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Best music samples overall
1.
Samples
Samples is a music sampler service that provides selected and organized free sound samples for its members.
The sounds are of different genres such as funk, pop, and retro, to name a few.
Samples are made and curated by artists such as Marc Houle, Pan-Pot, and the Dirty Projectors.
In the right hands, it has the potential to be a total music production suite.
The interface feels simple.
There are loads of free and royalty-free music samples to match any mood.
However, youll need to dig around the site to find them.
It works similar to Audible.
For a monthly or annual subscription, youll get a fixed set of credits to buy your downloads.
you’re able to also purchase packs and tracks individually.
Best free music sample library
2.
MusicRadar
SampleRadar is MusicRadars hub for its regular sound and music sample giveaways.
So, you could get creative when plugging them into your own music.
The only thing you cant do is redistribute the samples in their original form.
Music samples are listed alphabetically, so its not the easiest way to sample the samples.
Thats offset by sheer volume.
Each pack features titles like382 free ambient samplesand438 chunky guitar and drum samplesgiving you some idea of the scale.
Helpfully, the latest additions are placed at the top of the audio repository.
All files are 24-bit for quick and easy importing into any digital audio workstation.
Best music samples for beginners
3.
Hassle-free browsing comes in the form of well-curated categories, collections, and tags.
The music sampler is free - up to a point.
Each week after sign-up, youll earn free credits to be redeemed for downloads.
These can be topped up through a subscription package.
you could also earn additional download credits by uploading your own approved samples.
If you like to edit audio on the go, SampleFocus wont chime.
Currently, you cant download music to iOS and Android phones.
Best music samples for sound effects
4.
But the sites stock-in-trade is really the traditional sound effects.
Weve all heard them before, probably without even realizing it in radio plays and on TV.
The cackle of geese.
The car horn on a Renault 5.
The background chatter in a busy cafe.
Perfect for audio editors creating unique, global soundscapes.
This extensive free SFX library includes 33,000 sound clips from across the globe over the last 100 years.
The downside is categorization.
That may be too much work for artists engaged in fast-paced workflows.
BBC sound effects samples are distributed under the Reminiscence Archive license.
Audio clips can be used for educational or research projects, but absolutely no commercial use.
Best music samples for quality
5.
SampleSwap
SampleSwap wasnt always one of the best online sample libraries.
Its grown since then, into a sprawling free music resource.
But some things never change.
Every slice of sound in the master collection is still hand-curated by founder Canton Becker.
Its a site for people who appreciate artistry in music.
If youre producing music, you might submit your own creations and see if it passes the SampleSwap test.
Most samples are royalty-free or available for commercial use.
And, just for fun, SampleSwap even serves up remix challenges to test your musical mettle.
Best music samples for professionals
6.
Finding the music you need is straightforward - searchable and filterable and every entry in the collection is tagged.
A separate category for acapella has 8,000 vocal samples.
Its a staggeringly large free music resource.
This promotes collaboration among users, rather than simply being one of the best music samples sites online.
Best music samples for self-publishing
7.
Free Music Archive
The Free Music Archive serves up a simple user-friendly music database.
That seamless flow carries throughout the archive.
This isnt some dusty library of free tracks.
Its a modern music space youll have no trouble navigating.
However, embracing professionals also means a raft of different licenses for different tracks.
Yes, music may be free, but not, as the site points out, free to use.
Check carefully before use (its easy to find out whenever you hit download).
Best music sample SFX for beginners
8.
Freesound
Freesound is a treasure trove of sound effects and real-world audio files.
Great for busy artists and those prepping dramatic audio or podcasting sessions.
Youll also find no uniformity in a files format or quality.
That can be frustrating for music production artists, but it does have its perks, particularly for researchers.
No surprise, really, given the sampler sites university origins.
Best music samples aggregator
9.
That also leads to out-of-date or expired site suggestions.
Best music sample SFX for space
10.
NASA Audio Collection
The NASA Audio Collection is an out-of-this-world SFX sample site beamed down straight from space.
Youll find clips from the Moon landings, Voyager 1s first trip, and even NASA press conferences.
Essentially, its NASAs audio library, which makes sense, since its hosted on the Internet Archive.
Downloads are available in a range of formats, from FLAC to MP3.
There are also issues with large file sizes and low-quality, so your mileage may vary.
Is the music copyright-free or royalty-free?
What is the pricing model?
How big is the library?
Is it easy to search, save, or share?
Can you easily navigate the audio library?
Library size is especially important - some of the best music samples sites are more limited than others.
Certain platforms only offer sound effects, or are built for melody-makers.
Also check whether the platforms offering copyright-free music or royalty-free.
It can affect the cost and restrict the usage.
If content is intended for commercial use, double-check you have the right to use it.
Is the download process simple?
We also look at the size of each library (the more the merrier, we feel).
But we also look at the range of samples or where a particular focus may make sense for users.
For paid-for alternatives, we evaluate how much value it offers users, relative to its content.
We’ve listed the best free music-making software.
