Do you have the impression that you've heard this melody somewhere before, but the song isn't identical to the one you know? You're probably listening to... a sample! Particularly widespread in the world of hip-hop, sampling is now ubiquitous in all styles of modern music.

What is sampling in music? How do you sample a track, and is sampling legal? Newzik takes a look at one of the most popular techniques in music composition.

What is a sample in music?

A musical sample from an existing recording

In music, a sample is a sound extract taken from an existing recording which is then integrated into a new musical composition.

Sampling is the art of reusing musical extracts to create a new musical composition, often through collage or looping.

So you can sample a song and use it in a rhythmic loop, in a melody, to spice up a sound effect, feed a chorus or any other audio sequence.

Where does the sample come from?

Sampling is nothing new. It's a technique that has evolved along with music creation technologies.

His first experiments date back to the 1940s, with the avant-garde musique concrète movement initiated by Pierre Schaeffer, who manipulated sounds recorded on magnetic tape.

Sampling really entered the popular music scene in the 1970s. The technique took off in the 1980s with the rise of hip-hop from the Bronx and the arrival of the first digital samplers, such as the Fairlight CMI and Akai MPC. These machines democratized the practice of sampling and transformed musical creation.

Today, sampling has become a mainstay of many musical genres, from rap and rock to electro and R&B.

🔎 Want to know more about the evolution of musical trends? Discover our article on the history of music !

What's the point of sampling in music composition?

Reusing samples to create a musical composition brings several advantages to artists. For a musician, sampling is an opportunity to surprise his or her audience, or to win over a new audience: that of the sample he or she has reappropriated.

With sampling, an artist pays tribute to his or her influences by reinterpreting works or fusing several musical genres. Using a sample, artists give an old tune a new lease of life.

Ludwig van Beethoven 's famous classical work La Lettre à Élise was revisited many times by hip-hop** groups in the 1990s. Such is the case of Mobb Deep's 1995 track If These Walls Could Talk (Snitched On).

As well as paying homage to and appropriating a style, sampling is also a great way to get started in music creation and composition. For starters, you can create your own pieces of music by taking bits and pieces of sheet music and remixing them, either with an instrument or with computer software.

💻 New to computer-assisted music? Read our article on the secrets of CAM !

How do you create a sample track in music?

The basics: creating an original composition from a recording

As we saw earlier, creating a track from a sample means transforming an existing extract into a totally new work.

How does it work?

We isolate a sound element: it could be a bass line, a riff, a voice or a sound effect.
This sample can be reshaped by cutting it, looping it, slowing it down, transposing it, or integrating it into a key moment in the piece.

The idea is not to reproduce the original, but to reinvent it and adapt it to one's own creation.

🎼 Enrich musical scores with Newzik App !

Record yourself from the app, add audio tracks, MIDI or YouTube videos, and take your favorite scores to the next level! Newzik also lets you change tempo or tonality with a single click, to make it easier for you to adapt.

Respect the legal constraints of the sample

Sampling a piece of music is legal. But before reusing a sample, artists must respect the legal framework for sampling.

Under French law, a musical work is protected by copyright from the moment of its creation, without any formalities. Using a sample without authorization constitutes musical plagiarism, punishable by law. To use a sample in a composition, you need to obtain authorization from the rightful owners: publisher, producer or author's heirs, even for free use.

A few rules to know about sampling in music:

It is possible to use samples under a Creative Commons license, as long as the conditions laid down (such as redistribution under the same license) are respected. These works can be identified by an explicit mention. Creative Commons licenses allow works to be modified and adapted, so sampling is permitted under certain conditions.
An alternative is to exploit works that have fallen into the public domain. Artists can use works that are in the public domain and no longer protected by the various property rights laws. Note that economic rights expire after a certain period (around 50 years depending on the type of right).
Penalties for non-compliance can range from several years' imprisonment to hundreds of thousands of euros in fines.

What are the different sampling techniques?

The "loop" technique

The creation of a " loop " is based on the repetition of a sound sample to create a rhythmic or melodic base. The loop can run throughout an entire track, or be used to structure a section, such as a verse or chorus. It's one of the most widespread techniques in the hip-hop and electro genres.

🥁 A famous example? The famous Amen Break, taken from a 1969 track by the band The Winstons, has become the most sampled drum loop in history. It can be found in hundreds of musical styles.

One-shot samples

The " one-shot sample " consists of integrating a short, isolated sound, used punctually in a track. It can be a scream, a sound effect, a chord or a single note intended to create an effect, mark a highlight or enrich the sound texture.

3 samples that made music history

Some popular samples have become classics of modern music.

**1. Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve**

Sample of The Last Time by The Andrew Oldham Orchestra (1965)

This iconic song from the 1990s is built around an orchestral sample taken from an instrumental cover of The Andrew Oldham Orchestra project (helmed by the Rolling Stones producer). Although the track propelled The Verve to the top of the charts, the band lost all rights to it following a legal battle.

2. Can I Kick It - A Tribe Called Quest

Sample of Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side (1972)

This hip-hop classic is based on Lou Reed's famous, instantly recognizable bass line. Although Lou Reed approved the use of the sample, he demanded 100% of the song's royalties, once again highlighting the legal issues surrounding sampling.

3. Crazy In Love - Beyoncé

Sample of Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So) by Chi-Lites (1971)

The rhythmic brass riff of this Chi-Lites track gives Beyoncé's global hit all its energy. This sample, perfectly integrated with the groove/R&B beat, is the ultimate example of reinterpreting a classic soul song in a modern popular genre.

🎵 Are you using a well-known sample in a musical composition loop? Practice playing this loop to perfection with the score playback and annotation features on Newzik App!

Listen, play and edit your score at any time. Start sampling now with Newzik !