Akai Professional’s stem separation software MPC Stems is now available for its MPC desktop softwareAkai Professional has unveiled MPC Stems, an advanced feature for its MPC desktop software.
The feature allows you to separate vocals, drums, bass, and musical elements seamlessly for more freedom, control, and precision in sampling.

READ MORE: After its recent leak – the uber-compact Akai MPC Key 37 has officially landed

MPC Stems integrates with the iconic MPC workflow, and gives users the ability to extract drums, isolate bass lines, and work with a capella vocals.
The development of MPC Stems is the latest step in Akai Professional’s work in music production technology, which has been going for four decades. It’s fully supported by the following MPC hardware in Controller Mode: Live series, MPC One, MPC One +, MPC X, MPC XSE, MPC Key 61, MPC Key 37, and MPC Studio MK2.
Credit: Akai Professional
The feature is also supported by the new 2.14 Software/Firmware update for the MPC Desktop Software.
Andy Mac, Head of MPC Artist Relations, says, “Building on our legacy, MPC Stems represents a monumental leap forward in sampling technology for producer communities around the world. With MPC Stems, we’re pioneering a future where producers have unparalleled creative freedom. This is the next chapter in music production, and we are very excited to see what people create.”
MPC Stems is powered by a separation engine from zPlane to deliver optimum sound quality and give producers the chance to access and manipulate samples with an interface that’s easy to get around.
Among the notable fans of MPC Stems include Pete Rock, Ski Beatz, Marco Polo, Damon Flores, and Cookin Soul, the latter saying, “Stems changed the way I listen to records. It changed the way I create my music. When looking for samples I know I can flip parts of songs that were not possible.”
MPC Stems is available from the MPC website exclusively for $9.99. It’s compatible only with MPC Desktop Software, and you can find out more information on Akai Professional’s website.
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Meze Audio Empyrean II headphones are for very serious music fans£2,749, mezeaudio.com
Romania-based brand Meze Audio builds bespoke, high-end headphones using hand-crafting techniques and, hot on the heels of its flagship Elite model, now comes an update to its much-loved Empyrean, the Empyrean II. Though retailing for £1,000 less than the Elites, these are still seriously pricey cans at almost £2,800. Their unique design and planar magnetic technology lifts them into a category above the kinds of dynamic headphones most people will be familiar with.

READ MORE: Meze Audio Elite are stunning planar magnetic headphones with supreme musicality

What are planar magnetic headphones?
For the uninitiated, planar headphones employ a thin, flat diaphragm with a magnet suspended next to it and an electromagnetic signal running through wires to vibrate the diaphragm to generate sound. They are usually lighter but larger than dynamic headphones.
The Empyrean IIs in use
Meze Audio Empyrean II build vs Elite
The Empyrean IIs are quite light at 385g minus the earpads and use a fibreglass frame. This is perfectly robust but feels a little less premium than the admittedly luxurious tungsten and aluminium used in the Elites. It’s one of the main differentiators between the models and, just in terms of build, it’s a compromise you might be willing to make considering the price difference.
Like the Elites, they use a braided cable with detachable mini XLR plugs that connect to the cups. There’s a choice of connector cable types and though you get one with your purchase you can also order others. The choices are 4-pin XLR or TRS jacks at 2.5, 3.5, 4.4 or 6.3mm. Most people would probably go for the 3.5 or 6.3mm options to work with audio devices or hi-fi separates, while those with high-end hi-fi or pro audio desks might opt for the XLR connection.
Internally, the headphones use Rinaro Isoplanar diaphragms weighing only 0.16g while also having 4,650mm2 of active area. This means they are much lighter than conventional dynamic headphones and also shallower, having a greater surface area.
Each cup employs two voice coils: a larger one for lower frequencies positioned in the upper area and a smaller one for mid and high frequencies located in the lower zone.
The cups are large enough to completely enclose your ears during listening (two pairs of different thickness are provided) but are very comfortable and don’t become hot or irritating even during long listening sessions. The headphones aren’t exactly unobtrusive, with their large band that sits across the top of your head, but they’re surprisingly comfortable to wear.
The Empyrean IIs with a turntable
How do the Empyrean IIs sound?
The phones are a circumaural, open-back design which means that they provide excellent transparency when listening. They allow some sound to escape and so prevent the kind of boxiness or low-end booming that can result from closed-back models.
While some people like that sense of exaggerated bass, it’s actually an artificial result of a specific type of design. If you’re paying this much for your headphones, it’s likely you’d place yourself on the audiophile side of any argument about bass and accuracy.
Of course, open-backed phones leak sound so they’re not generally useful for tracking vocals or instruments — that’s not an issue when mixing or mastering for example. And, for general listening, your only concern is other people hearing what you’re listening to when you crank the volume.
And so to the numbers. The phones have a remarkable frequency response of 8 Hz to 110 kHz, far in excess of most headphones’ 20Hz-20kHz. It’s not quite as crazy as the Elites with their 3 Hz to 112 kHz but it’s still a spectacular frequency range. Both these ranges surpass the hearing range of the human ear, which might make it sound like a redundant effort on Meze’s part. But you can at least be sure these expensive headphones are delivering the absolute maximum amount of frequency detail.
The Meze Audio logo on the Empyrean IIs
Here’s an odd thing that caught us by surprise – while we kind of expected these numbers to be more impressive on paper than in real testing, we found the slightly wider range of the Elites actually did make a difference. They really did go a little lower and the top end did have just that little bit more sparkle. Remember though, that for this and a more luxurious build, you would be paying an extra thousand pounds. Given the previous observation about the human range of hearing it’s possible that this is also partly down to a slightly different tuning or minor design differences, but in a real world listening scenario, the Elites felt that bit more detailed.
It’s perhaps a quirk of the job – we reviewed the Elites first – that we’re able to tell this. Most people wouldn’t have these two models to hand for A/B testing, and you’d expect the priciest model to have the best specs. And it’s absolutely no slight to the latest Empyreans, which sound excellent.
With similar components and design to the Elites, this wasn’t a surprise. Smooth and superbly balanced, the Empyrean IIs are adept at placing sounds accurately in the soundstage, achieving wonderful separation. Like the Elites, they reveal a tremendous amount of detail about the mix of any particular track, its stereo behaviour and the way it was mastered. Here, too, you hear elements in familiar tracks that you have simply never heard before.
While you’d ideally be listening to uncompressed audio sources on headphones of this calibre, they also perform impressively with streamed tracks from Apple Music and Spotify, a result perhaps of what has been achieved in the field of audio compression in recent years. Granted, very delicate tracks will have that bit more detail in uncompressed formats and anyone spending multiple thousands will probably be on top of this issue anyway.
The Empyrean IIs in their case
Should you by the Meze Audio Empyrean II?
Like the Elites, the Empyrean IIs bring – or return – a sense of joy to listening. There’s a feeling that you’re hearing this music exactly as its creators intended. Every frequency band is perfectly reproduced, at just the right level. Even if you’re the kind of person who uses software or hardware EQ, you almost certainly won’t want to with these.
It’s true that the flagship Elites have slightly more extension at the top and bottom, and do just pip the Empyrean IIs for sheer expansiveness, but at a significant price uplift. Almost £3,000 is still a lot to pay, but if you’re intensely about your music and demand high performance from your gear, these are wonderfully capable headphones.
Key features

Open-backed, circumaural design
Rinaro isodynamic Hybrid Array drivers
8 Hz – 110 kHz frequency response
32 Ohm impedance
Total harmonic distortion of less than 0.05%
Removable, magnetic ear pads
XLR cables with a choice of connectors
385g weight without cups
Fibreglass infused frame
Repairable components

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KRK’s new ROKIT Generation Five Studio Monitors “cover all bases for today’s music makers”KRK has launched the fifth generation of its ROKIT Studio Monitors. Offered in three sizes, the models feature three new voicing modes, an enhanced tweeter design, and a refreshed LCD.
The Gibson-owned brand says that the monitors were created to “meet the diverse needs of musicians, composers, producers, and sound engineers” by providing the tools needed to “reproduce every nuance of a production with astonishing clarity”.

READ MORE: Sonus faber and IsoAcoustics collaborate on new $750,000 Suprema sound system

Available in five, seven and eight-inch designs, the new ROKITs offer a Mix Mode, providing a flat frequency and phase response ideal for mixing, mastering, and critical listening, as well as a Create Mode to provide “more inspirational voicing”, best used for writing, producing, and casual listening. Additionally, a Focus Mode brings a mid-focused voicing for critical analysis of the midrange band, where vocals and instruments have the most energy.
25 evolved DSP boundary and tuning EQ combinations now help minimise and correct problems in acoustic environments, and the newly designed tweeter utilises a highly damped acoustic silk dome diaphragm for improved phase performance and an extended frequency range (up to 40 kHz).
Users can also enjoy a simplified calibration process with a refreshed, amber-coloured LCD DSP interface featuring new tuning options.
Check out more below:

“Featuring KRK’s world-renowned sound along with new technology and tuning parameters to truly dial-in the listening experience, the KRK ROKIT Generation Five is a must-have studio solution for the most demanding creators,” says Sterling Doak, Senior Director of Marketing for Gibson.
“KRK engineers continually pull from the brand’s legacy of trust and performance to refine its studio monitors — blending cutting-edge technology with the time-tested principles of audio engineering. The same holds true for this latest development. As the most advanced monitor in its class, the KRK ROKIT Generation Five is powerful enough to handle the rigours of professional use but basic enough for emerging producers, engineers, and artists.”
Find out more over at KRK Systems.
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Vox Samples Releases FREE Pitchmunk Pitch Shifter Plugin
Vox Samples has just released Pitchmunk, a freeware pitch shifter plugin for Windows and Mac (64-bit). I have to admit that I am not up to date when it comes to pitch shifters. I make fiddly electronic music, so vocals aren’t usually in my wheelhouse. If I have to keep to a pitch, Melodyne is [...]
View post: Vox Samples Releases FREE Pitchmunk Pitch Shifter Plugin

Aodyo Instruments’ Loom MPE MIDI controller is “built for immediate playability and expressiveness”A Kickstarter has been launched to fund a new MIDI controller that lets users turn touch into music – the Aodyo Instruments Loom.
This “multidimensional” MPE MIDI controller builds on the expertise developed by the brand through its creation of the Sylphyo, an electronic wind instrument, and its Anyma synthesiser. Although it might look simple in design, it offers a range of ways to experiment with sounds, all via your fingers.

READ MORE: iZotope Trash is back — but where’s the pro version?

Loom offers a collection of playing modes to experiment with dynamics. There’s a keyboard, a ribbon for smooth slides, a strum mode and a drum kit setup. Each mode is customisable, and according to Aodyo Instruments, more playing modes are set to be added via software updates in the future.
When you’ve selected your mode of choice, you can then make music via its multitouch surface. This allows independent control of pitch (X), timbre (Y), and dynamics (Z) for each finger. There are unique sensors surrounding the surface that complement the sounds it produces, including thumb-activated tactile sliders and bars on the front and back edge, as well as a pressure-sensitive action zone on the left.
Though Loom is optimised for MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression), it’s also fully compatible with non-MPE MIDI instruments via easy connection with USB-C or a MIDI TRS cable with a wide range of hardware and software. It’s available in two- or three-octave configurations.
Hear it in action below:

Those interested in backing the campaign can secure a Loom at a reduced price. Its original fundraising goal has been met, but you can still contribute until 11 April. Deliveries are expected in Summer 2024, and it’s estimated to retail at €400 for the two-octave version and €570 for the three-octave version.
There’s an in-depth look at the features of Loom over on the Aodyo Instruments website.
You can also offer your support over at Kickstarter.
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SampleScience drops two new plugins – the 808 Bass Revolution and Sky PianoSampleScience has launched two new plugins – the 808 Bass Revolution and the Sky Piano – and both are retailing at just $30 each.
The 808 Bass Revolution is a collection of 40 “expertly” designed 808 basses, with the Sky Piano described as a “meticulously multi-sampled Grand Piano captured with a high-precision microphone”.

READ MORE: Universal Audio has slashed $250 off its UAD Essentials bundle – deal ends 1 April and no, we’re not joking

Both plugins are compatible with Windows and macOS, and are available in VST, VST3, and AU formats. Let’s take a closer look at each:
808 Bass Revolution
All 40 of these 808 basses are tailored for a range of genres such as rap, pop, EDM, and trap. SampleScience says they are “perfect” for producers seeking depth and versatility in their music.
There’s also four effects on board: distortion, delay, chorus, and reverb, plus multi-LFO, amplitude range controls for soft saturation, and a highpass/lowpass filter. There’s three voice modes: polyphonic, monophonic, and legato, and a sample pack version of the plugin is also provided.
Check it out below:

Sky Piano
This plugin delivers a “pristine” acoustic piano sound. It has 480 24-bit samples, 16 velocity layers, and similarly to Bass Revolution, there’s also four core effects for distortion, delay, chorus, and reverb. Other features remain the same, such as multi-LFO, amplitude range controls, highpass/lowpass, plus three voice modes.
Take a closer look:

Towards the end of last year, SampleScience released a quirky VHS Noise Generator plugin, designed to add nostalgic crackle, “lo-fi character, and warmth” to any audio source, including synths, drums, vocals and guitars. It offers 26 distinct VHS background noises, each one created using an antiquated VCR and a different tape.
If you’re on a budget right now, MusicTech has rounded up the best free synth plugins of 2024 so far in a brand new guide. There are 15 plugins listed in total, all of which have been handpicked by the MT team.
Find out more over at SampleScience.
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JZ Microphones Giveaway JZ Microphones are running an exclusive giveaway for the SOS community, and have kindly donated prizes worth $7335.

A musician’s view of TikTok legislation: Guest post by @TheBlakeMorganMusician, artist advocate, and founder of #IResepectMusic, Blake Morgan, cuts through the TikTok mania to offer a musician’s view of legislation that overwhelmingly passed the US. House and is currently. Continue reading
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Spotify tests courses in Songwriting, Production, Performing Live & moreSpotify is testing the addition of video-based courses from BBC Maestro, PLAYvirtuoso, Skillshare, Thinkific, and others. Lessons in songwriting, music production, overcoming live performance anxiety, and more can be found alongside how-to's on entrepreneurship, photography, and productivity.....
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5 bands that empower just like Riot GrrrlHappy Women's History Month! These five groups bring a similar anti-patriarchal punch to punk music just like Riot Grrrl.....
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AC55ID is the new music marketplace, inspired by Bandcamp Fridays, that lets artists sell music and merch with no feesIn 2020, Bandcamp were lauded for their Bandcamp Fridays initiative, where the platform waived its fee for all purchases made on one Friday of the month. Now, there’s a new platform inspired by that initiative, AC55ID, where every day is like Bandcamp Friday – it allows artists to sell music, merchandise and more without losing a cut of their revenue to the platform.

READ MORE: “Right now, the economics of streaming are very broken”: sonu.stream co-founder Laura Jaramillo wants to re-shape streaming 

AC55ID works via subscription and artists who sign up only have to pay a fee of $10 a month to list their digital music, physical editions and merch on the site. Meanwhile, fans can create an account for free and pay for products at a price set by the artist. Labels can also pay $29 per month to release music by an unlimited number of artists.
Meanwhile, the platform also has its own fulfilment service, meaning it can press, cut, master and ship vinyl records for artists. On top of that, it uses a petroleum-free alternative to traditional vinyl production called Bio Vinyl, making it more sustainable to produce smaller runs of records.
In addition, it is offering a tool to develop fan-powered campaigns “[to] customise various elements such as vinyl colour, weight, jacket style, and more, all without any financial risk or upfront investment”. Once a reserve threshold is hit, AC55ID will start the vinyl production run.
Furthermore, it utilises blockchain technology to “guarantee that all transactions on the platform are transparent, secure, and immutable”.
Speaking about the launch, AC55ID’s CEO James says: “We were inspired by the success of Bandcamp Fridays, where the first Friday of each month saw Bandcamp waiving its revenue share. We’ve taken this idea a step further by guaranteeing artists and labels an unprecedented 100 per cent of their earnings consistently. Our pledge covers all digital and physical sales through its marketplace, aiming to foster a fairer ecosystem for independent creators.”
The news follows the launch of another separate initiative, Support The Sound, which was created with the aim of putting more money into artists’ pockets. A collective of clubs, promoters and festivals from around the world have partnered with the DVS1-founded platform Aslice for the initiative in an effort to to close the gap between producers’ and DJs’ earnings in a time of rising DJ fees.
Aslice was originally founded two years ago to address producers losing out on payments made by PROs to producers through missing metadata, lack of reporting, and other fraudulent submissions. In 2019, it was estimated that producers miss out on up to £100 million in royalties they are entitled to due to them being either lost or incorrectly allocated.
For more information, head to AC55ID.
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Spotify tests video-based courses on music production, performance and more in the UKSpotify is officially testing a range of video-based courses within its platform, in partnership with BBC Maestro, PLAYvirtuoso, Skillshare, and Thinkific.
The video courses are now available to purchase for UK users, and can be found alongside their music, podcasts and audiobooks. The content covers a variety of topics categorised into four main themes: “make music, get creative, learn business, and healthy living”.

READ MORE: “Songwriters are generating record-breaking revenues via streaming services”: Spotify releases its annual Loud & Clear Report

Of course, we’re interested in the music lessons on offer. Under the ‘Make Music’ tab, you can currently access content from the likes of Carl Cox on How To Become A Successful DJ, or learn How To Make UK Bass Music with Flava D, plus many more. You can even learn the art of songwriting from Gary Barlow, or understand the foundations of Ableton Live with Poppy “Pops” Roberts. Prices appear to range from £14.99-£49.00 on average, but some are higher.
It seems Spotify is tapping into this market as, according to the brand, roughly half of its Premium subscribers have engaged in education or self-help-themed podcasts before. For this test period, free users and Premium subscribers will be able to trial at least two lessons per course for free before making the decision to purchase further lessons.
“Testing video courses in the UK allows us to explore an exciting opportunity to better serve the needs of our users who have an active interest in learning,” says Babar Zafar, VP Product Development at Spotify.
“Many of our users engage with podcasts and audiobooks on a daily basis for their learning needs, and we believe this highly engaged community will be interested in accessing and purchasing quality content from video course creators. At Spotify, we’re constantly striving to create new offerings for our creators and users, and having built best-in-class personalised music and podcast offerings, we look forward to exploring the potential of video-based learning on Spotify.”
You can check out the lessons now, or find out more via the Spotify Newsroom.
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Music Expo San Francisco 2024 In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Music Expo have announced their first in-person event since the pandemic.

The 14 best websites for free music samples in 2024It’s easy to think that to find good samples, you have to meticulously scour through old records and listen out for that perfect snapshot of audio. Others might claim that only fancy expensive sample packs will solve the problem of, say, getting that perfect EDM kick tone or catchy vocal hook. They’re not entirely wrong, of course, but it’s important to remember that there are plenty of free sample libraries out there. When used in context, these free sample websites can help you create detailed soundscapes and head-bopping grooves.

READ MORE: Best freeware for music-making: Top free apps, DAWs, plug-ins, instruments and more

The main caveat with these libraries and samples is that you will have to check licensing agreements on some of the sounds before you include it in a track you’re planning to release. Some of the material you find may not be available for commercial use or will require you to credit the original creator of the sample. Now, with that being said, let’s go through 14 of our favourite sites that we think are worth checking out.
BandLab Sounds
Credit: BandLab Sounds
BandLab Sounds gives producers access to a huge library of royalty-free samples and loops to create with – all downloadable and ready to use in any DAW, not just on BandLab.
The service was launched by social music-making platform BandLab and features over 10,000 sounds – conjured up by an array of top artists, professional sound designers. There are even packs from MusicTech as well. Samples come as uncompressed WAVs and are downloadable via web or mobile.
Sounds can be downloaded as entire pack or as individual samples. There’s also an auditioning tool built-in to the web-based platform. Each sound is also royalty-free,  meaning you’re able to freely use them in your tracks and commercial works.
Learn more about BandLab Sounds at bandlab.com
[Editor’s note: BandLab is owned by BandLab Technologies, which also owns MusicTech.com.]
Samples From Mars
Image: Samples From Mars
Samples From Mars specialises in bringing sounds from classic hardware machines into the hands of software producers. They’re not just cleanly recorded sounds – they’re also run through more analogue hardware, such as an API console recording to tape, so you’re also getting genuine analogue warmth into your tracks. The 808 From Mars pack, for example, features clean, coloured and saturated versions of each kick tone and length, and the Vinyl Drums From Mars features royalty-free vinyl one-hits. This notable pack was created by recording drums on an acoustic kit, pressing the results to vinyl, then sampling the record, and degrading it making for dusty hits, and character.
Samples From Mars loves discovering obscure, vintage and great sounding synths from yesteryear and making them accessible to music-makers of today. The recent Dr Bohm Digital Drums and OB From Mars packs are enough evidence for that.
Browse the collection of Samples From Mars’ free samples here.
Legowelt
Image: Legowelt.org
If you aren’t familiar with Legowelt, your favourite producer probably is. His career spans over twenty years, more than a handful of aliases and, fortunately for us, an extensive sample library that he uploads to his website for free download. He’s taken the liberty of meticulously recording his collection of rare, vintage or quirky synths and drum machines, offering hundreds of one-shot samples, pad sounds and loops for each instrument.
If you ever wanted the sounds of a genuine Roland Juno 106 without going out and buying one, Legowelt has 250 samples from his, including big basses, mysterious pads, chords, haunting strings, sequences, arpeggios, drums and more. All files come in a .zip folder and the sounds are all in 16bit WAV format. Regardless of genre or taste, you truly need to browse the site and play around with some of the instruments here.
Get Legowelt’s free sample packs here
Goldbaby
Image: goldbaby.co.nz
Having downloaded quite a few of Goldbaby’s packs ourselves in the past, we can truly vouch for its “passion for vintage drum machines, synthesizers, vinyl, tape and music technology”, as stated on the homepage of its website. The Goldbaby studio is packed to the brim with synths, drum machines, mixers and recording gear, meaning a lot of the sounds you get are touched by analogue warmth. Goldbaby has worked with major music technology brands in the past including Ableton, FXpansion, iZotope, Native Instruments and PreSonus, so you know these sounds are sublime.
Goldbaby’s free section has an eclectic selection of drum machines, synths and some small tasters of buyable packs. Many of the sounds in these packs are sent through tape machines or valve equipment, such as the Valve SK1 Drums, which comprises vintage Casio SK1 samples processed through SPL and Thermionic Culture valve gear. There’s no sign-up process to get the free samples from Goldbaby, although it’s always worth signing up to the newsletter so you know when a new sample pack has dropped.
Goldbaby’s Free Stuff area is available here
Output Arcade

Output, once only a producer of plugins, embarked on a new journey in 2023 with its Arcade sample-based instrument. This playable sample library, much like Spitfire Audio’s LABS, lets you play and tweak sounds from a vast library of samples that are all royalty-free. There are 60+ product lines, 4,400+ samplers, 1,300+ chromatic instruments, and 64,000+ samples to get stuck into, all free to use when you create an account with Output.
Find out more on Output. 
Noiiz
Image: Noiiz.com
A free membership to Noiiz gives you access to its entire catalogue of Free Packs, with as many downloads as you like. Signing up for a free membership is as simple as entering your email address and making a password. The free area isn’t a stingy selection either, with over 500 packs to download, each containing around 10 sounds – no lengthy maths equations needed here to outline how many sounds are available to you. The packs include sounds for jazz, trap, d’n’b, neo-soul and much more, it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re after some new inspiration.
Noiiz also has a subscription-based service, starting at $10/mo, in which you are given access to a plethora of new sample libraries. This includes packs from professional creators and artists, such as Hashfinger, Samplephonics, Machinedrum, Letherette and more. You’ll also have access to the Noiiz plug-in, which works in a similar fashion to BandLab Assistant, with a swift drag-and-drop mechanic to load sounds into your sessions.
You can download sounds from Noiiz’s Free Packs area here.
Citizen DJ

Perhaps a surprising addition to this list is the database of free samples that the U.S Library of Congress has built. Citizen DJ is a resource that lets you browse audio recordings from over a hundred years ago, presented in a colourful interface with tools that allow for the instant browsing and auditioning of sounds. It comprises soundtracks from movies, public service announcements, spoken word pieces, classic recordings and more from the Free Music Archive.
Once you’ve selected a sample, the site presents you with a sequencer that lets you slice up a sample and partner it with a drum track of your choice. Drum tracks are built with sounds from classic drum machines and patterns, which you can sequence in your own way. You can download individual samples or get them as sample packs containing thousands of clips. The project was created for hip-hop producers and DJs by Brian Foo, a Library of Congress Innovator-in-Residence, who was inspired by the aesthetic of hip-hop records such as Fear of a Black Planet by Public Enemy.
Browse and play the Citizen DJ tool at citizen-dj.labs.loc.gov
BBC Sound Effects Library

The BBC has made its vast collection of sound effects downloadable for free in WAV format. A library of 16,016 recordings is accessible to all users under the terms of the RemArc license. Importantly, the licence means you won’t be able to use the sounds in a commercial project. However, it could be an ideal resource for honing your skills as a sound designer, building a portfolio or for education.
The library boasts sounds from the 1920s onwards, with samples including FA Cup Final Wembley 1966, Khatmandu: Busy street with heavy traffic and bizarre samples such as Inside a human or animal body. The sounds are split into categories that range from World War II to St. Paul’s Cathedral, to Washing Machine and Volcano. You can also use a search bar to quickly locate specific samples, with each sound given a description, duration time and built-in player to listen to the sound before you download it.
Access the BBC Sound Effects library at bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk
NASA Audio Collection
Image: William J. Sawchuck/Getty Images
Samples From Mars is a brilliant resource for free sounds, but if you’re really looking for samples from Mars – or any other parts of space for that matter – the NASA Audio Collection on the Internet Archive might be your best bet.
In this collection, you’ll find an exponentially vast collection of recordings from the NASA archives, from space shuttle take-offs to interactions between the crew and Mission Control Centre, as well as vintage interviews with astronauts. To give you an idea of the size of these folders, there are nearly 200 recordings from the Apollo 11 mission alone, and loads more clips from other Apollo missions.
The Sounds Resource

There’s nothing like the lo-fi crunch of a vintage video game sample, whether it’s music, the zap of a laser gun, or the thud of a character’s boot on an 8-bit floor. Video game sounds can often provide a fruitful basis for unique sound design.
The ever-mysterious Burial, for example, has recontextualised everything from Dark Souls to Metal Gear Solid, from Fable to Silent Hill, Street Fighter sounds – “Hadouuuken”, “PERFECT” – is a highly-sampled video game in hip-hop and grime, having featured on the likes of MF DOOM and Kanye West tracks. And, of course, Aphex Twin sampled Space Invaders on his track Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount.
The Sounds Resource is a huge, easy-to-use website featuring a phenomenal collection of video game sounds. It doesn’t hold back either. For example, the Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition folder contains 96,268 samples. We suggest clearing some disk space for this one.
Soundcamp

You can find tens of thousands of free samples on Soundcamp, split into drums, percussion, instruments, tracks, sound effects and soundscapes. Doubling as a music production blog, Soundcamp gives you a Camelot Wheel – created initially by Mark Davis as a tool for DJs – which lets you pick out samples in a specific key. This is ideal if you’re looking for a bass line in the same key as your track, for example.
Upon selecting a tag like Jazz Snare Drum, or a musical key, you’ll be presented with related sounds each housed in a player. This lets you play the sample on a loop and set the volume, with details below on the file itself, such as bit depth and sample rate. From the player, you can select whether you want the file as a WAV, MPG or OGG and then instantly download it to your computer.
Browse for free samples at soundcamp.org
Freesound
Image: Freesound.org
For found sound, Freesound is a goldmine. Functioning as a collaborative database of audio samples recorded and uploaded by fellow users, Freesound is exactly as described – free. It’s pretty much as easy as typing in the desired sound into the search bar and see what the database has to offer. With rating systems, waveform previews, tags, download count and other filters, you hopefully won’t be spending hours flicking through clips to find the kind of thing you’re looking for.
The site is excellent for gathering Foley sounds, soundscapes, one-shot samples and other interesting pieces of audio that you may not have direct access to. The catch is that not everything will be cleanly recorded, or recorded how you’d necessarily like, but it’s a great resource to find material and get creative. Be mindful of the licensing on Freesound as well, as some of the users may wish to be credited if you use their sound in a composition.
Have a browse through Freesound’s community sample database here.
Looperman

As with Freesound, Looperman is a resource built by the music technology community, with users uploading their own sounds for use by musicians, producers, sound designers and DJs. Its users have uploaded hundreds of thousands of loops, acapellas, spoken word pieces and sounds, all available for free. Because it’s all uploaded by users, just like Freesound, it may not be pristinely recorded, but you can certainly find some inspiration with a bit of digging.
Navigating Looperman is pretty straightforward. The menu bar along the top will let you choose from Loops & Samples and Acapellas, along with Software, Tracks and more if you’re on the hunt for some more free material. You can then use the search bar to locate samples by category, genre, keywords, key and more. Alternatively, just head straight down and browse through the samples that are presented to you, ordered by the most recent upload.
Browse Looperman’s samples at looperman.com
Free To Use Sounds

Free To Use Sounds has a heartwarming story. The website was started by field recording fanatics, American Libby Green and German-born Marcel Gnauk. After meeting in Nice in 2015, the two travellers decided to embrace their shared love of capturing the sounds of places they visited around the world. In 2017, the couple decided to begin sharing their recordings online, and have since travelled through 26 countries, recording and uploading high-quality sounds from each.
The site consists of carefully-created field recordings you’d struggle to find elsewhere. Looking for Cambodian Women Sifting Gravel at a Construction Site? Or, what about Fireplace Cave Hotel Cappadocia? Oh boy, it’s in there. While not all their recordings are free, the ones that are are still superb. Plus, many of their samples can be purchased on Bandcamp, which means no grimacing while clicking on a dodgy-looking ‘download’ button to get your hands on Kitten Purring Sleeping, which, of course, is an essential download.
Browse Free To Use Sounds at freetousesounds.com
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