Producing Lofi from Samples (Ethically) [TUTORIAL]

The dirty little secret of the music industry today is that most high-level producers are relying on samples when creating their tracks in some capacity.

Whether they’re sampling their melody and harmonic tracks, or something as simple as a bass riff, most modern music (especially in pop, R&B, and EDM) rely on samples in some way.

Because of this, an entire sample industry has emerged to support the growing demand. More producers needing more samples means that industry composers need to create more melodies and harmonies for us to use in our tracks. But is there a problem with that? And is it possible to be truly creative if you’re relying on a melodic sample?

While most working producers see no issue working samples into their tracks, new producers can find it hard to walk the ethical line and know exactly what is and isn’t ok, and that’s where I come in!

This class is perfect for producers who are just getting started and want to know how they can work samples into their work without worrying about legal and ethical issues. This is for anyone who feels guilty about borrowing a melody, and wants to know that what they’re creating can still be original and excellent.

For today’s class I’ll be using three samples from Cymatics, an excellent creator of samples that offers an enormous variety of samples for free, all of which can be used under a very liberal licence.

I’ll be working in Ableton Live 11 using Spitfire Labs, Serum, and I added Retro Color to the final track for that classic lofi feel. Please join in, and discover how sampling can open you up to another world of creative possibility.

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