two down-scale phrases, this pack is ideal for slide whistle fans and comedy projects.
10. Classic Cartoon Sounds
The Classic Cartoon Sounds pack contains 3 entirely different elements; Cartoon Rattle, News intro, and War Fanfare. The fun and light-hearted tone of each piece make them ideal as incidental sounds in an animated narrative.
Download Classic Cartoon Sounds Now
11. Female Cartoon Laugh
The Female Cartoon Laugh pack contains a selection of high-pitched laugh effects, ranging from friendly to maniacal. While the track has 6 distinctive laugh elements, they can easily be edited together for a more extended laugh sequence.
Download Female Cartoon Laugh Now
12. Cartoon Funny Whistle FX Pack
The Cartoon Funny Whistle FX pack includes 9 traditional slide whistle effects. 6 of the SFX feature a variety of single whistle tones, while the other 3 offer a playful boing and rattle at the end.
Download Cartoon Funny Whistle FX Pack Now
13. Funny Cartoon Characters
Funny Cartoon Characters includes 15 high-pitched voice effects forming vague words such as hello, hey, and yeah. Ideal for cartoon creatures, the friendly and excitable tone is fun and engaging.
Download Funny Cartoon Characters Now
14. Cartoon Fast Chattering
If you needed to animate a couple of chatting squirrels, you would probably hear this sound effect in your head while doing so. Featuring 9 quirky high-pitched chatterings, these sound effects are ideal for non-verbal characters with a cheeky side.
Download Cartoon Fast Chattering Now
15. Cartoon Crowd
The Cartoon Crowd pack features 3 distinct sounds; cheering, disappointed awe, and disgusted eww. The small crowd of childish voices is ideal for kids’ cartoons but can also be used for comedic effects for more adult or business-oriented projects.
16. Cartoon Bow and Arrow
If you’ve not got an arrow firing bow in your animated piece, then don’t worry; these 4 sound effects can be used for a huge variety of action sounds. Featuring a soft whoosh followed by a woody boing, you could easily splice these effects into something new.
Download Cartoon Bow and Arrow Now
17. Squish
The Squish pack contains 5 different squishes, ideal for all your squishing needs. Whether something is stepped on, dropped, smooshed, or obliterated, these squishy noises tell the audience that something has met its end, and it has caused quite a mess.
18. Cartoon
The Cartoon Pack offers 8 incidental sounds ideal for fun and quirky logo indents, endplates, and transition sound. The twinkling strings and high pitch notes provide a friendly and light-hearted tone.
19. Cartoon Wobble
The classic cartoon wobble is a familiar feeling sound most associated with being hit in the head. The metallic wobble is ideal for the comedic violence seen in vintage cartoons such as Warner Brothers Looney Tunes.
20. Mallets
The Mallets audio effect contains three different sounds that wouldn’t be out of place in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Featuring fast-paced mallets drumming on high strings, these effects have a cheeky, magical tone.
21. Mute Trombone Cartoon
The Muted Trombone Cartoon sound is a classic for underpinning fails, gag reels, and game overs. A classic Whaa Whaa Whaa Whaa sound we are all familiar with gives the audience an audio cue to a comedic failure.
Download Mute Trombone Cartoon Now
22. Musical SFX for Cartoon and Game
Ideal for games and app sound, the Musical SFX for Cartoon and Game pack includes 4 jazz-style pieces. The rattle-type effects are perfect for action-based sounds when a viewer interacts with the media.
Download Musical SFX for Cartoon and Game Now
23. Cartoon Phrase
The Cartoon Phrase SFX pack offers three variations on a traditional feeling incidental sound. Featuring a high twinkly sound with extensive brassy notes, these effects have a cheeky and friendly tone.
24. Comic Voices
This range of comic voices includes 10 audio clips, including laughing, eeks, ahhs, and groans. The mini collection is ideal for indicating a non-verbal character’s emotions in a lower male cartoon style.
25. Funny Cartoon Game Over
Featuring three versions at varying speeds, the Funny Cartoon Game Over sound effect is ideal for underpinning failure. Consisting of 6 notes playing down a scale, the brassy sound is a comedy classic.
Download Funny Cartoon Game Over Now
Part 2: How to Properly Use Cartoon Sound Effects in Your Videos
Adding sound effects properly isn’t as simple as popping them on your Timeline; there are several steps to ensure your audio FX works with your video. Check out these top tips.
Punchline Sound Effects
Adding a sound effect as a punchline or action is a fantastic way to start your sound design. Not only can the right impact of sound provoke an emotive response from your audience, but they can also actually provide a cue for one.
Timing is everything with punchline sound FX, as they need to be precisely aligned to your video. Remember, the action might not be timed exactly with the start of the audio clip, so don’t be too surprised if it takes you a few tries to make your sound effect match the video.
Ambiance
Ambiance plays a vital role in bringing your sound design together, and it is imperative when you are not using a music track. Rather than silence between your sound effects, add ambiance tracks that offer context, such as location-based sounds.
By adding atmospheric audio to your video, your sound effects will feel more organic, even in animated projects.
Not as Intended
While sound effects will all be titled based on their intended use, you can often find other uses for them. This stands to reason, as a lot of Foley work requires out-of-the-box thinking, such as a sheet of metal being wobbled to create the sound of thunder. Be creative with your sound effects, and don’t be afraid to try new ways of using them.
Adding Effects
You can add effects to your Sound FX to create new tones, pitches, and styles. Editing software has various effects, from audio correction such as EQ and Space to stylistic choices such as reverb and echo. If an SFX isn’t quite working, you can try playing with the speed, pitch, and tone to create a unique sound.
Audio Mixing
Audio mixing is vital for offering a consistent sound for your audience to follow. When telling a story, the audio is as important as the visuals, so make sure you take the time to mix your audio tracks properly.
Cartoon sound effects can be used across a vast range of projects, far beyond cartoons. From logo indents to business presentations, SFX assets are a fantastic way to tell an auditory story and a visual one. If you’re looking for more comedic sound effects, check out this list of 28 royalty-free SFX available to download.
