External sound packs and sample libraries are used daily for music production and recording purposes. When something specific needs to come into the mix, artists often source sound packs and libraries because these are supposed to fill the gap.
However, anyone in the music industry will also be able to tell you that sound packs and samples come with undisclosed fine-print. It’s just not that easy.
Samples and sound packs can be subject to copyright laws, and might never be able to produce the exact sound that you’re hoping to find... There are many ways where sample packs fall short, but where basic instrumentals aren’t enough.
Sample packs are great for learning music production. Once you’re past these stepping stones and actually want to make music, sample packs are something you should instead learn to avoid.
Creating custom music using AI eliminates the need for external sound packs or plug-ins.
AI music creation tools like SOUNDRAW rely on machine-learning and internal libraries. Based on prompts, you’ll always be able to find the right sound or element while you’re creating.
Here’s why you don’t need external sound packs to create music with AI.
Sample Music Libraries: The Musician’s Worst Nightmare
Sample music libraries are extremely useful for the learning process. However, once you’d like to create something for upload or release, sample packs start falling short of what any artist or creator actually needs for their work.
A sample music library is technically copyrighted to someone else. Creators, including DJs, have been sued for royalties after songs using samples went viral—it can be a five-second beat that you downloaded from a website: that still means it belongs to someone else.
Sample libraries are also expensive. Anywhere they’re purchased, you’re putting money into unnecessarily spending.
Sample libraries can also fall short sound-wise. Quality varies from one sample set to the next, and this translates into choppy final recording quality—for you! A sample library might not get the particular sound right. This just leads to artists spending more money and time.
What if AI-generated music tools could save all that money and time at once?
External Sound Packs Don’t Make Music Production Better
An external sound pack usually has to be purchased, downloaded, and then uploaded into your DAW. From there, you’re using someone else’s “patch” on your music—and technically, this sound pack remains their footprint even if the final song is your own creation.
External sound packs are much like sample libraries. They’re expensive to purchase, and it’s rare to find one that’s good enough to stick around.
Compatibility issues are also common. A wrong update on a digital audio effect is enough to corrupt an entire library’s worth of saved music. Who wants to take that chance when faced with the option?
External sound packs are great for learning, but not the best for professional or indie production. A simple, copyrighted sound pack is enough to have an entire channel taken down for that single, five-second copyright violation.
AI provides a worthy alternative. Music and samples generated via AI won’t cost a ton, and they’re royalty-free to use in your next creation.
Why AI Doesn’t Need External Sound Packs
External sound packs and samples, as one example, do to sound production what pedals do to guitar sounds. This can introduce a desired sound (e.g. 1950s Fender Stratocaster), or a particular element (Marshall Amp) into your instrument or sample library.
However, AI music creation eliminates the need for any external sound packs.
There’s no need to download or source anything if you’d like to tell SOUNDRAW to make it sound like someone’s playing a 1920s Hohner harmonica.
AI libraries use machine-learning, and vast libraries of information about music and style. There’s no need to download everything: the platform already has everything you need right into its servers.
All AI music creation asks from the user is a clear, usable prompt. Be as descriptive as you like, and experiment with different results. Create individual sounds or elements, or let AI take direction on a whole verse.
How you approach AI music creation is up to you.
The good news: you’ll never have to download another external sound pack to get the right sound ever again.
AI-Generated Music Always Gives Unique Results
AI-generated beats and songs aren’t limited by the same copyright, time, or cost issues as trying to get the same results with sample packs. Users are free to use any content they’ve created with SOUNDRAW, for example, because results are guaranteed as royalty-free.
This also means that AI-generated music always produces unique results. Every prompt will bring up something that has never been seen before—and with just a few changes, you can do it again!
These unique results aren’t the same as humans, who may accidentally think they’ve come up with an original riff (but it’s actually by Coldplay or The Animals). Accidental plagiarism is an unfortunate but very possible human error—a mistake that you’re guaranteed AI cannot make when creating.
Creativity is about being unique. When your own ideas combine with AI, results will always be one-of-a-kind.
Beats and Music: Creation with AI Prompts
AI music creation has brought us into the future. Production and creation has never been this accessible, easy, or affordable before. Anyone who wants to create something, can find the right elements using AI—whether that’s a specific beat or feel.
An AI music generator needs a clear, descriptive prompt.
That’s all you need to create anything you might imagine.
If you’d like different styles or results, just go back to the starting point and adjust your prompt. Try for something new.
AI-generated elements and songs means you’ll never have to deal with another sample pack. Music production and song creation aren’t just limited to a specific few people with skills, money, or time. With AI-generated help, anyone can create a powerful beat or hit in seconds.
Stop downloading external sound packs and start generating music today!