Using samples in library music

[billmuirton]

Hi all, experienced composer/producer venturing into library music here.

I am going through my session files of a lot of my unpublished music before submitting them anywhere, making sure there is nothing out of order. I have begun making a spreadsheet of samples I have used when writing tracks and double-checking the license agreement of said samples.

Most seem to use the standard ‘royalty free when used in commercial music productions, but no distribution of individual samples or using them to create other sample packs’. I presume, as implied, that using samples under this sort of license is ok in library music?

One sample pack producer stated in their license that library music production is forbidden, but a special license can be arranged. I contacted them and they seemed adamant that samples cannot be used in library music full-stop, even claiming the same applies to other vendors like Loopmasters (I cannot find such a clause in Loopmasters agreement, apart from one very specific series of sample packs)

Does anyone else use samples in their writing? Has anyone ever come across any issues? What sort of samples do you use (one shot, vocal, melodic loop, drum loop)?

I should point out that I never simply rearrange ‘construction kit’ sample packs, but I do occasionally use a vocal phrase or melodic loop in addition to one-shots.

Thanks,

Bill

[Art Munson]

Hi Bill,

I would say most production music composers use loops and samples in at least some tracks. Just be careful to read the license carefully. Generally stay away from Big Fish stuff though I have gotten some special exemptions from them.

Best of luck!

[Art Munson]

Here’s another thread on it. https://musiclibraryreport.com/forums/topic/using-rf-commercial-sample-loops-in-library-productions/

[billmuirton]

Thank you Art, I appreciate that! Sorry for the delay in response, I missed the email so have only just seen this 🙂

[Glenn]

At the moment I’m building a song with beautiful vocal samples from a sample pack. And I am wondering if it is aloud to use them in production music?

All my arrangement is original only those vocals are not. Is that a problem? On the vocal sample website the announce that the samples are 100% Royalty free. Accept that I can’t find anything. Also in the download map is no agreement or something like that in a document.

This I can find on there website: You may use these sounds in your own musical productions royalty free. You many not use these sounds in the creation of other sample packs.

Does the not in the clear also counts just as with other samples to avoid conflicts.

Hope you guys can shed some light on this issue 🙂

Thanks!
Glenn

[cyberk91]

Hey Glenn here’s some of what I’ve experienced in this situation….I used some of Roniit’s vocals…and unless you see this warning…like I see with my sample library ….”PLEASE READ DISCLAIMER: With this sample pack, you may use all of the vocals royalty-free to release commercially. You may not however use the Roniit name or likeness with your releases (example, “featuring Roniit”). Such misuse of these samples will incite takedown requests”……if you have no such disclaimer I would steer clear of a potentially bad situation ….hope that helps…. 🙂

[Glenn]

Hey Cyberk91,

Yes that helps, my samples are from a different singer but same company.

Thanks for your reply! 🙂
Glenn

[Michael Nickolas]

If a products license agreement is not readily available on the company’s website, I always ask the company to email it to me before I purchase. If all looks agreeable, I purchase the product and print a hard copy of the license agreement for my files.

[Glenn]

If a products license agreement is not readily available on the company’s website, I always ask the company to email it to me before I purchase. If all looks agreeable, I purchase the product and print a hard copy of the license agreement for my files.

Also good practise! Thanks!

[BEATSLINGER]

Just a quick little FYI about a conversation I had recently about this very same topic with a “Top 5/Top Tier Library”. Some of the regular longtime composers were turning in cues that had royalty-free samples as the “Main Meat/Main Portion” of the tracks. The same loops were found by different composers in some of their competing libraries. The Guy told me, not ONLY is the company pxxxxd, those people are no longer able to contribute new cues to these libraries.

A lazy, and a slouchy work ethic literally does not pay..

[Glenn]

Just a quick little FYI about a conversation I had recently about this very same topic with a “Top 5/Top Tier Library”. Some of the regular longtime composers were turning in cues that had royalty-free samples as the “Main Meat/Main Portion” of the tracks. The same loops were found by different composers in some of their competing libraries. The Guy told me, not ONLY is the company pxxxxd, those people are no longer able to contribute new cues to these libraries.

A lazy, and a slouchy work ethic literally does not pay..

Thanks for your reply!

Would a vocal sample be considered as main portion from a track? In my vision it is only 1 track/instrument of the track. But how others think about it?

[BEATSLINGER]

No. Vocals can be “Flipped, and it’s ALL in how YOU interpret the key, chords, and melody that go around it!” As well drum loops are fair game because they “usually” don’t contain a dominant melody.

[Art Munson]

No. Vocals can be “Flipped, and it’s ALL in how YOU interpret the key, chords, and melody that go around it!”

I also Melodyne a lot of stuff to change pitch, rhythm and character.

[BEATSLINGER]

I also Melodyne a lot of stuff to change pitch, rhythm and character.

Exactly! Take it, and make it Your OWN!! I use Battery’s Granular Conversion. I can make a sample any key, and any tempo I want.

The real deal is this, We all know when we’re cheating.

Famous quote: You can Shear a Sheep a thousand and one times; but you can only skin it once!”

[Glenn]

Great, thanks guys! 🙂

[Author]

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