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Free laser and zap sound effects

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.

Samples
19 samples
Sources
from 3 sources
Cleared for commercial use
14 cleared for commercial use
Direct downloads
19 with direct download
Updated

Search live for “laser zap”Use it from code or an agent

19 samples

Picked automatically from a live search of 41 sites and refreshed daily. Each sound belongs to its creator: check its licence on the source page before you release it.

Zaps in music

Zaps and lasers are not only for games. Dubstep, drum and bass and dancehall use them as fills and ear candy, and a short zap on the last beat of a phrase is a classic transition. In hip hop and trap, a quick zap can replace a hi-hat roll or announce a beat switch.

Short zaps work like percussion: keep them tight and tune them to the key. Longer laser sweeps behave more like risers and can lead into a drop.

Where they come from

Game sound libraries are rich in zaps, and many of them are public domain. You will also find synth zaps in producer packs and Creative Commons archives. Each card shows whether the sound is cleared for a commercial release.

Questions

How are laser sounds made?
Most start as a synth tone whose pitch falls quickly, sometimes with noise or ring modulation on top. A fast downward pitch envelope on a simple oscillator gets you surprisingly close, which is why so many of them are made on synths rather than recorded.
Can I use these zaps in a game I sell?
Many are CC0 or royalty free, which allows that. CC BY sounds need a credit in the game, and NC ones can't be used in a commercial game. The verdict on each card is the quick answer, and the detail view links to the full licence.

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