# Free rain ambience sounds

> Free rain ambience and storm recordings: light rain, downpours, rain on windows and thunder, as long field recordings with a preview and licence verdict.

36 samples from 4 sources (Openverse 11, OpenGameArt 10, Orange Free Sounds 10, SoundBible 5), updated 2026-10-23. Picked from a live search and refreshed daily.

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

## Rain in music

Rain is the most used ambience in lo-fi and chill music, and it works well under intros, outros and spoken word. A steady, mid-intensity rain fills space without stealing attention; a downpour or thunder makes a statement. Field recordings capture the space they were made in, so rain on a tin roof, a car windscreen or leaves each sound distinct.

Keep ambience low and filter the extremes: roll off some low end to avoid rumble and some top end if it competes with hi-hats. Stereo recordings give width that a mono loop can't.

## Sources

Most free rain recordings come from field recordists on Freesound and Wikimedia Commons, many under CC0 or CC BY. Broadcaster archives also have rain, but often under non-commercial terms, which the badge marks in red.

## Samples

| Sample | id | What | Source | Licence | Commercial use | Direct download |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Rain, Moderate, C.wav](https://freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/401275) | `openverse:6b072076-066b-45b6-9695-367a6260c96d` | Ambience, 1:00 | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Rain Inside House](https://soundbible.com/2065-Rain-Inside-House.html) | `soundbible:2065-Rain-Inside-House` | Ambience | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Thunder, rain and wind](https://opengameart.org/content/thunder-rain-and-wind) | `opengameart:thunder-rain-and-wind` | Ambience | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Rain, Moderate, A.wav](https://freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/401277) | `openverse:7cb858c1-1a53-45cf-805d-8099347e260c` | Ambience, 1:00 | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Stormy Rain Falling Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/stormy-rain-falling-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:58693` | Ambience, 1:12 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Rain And Thunder Strikes](https://soundbible.com/901-Rain-And-Thunder-Strikes.html) | `soundbible:901-Rain-And-Thunder-Strikes` | Ambience | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Rain (loopable)](https://opengameart.org/content/rain-loopable) | `opengameart:rain-loopable` | Ambience, Loop | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Rain Hitting Car Windshield While Driving On Highway Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/rain-hitting-car-windshield-while-driving-on-highway-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:58479` | Ambience, 1:32 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [The rain falls against the parasol](https://freesound.org/people/straget/sounds/531947) | `openverse:511f8f14-0209-4946-8a17-bce714284c56` | Ambience, 1:00 | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Heavy Rain Wind](https://soundbible.com/2217-Heavy-Rain-Wind.html) | `soundbible:2217-Heavy-Rain-Wind` | Ambience | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Rain and Thunder Loop](https://opengameart.org/content/rain-and-thunder-loop) | `opengameart:rain-and-thunder-loop` | Ambience, Loop | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Heavy Rain](https://freesound.org/people/lebaston100/sounds/243628) | `openverse:e8ab5983-b6b8-4636-8771-0457cf86a6c2` | Ambience, 2:37 | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Night Rain And Nocturnal Insects Ambient Sound](https://orangefreesounds.com/night-rain-and-nocturnal-insects-ambient-sound/) | `orangefreesounds:58300` | Ambience, 1:10 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Bird In Rain](https://soundbible.com/2006-Bird-In-Rain.html) | `soundbible:2006-Bird-In-Rain` | Ambience | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Thunder, Very Close, Rain, 01](https://opengameart.org/content/thunder-very-close-rain-01) | `opengameart:thunder-very-close-rain-01` | Ambience | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Steady Rain Ambience Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/steady-rain-ambience-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:58357` | Ambience, 24 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Rain Background](https://soundbible.com/2011-Rain-Background.html) | `soundbible:2011-Rain-Background` | Ambience | SoundBible | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Rain in the Gutter Loop](https://opengameart.org/content/rain-gutter-loop) | `opengameart:rain-gutter-loop` | Ambience, Loop | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Rain, Moderate, B.wav](https://freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/401276) | `openverse:ee3879dc-3906-4358-a105-3e65cbf11743` | Ambience, 40 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Free Stormy Rain Sound Effect Loop](https://orangefreesounds.com/free-stormy-rain-sound-effect-loop/) | `orangefreesounds:56757` | Ambience, Loop, 31 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [rbh rain 01.wav](https://freesound.org/people/RHumphries/sounds/2519) | `openverse:65181920-1ada-41ce-8c63-e5fb4cc3f703` | Ambience, 37 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Rain (Ambient, Not Loopable) 2 Versions Available.](https://opengameart.org/content/rain-ambient-not-loopable-2-versions-available) | `opengameart:rain-ambient-not-loopable-2-versions-available` | Ambience, Loop | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Stormy Rain In City Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/stormy-rain-in-city-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:57833` | Ambience, Loop, 1:33 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Rain Sound and Rainforest.mp3](https://freesound.org/people/INNORECORDS/sounds/457447) | `openverse:9df463a7-c243-4e7d-9251-20ca3b8f8cce` | Ambience, 4:00 | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [moderate rain on a tin roof loop](https://opengameart.org/content/moderate-rain-tin-roof-loop) | `opengameart:moderate-rain-tin-roof-loop` | Ambience, Loop | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Summer Rain With Crickets Chirping – Calm Night Ambient Sound](https://orangefreesounds.com/summer-rain-with-crickets-chirping-calm-night-ambient-sound/) | `orangefreesounds:56907` | Ambience, 2:04 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [THUNDER / Rain low frequencies 4-CHANNEL-48kHz.wav](https://freesound.org/people/BlueDelta/sounds/367222) | `openverse:c48df7a7-3761-4c48-9a86-024496893316` | Ambience, 2:02 | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Rain + Long Thunder](https://opengameart.org/content/rain-long-thunder) | `opengameart:rain-long-thunder` | Ambience | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Rain Hitting Plastic Awning Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/rain-hitting-plastic-awning-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:57442` | Ambience, 1:01 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [rbh rain 04.wav](https://freesound.org/people/RHumphries/sounds/2522) | `openverse:dd171931-e90d-49de-8e52-104e6ec16cf1` | Ambience, 1:25 | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [AMB Rain Loop 1](https://opengameart.org/content/amb-rain-loop-1) | `opengameart:amb-rain-loop-1` | Ambience, Loop | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Approaching Storm Wind In Trees – Rain And Hail Ambience Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/approaching-storm-wind-in-trees-rain-and-hail-ambience-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:57220` | Ambience, 31 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [gentle soft rain night.WAV](https://freesound.org/people/mshahen/sounds/242894) | `openverse:fb6ef108-844d-458f-b194-8f368aa21228` | Ambience, 1:35 | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [AMB Rain Loop 2](https://opengameart.org/content/amb-rain-loop-2) | `opengameart:amb-rain-loop-2` | Ambience, Loop | OpenGameArt | OpenGameArt per-item licence | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Rain Falling And Hitting Concrete And Plastic Roof Sound Effect](https://orangefreesounds.com/rain-falling-and-hitting-concrete-and-plastic-roof-sound-effect/) | `orangefreesounds:57121` | Ambience, 1:19 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Rain Birds 4.wav](https://freesound.org/people/Suso_Ramallo/sounds/120742) | `openverse:a50659f6-52f5-410a-b652-8426a6e46a6b` | Ambience, 5:59 | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |

## Questions

**How do I loop a rain recording without a click?**

Pick a section of a few seconds where nothing stands out, crossfade the end into the start over half a second or so, and avoid loops that contain a distinctive drip or thunderclap, because the ear notices those repeating.

**Can I use these in a video or podcast?**

The licence decides. CC0 and CC BY recordings work in videos and podcasts (with a credit for CC BY). NC recordings can't go into a monetised video, and some broadcaster archives are personal use only, shown with a red badge.

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Source: https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-rain-ambience