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Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 7:10 am
by mr_wobble
hello all just wondering lets say i bought a Sample pack but in that sample pack i've used some of the melody synth and bass and the track got signed and another producer has used the same samples and his / her tune got signed could this be a bad thing is it legal but both tunes are different ,differnt name of tracks but same sample?
let say both tunes went big could anything happen i release my tune and he/ she notice that sample could he/she say something like i used that sample first or similar?

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 7:14 am
by wub
Shouldn't be an issue - commercial sample packs are copyright free, meaning that if you buy a sample pack you are able to use the samples contained within for your own productions.



(Although really, you should be learning to make your own melodies/synths/bass as opposed to using sample packs ;) )

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 7:19 am
by mr_wobble
Cheers dude!

yea i normally make my own pretty much everything even kick patterns only for this last project i mainly used pre made packs samples wanted to try something different and yea the tune is getting release.
just kind of got a little paranoid i guess contracts are also a little full on.

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 7:38 am
by wormcode
Yes though be careful as some have weird rules, make sure to read the legal notices usually included in a .pdf file on the CD or digital download.

Usually you are allowed to use them as you want in personal use, but cannot provide them to other people or make your own sample packs with them. It just boils down to if you don't mind other people having access to the same melodies and sounds you use, or if you care if people recognise it.
That newer lady gaga tune uses a whole melody from the vengeance house CD and it caused a lot of confusion with people because it's been used in club music before.

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 7:58 am
by mr_wobble
wormcode wrote:Yes though be careful as some have weird rules, make sure to read the legal notices usually included in a .pdf file on the CD or digital download.

Usually you are allowed to use them as you want in personal use, but cannot provide them to other people or make your own sample packs with them. It just boils down to if you don't mind other people having access to the same melodies and sounds you use, or if you care if people recognise it.
That newer lady gaga tune uses a whole melody from the vengeance house CD and it caused a lot of confusion with people because it's been used in club music before.

ok thanks!
will make sure i read the legal notices next time..

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:32 am
by RandoRando
if its a legitly bouth sample pack and it doesnt have the amen break in it (lol) you should be fine. i hear samples that funtcase uses in so many other tunes, and just the other day i was listening to a song by dream & dantini. and i always though damn they have good melody and good drum samples, then i was scrolling through my samples the other day and saw that 60% of their melody synth lines were straight from a vegenance pack and so were their drum patterns lol. some producers are so lazy!

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:56 am
by mr_wobble
what wrong with the Amen breaks?

yea a couple of my friends are signed to major labels and they have no clue about music and they just use samples and cut and paste lol

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 9:04 pm
by mr_wobble
so am just wondering is it illegal to put Amen Breaks in a tune?

even if you produce jungle as well?

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 9:12 pm
by skimpi
mr_wobble wrote:Cheers dude!

yea i normally make my own pretty much everything even kick patterns only for this last project i mainly used pre made packs samples wanted to try something different and yea the tune is getting release.
just kind of got a little paranoid i guess contracts are also a little full on.
man, you even create your own kick patterns!

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 9:14 pm
by Heartless
mr_wobble wrote:so am just wondering is it illegal to put Amen Breaks in a tune?

even if you produce jungle as well?
Yes.

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 9:20 pm
by mr_wobble
Heartless wrote:
mr_wobble wrote:so am just wondering is it illegal to put Amen Breaks in a tune?

even if you produce jungle as well?
Yes.
really?

even if you use snips of it?

like a sample that only last like 2seconds like a drum roll?

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 9:36 pm
by Heartless
mr_wobble wrote:
Heartless wrote:
mr_wobble wrote:so am just wondering is it illegal to put Amen Breaks in a tune?

even if you produce jungle as well?
Yes.
really?

even if you use snips of it?

like a sample that only last like 2seconds like a drum roll?
Of course. You don't own the full recording or 2 seconds of it.

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 9:41 pm
by mr_wobble
but what if there was a sample of Amen in a royalty sample pack?

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 9:50 pm
by Heartless
mr_wobble wrote:but what if there was a sample of Amen in a royalty sample pack?
Still illegal.

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:38 pm
by david nicol
Always been curious as to how artists like Pretty Lights and Michal Menart (hell, all of PLM) navigate using the melodies and samples they jack from actual songs (not just sample packs). I understand he gives all of his music away, but its for sale on iTunes as well.

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 6:00 am
by wormcode
mr_wobble wrote:but what if there was a sample of Amen in a royalty sample pack?
These companies with the amen break in their sample CDs have been getting in trouble the last couple of years. They have to pay for it or remove it from their CDs/downloads. Same for artists, they ask for a percentage of the sales or a flat fee to use the amen. It's up to you though, there's so many tunes released every week with it, it's not likely they (the publisher who owns it) will track everyone down. Also, from what I have read/heard from people who have dealt with it, it's not the Winstons who get any money, but the person who purchased the rights and decided to try to make some easy money off it.

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:10 am
by mr_wobble
wormcode wrote:
mr_wobble wrote:but what if there was a sample of Amen in a royalty sample pack?
These companies with the amen break in their sample CDs have been getting in trouble the last couple of years. They have to pay for it or remove it from their CDs/downloads. Same for artists, they ask for a percentage of the sales or a flat fee to use the amen. It's up to you though, there's so many tunes released every week with it, it's not likely they (the publisher who owns it) will track everyone down. Also, from what I have read/heard from people who have dealt with it, it's not the Winstons who get any money, but the person who purchased the rights and decided to try to make some easy money off it.

just wondering make it a track gets release and the person gets busted with that sample!

and the tune does not sale does the producer still gets into trouble and the label?

and if it does sale is the penalty big even if the label is small?

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:03 pm
by mr_wobble
would anyone know how big the penalty if there was a not copyright sample in a release track?

to be honest my last release my label never paid me as he said the sales were low,

but am just wondering if i had a release and would not get paid for low sales how big could a penalty be if the track was found with an illegal sample?

Re: Sample Packs / Melody rules etc?

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:30 pm
by wormcode
Most times they won't bother someone unless they are moving real units or it's used in popular media like a TV show (Futurama) or advertising. Even then it's a long shot they would hear it, but there are probably people whose job it is to actively search for uncleared samples their company owns. James Brown had a team of people who did that.