Where to find your samples
With copyright law out of the way let’s take a look at a few places to find samples.
Free sample packs and websites
There are plenty of websites where you can find free sounds that are in the creative commons.
You also might find samples you like in a free sample pack.
Here’s a few free sample packs you’ll find interesting:
Use a curated, royalty-free sample library
Free and copyright cleared samples are great. Wasting studio time wading through thousands of samples isn’t.
No one wants to spend hours going through 300 kick drums. And let’s face it— free samples aren’t always the best.
Using samples is only fun if you can actually find what you need to make your track.
Luckily there are some great options for getting awesome samples at a very low cost.
Curated sample libraries are the best way to find good samples because they are home to packs of samples that complement one another.
LANDR Samples
LANDR Samples is a great resource with millions of curated samples.
When you find a sample you like, hit the Selector option and LANDR will offer AI curated recommendations for what goes best with that sample.
Selector makes it possible to quickly identify and match samples from LANDR’s extensive sample library.
LANDR also is home to artist-curated sample packs that make it easy to start a song with a sample.
Sample yourself and the world around you
Creating your own samples is just as fun as using the ones from libraries and sample packs.
Grab your field recorder and snag some ambient samples from a nature walk!
Or jam with yourself on your instrument, record the whole session and take the juiciest bits.
Self-sampling is a good way to get around clearance issues since you can modify anyone’s work by creating a personal rendition.
Some of the coolest instrumental hip-hop today comes from self sampled work.
Remember that chord progressions cannot be copyrighted, so inspire yourself with a cool chord progression for your sample!