# Free impact sound effects

> 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.

36 samples from 4 sources (OpenGameArt 10, Openverse 10, Orange Free Sounds 9, SoundBible 7), updated 2026-10-23. Picked from a live search and refreshed daily.

- Same search in the browser: https://sound.shep.bot/search?q=impact&category=fx.impact
- Same search over the API: `curl "https://sound.shep.bot/v1/search?q=impact&category=fx.impact"`
- 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

## Making an entrance

An impact marks a moment: the drop of a dance track, a hard cut in a trailer, a transition in a podcast. The strongest ones combine a sharp transient, a low boom and a long tail. If an impact sounds thin, layer it with a kick from your drum kit and a short reverse cymbal leading into it.

Watch the low end. Big cinematic hits carry a lot of energy below 60 Hz and can clash with your kick and bass. High-pass the impact a little, or duck the bass for a beat when it lands.

## Sources

Impacts come from sound effect libraries such as Freesound, OpenGameArt and royalty-free collections. Some libraries require a credit and some forbid commercial use entirely, and the badge on every card shows which.

## Samples

| Sample | id | What | Source | Licence | Commercial use | Direct download |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Impact](https://freesound.org/people/chriskalos/sounds/172779) | `openverse:210a2965-2408-40d4-a1fc-97caed05f251` | Impact, One-shot, 2.6 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Impact](https://opengameart.org/content/impact) | `opengameart:impact` | Impact | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Dramatic Piano Hit Sound Effect – Unexpected Cinematic Impact](https://orangefreesounds.com/dramatic-piano-hit-sound-effect-unexpected-cinematic-impact/) | `orangefreesounds:58921` | Impact, One-shot, 6.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Shield Bash Impact](https://freesound.org/people/Hybrid_V/sounds/319590) | `openverse:f29163f7-cbc2-45e2-a266-ede2fd6f4ad0` | Impact, One-shot, 1.0 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Wall Impact](https://opengameart.org/content/wall-impact) | `opengameart:wall-impact` | Impact | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Impact-LeatherBelt-001.wav](https://freesound.org/people/DWOBoyle/sounds/144266) | `openverse:117fb482-12a0-4cdc-ae0a-30725a77ce5f` | Impact, One-shot, 0.48 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Cinematic Tension Build-Up And Final Impact Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/cinematic-tension-build-up-and-final-impact-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:58780` | Impact, 20 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Sharp Punch](https://soundbible.com/1418-Sharp-Punch.html) | `soundbible:1418-Sharp-Punch` | Impact | SoundBible | CC Sampling+ 1.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Metal and Wood Impact Sound Effects](https://opengameart.org/content/metal-and-wood-impact-sound-effects) | `opengameart:metal-and-wood-impact-sound-effects` | Impact | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Impact Explosion.wav](https://freesound.org/people/CGEffex/sounds/100773) | `openverse:08259507-3041-4540-a44e-1aaa4d661d7e` | Impact, 24 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Cinematic Tension Riser And Deep Impact Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/cinematic-tension-riser-and-deep-impact-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:58771` | Impact, One-shot, 7.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Strong Punch](https://soundbible.com/1773-Strong-Punch.html) | `soundbible:1773-Strong-Punch` | Impact | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Metal Impact Sounds](https://opengameart.org/content/metal-impact-sounds) | `opengameart:metal-impact-sounds` | Impact | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [BOOM IMPACT 2](https://freesound.org/people/XHALE303/sounds/535592) | `openverse:4c99d7d3-4987-46f3-9637-bfd9b4cc66b9` | Impact, One-shot, 2.0 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Deep Cinematic Timpani Impact Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/deep-cinematic-timpani-impact-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:57568` | Impact, One-shot, 7.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Zombie In Pain](https://soundbible.com/1033-Zombie-In-Pain.html) | `soundbible:1033-Zombie-In-Pain` | Impact | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Cinema Boom impact #3](https://freesound.org/people/beman87/sounds/162848) | `openverse:5db4716d-e17f-4558-8cbd-3f7bb8e78ad6` | Impact, One-shot, 7.7 s | Openverse | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Saw or Wood Impact](https://opengameart.org/content/saw-or-wood-impact) | `opengameart:saw-or-wood-impact` | Impact | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Cinematic Deep Impact With High Piano Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/cinematic-deep-impact-with-high-piano-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:58575` | Impact, One-shot, 7.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Deep Cinematic Impact](https://freesound.org/people/MeijstroAudio/sounds/377303) | `openverse:4eefa3d1-d85b-422a-91dc-3ae12ee26d03` | Impact, One-shot, 2.0 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [10 Impact/Shield Blocks](https://opengameart.org/content/10-impactshield-blocks) | `opengameart:10-impactshield-blocks` | Impact | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Loud Thud Impact Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/loud-thud-impact-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:56873` | Impact, One-shot, 1.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Depth Charge 2](https://soundbible.com/1604-Depth-Charge-2.html) | `soundbible:1604-Depth-Charge-2` | Impact | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Metal Impact](https://freesound.org/people/Rickplayer/sounds/530486) | `openverse:39918cd2-10ee-45a1-affd-eac4b2ec571f` | Impact, One-shot, 1.8 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Bone, Fall, Ledge Climbing, Impact (Yo Frankie!)](https://opengameart.org/content/bone-fall-ledge-climbing-impact-yo-frankie) | `opengameart:bone-fall-ledge-climbing-impact-yo-frankie` | Impact | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Cinematic Horror Impact Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/cinematic-horror-impact-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:56436` | Impact, One-shot, 10 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Metal Clang](https://soundbible.com/1781-Metal-Clang.html) | `soundbible:1781-Metal-Clang` | Impact | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Short impact.](https://opengameart.org/content/short-impact) | `opengameart:short-impact` | Impact | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Gravel Impacts and Falls.wav](https://freesound.org/people/lolamadeus/sounds/179341) | `openverse:3bb6fd08-7432-4cc3-b0e4-48409e8d1844` | Impact, 13 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Large Ocean Wave Crashing Against Shore – Powerful Coastal Impact Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/large-ocean-wave-crashing-against-shore-powerful-coastal-impact-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:57318` | Impact, One-shot, 9.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Batman Punch](https://soundbible.com/1414-Batman-Punch.html) | `soundbible:1414-Batman-Punch` | Impact | SoundBible | CC Sampling+ 1.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [LONG DEEP IMPACT](https://opengameart.org/content/long-deep-impact) | `opengameart:long-deep-impact` | Impact | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [skin impact SFX 44100 1.wav](https://freesound.org/people/apocbot/sounds/235335) | `openverse:819a1136-5bc0-4c97-9057-0b9df17f0309` | Impact, 48 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Cinematic Sci-Fi Braam Impact Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/cinematic-sci-fi-braam-impact-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:56430` | Impact, 14 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Jab](https://soundbible.com/995-Jab.html) | `soundbible:995-Jab` | Impact | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Impact Flash](https://opengameart.org/content/impact-flash) | `opengameart:impact-flash` | Impact | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |

## Questions

**What is a sub drop?**

A deep, falling sine tone that starts low and dives lower, often used on the first beat of a drop in EDM and trap. It adds weight you feel more than hear, so check it on headphones or a subwoofer.

**Can I use these in videos and games as well as music?**

The licence decides, not the medium. CC0 and most royalty-free licences cover videos and games too. NC licences rule out monetised videos. The verdict badge is written for music releases, so read the licence for other uses.

## Related collections

- [Free riser sound effects](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-riser-sound-effects.md): Free riser and uplifter sound effects for build-ups before a drop: white noise sweeps, pitch risers and tension builds, each with a preview and licence verdict.
- [Free laser and zap sound effects](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-laser-zap-sound-effects.md): Free laser, zap and blaster sound effects: retro sci-fi pews, synth zaps and glitchy shots for music, games and video, with a licence verdict on each.
- [Free kick samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-kick-samples.md): Free kick drum samples for any genre, from punchy acoustic kicks to drum machine thumps, each with a preview and a verdict on commercial use.
- [Free downlifter sound effects](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-downlifter-sound-effects.md): Free downlifters and falling sweeps that release tension after a drop or lead out of a section, for EDM, trap and film edits, each with a licence verdict.
- [Free glitch sound effects](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-glitch-sound-effects.md): Free glitch effects: stutters, digital errors, buffer repeats, bit-crushed bursts and data noise for electronic music, UI and video, with licences.
- [Free tape stop sound effects](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-tape-stop-effects.md): Free tape stop and record stop effects: the slowing, falling pitch of a stopping deck, used before drops and at song ends, with a licence verdict.

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