Looking for decent sound packs ? You're probably overwhelmed by the sheer amount of availability. And it's difficult to separate the good from the less good.
You may also be weighing up the options of buying vs finding free sounds or maybe you've scavenged all the free sounds you can get your hands on and are now looking to purchase your first big sound or sample pack and want some extra information to help you make the right sound pack decisions.
There are several reasons why buying sounds for music production can be beneficial:
1. Quality and Professionalism:
Purchasing high-quality sounds ensures that your music production maintains a professional and polished sound. Professional sound libraries are often recorded, mixed, and processed using high-end equipment and techniques, resulting in superior audio quality compared to free or low-quality samples.
2. Time-Saving:
Buying sounds allows you to save time by accessing a vast library of pre-made loops, samples, and presets. Instead of spending hours creating or searching for specific sounds, you can quickly find the right elements to enhance your music production.
3. Variety and Inspiration:
Sound libraries provide a wide range of sounds across different genres, styles, and instruments. This variety can inspire creativity and help you explore new sonic possibilities that you may not have considered before. Having access to diverse sounds can also expand your musical repertoire and allow you to experiment with different genres and styles.
4. Copyright Compliance:
Purchasing sounds ensures that you have the necessary rights and licenses to use the samples in your music without infringing on copyright laws. It gives you the peace of mind that you are using legal and authorized sounds in your productions.
5. Professional Sound Design:
Sound libraries often include professionally designed presets, sound effects, and textures that can enhance your sound design capabilities. These pre-made sounds can serve as a starting point or a source of inspiration for creating unique and original sounds of your own.
6. Efficiency and Workflow:
Investing in high-quality sound libraries can streamline your music production workflow. With well-organized and categorized libraries, you can quickly search for specific sounds, saving time and allowing you to focus on the creative aspects of your music.
With this in mind there are several online platforms where you can buy loops and samples for your music production needs.
Here are some popular options:
SOUND7:
https://sound7.co.uk // https://sound7.com
SOUND7 Provides high quality sounds for almost all popular VST plugins as well as stocking a range of sounds for less well-known synth gems.
As an industry leading provider of Synth presets they also offer royalty free sample packs and all their content spans genres from Cinematic, Dub Techno, Trance, Chillwave, Hip-Hop and more. Much of the content is exclusive and only available at their web-store as they do not re-sell or re-license their in-house products through any third parties.
They also have a range of Free sounds available with flexible licensing and more exclusive free content behind their free newsletter subscription.
Loopmasters:
Loopmasters is a renowned online platform that specializes in providing high-quality sample packs, loops, and sound libraries for music producers, DJs, and musicians. It has established itself as a reputable source for a wide range of genres and styles, catering to various music production needs.They work with renowned sound designers and labels to provide a diverse range of sounds. First established in 2004.
Splice Sounds:
Splice Sounds offers a subscription-based model where you can access a massive library of samples, loops, and presets. They collaborate with artists and labels to continually update their collection with fresh content.
Splice's sample library is extensive, featuring thousands of professionally recorded and curated samples across multiple genres. It includes drum samples, vocal samples, instrument loops, one-shots, and more. The library is continually updated with new releases and collaborations with well-known artists and sound designers.
Read our guide on Is Splice Worth It?
Sample Magic:
Sample Magic provides a wide range of professionally crafted samples, loops, and presets across multiple genres. They offer individual packs as well as bundle options to suit different needs and whilst previously offered downloadable packs from their own web-store and other retailers they are now only only available on splice. Which means anyone who purchased any of their packs direct before this may now not be able to reclaim their original downloads putting them out of luck (and pocket!)
Native Instruments:
https://www.native-instruments.com/
Native Instruments is a leading manufacturer of software and hardware for music production and they have their own online store offering an extensive selection of samples, loops, and sound libraries specifically tailored for their software instruments. From the infamous Kontakt player which powers MANY sound libraries patirculary for Cinematic and Scoring they also provide more traditional sound and sample packs.
Producer Loops:
https://www.producerloops.com/
Producer Loops is an online platform that specializes in providing a wide range of sample packs, loops, MIDI files, and presets for music producers. The website offers a vast collection of professionally produced content across various genres, including electronic music, hip-hop, pop, trance, techno, and more.
Prime Loops:
Prime Loops is an online platform that offers a wide range of sample packs, loops, and sound libraries for music production. With a focus on electronic music genres, Prime Loops provides high-quality and professionally produced content to help producers enhance their tracks. Offering a diverse collection of sample packs and loop libraries across various electronic music genres such as EDM, hip-hop, trap, dubstep, house, and more.
Remember to always check the licensing terms and conditions of the samples and loops you purchase to ensure they can be used in your projects without any legal issues. All our sounds come with a royalty free license with no additional licensing issues regardless of release exposure.
Additionally, exploring free sample packs and resources available on websites, forums, and communities can also be a good way to find quality sounds for your productions. You can check out our guide on the best places to download free samples here: