I was recently contacted about some sample web sites and decided to put a little review of the best ones here.

SoundSnap.com has a nice collection of sounds categorized by large icons.
Pros:

1. Built-in audio player with a picture of the waveform makes browsing through sounds quick and easy.
2. No signup required
3. User-contributed sounds
4. Tag cloud with popular categories of sounds
5. All samples free for use under license similar to Creative Commons
6. MP3 and WAV formats

Cons:

1. None that I can point out so far

The Freesound Project has been a personal favorite of mine for a while now. It’s got loads of sounds, from high quality field recordings to synthesized ambient soundscapes, they cover the spectrum of sounds, and best of all, they’re all Creative Commons licensed.

Pros:

1. Built-in audio player with a picture of the waveform makes browsing through sounds quick and easy.
2. Geotagging capability
3. User-contributed sounds
4. Remix tree shows sounds that have been remixed by other users
5. All samples free for use under Creative Commons
6. Sample Packs offered for quick acquisition of multiple sounds

Cons:

1. Free signup required
2. Design is a little dated

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