Splice vs Looperman: Are We Still Digging for Samples This Way?

Producers have two giants for sourcing sounds: Splice, with its polished subscription library, and Looperman, a free-for-all community hub. Both promise endless material, but which one actually slots into a fast-paced workflow?

We’re putting them head-to-head, comparing their libraries, features, and pricing models to see which platform best serves the working musician.

But what if the goal isn't just finding samples, but building ideas? That’s where a third option comes in—an ecosystem like Output’s, where AI-powered tools like Co-Producer and playable instruments like Arcade are designed to accelerate your starting point.

A Quick Overview on Splice and Looperman

What is Splice?

Splice is a subscription service giving producers access to a vast library of royalty-free samples, which are yours to keep after you download them. Beyond just sounds, it offers rent-to-own plans for plugins and a desktop app that syncs with your DAW for quick auditioning and drag-and-drop functionality.

What is Looperman?

Looperman is a community-driven platform where producers share and download free loops, samples, and acapellas. Since everything is user-uploaded, you’re pulling sounds directly from a global community of creators, resulting in a massive—if sometimes unpredictable—library of free material.

Features of Splice and Looperman

Splice Features

Splice packs in several tools designed to streamline the sound-sourcing process.

• A large library of royalty-free samples, loops, and presets cleared for commercial projects.
• A rent-to-own model for acquiring VSTs and effects plugins through payment plans.
• A desktop app that syncs with your DAW, letting you audition sounds in your track’s key and tempo before dragging them in.
• A “Create” function that finds and suggests sonically compatible loops to help build out ideas.
• Any sound you download is yours to keep permanently, even if you cancel your subscription.

Looperman Features

Looperman’s feature set is built entirely around its community-first, free-for-all model.

• A massive, user-generated library of free loops, samples, and acapellas.
• The ability to upload your own sounds, share them with other producers, and get feedback.
• Advanced search filters let you drill down by BPM, key, genre, and even the DAW used to make the sound.
• A mixed bag of licensing terms where many sounds are free for non-commercial use only, requiring you to contact the creator to purchase a commercial license.
• Its core model is its main differentiator: the platform is entirely free to use, with all content supplied by its user base, setting it apart from subscription services.

Why Choose One Over The Other?

• You might lean toward Splice if you prioritize a fast, predictable workflow and guaranteed commercial clearance. Its curated library and desktop app integration mean less time digging and more time producing, unlike the manual process of sifting through Looperman’s user-uploaded content.

• On the other hand, Looperman is the go-to if your budget is nonexistent and you don’t mind crate-digging. It offers a massive, free-for-all library, but you’ll trade the convenience and straightforward licensing of Splice for variable sound quality and the need to negotiate commercial rights directly with creators.

Output: A Better Alternative to Splice And Looperman

While Splice and Looperman are great for hunting down individual sounds, they often leave you with a folder full of parts and no clear direction. We built Output on a different premise: what if your tools didn't just give you ingredients, but helped you cook up the entire song? It’s less about sample-finding and more about idea-starting.

What is Output?

We offer a connected ecosystem of instruments and effects that talk to each other, all designed to get a track off the ground.

• Instead of just downloading static audio files, you get Arcade, a playable instrument that loads our constantly growing library of sounds directly into your session. Every sound is instantly tweakable and ready to perform.
• Our AI-powered Co-Producer listens to your project and suggests fitting sounds from our library. You can even use natural language to ask for what you need, moving beyond simple keyword searches.
• We build effects that are instruments in their own right. Tools like Portal for granular synthesis or Thermal for complex distortion aren't just for mixing—they’re for total sound transformation.
• Our ecosystem extends to a full suite of deep-sampled Kontakt instruments that have become staples in professional studios for their distinct character.
• It’s all part of a single, cohesive environment. From the sounds you use to the studio furniture you work at, every piece is designed to keep you in a state of flow.

Ultimately, the choice comes down to your goal. If you need to find a specific kick drum, Splice and Looperman have you covered. But if you want to build a track from a single spark of inspiration, with tools that guide and shape your ideas along the way, that’s where we come in. It’s the difference between collecting samples and making music.

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Pricing of Splice vs Looperman

Splice Pricing

Splice operates on a subscription model where you pay for a monthly allotment of credits. These credits are your currency for downloading sounds from their library.

They offer three main tiers:

• Sounds+: $12.99 per month for 100 credits.
• Creator: $19.99 per month for 200 credits.
• Creator+: $39.99 per month for 500 credits.

If you prefer to pay upfront, annual plans are available that knock a little off the total price. Unused credits roll over each month, and anything you download is yours to keep, even if you cancel. They also have an intro offer for the Creator plan, which drops the price for the first month so you can give it a spin.

Looperman Pricing

Looperman’s pricing is simple: there isn’t any. The platform is completely free to use.

You sign up for an account and get access to a massive, user-uploaded library of sounds. No monthly fees, no credit packs. It’s a community-driven free-for-all, which is great if you’re on a zero-dollar budget.

But here’s the trade-off. While the download costs nothing, the licensing can be a bit of a wild west. Loops are generally cleared for commercial use, but acapellas often aren't. You might find yourself tracking down the original uploader to negotiate rights, which can throw a wrench in your workflow. It’s the price you pay for free—just not with money.

Output Pricing

We built our pricing around a simple idea: give producers everything they need to make a track, not just a folder of loose sounds. It’s less about counting credits and more about unlocking a complete workflow. Our all-access pass is called Output One.

For $14.99/month (or $119.99/year), you get the whole shebang: our playable sample instrument Arcade, the AI-powered Co-Producer, and our entire suite of FX plugins like Portal and Thermal. It’s the entire ecosystem in one place.

You can try before you buy, of course. We offer a free 7-day trial of Arcade so you can see how it fits into your setup. No strings attached.

If you're not ready for the full bundle, you can also subscribe to tools individually. And for producers who prefer to own their software outright, our classic Kontakt instruments and FX plugins are available as one-time purchases.

Splice, Looperman, or Output: Which is The Best Sample Library for You?

Look, whether you’re spending credits on Splice or digging for gold on Looperman, you’ll find good sounds. But if you’re tired of collecting parts and want to actually finish tracks, our ecosystem is built to get you there faster. We believe your tools should help you start and finish ideas, not just fill a folder—see for yourself and try it for free.

Happy creating!