When does Sampling become Piracy ?

blackmamba · Post by **blackmamba** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 2:08 pm

Hello Sharp,

I probably explained my project in the wrong way.
I don't plan to take other people's work and make money from this ... At all !
I am working on a harmony software which needs sample instruments to work, but you could plug the software in anothers sound libraries if you would like to, even if it's not too optimized for that for now.

I am not planning to make money on the samples and if was planning to, I would record the samples myself ...

If I release the commercial software and provide the free download of the samples sounds used, would this be ok to you?
Even to use LSO samples?

Post by **Sharp** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 2:38 pm

If I release the commercial software and provide the free download of the samples sounds used, would this be ok to you?

What way are you packing the samples? Do they remain in a format that will run in any other computer program?

If they do, what I would suggest is....

1: Offer your software with no sounds whatever in the download the customer pays for.

2: Offer the sound library as a separate download for free in a format that people can use with or without your software.

3: Your software must support the ability to work with any sound library.

If you did that, I can't see you being accused of charging for the sounds as your software doesn't need them, they are only provided as a free download to get the customer going initially.

Even to use LSO samples?

Very likely if you went with the kind of idea I explained above you would be ok as you are then truly not selling the sounds and your software doesn't actually depend on them.

Regards
Sharp

blackmamba · Post by **blackmamba** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 2:54 pm

Sharp,

The samples (.wav or .ogg files) are packed in basic folders.
The only issue with what you are proposing is :

3: Your software must support the ability to work with any sound library.

This leads to a phenomenal amount of additional work

If I offer free download of the sounds used in separate link, how could I be accused to sell the sounds via the software?

Post by **Sharp** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 3:10 pm

blackmamba wrote:Sharp,

The samples (.wav or .ogg files) are packed in basic folders.
The only issue with what you are proposing is :

3: Your software must support the ability to work with any sound library.

This leads to a phenomenal amount of additional work

If I offer free download of the sounds used in separate link, how could I be accused to sell the sounds via the software?

Easily, because your software would be completely useless without the samples and would not work as advertised. That's grounds for anyone to accuse you of trying to turn a profit from the samples as they are the entire source of all sound that drives your software.

Can't you just use a XML file that does away with the need to hard code the data into your software? Something that any end user can manually write if they want to add to the sound library, or replace it with their own content ?

Regards
Sharp.

blackmamba · Post by **blackmamba** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 3:22 pm

Can't you just use a XML file that does away with the need to hard code the data into your software? Something that any end user can manually write if they want to add to the sound library, or replace it with their own content ?

Hum ... I mean, if the ends user wants to use his own library, xml or not, he will still have to respect some standards "hardoded" into the software, for example the file formats (wav/ogg) supported, the sampling rates supported, the naming convention of the files, etc ...

It would mean that the libraries supported have a lot of constraints to be usable.

Post by **Sharp** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 3:34 pm

Hum ... I mean, if the ends user wants to use his own library, xml or not, he will still have to respect some standards "hardoded" into the software, for example the file formats (wav/ogg) supported, the sampling rates supported, the naming convention of the files, etc ...

I don't see it like that at all.

If your program for example only works with 44.1Khz / 16bit Stereo wav/ogg, then that's only a required specification. This is not a problem.

The end user simply makes sure their samples are in the format the specification demands.

Then they simply have to assign the samples to whatever format your XML file demands.

This is no different from me manually writing a SFZ file with Windows Note Pad to point to samples and key zones.

Regards
Sharp.

blackmamba · Post by **blackmamba** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 3:41 pm

It's nice in this case !

Thank you Sharp

blackmamba · Post by **blackmamba** » Thu Jun 12, 2014 11:20 pm

Hello again,
Sorry to come back to this sampling issue once again.
Do the sampling restrictions apply on freebies?
For example Embertone strings lite?
Or, as it is free, is it supposed that we can do what we want with it?
Cheers

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Fri Jun 13, 2014 5:50 am

They usually come with some information on that subject.