Sample Packs: Are They Really Worth It?

If you’re a music producer, there is a chance you have heard of a digital product called a sample pack. In today’s music production scene, sampling has become a hot topic in many genres of production. Whether it be a specific style of drums, a collection of loops, or something else, sample packs capture these sounds (and more) for the sole purpose of producing more music. Typically, these samples will be anywhere between 1 and 4 seconds in length (maybe more) and are of one individual sound (a one hit). Sometimes, samples can also consist of longer sounds like ambience (background noise), special effect noises, risers, or melodies. In a way, like an instrument, sample packs are tools that you can use to quickly piece together a song. Depending on where you look, you can find packs that range from free to hundreds of dollars, but are they really worth it?

Based on the amount of sounds provided in a sample pack, the quality, and how specific the sounds are to your need, is usually how many packs are priced. In certain cases however, sample packs may be priced based on the brand. So how do you rate a sample pack based on these properties? Well there are a few ways, but to start you could 1) test, or purchase one product from a sample store or brand, or 2) question the internet on websites like reddit to see if people recommend a certain product. Another way to check if a sample pack is worth your money, is to see if the brand has any free downloadable content as a taster, just like how you ask for a sample of that new ice cream flavor. By looking into this freebie, you may notice the quality of the sounds, organization, and quantity. These attributes sometimes correlate to other products offered by that company or brand, and sometimes they do not. Experiment at your own risk.

If you have a Digital Audio Workstation (D.A.W.) that has a limited amount of samples, sounds, or effects for your music, purchasing some sample packs can drastically expand your library of sounds and production tools. For example, right now you can download a free sample pack on us, called EAR Essentials and a new paid one called EAR Sparks for electronic music production. You can also use discount code SPARKS20 to take of 20% off Sparks and gain 100 new samples.