🎧 Reference guide
Sample packs: buy once, or subscribe?
There are two ways to source sample content: buy packs one at a time, or pay monthly for a credit allowance. Which one is cheaper flips depending on how often you actually produce. Comparing headline prices alone will not tell you which to pick, so this guide starts from how each model charges you.
| Service | Charging model | Price (as verified) | Suits you if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loopmasters | One-off. You buy individual packs and pay only for those | Varies per pack (sales run frequently) | You know the genres you need, and you produce irregularly enough that a monthly fee would sit unused |
| Loopcloud | Subscription (points). Monthly points are exchanged for sounds | £5.99 / £9.99 / £17.99 per month (100 / 300 / 600 points respectively) | You want to audition and key-match sounds inside your DAW, or you want to trial before committing (14-day free trial) |
| Splice | Subscription (credits). Explicitly 1 sample = 1 credit | $12.99 / $19.99 / $39.99 per month (100 / 200 / 500 credits respectively) | You want the largest catalogue and the most established workflow, or you need unused credits to roll over |
How to choose
- If you get through less than a pack a month, buy one-off. A subscription still bills you in the months you do not produce, so occasional buyers pay more for less. Buying packs during sales from a store like Loopmasters is the rational route here (#PR)
- If hunting for new sounds is a standing part of your workflow, subscribe. Your effective cost per pack drops, and the searching itself is provided as a tool
- If you genuinely cannot tell, measure your own consumption before paying. Loopcloud offers a 14-day trial with 100 points, so you can find out how many sounds you actually pull in a month before any money changes hands (#PR). That measured figure is a far better basis for the decision than the headline monthly price
The catch: points and credits are not the same unit
Lining up monthly prices looks like a comparison, but the unit being granted differs between providers.
- Splice states 1 sample = 1 credit (presets and MIDI cost between 1 and 3 credits)
- Loopcloud uses points, and the number of points a given sound costs varies
So a lower monthly price does not reliably mean a lower cost per sample. How far your allowance goes depends on the specific sounds you want, which is why we recommend measuring it on a free trial rather than quoting a conversion rate we cannot verify.
Check these before you subscribe
- Whether you keep downloaded sounds after cancelling. Loopcloud states that you can upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time and keep your purchases permanently. Terms differ between providers, so confirm this in the provider's own help pages
- Whether unused allowance rolls over. Splice states that unused credits carry into the following month
- The scope of the royalty-free licence. Commercial use is generally permitted, but redistribution and re-inclusion in sample packs are usually restricted, and the exact limits vary
- How to cancel. A forgotten subscription bills silently. Note your renewal date when you sign up
These models are not mutually exclusive
In practice, combining them wastes the least money: run your everyday exploration on a subscription, and buy the packs you rely on long-term outright when they go on sale. Packs you own outright are unaffected by cancelling, so they remain as the foundation of your library.
This site tracks plugin sales daily. The same principle applies to sample packs: not paying full price is the most reliable saving available.
※ Some links on this page are affiliate links (#PR). Information reflects the last verified date above. Prices and specifications may change — please confirm current terms on each provider's official site.