# Free marimba and mallet samples

> Free marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, glockenspiel and kalimba samples, as notes and loops for pop, house, ambient and game music, with licence verdicts.

24 samples from 2 sources (Wikimedia Commons 14, Strudel sample banks 10), updated 2026-10-23. Picked from a live search and refreshed daily.

- Same search in the browser: https://sound.shep.bot/search?q=marimba&category=mallets
- Same search over the API: `curl "https://sound.shep.bot/v1/search?q=marimba&category=mallets"`
- Details, files and the credit line: `GET https://sound.shep.bot/v1/samples/{id}` with an id from the table below.
- Licence verdicts: "Commercial use OK" (with or without credit) is cleared for a release; anything else must be checked or is non-commercial. See https://sound.shep.bot/docs/licences.md

## Tuned percussion

Mallet instruments are struck with sticks or soft mallets: marimba and xylophone with wooden bars, vibraphone and glockenspiel with metal ones, plus the hand-plucked kalimba. Their sounds are pitched and percussive, with a clear attack and a natural decay, which makes them work both as melody and rhythm.

## Getting a playable instrument

Because each bar is a separate note, mallet instruments are easy to multisample, and several free orchestral and percussion libraries include them. Map the notes across a sampler, with two or three velocity layers if available; soft and hard strikes sound quite different. Repeated notes sound more natural if you alternate between two samples of the same pitch.

Tropical house, pop, ambient and game soundtracks use mallets constantly. Licences on the free libraries are often open, and each card shows the verdict.

## Samples

| Sample | id | What | Source | Licence | Commercial use | Direct download |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Attraction Marimba](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Attraction_Marimba.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Attraction_Marimba.ogg` | Mallets, 14 s | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [VCSL · marimba B2 · 0](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Marimba/Marimba_hit_Outrigger_B2_soft_01.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/marimba/0` | Mallets, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Chiapanecas marimba](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chiapanecas_marimba.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Chiapanecas_marimba.ogg` | Mallets, 2:50 | Wikimedia Commons | Public domain | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [VCSL · marimba B4 · 1](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Marimba/Marimba_hit_Outrigger_B4_soft_01.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/marimba/1` | Mallets, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Exemple marimba](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exemple_marimba.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Exemple_marimba.ogg` | Mallets, 2:33 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [VCSL · marimba C2 · 2](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Marimba/Marimba_hit_Outrigger_C2_soft_01.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/marimba/2` | Mallets, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Ave Marimba (ISRC USUAN1700024)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ave_Marimba_(ISRC_USUAN1700024).mp3) | `wikimediacommons:Ave_Marimba_(ISRC_USUAN1700024).mp3` | Mallets, 2:50 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [VCSL · marimba C4 · 3](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Marimba/Marimba_hit_Outrigger_C4_soft_01.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/marimba/3` | Mallets, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [The Marimba Gang (Antti Luode)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Marimba_Gang_(Antti_Luode).mp3) | `wikimediacommons:The_Marimba_Gang_(Antti_Luode).mp3` | Mallets, 3:06 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [VCSL · marimba C6 · 4](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Marimba/Marimba_hit_Outrigger_C6_soft_01.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/marimba/4` | Mallets, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [2. Entrada Mango (marimba)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2._Entrada_Mango_(marimba).mp3) | `wikimediacommons:2._Entrada_Mango_(marimba).mp3` | Mallets, 3.7 s | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [VCSL · marimba F1 · 5](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Marimba/Marimba_hit_Outrigger_F1_soft_01.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/marimba/5` | Mallets, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Daniel Birch - 07 - Marimba On The Loose](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daniel_Birch_-_07_-_Marimba_On_The_Loose.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Daniel_Birch_-_07_-_Marimba_On_The_Loose.ogg` | Mallets, 1:05 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [VCSL · marimba F3 · 6](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Marimba/Marimba_hit_Outrigger_F3_soft_01.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/marimba/6` | Mallets, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [VCSL · marimba F5 · 7](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Marimba/Marimba_hit_Outrigger_F5_soft_01.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/marimba/7` | Mallets, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [VCSL · marimba G2 · 8](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Marimba/Marimba_hit_Outrigger_G2_soft_01.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/marimba/8` | Mallets, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [VCSL · marimba G4 · 9](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Marimba/Marimba_hit_Outrigger_G4_soft_01.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/marimba/9` | Mallets, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Dm all notes](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dm_all_notes.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Dm_all_notes.ogg` | Mallets, D minor, 15 s | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Dm otonality 4](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dm_otonality_4.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Dm_otonality_4.ogg` | Mallets, D minor, 3.0 s | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Dm otonality 3](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dm_otonality_3.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Dm_otonality_3.ogg` | Mallets, D minor, 3.0 s | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Dm otonality 5](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dm_otonality_5.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Dm_otonality_5.ogg` | Mallets, D minor, 3.0 s | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Dm utonality 4](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dm_utonality_4.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Dm_utonality_4.ogg` | Mallets, D minor, 3.0 s | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Dm otonality 2](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dm_otonality_2.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Dm_otonality_2.ogg` | Mallets, D minor, 3.0 s | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Dm utonality 1](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dm_utonality_1.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Dm_utonality_1.ogg` | Mallets, D minor, 3.0 s | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |

## Questions

**What is the difference between a marimba and a xylophone?**

Both have wooden bars, but a marimba is larger and lower, with resonator tubes that give it a warm, round tone. A xylophone is higher and brighter, with a short, dry sound. A vibraphone has metal bars and a motor-driven vibrato.

**Why do so many phone ringtones use marimba?**

A marimba's clear attack and quick decay are easy to hear on small speakers and don't feel harsh. The same qualities make it a favourite for pluck-like melodies in pop and house.

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Source: https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-marimba-samples