Tips For Sample Searching

In this chapter, I introduce my mindset and ongoing approach to sample searching, showing how inspiration can come from anywhere, from films to everyday environments. I explain why building your own sample library is essential and set the foundation for the techniques I’ll demonstrate throughout the course.

Here, I show how I use Beatport as a digging tool rather than a sample pack site, focusing on finding acapellas that fit my track musically and creatively. I walk through filtering by key, genre, and release date to quickly audition vocals that work while avoiding overused samples.

In this chapter, I demonstrate how I use AI vocal tools to transform an existing vocal into something original. I explain how changing vocalists, pitch, and character can help you create a replay-style vocal that’s easier to clear while still fitting perfectly in your track

Here, I break down my method for finding spoken-word vocals on YouTube by thinking laterally about content like meditations and poetry. I show how to extract high-quality audio and use AI stem separation to isolate clean vocals ready for use in your productions.

In the final chapter, I dive into traditional crate digging, explaining how vinyl sampling can lead to truly exclusive sounds. I share how I use my own record collection, Discogs, and DJ tools to build long-term sample libraries that go far beyond what’s easily available online.