WhoSampled - Exploring the DNA that makes up your favourite music

WhoSampled – Exploring the DNA that makes up your favourite music

WhoSampled is a website that took the music production world by storm, offering a database of sampled and remixed material.

Whatever your stance is on sampling, its safe to say that it has become part of the music production process for a large portion of creators, some genres even relying on it heavily for its main themes and elements.

The app first came about as an online database of which tracks used sampled materials from which sources, along with remixes and all sorts of other music production related information. It’s a fantastic way to learn how some of the world’s most iconic producers constructed the tracks that gave them success and allows you to recreate such classics using the same sample sources.

One of the fantastic aspects of WhoSampled is that the database is community generated, that means as new tracks get released the community will update the database, and the system keeps growing.

What sets them apart from the other online sample databases?

So, you know that app, Shazam?

The one that allows you to record a snippet of a song that’s playing on your hi-fi or in a club, and instantly recognize what track it is.

WhoSampled just released a mobile app for iOS and Android which boasts a similar track recognition system! The idea is to be able to instantly tell you the musical DNA that makes up the track you’re listening to – whether it’s a remix or made up of samples from various sources.

The app with access to the database is free on Android with some adverts, iOS users will have to pay USD $3.99 (Around R60) however the iOS version is Ad-free. For the track recognition system, they’re using a subscription service, for USD $10 (Around R150) per year – that means they’re most likely licensing a decent recognition system that actually works!