There's no price list for samples. Every rights holder sets their own terms, and two producers sampling the same record can get very different quotes. What you can learn is how a quote is built, and which part of it actually hurts.
If you're new to the whole idea, start with the complete guide to sample clearance. This one is just about the money.
What you're actually paying for
Every sample from a record involves two rights, usually owned by two different companies. You need a deal with both, and each deal has its own price.
| Part of the deal | Who you pay | What it usually looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Master use fee | The record label | A one-off upfront payment |
| Master royalty | The record label | A small percentage of your track's earnings |
| Publishing fee | The music publisher | A one-off upfront payment |
| Publishing share | The publisher and songwriters | A permanent percentage of your song's copyright |
Not every deal includes all four. Some labels take a flat fee and walk away. Some publishers skip the upfront fee and just take a bigger share. But this is the shape of most quotes.
Typical ranges for an independent release
These are the figures producers, distributors and clearance services commonly quote for a small or mid-sized independent release. Treat them as a rough map, not a promise.
| Cost | Common range |
|---|---|
| Master use fee | Around $2,000 to $10,000 |
| Publishing fee | Around $2,000 to $10,000 |
| Publishing share | Often 15% to 50% of your song |
| Master royalty | Often a few percent of your track's income |
For a famous record or a major label release, numbers can go far past this. Some owners ask for 100% of the publishing. Some simply refuse.
Why the publishing split is the expensive part
The upfront fees are painful but finite. The split never ends.
Say you pay $3,000 to each side, and the publisher takes 40% of your song. Years later, the song does well and its publishing earns $20,000. The original writers take $8,000 of that, on top of the $6,000 you already paid. And they keep taking 40% of everything after, including sync fees if the song lands in a film or an ad.
That's why experienced producers look at the split first and the fee second.
What makes a sample cost more
- Fame. A recognizable hit costs more than an obscure B-side, and some catalogs are famous for saying no.
- Prominence. A loop that carries the whole beat costs more than a texture buried in the mix. Vocals usually cost more than instrumentals.
- Length and repetition. Using a phrase once is a different deal from looping it for three minutes.
- Your release. An independent single with a small audience gets a different quote from a signed artist's lead single.
- Where it's going. Sync (film, TV, ads, games) is usually priced separately and costs more.
The costs nobody puts in the quote
- People. Many producers pay a music lawyer or a clearance company to find the owners and negotiate. That's worth it, but it's an extra bill.
- Time. Clearance commonly takes weeks and often months. If a release date is fixed, delays cost money too.
- The deal that falls through. You can spend weeks negotiating and still get a no. The beat you built around that sample is then unreleasable.
When it's worth paying
Sometimes a specific record is the whole idea of the song, and the release is big enough to justify the fees and the split. Plenty of great records exist because someone paid properly.
For everything else, starting from material that's already cleared saves you the fees and the split, never mind the wait.
From the catalog
FERALIAA gorgeous run into the wonderful world of Freddie Gibbs x Alchemist. Rare Soul/Jazz.
If you want to know what the clearance process looks like step by step, read how to clear a sample.
Questions producers ask
Is there a standard price for clearing a sample?
No. Every rights holder sets their own terms. The figures commonly quoted for an independent release are around $2,000 to $10,000 upfront for each side (recording and song), plus a share of your song, but famous records can cost far more or be refused.
Can I clear a sample for free?
Occasionally an artist or small label will say yes for free or for a credit, especially for small releases. It's rare, and you still need the permission in writing from both the recording owner and the publisher.
Do I pay the label and the publisher separately?
Usually, yes. The recording (master) and the song (publishing) are separate copyrights, often owned by different companies, and each negotiates its own fee and share.
Are Soul Sample Club samples cleared?
Yes. Everything in Soul Sample Club is an original composition, pre-cleared for commercial use, including major label releases and sync. Anything you download while you're a member is licensed to you for life, and you'll never owe royalties on it.
Skip the paperwork
Original soul, cleared before you press play.
Every sound in Soul Sample Club is an original composition, pre-cleared for commercial releases. Download it, flip it, release it. Nothing to negotiate.
Chris, Founder of Soul Sample Club
Producer and the person behind Looplair and Soul Sample Club. I started SSC so producers could sample soul without the clearance headache.
Sources
- Symphonic: How to clear a sample
- Nolo: How to obtain sample clearance
- Songtrust: The difference between a sample and an interpolation
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For a specific release, talk to a music lawyer.
Keep reading
Sample clearance: the complete guide for producers
What sample clearance actually is, who you need permission from, and what happens if you skip it. Written by a producer, for producers.
How to clear a sample, step by step
A practical walkthrough of clearing a sample: finding the label and publisher, writing the request, negotiating, and getting it in writing.
Sampling vs interpolation: what's the difference?
Sampling uses the original recording; interpolation replays it. What each one needs cleared, why big releases replay samples, and when it's worth doing.