DistroVibe accepts releases containing sampled material only if you hold valid legal clearance and written authorization from the original copyright owners.
What Constitutes a Sample?
Sampling involves taking a segment of a pre-existing master sound recording (such as a drum loop, vocal phrase, synth riff, or acoustic snippet) and incorporating it into a new production. Using any portion of another artist's original master recording without a license violates copyright law.
Required Documentation & Clearance
To deliver tracks containing samples to streaming platforms, you must provide verifiable proof of licensing:
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Direct Upload Attachment: Upload your clearance agreement, master use license, or commercial sample pack license directly within the release uploader.
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Support Portal Ticket: If prompted by our Quality Control (QC) team, submit your licensing agreements by opening a Needs Documentation ticket in your dashboard or emailing support@distrovibe.com.
Critical Sample Policies
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Cover Song Licenses Are Not Sample Clearances: A mechanical cover license only grants permission to re-record the underlying composition using your own instruments and vocals. It does not permit using snippets of the original master audio.
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Royalty-Free Sample Libraries: Commercially purchased royalty-free loops (e.g., from Splice, Loopmasters, or DistroVibe AI Studio) are permitted. However, avoid submitting unaltered, isolated one-shots or basic loops to YouTube Content ID to prevent claim collisions.
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Unauthorized Material: Delivering unauthorized samples will lead to release rejections, store-level takedowns, and potential platform suspensions or legal claims from original rights holders. Ensure all audio elements are fully cleared before scheduling your release.