Sample Clearance
Using a piece of someone's recording — clear both composition and master
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Sample clearance is permission to use a fragment of someone else's recording. It usually takes two layers: the composition (the melody or lyric inside the sample) and the master (that specific sound); they may belong to different owners and must be negotiated separately.
The usual mistake is to think "change it a bit and you are safe": pitch-shifting, speeding up or editing does not automatically remove rights; a short fragment is not automatically fair use. When clearance fails, common alternatives are re-recording/replaying (composition only) or using library material. Before sampling, ask: am I using a recording, a work, or both.
Read deeper → copyright
Sources
- 采样清权的双层授权与常见做法，参通行音乐产业教材；本文为通识说明，不构成法律意见
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.