This article discusses the best paid and free websites on which you can find diverse and versatile samples, presets, loops, templates, MIDI, and other production contradiction kits.
These are an important part of the workflow of any music producer. These tools can expand the horizon of your sonic scape and take your sounds to a new level. As sampling has evolved with the takeover of digital audio workstations over the last couple of decades, sample aggregators and creators have found their market in the music industry.
Many producers, musicians, mixing engineers, and artists sell their sounds, templates, courses, etc., on the internet and market them via social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, etc. With all these choices, we understand that finding the right sources to get your sounds is not simple. Don’t worry; we have got that covered in this post, in which we have compiled a comprehensive list of sample aggregators and sellers for all purposes.
12 Best Websites To Find Samples, Presets, Loops, Templates & MIDI Files 2023
1. LANDR Samples
LANDR, best known for its AI Mastering services, has a huge library of samples and loops.
With subscriptions starting from $5.99/month, Landr offers royalty-free samples that include one-shot sounds and loops, ranging from drum sounds, vocals, guitars, synths, keys, SFX, and more, across a variety of genres like hip hop, R&B, bass, downtempo, funk, and more. In addition, you can browse through the samples and filter them based on Instruments, Genre, Type, BPM, Key, and more.
“Creator” is a special feature of the company that allows you to make beats on the go without needing a DAW or knowing music theory. It’s an eight-track smart arrangement system that assembles loops based on keys and BPM. You can remove or add loops and set the tempo and pitch, and after that, whenever you add a loop to it, it adjusts that loop to the project tempo and key automatically. Similarly, you can change the BPM and scale in real-time too.
Landr updates its libraries almost daily and introduces fresh and inspiring sounds to its customers. You can preview the sample pack before opening it to understand the vibe, feel, and other characteristics of the sample pack.
In addition, for a more optimized workflow, it has a dedicated plugin for its samples which you can use in your DAW to browse through the samples in your sessions in real-time, giving you the flexibility to use the samples as and when you require. The plugin is available for both mac and Windows and requires macOS version 10.13 (or higher) or Windows 10.
Landr has a credit-based system wherein you can have up to 75 credits for $5.9/mo, 200 for $9.9/mo, and 1000 for $49.9/year. In addition, there’s an alternate option, called Landr Studio, which is available at $12.50/mo, and allows you to use 20 samples credits/mo, plugin bundles from IK Multimedia, Arturia, UJAM, etc., up to 36 WAV masters/year, unlimited mp3 masters, its online collaboration tools, its FX tools, Vocalign, and more.
The website has many tools that cater to producers’ and artists’ needs. For example, its collaboration tools allow you to network, buy/sell services like mixing, vocal coaching, etc., collaborate, and showcase your skills/talents. These perks make it an all-in-one singular marketplace for musicians and producers, which is a huge reason to subscribe to Landr.
Talking about the samples, they are of high quality and come in good resolution, and with the huge library, you will most likely get what you’re looking for unless you’re looking for some off-beat genres or styles.
2. Loopmasters
Loopmasters has an immense library of genre-based samples, synth presets, and bundles.
On top of that, it also has courses about music production, sound design, genre-based arrangements, vocal production, beat making, and more. In addition, its website is dominated by artist- and genre-based sample packs. Sample creators can register as labels on the website and release their sounds; there are more than 100 labels on the website.
Everything from loops, samples, synthesizer presets, sampler patches, MIDI packs, courses, and DAW presets are available in formats compatible with Apple, Abelton, Native Instruments, Reason, and in other general formats like Acid, MPC, Multitrack, SFZ, Stylus RMX, Wav, and iOS.
It’s less likely that a genre exists and is not found on Loopmasters. Anyhow, it’s especially great for EDM subgenres like Bass House, Future Bass, Grime, Moombah, and various genres of House like Acid House, Classic House, Deep House, etc., but there are sample packs for acoustic genres like Blues, Country, Jazz, Western Classical, etc., are also available. You can also find a good collection of cinematic samples for film scoring, game sound design & special effects on its website.
3. Producer Loops
You can find them on Producer Loops, whether construction kits include one-shot samples & instrument loops, song-starters, DAW templates, DJ Mixtools, or sound bundles.
It has labels like Anthology, Krypitic Samples, King Loops, Pure EDM, Transmission, and more, producing sounds for you to choose from. It has an attractive and eye-pleasing website, on which it also lists the Top 10 Sample packs and updates that list every month. You can find some bundles exclusively on Producer Loops and no other website/sample compiler.
The best part about them is that they also have a good collection of global/international sounds, including sounds from different genres of Indian, African, Latin American, and other global music. That allows you to add more regional and exotic sounds to your sonic scape. Very few sample compilers have such an expansive range of sounds.
4. W. A. Production
W.A. Production is known for its sound bundles, templates, video courses, and plugins.
It’s also famous for CloudBounce, the A.I. mastering app, which lets you master music in just a few clicks of a button. They create and compile fresh and inspiring samples, of different genres, styles, types, and compatibilities, from renowned creators/compilers like Black Octopus Sounds, GHST PRJKT, 2DEEP, High Life Samples, and more. It also has a good collection of free samples.
Otherwise, its bundles are pocket-friendly and range between $5 and $99, and W.A. Production stays up to date with the ongoing trends in the music industry and releases the packs accordingly. It is a good all-purpose site to find presets, sample packs, educational material, and plugins.
5. Splice
Splice is one of the most popular and innovative compilers of samples, presets, loops, MIDI, and more.
It’s a cloud-based music creation and collaboration platform which is subscription-based and allows you to audition samples in real-time in its endless sonic library. It also allows you to integrate your DAW into this workflow, so you can browse through, select, and download samples in your sessions/projects. Splice has exclusive libraries from producers like KSHMR, Boy 1DA, Oliver, Wondagurl, Virtual Riot, Decap, and many more renowned names. In addition, sample companies like Black Octopus, Capsun Pro Audio, Sample Magic, Prime Loops, and Origin Sound have their sounds integrated into Splice.
There are three plans to it: Sounds+ priced at $9.99/mo, Creator priced at $13.99/mo, and Creator+ priced at $29.99/mo. Sounds+ allows, at the time of writing this article, 100 credits per month, whereas Creator allows 200 credits in addition to its Beatmaker plugins bundle, its Astra synth plugin, and video content/courses. The Creator+ pack gives all the perks of the Creator plan but with 500 credits.
Its plugin integration includes Studio One 5 DAW, Serum by Xfer Records, Astra synth, RC-20 Retro Color, Pigments 3, Vocal Synth 2, and many more high utility plugins and virtual synths. In addition, the “Skills” page has extensive tutorials and courses for almost every DAW on various topics like beat-making, sound designing, mixing, vocal processing, etc.
What sticks out is the Community page on which artists post their projects, sessions, etc., for review or a free giveaway, which you can download and use. Various contests for music producers beat makers, and artists are great for growing your skills. Further, the Studio page allows you to collaborate on projects in real time.
To summarise, the services are quite tempting, and the catalog of sounds is endless. You can find various sounds of drums, keys, synths, guitars, strings, cinematic sounds, impacts, etc., for any of your music production or sound design needs. It’s an expansive platform, has almost every genre of music covered, and is also quite affordable.
6. Cymatics
Cymatics is one of the most popular sample library compilers on the internet.
You must have encountered the Instagram-based beat-making competitions by Cymatics that used to happen regularly. Drew and Steven, co-founders of Cymatics, are quite generous and generated a lot of buzz around their free sample packs. The company is especially loved by hip-hop for its trap, lofi, modern pop, R&B, and other collections.
Cymatics doesn’t compile from other companies and sells its sample packs, sound bundles, MIDI packs, synth presets, song-starters, loops, plugins, and much more. It records some high-quality sounds and is perfect for the modern bedroom producer who needs versatile libraries at their disposal.
For example, Cymatics Dragon is one of the most useful sample packs I have ever come across, as it included one-shot samples from different instruments like Tanpura, harmonium, Sitar, Flute, Glockenspiel, Cello, etc., as it’s not usual to find one-shot samples of these exotic instruments. It also has an 8o8 expansion bundle, electric guitar one-shots, loops, and many loops and loop-stems of different styles, genres, tempos, and keys.
It also creates presets for many synths like Serum, Massive, and more. As a beginner or professional music producer, you can find lots of free sounds and preset packs that are royalty-free and easily accessible.
7. Big Fish Audio
Big Fish Audio has been a dedicated sample library creator since 1986, with a collection of versatile and high-grade libraries.
BFA is the OG for recording high-quality samples from various genres like drums, bass, guitar, orchestral, horns, strings, etc. It’s also the most reliable place to find genre-based sounds in formats like Wave, MIDI, EXS24, FL Studio, Battery, Massive, NKS, REX, RMX, Apple Loops, and more.
It’s also perfect for film sound designers and composers to find sound effects and loops, but it’s not limited to that; you can also find preset bundles for different virtual synthesizers and Kontakt libraries. In addition, Big Fish Audio has its own Digital Signal Processing & Effects plugins. It’s also a marketplace for buying plugins from third parties. Lastly, the pricing model for BFA is not subscription-based. Instead, you must buy each sample pack separately.
The search bar on its website allows you to search for sounds, plugins, bundles, etc., using filters like instrument type (guitar, piano, organ, etc.), style, category, brand, format, and additional filters. From personal experience, I can tell you that this universe is huge, and you can find almost anything in here, from epic choir sounds to chilling strings loops to chill guitar sounds to lofi synths, from programmable acoustic drums or drum libraries to exotic percussions to electronic drum samples of different genres.
8. House Of Loop
House of Loop is a London-based sample library and bundles collector and compiler.
Featuring artists like 9OP, Aaryon, Adapter, Asrtslave, and many more, it has some great underground sounds, especially for electronic genres like deep house, grime, jazz hop, lofi, etc. It also has cinematic, ambient, and electronic sounds and covers some other genres. To offer affordable purchases, they also have mini-sample packs, which cost just 3 Euros.
9. Zenhiser
Zenhiser specializes in creating samples, MIDI, loops, stems, etc., for various electronic music genres.
Whether it is psytrance, 80s, 90s, breakbeat, dubstep, house, trap, or any other electronic music genre, you can find its sounds and construction kits on its website. Furthermore, it allows you to browse through the samples by selecting their genre and categories, via which you can find new and exciting sounds to bring your music productions to a whole new level.
10. ADSR Sounds
ADSR Sounds let you browse sounds by genre and format.
For example, if you use the Avenger soft-synth and want sounds to produce the genre Future Pop, you can select both of these options under its browser window. So, whether it is Jazz, hip hop, Disco, or any style of music, you can find some good bundles here. In addition, ADSR also sells courses, tutorials, and plugins and has some great educational material on production, sound design, and mixing-mastering.
11. Loopcloud
Loopcloud is a sample library and an AI-based sample management tool that makes your workflow easier.
It has a huge collection of versatile and diverse sounds from genres like Lo-fi, hip-hop, R&B, D&B, and more. On top of that, it has an AI engine that searches for samples, not just in its cloud but also in your library, identifies them, tags them, sorts them, and shows them to you in search results whenever you look for them, that makes finding samples fairly easy.
Further, you can search for samples based on their key and bpm, tone (bass, low mid, high mid, high), length, stereo width, swing, and rhythmic density. This advanced search option cannot be found on any other sample management software and is accurate and precise. Loopcloud can be integrated into the DAW and is also available as a plugin.
Its subscription starts from $7.99/month, and with the subscription, you also get cloud storage, other than its usual sample library and the sample management software. Overall, it is a highly customizable and accurate automatic tagging tool. The multi-track sample editor is extensive, with easy and comprehensive filtering and search options. However, the interface is not as intuitive and may have a learning curve, and the price per sample is higher than other libraries/services mentioned in the post.
12. Session Loops
Session Loops brings deeper customizations to loop and sample selection.
So you can find and filter samples based on BPM and key (minor or major), but there’s a twist. It further allows you to customize your loop by letting you select its size or number of bars, key, tempo, and even the chord progression of the loop. So, for example, if you select a guitar loop that you like in terms of rhythm and tone, but wish it had a different chord progression, now with Session Loops, you can also change its chord progression as per your song or need.
Hence, you can change the root notes/chord progressions, key, tempo, and more of your guitars, synths, bass, and melodic loops. On top of that, you can also select different riffs and licks, and grooves. That level of customization is hard to find in any other platform and can make your workflow smooth.
The subscription for Session Loops is available from $5.99/mo, and it has a decent library of sounds. It has good technology, but the library of sounds is not big enough, and it cannot be integrated into your DAW. I wish the company does more on both ends and makes these updates soon.
Best Websites To Find FREE Samples 2023
1. Looperman
Looperman is one of the biggest and most popular free resources for finding audio loops and samples.
When you open the loops page on its website, you will find that you can filter the loops through the category (types of sounds), BPM/Tempo, key, date, genre, and also search it by typing out a keyword. Its search engine will bring you results from which you can download the loop. However, you can only access these loops after logging into their website and can even upload them, as it’s an open-source website. It has a huge library of sounds across different genres, styles, and sonic characteristics. You can also find free plugins on the website.
2. Sample Focus
Sample Focus allows you to search for samples by typing out the name of the instruments or the key or any other characteristic.
As a user, you can also upload samples and packs to the website, and on its categories page, you can find a filter by which you can select your choice of instrument(s), and it will show the number of samples and all samples available in that category.
For example, you can select the category as keys and then the instrument as Organ, showing all category samples. Its library is huge, and its category filtering system is extensive for a free sample library aggregator. So you can find some good sounds here if you know what you’re looking for.
3. Free Sample Packs
On Free Sample Packs, you can find royalty-free samples of different genres and styles.
You can find anything from loops, MIDI packs, Sound Effects, etc., of different types like orchestral, hip-hop, dubstep, D&B, and more. You can also search for a sample on its website, using keywords related to its BPM, instrument name, or other characteristics. Free Sample Pack is one of the most comprehensive free sample libraries aggregators.
Bonuses:
1. Afroplug
Afroplug is a dedicated platform for African sounds from genres like reggaeton, dancehall, amapiano, and more.
The website claims that it is created by music producers & DJs from West India and Africa, and it also has AI mastering services, E-Books, a BPM finder, and more plugins on its website. In addition, the samples, stem files, loops, and one-shot sounds available on the website are authentic, high-quality, and royalty-free. It’s an expansive all-in-one marketplace for afro sounds.
2. Ghost Syndicate Audio
Ghost Syndicate is one of the internet’s best and most popular sample pack producers.
On their website, you can find sample packs, templates, synth presets (for Vital, Serum, Abelton Live, and more), drum kits, and other sound construction kits. In addition, it has its marketplace, where you can find sounds from mostly dark electronic genres like dubstep, drum & bass, UK Drill, and more. They have their signature sound, with a unique and interesting personality reflected in their sounds.
3. SoundPacks
You can find a good collection of analog-based, acoustic, and a lot more sounds on SoundPacks.
A bunch of modular synths-based collections are available on the website. Apart from that, there are also Serum sample packs, pigment sound banks, drum kits from different electronic genres, etc., also available. It has a wide variety of sounds from genres like hip-hop, trap, ambient, house, and dubstep, and the overall collection is diverse and versatile. You can find sounds in formats like WAV, MIDI, Massive preset packs, Serum preset packs, Kontakt libraries, and more.
4. Samplified
Samplified has a decent range of good-quality sound bundles and presets.
Whether it is Techno, House, Dubstep, Future Bass, Lo-fi, Trap, chill, or any other EDM and hip-hop genre or sub-genre, you can most likely find its sounds & construction kits on its website. The preset packs for Serum & Massive are quite expansive, and there’s also a fine collection of royalty-free samples that you can download for free.
5. Samplephonics
Samplephonics sells sample packs, plugin presets, Virtual instruments, and genre/style-based sound bundles.
You can get a range of sounds like Disco, Future bass, analog, hip hop, ambient, pop, R&B, House, World, and more, which includes loops, one-shot samples, preset packs for Massive, Sylenth, Serum, and more, Kontakt libraries, etc. Based on different moods, genres, instruments, and formats, you can look for sounds and find a bunch of free sounds.
Conclusion
There are many marketplaces where you can find samples, templates, loops, MIDI packs, etc., for the style, genre, and sonic characteristics you want. Session loops allow innovative customizations that used to exist only in an ideal world, Splice & Landr offers the most competitive 360 degrees services for producers, whereas there isn’t a bigger or more diverse library than Big Fish Audio.
Deciding on one singular and multipurpose sample aggregator could be a bit overwhelming with all these choices. If that is what you’re looking for, Splice is best the best option you have, especially if you are a bedroom producer. On the other hand, your sonic appetite and needs for yourself or your studio may be more; in that case, keep your eyes and ears open to the libraries that are not subscription-based and require only one-time purchases.
Most producers add their personality to their sounds & sample packs and create high-utility and widely accepted works. For example, KSHMR is one such producer whose samples are used most widely all around the globe.
Similarly, Oliver is another such producer who has contributed a lot to modern funk, 80s synth pop, and the electro-pop genre. In the same way, more niche producers like Decap have created a mark with their unique sonic branding. All of their sample packs are available on Splice.
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Shaurya Bhatia, is an Indian Music Producer, Composer, Rapper & Performer, who goes by the stage name MC SNUB, and is also 1/2 of the Indian pop music duo, called “babyface”. A certified Audio Engineer & Music Producer, and a practicing musician & rapper for more than 6 years, Shaurya has worked on projects of various genres and has also been a teaching faculty at Spin Gurus DJ Academy.