saturalabs

Two public-domain recordings

Clock ticking sound effects.
Preview and download.

Compare a small clock and an alarm clock for a video, podcast or audio edit. These are recordings of ticking mechanisms, not alarm ringtones. Downloads on this page do not require an account.

Listen before choosing

Download clock ticking recordings

The WAV previews have been raised in level because the original recordings are quiet. Each WAV is 44.1 kHz, 16-bit PCM; the OGG downloads preserve the Commons source files and their original levels.

Origin and reuse

Where these clock recordings come from

Tick2 is credited to Marble Toast and dedicated under CC0 1.0. Alarm clock ticking is credited to ezwa; Wikimedia Commons states that the author released the recording into the public domain. Read the linked source pages for their full statements.

The WAVs were converted from the Commons OGG files and raised in level for convenient editing; both adjusted peaks measure approximately −3 dBFS. This also raises any noise and does not restore detail lost to compression. The alarm-clock source page describes an earlier MP3. The file notice records gain changes, formats and checksums. The reuse statements apply to these recordings, not unrelated site content.

Place the cue

Use ticking in an edit

  1. Preview both files at a comfortable volume and choose the mechanism that suits the scene. The OGG sources are quieter than the WAV previews.
  2. Import the preferred file into your editor and balance it under dialogue or music. Compare a quiet passage and listen for background sound amplified by the gain adjustment.
  3. For a longer scene, choose a section and inspect the repeated boundary. These files are not promised to loop seamlessly; a short crossfade can help, but check that the ticking rhythm remains natural.
  4. Play the final export and check transitions, speech clarity and level. Keep the source file so the gain and edit can be revised.

Use the free audio trimmer to prepare a shorter selection from a supported file. The Foley guide covers recording your own sound. Files do not transfer automatically between tools.

Need a different sound?

For a synthetic cue rather than a clock mechanism, preview the notification sounds. For another field-recorded cue, compare keyboard and mouse sounds.

If you have permission to use a mixed recording, the sound effect extractor can estimate a described source. It may retain other audio or change the ticks; AI WAV downloads require an account and credits.

Common questions

Can I use these recordings commercially?

Tick2 is dedicated under CC0, and Commons states the alarm-clock recording was released into the public domain by its author. Check the linked source statements and rights to other material in your project.

Why are the OGGs quieter than the WAVs?

The OGGs preserve the original source levels. The WAVs have fixed gain added, which raises the ticking and any background noise together.

Are these seamless loops or alarm sounds?

They are ticking recordings, not alarm ringtones, and seamless loops are not promised. Check any repeated boundary in your editor.