Best Sound Effect Apps for iOS [Updated for 2020]

We Reviewed Dozens Of The Best Sound Effect Apps for iOS So You Don’t Have To. Here Are Our Top Picks.

Your iOS device isn’t just for work – you can add tons of fun and recreation with sound effect apps, too! The App Store is loaded with choices to enchant (or annoy) nearly every age group. Check out these sound effect apps for the very young and for all ages. We’ve also included a list of apps that are really tough to categorize and a collection of holiday-themed sound effect apps.

Whether is is common, everyday sounds to teach baby, sound effects to make children laugh, or holiday sounds to dress up your favorite celebration, sounds can be an exciting part of your day. And the iPad is particularly good at making them. These apps may be just what you are looking for. Enjoy!

Just for Youngsters

Laugh & Learn Animal Sounds

iOS App Store

Here’s an app for the very young that will positively delight your baby or toddler. Developers recommend it for children aged six months and older. In its interactive mode, the app will respond to jiggles and pokes, which of course are just the way babies will play.

The app also has a learning mode where four animals are shown and the baby must touch the one that matches the sound. There’s even a celebration mode that plays delightful animal music and sounds that are  sure to make baby dance. Best of all, it’s free!

Sound Animals

iOS App Store

This app is perfect to help the very young learn about common animal sounds. Your toddler or preschooler will love hearing the sounds that match each picture and will quickly learn to mimic them.

This app is free to download. Parents will also love the feature that allows them to switch from drawings of each animal to realistic photographs. The cartoons are nice, but the photos will add an important sense of realism.

The Sound Book

iOS App Store

Sharpen your sound recognition with this great app. It features three categories of sounds: animals, musical instruments, and weapons. The clear recordings are paired with vivid pictures that will help you to identify the sounds you might hear.

The app is particularly well suited for musicians learning to identify the tones and qualities of various instruments, such as is required for many types of musical training. The app is free to try, and you can use the in-app purchase option to get the full version for ninety-nine cents.

Musical Instruments Sounds Flashcards and Matching Pairs Game for Kids and Toddlers

iOS App Store

Here’s a great sound-picture matching game that will help young children match sounds to the instruments that produce them. The app features clear pictures and great sound clips that will help children quickly learn to distinguish among many types of instruments.

Play matching games or try your hand at the quiz feature. The app is free to download and try.  If your child falls in love, you can purchase the full version for $1.99 via in-app purchase.

 

Finger Paint with Sounds

iOS App Store

This unique app opens worlds of self-expression to young children and people with various types of disabilities. It’s designed to teach people how to interact with a touchscreen, and rewards any interaction with a crazy sound effect or music. The bright colors combined with the sounds make it rewarding and fun to use.

The app has multiple modes so you can find the best feedback for each individual. Switch between sounds and music, or turn the sounds off completely and rely on visual feedback alone.

Sound Touch

iOS App Store

This has to be one of the most comprehensive and complete sound programs for toddlers and preschoolers on the App Store. It includes literally hundreds of vivid and engaging photographs of common sounds, categorized under clear, understandable icons for kids to explore. With the tap of a button, kids can see and hear several different, randomized examples of each sound. For example, in the jungle animals category, children can find a lion, then see and  hear several different lion pictures with a variety of noises made by lions. A different combination comes each time.

This app is a bit pricey at $24.99, but it is VERY comprehensive. In addition to being great for littlest users, it would be an outstanding addition to classrooms for special needs students, preschools, and even families with multiple young children.

 

Fun for All

Cat Sounds & Tail Talk

iOS App Store

Are you a cat lover? Know a cat lover? This is the app you’ll want! Cat Sounds & Tail Talk not only offers great info about cat communication and exactly what the different types of meows, hisses, purrs, and tail positions mean, but it also has a slew of sounds you can use to play with your friends and with your cat.

The app includes many different recordings of cat communication, like happy and fearful meows. It also has the sounds of big cats, like lions and leopards. And your cat is sure to love the “Sounds Cats Love” collection that includes sounds of mice, crickets, birds, and more.

 

Animal Chatter Pro

iOS App Store

Animal Chatter Pro offers over 60 sounds of jungle animals. The app makes it easy to add animal sound effects to video projects, parties, and any other project. It’s set up in themed soundboards, or groups of sounds for easy access.

In addition, this app connects users to the Wikipedia articles related to the animals. Everyone can learn while they are having fun. Animals are grouped by type, making it easy to locate mammal sounds, bird sounds, and more.

 

Annoying Sounds: Funny Soundboard, Prank Effects

iOS App Store

Good grief! You may not have any friends left once you start to use this annoying app. It includes over 150 of the most annoying and disgusting sounds around. From wailing babies to sirens and alarms to juicy farts, no one will be safe from your practical jokes.

Perhaps the worst of the bunch is the whine of a mosquito. You could use this one on a campout and drive everyone bonkers. Or try the dentist drill if you want to strike cold dread into someone’s heart. The app is free, with an in-app purchase option of ninety-nine cents to remove ads.

Classic Cartoon Sound Effects and Noises

iOS App Store

If you are of a certain age, you remember back to the days when cartoons were REALLY cartoons, complete with hilarious and loud noises. And if you are too young to actually recall these things, this app will help you understand what you missed.

You’ll be able to bonk, squeak, honk, and clang with the best of them. The app also includes a stealth timer to set sounds to play when you are not around. Save your favorites and they will still be at the top of the list when you re-open the app. It’s a lot of fun for ninety-nine cents.

 

Fun Sound Effects & Noises

iOS App Store

You can amaze your friends and coworkers with this fab collection of over 60 silly sounds. There’s something here for every occasion, from a wide array of obnoxious burps and belches to the angry chipmunk that often shows up in cartoons.

The app also includes celebration noises such as air horn and fireworks, various kinds of guitar noises, and lots of different whistles. Don’t let any young boys in your life find out about the collection of fart sounds, though, or you may never see your phone again! The app is free to download, so all you have to lose is your sanity.

Super Sound Box 100 Effects!

iOS App Store

Here’s a treasure trove of 111 sounds and effects absolutely free. Updates add even more fun by adding an additional dozen or so, and the in-app purchase will give you an additional 225 sounds.

Parents should be aware, however, that this app may not be suitable for kids. It includes some profanity and some crude humor. The app is free and includes an in-app purchase option for the full app for $6.99.

Sound Effects!

iOS App Store

This app puts well over 50 great sounds into the palm of your hand, and it gives you the capability of adding more when you wish via iTunes file sharing. One unique feature that could put this app a cut above for you is its capability to mix several sounds together.

Users can mix and match any desired sounds into groups to make a soundboard. Tap the button to play, and tap again to pause. It makes a great addition to liven up your world! It’s free with an option to remove the ads for ninety-nine cents.

 

Instant Sound Effects Buttons FREE

iOS App Store

This app boasts over 100 effects at the touch of a button. From scary to annoying, developers have put their all into this system. You can change the color and appearance of the buttons, and there’s an auto-repeat feature if you need it. Show and hide buttons with ease, and save your favorites for quick access.

There are expansion packs available for $1.39 each, or you can grab all of the packs for just $3.99. That’s only pennies per sound, so it’s well worth the money.

 

Sound Box Apps with a Twist

Brainwaves–Binaural Beats

iOS App Store

This app isn’t really a sound-effects app in the strictest sense of the word, but you may find it quite useful. This app contains a collection of relaxing sounds and soothing music that will help you meditate, sleep, or relax.

Over 110 different tracks will help users to meditate, relax, focus, or fall asleep. There’s a built-in timer, as well, to help you time your sessions. The app is free to download, and you can use in-app purchase options to obtain a number of specialized tracks for prices ranging from $7.99 to $29.99.

 

Subliminals: Affirmations

iOS App Store

Here is a collection of positive subliminal messages that can absolutely change your life. The app includes a collection of positive thoughts and affirmations that are whispered in your ear. Set them to repeat and listen as long as you wish. Developers believe that if you do this regularly, you can literally change your negative or unproductive thought patterns.

Give it a try for free and see if it helps you as much as advertised. If you find it beneficial, there are two subscription options available as in-app purchases. Choose from a monthly program for $9.99 or annual for $54.99. Both options auto-renew so you can “set it and forget it.” You can also choose from 10 different thematic affirmations for $5.99 each.

Holiday Sound Box Fun

Halloween Sound Effects

iOS App Store

Get 20 free spooky sound effects with the free version of this app. Even more fun, you can randomize the effects with a flick of your wrist. This feature makes it easy to scare your friends and family, and maybe even yourself.

The app includes in-app purchases to add additional sounds to the library for prices ranging from $1.99 to $3.99. You can remove the ads for ninety-nine cents. One unique feature available for ninety-nine cents is the capability to email the sounds to your friends to treat them to a bit of Halloween fun.

Halloween Spooky Sound Box Pro

iOS App Store

96 Halloween sounds will greet users of this app, all for less than a dollar. The price also includes free updates and even more sounds to come. The sounds are preloaded, as well, so there’s no buffering time or data needed to play with them.

You can get your haunted house tricked out with some of these great noises, too. They can be set to play on a loop so you can set it and forget it. The app costs $4.99, but it’s a great investment!

 

 

Christmas Sounds and Music Free-Merry Christmas!

iOS App Store

Merry Christmas! Here are over 30 holiday sound effects to make everyone’s life merrier, and 2-holiday songs, as well. And that’s just the free version! The Pro version boosts that to nearly double those numbers.

You can make a grand entrance with Santa’s “Ho-ho-ho!” or celebrate with the sound of a champagne cork popping. No matter what you choose to use, you’ll be the hit of the holiday party.