Pond5.com, the fast-growing marketplace for stock video, has significantly expanded its offering by adding stock music and sound effects to it’s collection of downloadable royalty-free stock media. This major addition provides media producers everywhere with instant access to the full array of stock content needed in today’s production workflows.
The audio side of Pond5 launches with more than 15,000 sound effects and over 3,000 production music tracks, which will complement one of the leading stock video collections on the web. Pond5 now features over 240,000 royalty-free stock footage clips, with thousands more added each week. All media can be searched, previewed, purchased and downloaded directly from the site.
“We’re extremely excited about introducing audio on Pond5,” says CEO Tom Bennett. “We think the same factors that have made us the go-to resource for stock video on the web will drive our success in audio. We’ve got the widest selection of high quality royalty-free footage at the best prices, a fast, efficient interface, responsive customer support, and the most artist-friendly model in the industry. That’s been the foundation of our success with video, and we think it will translate well to the world of audio.”
Pond5’s open marketplace model allows anyone with professional quality stock audio or video content to upload it and sell on the site, which currently represents more than 2,000 individuals and companies. Pond5 offers 50% royalties to artists in an industry where 20% to 40% is typical, and, uniquely, Pond5 gives its artists the freedom to set prices themselves. The result, Bennett says, is “an open, efficient marketplace offering the widest range of content at the lowest prices you’ll find anywhere.” Prices start at $2 for sound effects, $5 for music or video.
A number of large audio collections are on board for launch, including Blastwave FX, a leading library of more than 30,000 HD sound effects, whose entire collection will be available for by-the-track purchase on Pond5. “Pond5 is innovating in media distribution just like Blastwave FX is in high definition sound effects libraries”, says Douglas Price, who manages Business Development and Licensing for Blastwave FX. Pond5 has developed a superfast interface that allows audio producers to find, organize, and download exactly the sounds they need, right when they need them.” Stephen Bashaw, CEO of Sonic Imagery Music, which has hundreds of production music tracks on Pond5, agrees: “We think Pond5 has a great look-and-feel, it’s very easy to use, and is a great distribution vehicle for our content.”
As with video, audio on Pond5 will be licensed under a simple royalty-free license, which permits global, all media, in perpetuity use for productions. Users of Pond5 stock footage and audio range from film and television giants like Dreamworks, CBS and the History Channel, to small and independent producers in all areas, including advertising, corporate, web, nonprofit, gaming, digital signage and event video.
Free Sound Effects and Stock Video
To entice audio producers to give the site a try, Pond5 has opened up a “Free Pool” of sound effects, which will feature a rotating selection of 25 free sound effects, ranging from car crashes to insect noises to electronic whooshes and beeps. The free sfx can be downloaded here: Free Sound Effects at Pond5. In addition, a new high quality HD stock video clip can be downloaded for free each week here: Free Stock Video at Pond5.
About Pond5
Pond5.com is the world’s marketplace for royalty-free stock video footage, sound effects and music, providing a platform for audiovisual producers around the world to buy and sell (license) professional quality stock media for use in other productions. Pond5 features a rapidly growing collection of more than 240,000 stock video clips, 25,000 sounds effects and 3,000 production music tracks. All media on Pond5 is instantly downloadable, and licensed under a simple royalty-free license. Prices, which are set by contributors, range from $2 and up for sound effects, and $5 and up for stock video and music. Pond5.com was launched in 2006. The company is based in New York City.
To find out more, go to http://www.pond5.com