Where Can I Get Samples and Loops?
There are 3 main ways you can get new samples and loops into your library:
-Make your own samples and loops
-Purchase high-quality samples from a retailer
-Grab free samples online
Below you’ll discover the main advantages and drawbacks of each method.
Make Your Own Samples and Loops
Cons:
Access – You need the instruments, recording facilities, software and equipment to produce and capture your samples.
Investment – The above things cost money in most cases or favors if you know the right people.
Time – You need the time to program, record, and process all the samples and loops.
Pros:
Exclusivity – You have sounds nobody else has for use in your productions.
Quality – You can program or record samples to sound exactly as you want them.
Potential – Once you know how to create professional-sounding samples and loops you can always sell your own sample packs for extra income.
Rights – You own the copyright for the samples you create.
Purchase High-Quality Samples From an Online Retailer
Cons:
Non-exclusivity – Other producers can purchase and use the exact same samples and loops.
Investment – You have to pay and better quality samples are usually priced higher.
Potential – You cannot usually sell samples you purchase as they are. You get a license to use them only in your productions.
Pros:
Time – You can obtain many high-quality sample packs online within minutes. You also save time because someone else, in some cases someone really good, does the recording work.
Ease – You can grow your library fast without any work.
Quality – You can demo the sounds to make sure the quality is good and pay more to get really high-quality samples.
Rights – You know that you can use the samples in your commercial music productions.
Grab Free Samples Online
Cons:
Quality – You get what you pay for and most of the professional producers and sample providers charge for the samples they create and offer. There are good free samples to be found tough you’ll need to hunt for them.
Investment – A file is a file. Bad-quality sounds can take up just as much hard-disk space as good ones. Hard-disk space costs money. No problem if you have the cash, though something to consider when you doesn’t have the space.
Time – Hunting down and downloading free sounds can be a tedious procedure and results may not always be too impressive.
Non-exclusivity – Other producers can obtain and use the same files, for free.
Rights – You need to make sure that you are allowed to use the samples in commercial productions.
Pros:
Ease – You can get a lot of free sounds fast if you know how to search well and where to look.
Investment – You can’t do much better than free when it comes to price!
Potential – With public domain and some other free samples you may be able to sell the samples or derivatives.