What's a Sample?

Have you ever heard a new song and thought it had an uncanny resemblance to something you had heard before? That's probably because you have. Samples and interpolations are some of the most popular ways of recycling music from the past and turning it into something new.

A couple of my favorite samples are:

Why Won't You Make up Your Mind- Tame Impala / Sundress -ASAP Rocky

Silver Soul- Beach House / Money Trees-Kendrick Lamar

These samples show how artists build off of other's creativity, but in a legal setting, samples can become very tricky. Even if it is a simple chord progression in the background of a song, if it is not original content, the artist is legally required to

give credit and declare it as a sample. It then needs to be checked and approved by the owner of the sample as to whether or not it is allowed to be used and how much compensation the owner of the sample wants. Sometimes heavy negotiation is required for a sample to be approved.

There are times when there is a slight similarity between music, but there can be arguments as to whether it needs to be credited or if it is simply just similar. One popular and notable instance of this can is Olivia Rodrigo's song "Deja Vu," in which she was required to give credit to Taylor Swift's "Cruel Summer" due to a similar bridge. Fans speculate that this discrepancy is the cause of a rocky relationship between the two singers. This goes to show the lengths artists will go to in order to make sure their work is properly credited.

At the end of the day, music is a form of art and intellectual property. People deserve to have credit given to them when their work is being used, but in a world where everyone is being inspired by one another, how can we draw the line between copying and drawing inspiration? Maybe this legal process helps give credit to those who deserve it, but at the same time, it might be a way for artists and labels to exercise power over one another.