Sampling in Music

Abstract

Sampling has been a staple technique of not just hip hop, but all genres of music. Throughout history, music has been covered, interpolated, and reappropriated, eventually leading to modern day sampling. Behind the countless classic songs that have been made over the decades using sampling however, lies an insurmountable amount of sample clearance issues, copyright infringements, lawsuits, and other issues, making sampling itself an ongoing topic of discussion. The main question for producers being, "is it worth it?" After all the sacrificed publishing, and the extra risks, is sampling a lucrative approach to producing in the industry today? My project will explore the importance of sampling in music, and most of all, if beats with samples are easier to place with artists and make a profit from than beats without samples. My hypothesis is that beats that do not use samples will be easier to make a profit from.