A snippet of existing recorded sound reused as an element in a new track.
A sample is a piece of pre-existing recorded sound — a drum hit, a vocal phrase, a section of an old record, or any audio snippet — that is reused as a building block in a new piece of music. Sampling is foundational to hip-hop, electronic and pop production, where producers chop, pitch, loop and rearrange samples to create something new. Samples can be single one-shot sounds triggered like instruments, or longer loops that repeat. An important practical note is that using samples from copyrighted recordings usually requires clearance or a licence, which is why many producers also use royalty-free sample packs designed for free creative use.
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