Be careful with sample libraries (so you can get paid!)

New audio fingerprinting technology is making life difficult for production music composers that rely heavily on sample libraries. Should we stop using samples all together, or is there a way to use resources like Splice and Arcade without our music being matched to a thousand other tracks out in circulation?

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[Ellsworth_Musiq]

I don't see any problem with using samples in your song AND getting paid for it.
1. Like you said, these samples are being sold to be used in music production. If you use a sample and the song is great, but someone else makes a song and uses the same sample and that song is great too, but it's different song, where is the problem? The problem is imaginary. Why are there remixes? Why are there cover bands? The answer is simple: "A hit is a hit."
2. Sample libraries and technology are tools that are used to compose and arrange tracks. If you want to perform every single note and instrument of a song, god bless. You are MORE TALENTED than me that's for sure. The route for you in music is live performance, in my humble opinion. Why not compose full movements by hand using feather to ink to papyrus in the meantime? I would surely recognize you as a genius of musical composition.
3. In the end it's all about competition and marketing. I personally feel like this whole issue in a non-issue, a problem that is overblown. If you copy an entire song and try to pawn it off as your own, that is illegal. But using loops or samples that WE PAY FOR that are sold as ROYALTY FREE is part of the business. Any production company that won't use a song because you have a loop in your song that MIGHT be in a song somewhere else is a very high standard, and if your standards are that high, you better be prepared to PAY TOP DOLLAR. But too many composers and producers will bend over backwards and even pay out of their own pocket for singers and performers to deliver tracks to these "HIGH STANDARD" companies, just to get bread-crumbs and wait for the royalty money to hopefully add up in the coming years.

[andreasfranzmann]

Hi Jon,
as much as I like Rick Beato and Christian Henson, when I see a new video of yours I'll always approach it first. Here's why:
The value/video length ratio is just perfect, your video producion is more appealing and mostly because you do a lot of acoustic guitar and acoustic instruments in general just as I do. Also your voice is a joy to listen to. So no need to climb up hills, just be Jon and we'll follow. :-)

[OneShortMoment]

Yep… „never use a melodic or otherwise recognizable sample in a song / cue you want to have published“ is the consensus among pretty much everyone I ever heard talking about this topic. So, this video is definitely sound advice.
Hiowever, I‘m not fully convinced that in the fictional situation you mentioned (two composers/ producers using the same recognizable sample), the result would be „no one is getting paid“. I think it will rather (at least by default) lead to a „first come, first served“ situation. At least that‘s what I already saw happening on YouTube with ContentID (which works very similar to the AI algorithms the PROs are beginning to use as well.)
But in the end, even if my assumption holds true, it doesn’t really matter: No sane composer would (and should) ever gamble on the fact that he or she is the FIRST to get a cue with a recognizable sample into some AI which will later decide if there‘s money to be made or trouble ahead. 😉

[DaskaiserreichNet]

My Roland Phantom has a patch. And when you put your finger on the key it plays Justin Timberlakes "My Love" minus the Vocals.
I am guessing that Justin Timberlake felt particularly creative the day he wrote that song.

[marcelotrevino]

Such an interesting subject when being both a composer/music producer and samples and loops producer for selling yes.

[dafingaz]

Climb up a hill in the next video. As a sample creator, sample seller, and a sample user this video is definitely needed! Thanks for sharing!

[Markrspooner]

Great advice Jon, never thought of using Splice to learn from other composers rather than using using the material in a track.

[DanielHolter]

Thank you THANK YOU for making this video so I can just send this to all my new composers instead of trying to explain this each and every time. 😉😘

[shannonsx]

Thank you for enlightening that shady zone !
I have a good story about a famous french pop artist (Christine and the Queens) : she was flagged by her own public/audience using a synth chords loop from the Logic Pro royalty free library in a song 😅. No money/juridic issues but some her fans spoiled and disappointed for sure.

[mbaldwinlobue]

Thanks for the caution…I’ve been wondering about this even as I try to create a track using the new Heavyocity Vocalise library and it is tempting indeed to use those phrases but you are making me reconsider so I appreciate it!

[doodle]

Somewhat prophetic stacking the Splice logo over Spitfire Audio. LOL

[aarongrubbmusic]

so what I'm hearing is more like: don't use loops or phrases. Is that correct? I know that I should be careful with every snare or kick, too

[youngmensgame]

That’s why you should make midi samples as well to add with piano sample kits you’re making.. that will make a difference too

[blankspace]

Question:

Do you think one day the technology will get so good that it can recognize individual samples inside say a string library? If two separate artists both include in their track a D3 on Cinematic Strings at 127 modwheel for two bars at 120bpm, do you think one day the AI might recognize that? Could we be looking at a scenario one day where sampled virtual instruments become useless in production music? Or will the AI technology need to change to accommodate this?

[PCoyte]

There are already problems with AI where videos/tracks with a filter sweeps are identified as existing tracks. Unscrupulous people and big companies are exploiting this

[FLHofficial]

I never use sampled musical phrases. Never. Even the Apple Loops, included with Logic, I don't use them.
(Maybe I should, I would be as famous as Christine & The Queen and many others!)

[nomore]

To go along with this, I would advise that everybody actually read the licenses for the products they use (and if you are thinking of purchasing something, read the license before purchasing it). I know it's annoying, and it can be difficult, but it is imperative to know what you are allowed to do and not allowed to do. Many libraries, and even many VST instruments, explicitly forbid using them in any loop or sample libraries. I know creating loop/sample libraries wasn't the point of this video; I mention it only to illustrate why you absolutely must read the licenses.

[mattskalicky]

Tricky. I don't produce music for money, but I have considered the same issues with personal music I'm wanting to push out to music streaming services. There are strong melodic motifs in all my music that are always original, but I often use sample libraries to flesh out gaps in the arrangement particularly with instruments I'm not competent in. If you're not Jon Meyer, what else can you do?

[simpson]

why are people so obsessed with getting a different sound? i would be upset if my real instrument didn't sound like it was supposed to sound. i doubt anyone can tell which guitar was used in a piece of music and it wouldn't be a problem if the same instrument was used in two top 10 songs. if someone wants their sample to sound unique they can always do what electric guitarists have done for years, send the signal through a chain of effects. EQ, reverb, overdrive, flanger, whatever.

[ThisisGold]

I like the quality of your videos. What kind of camera do you use?