When we stayed in Geylang, Singapore, we were fortunate enough to experience several days of heavy rain. One night, I woke up at 4 am to the sound of intense rain hitting the metal roof above us. I knew I had to take advantage of this unique opportunity to record the city rain and thunder rolling sound effects.

I set up my equipment, a Zoom F4 with a XY microphone, and headed outside to capture the sound of the rain on the street. The architecture of the neighborhood, known as shophouse style, features a five-foot covered walkway sheltered by the first floor. I placed the recorder on a table near the street to capture the full range of sounds.

In addition to the sound of the rain, you’ll also hear a taxi driver parking and turning off their engine, doors opening and closing, and then driving away. The sound of the rain falling on the wet road and the metal roof on the other side of the street is truly mesmerizing. It reminds me of a sound I’d hear in the film Blade Runner!

This sound library includes recordings of city rain and thunder rolling sound effects captured at night time in Singapore. Listen to the soft and strong rain, the sound of a cat eating, and the background noise of air conditioning. We hope you enjoy these sounds as much as we did recording them!