Be careful with sample libraries (so you can get paid!)
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- New audio fingerprinting technology is making life difficult for production music composers that rely heavily on sample libraries. Should we stop using samples all together, or is there a way to use resources like Splice and Arcade without our music being matched to a thousand other tracks out in circulation?
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Hi Jon,
as much as I like Rick Beato and Christian Henson, when I see a new video of yours I'll always approach it first. Here's why:
The value/video length ratio is just perfect, your video producion is more appealing and mostly because you do a lot of acoustic guitar and acoustic instruments in general just as I do. Also your voice is a joy to listen to. So no need to climb up hills, just be Jon and we'll follow. :-)
Thank you so much, Andreas. I will screenshot your comment for those days when i'm feeling down about youtube. :)
I totally agree! Sometimes I'm on a lunch break and I only have a few minutes, and a half hour video of the big guys is too long. This video is a good short length and has real insights and value! Great work, Jon! 🙌🎶
@@JonMeyer I imagine Christian Henson must get a little down about UA-cam when he has to haul himself up Arthur's Seat on a freezing Scottish February morning to shoot something! Recording in the comfort of your studio (which looks lovely, btw!) has it's benefits! And I completely echo what Andreas says: your videos are always thoughtful, engaging and useful and we really appreciate what you do.
I don't see any problem with using samples in your song AND getting paid for it.
1. Like you said, these samples are being sold to be used in music production. If you use a sample and the song is great, but someone else makes a song and uses the same sample and that song is great too, but it's different song, where is the problem? The problem is imaginary. Why are there remixes? Why are there cover bands? The answer is simple: "A hit is a hit."
2. Sample libraries and technology are tools that are used to compose and arrange tracks. If you want to perform every single note and instrument of a song, god bless. You are MORE TALENTED than me that's for sure. The route for you in music is live performance, in my humble opinion. Why not compose full movements by hand using feather to ink to papyrus in the meantime? I would surely recognize you as a genius of musical composition.
3. In the end it's all about competition and marketing. I personally feel like this whole issue in a non-issue, a problem that is overblown. If you copy an entire song and try to pawn it off as your own, that is illegal. But using loops or samples that WE PAY FOR that are sold as ROYALTY FREE is part of the business. Any production company that won't use a song because you have a loop in your song that MIGHT be in a song somewhere else is a very high standard, and if your standards are that high, you better be prepared to PAY TOP DOLLAR. But too many composers and producers will bend over backwards and even pay out of their own pocket for singers and performers to deliver tracks to these "HIGH STANDARD" companies, just to get bread-crumbs and wait for the royalty money to hopefully add up in the coming years.
Yep… „never use a melodic or otherwise recognizable sample in a song / cue you want to have published“ is the consensus among pretty much everyone I ever heard talking about this topic. So, this video is definitely sound advice.
Hiowever, I‘m not fully convinced that in the fictional situation you mentioned (two composers/ producers using the same recognizable sample), the result would be „no one is getting paid“. I think it will rather (at least by default) lead to a „first come, first served“ situation. At least that‘s what I already saw happening on UA-cam with ContentID (which works very similar to the AI algorithms the PROs are beginning to use as well.)
But in the end, even if my assumption holds true, it doesn’t really matter: No sane composer would (and should) ever gamble on the fact that he or she is the FIRST to get a cue with a recognizable sample into some AI which will later decide if there‘s money to be made or trouble ahead. 😉
Great advice Jon, never thought of using Splice to learn from other composers rather than using using the material in a track.
Glad it was helpful. The demo tracks on those sites are usually very high quality.
Actually, a lot of sample packs also have so-called „construction kits“, which are essentially stems of demo songs. Some of those are even explicitly exempt from the „normal“ usage license that applies for the rest of the samples in such a pack. (In other words: The maker of these sample packs more or less constrain you to use the construction kit part of it only for educational purposes. (Some others make no such distinction and you could even use the construction kit parts to build your own song and publish it… in theory. In reality though, this would be a pretty bad idea - for exactly the reasons mentioned in this video.)
Climb up a hill in the next video. As a sample creator, sample seller, and a sample user this video is definitely needed! Thanks for sharing!
Such an interesting subject when being both a composer/music producer and samples and loops producer for selling yes.
Thank you THANK YOU for making this video so I can just send this to all my new composers instead of trying to explain this each and every time. 😉😘
Thanks for the caution…I’ve been wondering about this even as I try to create a track using the new Heavyocity Vocalise library and it is tempting indeed to use those phrases but you are making me reconsider so I appreciate it!
Glad it was helpful, Mark. The most compelling samples are also the most recognizable.
That’s why you should make midi samples as well to add with piano sample kits you’re making.. that will make a difference too
Question:
Do you think one day the technology will get so good that it can recognize individual samples inside say a string library? If two separate artists both include in their track a D3 on Cinematic Strings at 127 modwheel for two bars at 120bpm, do you think one day the AI might recognize that? Could we be looking at a scenario one day where sampled virtual instruments become useless in production music? Or will the AI technology need to change to accommodate this?
Very good question! Did you find any answer? I'm curious too!
To go along with this, I would advise that everybody actually read the licenses for the products they use (and if you are thinking of purchasing something, read the license before purchasing it). I know it's annoying, and it can be difficult, but it is imperative to know what you are allowed to do and not allowed to do. Many libraries, and even many VST instruments, explicitly forbid using them in any loop or sample libraries. I know creating loop/sample libraries wasn't the point of this video; I mention it only to illustrate why you absolutely must read the licenses.
If i have to makea song and i use one of the vst plugins etc will it be illegal. Thia is what you say. So what is the point oif thwm thwn?
@@sulimankhan8322 Every plugin and library of which I am aware allows you to create musical compositions using the included sounds. However, many of them explicitly forbid you from using their sounds to create loop libraries, sample kits, or your own plugin/instrument. Put simply, the product you make with them must be the final product (as opposed to loops, samples, or instruments, which you would give or sell to others who would then use them to create their own products).
I never use sampled musical phrases. Never. Even the Apple Loops, included with Logic, I don't use them.
(Maybe I should, I would be as famous as Christine & The Queen and many others!)
Best to avoid, unless you can manipulate them in such a way that they are unrecognizable.
Insightful, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
My Roland Phantom has a patch. And when you put your finger on the key it plays Justin Timberlakes "My Love" minus the Vocals.
I am guessing that Justin Timberlake felt particularly creative the day he wrote that song.
Ha! I'm sure he's not the only one.
Great video. Thank you. 👏🏻
thanks
There are already problems with AI where videos/tracks with a filter sweeps are identified as existing tracks. Unscrupulous people and big companies are exploiting this
Top man …… thank you
so what I'm hearing is more like: don't use loops or phrases. Is that correct? I know that I should be careful with every snare or kick, too
Never use melodic loops if you want it licensed. If you are selling it, streaming it, I guess that’s up to the individual?
I was just on a call via a sync class with a producer from Universal. She said even if you use a percussive loop make sure it’s more in the background, a shaker or something, with other things around it. Try treating it a bit…as well
@@jennifermcnuttmusic6353 good advice
@@jennifermcnuttmusic6353i just purchased fl studio with 500 gb vst and plugins bundles. I have no background in music either . But suppose i make a song while ising these vsts , lobraries etc ehich they say u can use and is royallty free then what is the problem there. Thousands of people making muaic so chances are some one is using the same stuff.. i am confused if i dont use thM thwn what is the point of purchasing thwm and making muaic...give me advice pla
Tricky. I don't produce music for money, but I have considered the same issues with personal music I'm wanting to push out to music streaming services. There are strong melodic motifs in all my music that are always original, but I often use sample libraries to flesh out gaps in the arrangement particularly with instruments I'm not competent in. If you're not Jon Meyer, what else can you do?
Interesting!
I do wonder if the same A.I that recognises the music will just be making it itself in a few years; the lighter T.V stuff anyway.
Maybe things will go full circle and playing instruments live will be the only income for all musicians.
I'm far more scared of those A.I. robot war dogs that keep showing up on my twitter feed than I am A.I. music. But no doubt it will be an issue in the coming years.
I like the quality of your videos. What kind of camera do you use?
Thank you! I have a Sony A7siii, but my older videos where shot with a Panasonic GH5.
@@JonMeyer thanks. I subscribed to your channel!
why are people so obsessed with getting a different sound? i would be upset if my real instrument didn't sound like it was supposed to sound. i doubt anyone can tell which guitar was used in a piece of music and it wouldn't be a problem if the same instrument was used in two top 10 songs. if someone wants their sample to sound unique they can always do what electric guitarists have done for years, send the signal through a chain of effects. EQ, reverb, overdrive, flanger, whatever.
Everyone uses these samples but it's only the ones with the most marketing money that gets credit ;)
Adroit.
20 years - I have no idea what you're talking about. Are you sure you understand "samples"?
Thank you for these videos. Useful. Cheers
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