A new coalition advocating for fair licensing of professional sound in media and AI.
Pro Sound Effects has always been committed to professionally recorded, fully licensed sound, and to the artists and recordists who make it.
Today we're proud to share that Pro Sound Effects has joined the Professional Sound Alliance (PSA), a new coalition of sound designers, artists, recordists, mixers and industry-leading sound effects library companies advocating for fair licensing across media and AI.
Why professional sound needs its own voice
Music has the RIAA and its labels. Voice has SAG-AFTRA. Professional sound covers everything else you hear in a film, game, or TV show, and now AI: every explosion, ambience, footstep, and door slam. Until now, it has never had a unified voice of its own.
The Alliance was formed in response to two forms of unauthorized use:
- Data Piracy: the scraping of sound libraries into commercial AI models without permission or compensation
- Sync Piracy: the use of sounds and libraries in film, television, and games without a license
Both bypass the years of field recording, editing, expert human curation, classification, and metadata creation that make professional sound libraries what they are today.
"It's time professional sound received the same respect and protection every other audio field has earned, for the lifetimes of work our industry has collectively built," said Douglas Price, Chair of the Professional Sound Alliance and Founder & CEO of Pro Sound Effects. "Music has its protectors. Voice has its protectors. Now sound will have protection of our own. If you've helped to shape this craft, add your name and stand with us."
"It's time professional sound received the same respect and protection every other audio field has earned." - Douglas Price
Founding Members
The Alliance includes industry pioneers, sound artists, and creators, including Douglas Price (Pro Sound Effects, PSA Chair), Pierre Langer (CEO of Boom Library), Craig Nimens (Vice President of Sound Ideas), Karol Urban (Emmy-nominated Re-Recording Mixer and former Cinema Audio Society President), Mark Mangini (two-time Academy Award® winner and six-time nominee), and Jeremy Siegel (Pro Sound Effects, PSA Coordinator). Together, they represent millions of professional recordings and decades of sonic artistry.
"Sound effects are not a commodity. They are the product of human expertise, human experience, and human artistry. They deserve the same protection as any other creative work," said sound artist Mark Mangini (Mad Max: Fury Road, Dune, Blade Runner 2049).
"Sound effects deserve the same protection as any other creative work." – Mark Mangini
What this means for Pro Sound Effects customers
The goals of the PSA are very much in line with our values at Pro Sound Effects.
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Every sound in your library is 100% professionally recorded and licensed, exactly what the PSA exists to protect.
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Your purchase funds the artists and recordists behind the sounds you use every day, along with future investments in sound.
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As our catalog grows, our commitment to fully licensed, human-made sound stays the same.
Add your name
Sound professionals, artists, toolmakers, software companies, and studios can sign the petition at professionalsoundalliance.org. Supporters can also download the Professional Sound Alliance seal to display on their websites, social profiles, and email signatures.
Sound now has a seat at the table, and we'd love your support.
Add your name and show your support:
