Sample Pack Contest XIX

What is Sample Pack Contest?

Sample Pack Contest is a series of original music-writing contests that began in 2005, originally on VGMusic's forums and now on its own dedicated Discord server.

Users are first asked to submit sound samples, which can be anything ranging from video game noises to famous music clips to the very sounds recorded using your own mic. Then, participants create tracks using only the samples from this pack. In the end, all music is listened to and voted on to determine placing and the eventual winner.

Voting for SPCXIX is open! (deadline: Sunday, June 23, 2024 23:59 PDT)

Download the votepack here: MP3 320kbps | FLAC lossless

GO VOTE HERE!

Thank you to all the contest submitters! Voting on the contest is now open until June 23; anyone and everyone is welcome to vote, whether or not you participated in the rest of the event.

Voting entails scoring each entry from 0 to 100 points. Assign all entries (besides your own) a score of your choice between 0 and 100. Additionally, you may leave comments on any entries you wish (including your own!). Scores and comments will be public afterwards. Your browser should save your work if the window is closed. Additionally, after submitting votes, you will receive a unique URL which you can use to edit your votes/comments if desired. Don't vote on your own entries, and vote only once.

We'll be having two listening parties for all the entries on Saturday, June 8 @ 11AM PDT and again on Sunday, June 9 @ 6PM PDT, generously hosted once more by Sid! Please join us in celebrating everyone's music at Sid's twitch page, with additional chat happening in the Discord server.

Want to look back at the samples? Download the SPC XIX Sample Pack here!

Rules/guidelines for creating tracks:

  • Use as many or as few of the samples as you wish. You are encouraged to use an audio editor to edit the samples and derive original sounds; think about looping, pitch-shifting, trimming, dynamics, baked-in effects etc.
  • Effects such as reverb, delay, distortion, chorus, phaser, flanger, pitch-shift, auto-tune etc. are all permitted and encouraged in your arrangements.
  • Effects that also generate audio for a carrier signal (i.e. vocoders) are a grey area, but we've allowed them in previous contests and they are permitted.
  • Avoid the cop-out of ultra-shortlooped (or "chipped") samples/generally avoid making chiptunes. This is more of a request than a hard rule, but in general it's recommended that the sample retain some of its character.
  • Keep your entries a secret from everyone as authors will be revealed when results are announced.
  • Collaborations are permitted.
  • This contest is intended for original music only, not remixes or covers.
  • Final catch-all rule: for anything else not covered by these rules, if you feel you might be taking excessive liberties, you probably are.
  • Good luck and have fun!
I am new. How does SPC work? (SPC Outline)
  • Phase 1: The community is asked to submit samples - short sound clips of basically anything. Typically this phase is about a week long.
  • Phase 2: With the newly assembled and released sample pack, participants make as much music as they want using only the samples as their sound sources. (Effects, sample manipulation etc are welcome, though shortlooping/chiplooping is discouraged.) Typically this phase is about two months long.
  • Phase 3: Anyone who wishes to vote ranks all the entries (which remain anonymous until results) using a tool on this website, with optional space for comments as well. Typically this phase is about two weeks long, with results posted immediately thereafter!
  • Note that you can participate in any phases of SPC that you please. For example, you can choose to only send in samples, or only vote, etc.
Handy links: