Can I Release Music with Samples?

DistroVibe accepts releases that contain sampled material only if you have valid legal clearance and written permission from the original copyright owners.

What counts as a sample?

Sampling means taking part of an existing sound recording (such as a drum loop, vocal phrase, synth riff or acoustic snippet) and using it in a new production. Using any part of another artist's original recording without a licence infringes copyright.

Required documentation

Keep proof of every sample licence before you release. If our review team needs to see it, your release status changes to Needs Docs:

• Documents tab: Upload your clearance agreement, master use licence or sample pack licence in the release's Documents tab.
• Support: If you have questions about the documents we need, open a support ticket from your dashboard or email support@distrovibe.com.

Important sample rules

• Cover licences are not sample clearances: A mechanical licence for a cover song only lets you re-record the composition with your own instruments and vocals. It does not let you use any part of the original recording.
• Royalty-free sample libraries: Loops and samples bought from commercial royalty-free libraries (for example Splice or Loopmasters) can be used under their licence terms. Tracks that contain samples or loops are not eligible for YouTube Content ID or Meta Rights Manager, so turn these off in the Additional Delivery section of the release wizard.
• Unauthorized material: Uncleared samples can lead to release rejection, store takedowns, account action and legal claims from the original rights holders. Make sure every element is cleared before you submit your release.