# Free door sound effects

> Free door sounds: creaks, slams, knocks, locks, handles and sliding doors, wooden and metal, for film, games and podcasts, with a licence verdict.

36 samples from 5 sources (Openverse 8, Wikimedia Commons 8, OpenGameArt 7, SoundBible 7, Orange Free Sounds 6), updated 2026-10-23. Picked from a live search and refreshed daily.

- Same search in the browser: https://sound.shep.bot/search?q=door&category=foley
- Same search over the API: `curl "https://sound.shep.bot/v1/search?q=door&category=foley"`
- Details, files and the credit line: `GET https://sound.shep.bot/v1/samples/{id}` with an id from the table below.
- Licence verdicts: "Commercial use OK" (with or without credit) is cleared for a release; anything else must be checked or is non-commercial. See https://sound.shep.bot/docs/licences.md

## More than open and close

A door says a lot about a scene. A creaking wooden door suggests an old house; a pneumatic hiss, a spaceship; a car door, a street. Door effects are some of the most-used foley sounds, and free libraries hold many variants: knocks, handle turns, locks and keys, slams, creaks, sliding and revolving doors.

## Matching the space

Doors carry the sound of the room they are in, so pick a recording whose space fits your scene, or a dry one you can place with your own reverb. Separate the parts of a door sound, handle, swing and latch, and you can retime them to match a picture exactly.

Producers also sample doors for percussion: a slam makes a convincing kick or snare layer, and creaks become eerie drones when stretched. Every card shows whether the recording is cleared for that.

## Samples

| Sample | id | What | Source | Licence | Commercial use | Direct download |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Metal cabinet door jarring](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metal_cabinet_door_jarring.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Metal_cabinet_door_jarring.ogg` | Foley, 13 s | Wikimedia Commons | Public domain | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [011 Door opens and shuts.wav](https://freesound.org/people/FreqMan/sounds/23168) | `openverse:43427866-ed2f-4318-bdcd-ada3662177d5` | Foley, 6.4 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Creaking Door Spooky](https://soundbible.com/1717-Creaking-Door-Spooky.html) | `soundbible:1717-Creaking-Door-Spooky` | Foley | SoundBible | Public domain | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Door Open, Door Close Set](https://opengameart.org/content/door-open-door-close-set) | `opengameart:door-open-door-close-set` | Foley | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Squeaky door](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Squeaky_door.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Squeaky_door.ogg` | Foley, 8.5 s | Wikimedia Commons | Public domain | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Door Squeak, Normal, E.wav](https://freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/346211) | `openverse:e792994f-4bbb-4aa0-9b34-c3f21ab608d1` | Foley, 2.7 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Automatic Door Closing With Warning Beeps Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/automatic-door-closing-with-warning-beeps-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:58566` | Foley, One-shot, 2.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Sqeaking Door](https://soundbible.com/1870-Sqeaking-Door.html) | `soundbible:1870-Sqeaking-Door` | Foley | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Door open, door close](https://opengameart.org/content/door-open-door-close) | `opengameart:door-open-door-close` | Foley | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Springlocked cellar door](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Springlocked_cellar_door.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Springlocked_cellar_door.ogg` | Foley, 18 s | Wikimedia Commons | Public domain | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Door, Wooden, Close, A (H1).wav](https://freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/411791) | `openverse:deed86e3-446b-410a-9fcd-85e90ac4bd09` | Foley, One-shot, 1.3 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Automatic Door Opening Mechanism Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/automatic-door-opening-mechanism-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:58433` | Foley, One-shot, 2.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Sqeaking Door 2](https://soundbible.com/1871-Sqeaking-Door-2.html) | `soundbible:1871-Sqeaking-Door-2` | Foley | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Platformer Sounds: Terminal, Interaction, Door, Shots, Bang and Footsteps](https://opengameart.org/content/platformer-sounds-terminal-interaction-door-shots-bang-and-footsteps) | `opengameart:platformer-sounds-terminal-interaction-door-shots-bang-and-footsteps` | Foley | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Door knocking (Angry).wav](https://freesound.org/people/Macif/sounds/194365) | `openverse:846d6a69-b4ec-4943-a220-2c114520da6f` | Foley, One-shot, 2.1 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Door knocker audio](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Door_knocker_audio.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Door_knocker_audio.ogg` | Foley, One-shot, 1.5 s | Wikimedia Commons | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Knocking On Door](https://soundbible.com/1196-Knocking-On-Door.html) | `soundbible:1196-Knocking-On-Door` | Foley | SoundBible | CC Sampling+ 1.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Subway Train Door Closing Warning Beep Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/subway-train-door-closing-warning-beep-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:57402` | Foley, 4.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Items, door, fire, weapon hits](https://opengameart.org/content/items-door-fire-weapon-hits) | `opengameart:items-door-fire-weapon-hits` | Foley | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Squeaky door hinge](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Squeaky_door_hinge.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Squeaky_door_hinge.ogg` | Foley, 7.6 s | Wikimedia Commons | Public domain | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Car door close, engine start](https://freesound.org/people/Frederik_Sunne/sounds/324138) | `openverse:ba24597e-d505-4062-aa4b-64765c87f756` | Foley, 9.6 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Door Close](https://soundbible.com/900-Door-Close.html) | `soundbible:900-Door-Close` | Foley | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Door Creak Open Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/door-creak-open-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:57286` | Foley, 4.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [closing door](https://opengameart.org/content/closing-door) | `opengameart:closing-door` | Foley | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Garage door closing](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Garage_door_closing.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Garage_door_closing.ogg` | Foley, 9.4 s | Wikimedia Commons | Public domain | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [door - open 01.wav](https://freesound.org/people/Anthousai/sounds/398750) | `openverse:e7a0eda3-5392-4701-90b2-2c88e1f763ff` | Foley, One-shot, 1.2 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Elevator Door Opening With Ding Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/elevator-door-opening-with-ding-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:57229` | Foley, 5.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Close Vault Or Jail Door](https://soundbible.com/264-Close-Vault-Or-Jail-Door.html) | `soundbible:264-Close-Vault-Or-Jail-Door` | Foley | SoundBible | Personal Use Only | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Garage door opening](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Garage_door_opening.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Garage_door_opening.ogg` | Foley, 8.4 s | Wikimedia Commons | Public domain | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Door closing, door closed](https://freesound.org/people/steinhyrningur/sounds/466864) | `openverse:aec0904a-4703-4303-88bb-879ec6031fa5` | Foley, 4.4 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Door Lock Sounds](https://opengameart.org/content/door-lock-sounds) | `opengameart:door-lock-sounds` | Foley | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Heavy Door Knock Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/heavy-door-knock-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:56863` | Foley, 3.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Cellar Door Slam Shut](https://soundbible.com/297-Cellar-Door-Slam-Shut.html) | `soundbible:297-Cellar-Door-Slam-Shut` | Foley | SoundBible | Personal Use Only | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Door handle creaking](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Door_handle_creaking.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Door_handle_creaking.ogg` | Foley, 5.1 s | Wikimedia Commons | Public domain | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Creaky light wooden door](https://opengameart.org/content/creaky-light-wooden-door) | `opengameart:creaky-light-wooden-door` | Foley | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [01019 car door 3.wav](https://freesound.org/people/Robinhood76/sounds/71695) | `openverse:7b0a3d83-3b9e-4232-8df4-c39e25e9db0b` | Foley, 3.4 s | Openverse | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |

## Questions

**How do I make a door slam sound heavier?**

Layer the slam with a low impact or a kick drum pitched down, and add a short room reverb. Cutting the high frequencies slightly makes it sound like a thicker, heavier door.

**Why do door recordings sound different from what I expect?**

Doors recorded close up pick up mechanical details, like latches and hinges, that we don't notice in life. Sound designers often combine a close recording with a distant one to get both detail and space.

## Related collections

- [Free footstep sound effects](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-footstep-sounds.md): Free footstep sounds on wood, gravel, snow, concrete and grass, walking and running, for film, games and textured beats, each with a commercial-use verdict.
- [Free glass sound effects](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-glass-sound-effects.md): Free glass sounds: breaking windows, shattering bottles, clinks, chimes and glass hits for film, games and percussion layers, with a licence verdict.
- [Free room tone recordings](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-room-tone.md): Free room tone and quiet interior ambience: empty rooms, offices, halls and hums to fill silence in film, podcasts and music, with a licence verdict.
- [Free impact sound effects](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-impact-sound-effects.md): Free impact and hit sound effects: cinematic booms, sub drops, braams and slams for drops, trailers and transitions, each with a preview and licence verdict.
- [Free city ambience](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-city-ambience.md): Free city ambience: street traffic, crowds, cafés, train stations, sirens and night-time cityscapes for film, games, podcasts and music, with licences.
- [Free forest ambience](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-forest-ambience.md): Free forest ambience: birdsong at dawn, wind in trees, insects at night and rainforest soundscapes for music, film, games and relaxation, with licences.

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Source: https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-door-sound-effects