The art of sampling in music production

Sampling in music is about transformation. Artists and producers can take an isolated vocal snippet and morph it so it becomes something completely different like a bass line. They can shape drum hits into melodic hooks or create brand-new instruments from unexpected sounds like a creaking door or a dripping tap.

Read on to find out more about sampling, the legal and creative considerations you need to take into account when using samples, and sampling’s role today in the music industry.

The foundations of sampling

Sampling in music is when you use audio fragments that can range from a single note to an entire melody and reshape them into something unique to fit your tracks. 

There are three main steps in sampling:

• Recording: Grabbing a sound or musical piece you want to sample that catches your ear

• Manipulating: Changing the pitch, stretching the timing, adjusting the EQ, layering the sample with other sounds, or adding effects like reverb and delay

• Blending: Adjusting the volume, using panning and incorporating other effects so the new sound blends well into your song or composition

Sampling is a fundamental and much-used part of modern music production because it gives artists and producers endless ways to add character and depth to their tracks.

Creative and legal landscapes

Sampling walks a fine line between artistic innovation and copyright regulations, making it both a creative playground and a potential legal minefiled. 

The legalities of sample music

Sampling music is legal if you have ‘clearance’ or permission from the copyright holder. 

In 1989, De La Soul was sued by the Turtles for using a sample without permission but settled out of court. Gilbert O’Sullivan’s action against rapper Biz Markie in 1991 set a precedent in cases involving unlicensed sampling of music. 

O’Sullivan won and, instead of settling for royalties, he demanded the record label recall the album so they could remove the song from the subsequent release completely. This set a strong precedent in cases involving unlicensed sampling music.

One of the legal issues surrounding music sampling is manipulating someone else’s content in such a way as to make it unrecognisable.

The European Court of Justice presided over a case involving two producers accused of sampling a drum sequence from a Kraftwerk album. The court ruled that no permission was needed if a sample was unrecognisable from the original.

To protect their copyright, artists and labels now use algorithms to detect music containing samples when content is uploaded to platforms like YouTube and Spotify. This has made the use of unlicensed samples riskier than ever.

 

Pre-clearance and music libraries

Artists and record labels have also been quick to recognise there is a market for sampling and to monetise it. Many labels and publishers now offer “pre-clearing” where artists can get permission for the use of a sample in advance. 

This is far less stressful and time-consuming than the old method of using the sample first and then scrambling for clearance after, which often led to delays and potential legal issues.

Where this is not an option, Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and MCPS/PRS make it easier to identify and contact copyright holders thanks to their vast databases of compositions and master recordings.

Sample libraries and marketplaces have also been developed to cater for producers and artists seeking pre-cleared sounds. 

The downside is that your track may not be the only one using a particular sample. No matter how much you tweak the audio file, there is a risk that it’s not going to sound as unique as you want. 

Discovering something that sounds original and unique is still possible on these platforms but it often requires more digging and a keen ear.

 

History and evolution of sampling

Sampling goes right back to the 1940s when French composers used tape recordings to create sound collages, an early form of what we now call "musique concrète." 

In the 1960s, the Mellotron brought sampling into the mainstream, using tape loops triggered by a keyboard to play back pre-recorded sounds.

In 1979, the first digital sampler, the Fairlight CMI, was launched. It was soon followed by more affordable options like the E-mu Emulator and the iconic Akai MPC in 1988. These devices made it much easier for producers to experiment and get creative with samples, lowering the barriers to entry.

The 1980s saw sampling become a staple in hip-hop production. By the 1990s, digital audio workstations (DAWs) revolutionised the process, giving producers even more control and flexibility. 

Today, musicians and producers can access massive sample libraries and advanced processing tools like Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Logic Pro directly from their laptops.

 

Interviews with producers and artists

Speaking to Playful, Berlin-based musician, producer, and DJ Canva stated, “With sampling, you can craft entirely new music that carries unique meanings, emotions, and motions. I think sampling can be pretty cool and can be maybe even more creative than other techniques.”

She followed by sharing that when she uses a sample, “it's never my main element. It's important to make sure that it's not in the centre and use it when something is missing, and you're just looking for another element. Then, I just adapt the samples to my track and ensure it's still my original track.”

Australian vinyl DJ and music producer Tarkno also told Playful how he values the authenticity behind a sample choice. 

“If you want to sample, try to bring something interesting to the table. It should be something that represents you. Go into a record store, listen to 1000 records, and find one that resonates with you. Don't just sample music because it's on the internet or popular. Try music sampling because you actually feel something authentic when you listen to it.”

He added, “If you want to use the sample, that's perfectly okay. But see what you can do, like take the track apart, flip it or give it a unique twist to make it more original and personal to you.

"I don't really sample that much in my music. I think techno is about finding new sounds, not really about recycling old sounds. However, I'm not against it because some people can do unrecognisable samples and be creative."

Producer and singer/songwriter Elsa Hewitt has an interesting take on sampling that she shared with Music Radar. "Remixing my own songs was a natural stage in the progression of my music-making. I started doing it because I just wanted to chop stuff up and make beats, and my songs made the perfect source material.

"I also like to listen to an improvisation or a field recording and extract rhythmic moments from them - I listen out for a hook, a natural rhythm, or an organic shape, something that catches the ear, and this will often form a key element of a track."

 

The role of sampling in the music industry

Samplying remains a powerful tool that can shape the sound of everything from bedroom beats to top 10 hits. It gives musicians and producers the opportunity to add unique textures and different elements to create something entirely fresh and new.

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