Should not be rated 9+
Response from developer
You were right, and thank you for writing this out. The age rating comes from a content questionnaire Apple has developers fill out when submitting to the App Store. My answers were accurate for what shipped at launch, but the library has grown a lot since then and I hadn't gone back to update them. I've now flagged the profanity and the suggestive humor, and Apple raised the rating accordingly. Sorry it caught you off guard with your sibling. Reviews like this are the only way I catch things like this, so I appreciate it.
User Experience Improvements
1) The receiver shouldn’t have to download the app to play the sound - When a friend texts you a gif from a 3rd party app (like Giphy for example), you don’t have to download Giphy to see it. It’s just there, and then a little watermark is at the bottom letting the receiver know where the sender got it from. Humans are inherently lazy. When they see they have to download an app to play the sound, most aren’t going to do it. But by simply allowing the receiver to play it, it creates a moment where they actually experience the joy of the concept and then most likely think “Hey I wanna send stuff like that, that’s funny.” And then they download it!
2) Remove the title of the sound when it’s sent - A big part of humor is shock factor. By the receiver not anticipating what sound effect is about to be played, it creates a subtle and brief build up of tension. The sound effect being played releases that tension via surprise and laughter. Making the sound a mystery allows the sender to practice comedic timing, and therefore makes the app more enjoyable.
Overall) What I picture is simply a play button, with maybe a fancy moving graphic behind it, and a watermark for the app in the bottom corner.
I understand that by making the receiver download the app it increases user base—and sounds simple in theory—but in my experience sending these sounds to over 10 people, I’ve had 1 friend willing to download it. But much like Giphy, if you just allow everybody to experience it and then watermark it, people will be more inclined to join in on the fun.
Response from developer
This is one of the most useful reviews I've gotten, thank you. On playing without the app: I really wish I could make that work! iMessage currently only lets an app send a picture and text in the message bubble. To actually play audio, the extension needs to be installed. GIFs are a little different because they can travel as part of a normal message. If Apple ever opens up audio the same way, I'll be first in line to add it. On hiding the name: I went back and forth on this one too. I ended up keeping it visible because people often play these out loud around other people, and a surprise can be a lot less fun if you're somewhere quiet or not expecting it 😅 The last update did add one-tap replies, though, so when a sound lands, you can fire one straight back. That's the closest I could get to your build-up idea. Thanks for trying Sounds and leaving such a thoughtful review!
Legendary Pull
Response from developer
Thanks for the feedback! You can now tap “Suggest a sound” to request sounds you’d like us to add. The community can vote on suggestions, and our team reviews them and adds new sounds every day. We don’t support custom uploads so every sound can be vetted and meet our quality standards.