Using free drum samples can be tempting, especially when you’re just starting out and don’t have the budget to invest in high-quality samples. However, there are several negatives to using free drum samples that you should consider before making a decision.
Limited selection:
One of the main downsides of free drum samples is that the selection is often limited. You may not be able to find the specific sounds you’re looking for, or you may have to spend a lot of time searching through various websites to find what you need.
Quality issues:
Another issue with free drum samples is that the quality can vary significantly. Some samples may be recorded poorly, or may not be properly processed and cleaned up. This can lead to problems when you’re trying to use the samples in your music, such as clicks, pops, and other unwanted noise.
Legal issues:
Many free drum samples are not licensed for commercial use, which means that you could run into legal issues if you use them in your music without the proper permissions. This could lead to costly legal fees in the worse case and see the owner of the samples claiming credits and or publishing rights from your music sales. If you equire some free samples from a reputable company, you need to make sure where you stand on the royalties. All Macdrum’s samples are royalty free once purchased and downloaded.
Lack of support:
When you purchase drum samples from a reputable company, you usually get access to some kind of support. With free drum samples, you’re often on your own if you encounter any problems or have questions about how to use the samples.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while free drum samples may seem like an attractive option at first, they come with several negatives that you should consider before making a decision. It may be worth investing in high-quality drum samples from a reputable company to avoid the issues mentioned above and ensure that you have the best possible sounds for your music. Free samples are great for practicing but be aware of the pitfalls and make sure you remove them from your files once you are releasing music into the public sphere.