# One-shots vs loops: which samples should you use?

> A one-shot is a single sound, such as one kick, one chord or one shout, that you trigger and arrange yourself. A loop is a recorded pattern, usually one to eight bars at a fixed tempo, that repeats seamlessly. One-shots give you control and fit any tempo; loops give you a performance with feel built in, but must match your project's tempo and key.

Production guide, updated 2026-10-23. One-shots are single hits you program yourself; loops are recorded patterns that repeat at a tempo. When to use each, how to match them, and how to search.

## Side by side

| | One-shot | Loop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | One hit or note | A repeating pattern of bars |
| Tempo | Fits any tempo | Recorded at one tempo |
| Key | One root note (if pitched) | A key or chord progression |
| Control | Full: you write the pattern | Limited: chop or re-arrange it |
| Feel | Programmed unless you humanise it | A real performance |
| Typical use | Drum kits, 808s, stabs, FX | Grooves, textures, sketching |

## When to reach for one-shots

Drums in most modern genres are programmed from one-shots: a kick, a snare or clap, hats and percussion, arranged in a drum rack or sequencer. Pitched one-shots, such as 808s, plucks and stabs, load into a sampler and play melodies. Because nothing is fixed, one-shots suit any tempo and key, and they're the building blocks of the [kit builder](https://sound.shep.bot/kit).

## When to reach for loops

Loops shine when feel matters more than control: a live drummer's groove, a strummed guitar, a percussion bed, a texture. They're also the fastest way to sketch. The price is matching: set your project to the loop's BPM (or stretch it), and keep pitched loops in a compatible key. See [finding samples by BPM and key](https://sound.shep.bot/guides/find-samples-by-bpm-and-key).

## Searching for each

On Sound Server, the form filter separates them: `form=one-shot`, `form=loop`, `form=phrase` and `form=multisample`. Words in your query work too: "kick one shot" or "drum loop 90 bpm" set the filters for you. Each result shows its form next to its length, so a two-minute "kick" file stands out as a loop or a pack before you play it.

## Questions

**Are loops cheating?**

No. Loops have been part of music production since the first samplers. What matters is what you do with them: chopping, re-pitching and layering a loop makes it yours, and the licence decides whether you may release it.

**What is a multisample?**

A set of one-shots of the same instrument at different notes, and often different velocities, mapped across a keyboard so it can be played like the real thing. Free orchestral and piano libraries are usually multisamples.

**What is a phrase sample?**

A short performed passage that isn't designed to loop, such as a vocal line, a guitar lick or a fill. Sound Server labels these 'phrase'.

## Try it

- [Kick one-shots](https://sound.shep.bot/search?q=kick&category=drums.kick&form=one-shot)
- [Drum loops at 90 BPM](https://sound.shep.bot/search?q=drum+loop&category=drums&form=loop&bpm=90)
- [Guitar loops](https://sound.shep.bot/search?q=guitar&category=guitar&form=loop)

## Collections

- [Free kick samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-kick-samples.md): Free kick drum samples for any genre, from punchy acoustic kicks to drum machine thumps, each with a preview and a verdict on commercial use.
- [Free drum loops](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-drum-loops.md): Free drum loops for hip hop, house, trap, rock and lo-fi, with tempo where known and a licence verdict on each, ready to drop into a project at the right BPM.
- [Free guitar loops](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-guitar-loops.md): Free guitar loops: clean electric riffs, acoustic strums, funk licks and ambient textures with BPM and key where known, each with a commercial-use verdict.
- [Free lo-fi loops](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-lofi-loops.md): Free lo-fi hip hop loops: dusty keys, jazzy guitar, mellow drums and tape-warped textures with BPM and key where known, and a licence verdict on every loop.

## Related guides

- [How to find samples by BPM and key](https://sound.shep.bot/guides/find-samples-by-bpm-and-key.md): Search loops, 808s and melodic samples by tempo and key, why half-time and relative keys match, and how to check a sample's real BPM and root note.
- [How to build a drum kit from free samples](https://sound.shep.bot/guides/build-a-drum-kit-from-free-samples.md): Pick a kick, snare, clap, hats and 808 that suit each other, check every licence, then play the kit in Strudel or any sampler via an SFZ or General MIDI map.
- [What is an 808? The drum machine and the bass](https://sound.shep.bot/guides/what-is-an-808.md): An 808 is Roland's TR-808 drum machine (1980), and in trap and hip hop its long, tuned bass drum used as a bassline. History, tuning and free 808 samples.
- [WAV, AIFF, FLAC or MP3: which sample format should you use?](https://sound.shep.bot/guides/sample-formats-wav-mp3-flac.md): Use lossless WAV, AIFF or FLAC for production and MP3 or Ogg only for previews. Sample rate and bit depth explained: 44.1 or 48 kHz, 16 or 24-bit.

This guide is practical information, not legal advice.

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Source: https://sound.shep.bot/guides/one-shots-vs-loops