LibraryMusic101:TheMostUndersampledGenre

What library music is

Production libraries commissioned original music from professional composers and session musicians, pressed it on vinyl, and licensed it to broadcasters and filmmakers on a per-use basis. The records were distributed exclusively to industry customers, not sold in shops. This is why so much library music remained unknown for decades: it was never in circulation.

The labels that matter

• —KPM Music (UK, 1960s-1980s): the most sampled library label. Recorded by top British session musicians including Alan Hawkshaw, Keith Mansfield, and John Cameron. The KPM 1000 series is particularly well-documented.
• —Bruton Music (UK, 1977-1990s): heavy use by British broadcasters, covers funk, jazz, electronic, and orchestral styles in a specific 1970s-1980s production aesthetic.
• —DeWolfe Music (UK, from 1909): oldest production library in existence. The post-1960 output includes excellent funk and jazz material.
• —Chappell Recording Library (UK): extensive catalog of jazz and funk sessions from the 1960s and 1970s.
• —Sonia Musique (France): French library music with a different production approach, often featuring harder funk grooves and unusual instrumentation.
• —Sonora (Italy): Italian library records known for cinematic orchestration and strong drum breaks.

Why it samples well

Library music was recorded with the intention of being used as a bed under other content. Arrangements were designed to be looped, to have clean sections, to not be too busy in any particular frequency range. The musicians were professional session players recording to high standards. The result is material that is technically clean, tonally consistent, and structurally suited to being taken apart and rebuilt.

Finding it on CrateDrop

Filter to genre 'Non-Music' or 'Stage & Screen' with style 'Library' or 'Soundtrack'. Country UK brings up the British libraries; country France or Italy for European alternatives. Year range 1963 to 1985 covers the main production period. Want/have numbers on library records are often very low because these records were pressed in small quantities for industry distribution only.