Audio Sound Recording

About AIxBlock

AIxBlock is an enterprise-grade AI data provider for speech and LLMs. We've delivered large-scale projects to Fortune 100 clients over the past six years. We specialize in high-quality data collection, annotation, transcription, and validation that power cutting-edge AI systems. Visit our website (aixblock.io) for more information.

Job type

• Part-time and fully remote
• Flexible working hours

Project overview

We are recruiting contributors to record real-world sounds as audio-only files (no video) to support AI model training: Foley (everyday sounds of people moving and handling things), sound effects (SFX) and ambiences (the background sound of places). This is a separate project from the Sound Video Recording Project. Apply separately if you can do both.

Who can participate

• Countries: anywhere in the world
• Open to both freelancers and agencies, who must have proper devices to record (advanced phones, tablets, specialized recorders)

General requirements

• Record real-world sounds in real-world environments (list of sounds below), with an audio recorder app or a portable audio recorder. One type of sound per recording.
• Format: record directly in WAV (or FLAC, if your device saves FLAC) at 48 kHz / 24-bit; accepted minimum 44.1 kHz / 16-bit. Mono or stereo. Upload each file exactly as it was saved: no converting or re-exporting.
• Length: up to 5 minutes per recording; most Foley and SFX recordings under 60 seconds.
• No speech of any kind (including background voices, TV or radio; in busy places such as streets, markets, cafés and crowds, record only when no talking can be heard), no music as the main sound, and no recordings of films, TV, games or adverts.
• Original recordings only: upload only sounds you recorded yourself. Never download sounds from the internet or take them from any other source (sound libraries, apps, videos, other people's recordings) and upload them. No AI-generated sounds and no editing. Submitting AI-generated, downloaded or copied sounds leads to a permanent ban from all our projects.
• Variety: every recording must be different (material, surface, place, distance, intensity, time of day). Near-duplicates, and one long recording cut into many files, are rejected.
• A quiet environment for Foley and SFX, and a stand to hold the phone or recorder.

Accepted equipment

• Portable audio recorder (recommended): any handheld recorder that saves WAV files, e.g. Zoom H1n, H1essential, H4n Pro, H5, H6; Tascam DR-05X, DR-40X; Sony PCM-A10.
• iPhone or iPad: iOS or iPadOS 16.6 or later, with the free Voice Record Pro app (App Store), set to WAV, 48 kHz, 24-bit.
• Android phone or tablet: the Field Recorder app by Pfitzinger Voice Design (Google Play), set to WAV, 48 kHz, 24-bit (24-bit needs Android 12 or later; on older Android, 16-bit). Field Recorder is a paid app (about US$6): to join this project, buy it, or use an iPhone or iPad with the free Voice Record Pro instead.
• Microphone: built-in mic accepted, but a plugged-in external mic with a foam or fur windscreen is highly recommended. No Bluetooth mics or earbuds.
• Other: headphones to check recordings (recommended).
• Not accepted: the phone's built-in voice recorder app, camera apps, and sound taken from a video: they save compressed audio.

What you will record (audio only)

The full list of categories, with examples, is in the recording guidelines we share after you apply.

Questions: project@aixblock.io

• Ambiences & soundscapes: nature places, city and town places, indoor places (homes, offices, cafés, shops), transportation, crowds and public events, sports and play places, echoing or unusual places.
• Sound effects (SFX): impacts, breaking things, scraping and rubbing, moving objects, machines and tools, vehicles and engines, electronic devices, signals and alarms, fire, water, air, electric buzz, animals, human sounds without words, whooshes, sports, household and everyday sounds; weapons and combat only at licensed ranges or training settings.
• Foley: footsteps (by surface, footwear, motion and character type), body movement, handling objects, doors, furniture, kitchen activity, clothing, bags, keys and equipment.