# Free piano samples

> Free piano samples: single notes from grand and upright pianos for building an instrument, plus chords and loops, each with a preview and licence verdict.

36 samples from 4 sources (Openverse 14, Orange Free Sounds 14, Strudel sample banks 4, Wikimedia Commons 4), updated 2026-10-23. Picked from a live search and refreshed daily.

- Same search in the browser: https://sound.shep.bot/search?q=piano&category=keys
- Same search over the API: `curl "https://sound.shep.bot/v1/search?q=piano&category=keys"`
- 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

## One-shots, chords and loops

Piano samples come in three shapes. Single notes are the building blocks of a sampled instrument and are usually named by pitch, such as C4. Chords and stabs are ready to drop into a beat. Loops and phrases are complete musical ideas, often with a tempo and key.

University and orchestra libraries recorded every note of a concert grand at several dynamics and released them for free use. Those are ideal if you want to build your own instrument. For beats, a chord stab or a short loop gets you started faster.

## Before you release

Note-by-note recordings from public institutions are often public domain or CC BY. Loops on community sites vary widely. The badge on each card tells you if it is cleared for a release and if you need to credit the recordist.

## Samples

| Sample | id | What | Source | Licence | Commercial use | Direct download |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Piano Melody](https://freesound.org/people/benpm/sounds/186942) | `openverse:2c51e4eb-dbe7-468c-ba6c-d1c85a1b71ae` | Keys, 10 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Warm And Reflective Holiday Piano Melody](https://orangefreesounds.com/warm-and-reflective-holiday-piano-melody/) | `orangefreesounds:58807` | Keys, Phrase, 25 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Piano G.wav](https://freesound.org/people/pinkyfinger/sounds/68448) | `openverse:af2267a7-9f25-46b4-b5a2-4faf5a1c7c49` | Keys, One-shot, 1.6 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Dramatic Piano Music For Suspenseful Scenes](https://orangefreesounds.com/dramatic-piano-music-for-suspenseful-scenes/) | `orangefreesounds:58600` | Keys, Phrase, 17 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Piano C.wav](https://freesound.org/people/pinkyfinger/sounds/68441) | `openverse:0eb636a7-2bc4-483e-8ae6-52a97374cfc1` | Keys, One-shot, 1.5 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Nostalgic Acoustic Piano – Gentle Relaxing Music](https://orangefreesounds.com/nostalgic-acoustic-piano-gentle-relaxing-music/) | `orangefreesounds:58381` | Keys, Phrase, 2:10 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [ghost piano 4bar.wav](https://freesound.org/people/amliebsch/sounds/39046) | `openverse:573ac1e0-45bd-47fb-9c8e-fd22cbf526ef` | Keys, 13 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Sad heaven piano #3](https://freesound.org/people/PSOVOD/sounds/415186) | `openverse:0046330f-daa1-4d39-8e0d-11172d151be8` | Keys, 1:15 | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [We Wish You A Merry Christmas – Simple Piano Melody](https://orangefreesounds.com/we-wish-you-a-merry-christmas-simple-piano-melody/) | `orangefreesounds:54772` | Keys, Phrase, 116 BPM, 52 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Free O Christmas Tree – Relaxing Solo Piano](https://orangefreesounds.com/free-o-christmas-tree-relaxing-solo-piano/) | `orangefreesounds:54647` | Keys, Phrase, 1:25 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Piano, String Glissando, Low, A.wav](https://freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/339671) | `openverse:3e162ca1-5e4f-4ff8-bbeb-87c73ace1bfa` | Keys, 41 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Dramatic piano 2.wav](https://freesound.org/people/jobro/sounds/46415) | `openverse:c332456f-956d-498b-a606-1a6decc9bd0b` | Keys, 6.9 s | Openverse | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Emotional Cinematic Piano Background Music](https://orangefreesounds.com/emotional-cinematic-piano-background-music/) | `orangefreesounds:58085` | Keys, Phrase, 2:00 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Dreamy Ambient Piano Music – Relaxing Cinematic Music](https://orangefreesounds.com/dreamy-ambient-piano-music-relaxing-cinematic-music/) | `orangefreesounds:58244` | Keys, Phrase, 3:00 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Piano D.wav](https://freesound.org/people/pinkyfinger/sounds/68442) | `openverse:884ed76a-b605-487e-a384-02307aca9c03` | Keys, One-shot, 1.5 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Piano Remix.mp3](https://freesound.org/people/cheesepuff/sounds/112071) | `openverse:0b2b8bcb-35f4-4a8e-852b-92a50f7c91e8` | Keys, 1:51 | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Cinematic Suspense Piano Background Music](https://orangefreesounds.com/cinematic-suspense-piano-background-music/) | `orangefreesounds:57641` | Keys, Phrase, 39 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Relaxing Ambient Piano Blues – Peaceful Background Music](https://orangefreesounds.com/relaxing-ambient-piano-blues-peaceful-background-music/) | `orangefreesounds:58166` | Keys, Phrase, 63 BPM, 3:17 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Piano F#.wav](https://freesound.org/people/pinkyfinger/sounds/68445) | `openverse:3e5e98d5-7e75-45a0-89aa-b30d3019c7a9` | Keys, One-shot, 1.5 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Eerie Dark Piano Melody](https://orangefreesounds.com/eerie-dark-piano-melody/) | `orangefreesounds:57612` | Keys, Phrase, 7.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Piano C#.wav](https://freesound.org/people/pinkyfinger/sounds/68440) | `openverse:e1cdc5d3-d8cf-40a2-beef-fcd90276ce35` | Keys, One-shot, 1.5 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Calm Solo Piano – Slow & Emotional Background Music](https://orangefreesounds.com/calm-solo-piano-slow-emotional-background-music/) | `orangefreesounds:56388` | Keys, Phrase, 88 BPM, 2:12 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Piano Playing Classical Music](https://freesound.org/people/IESP/sounds/340062) | `openverse:96891078-1326-4813-89f9-206a2a635593` | Keys, 6:41 | Openverse | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Cinematic Mystery Thriller Piano Build](https://orangefreesounds.com/cinematic-mystery-thriller-piano-build/) | `orangefreesounds:56131` | Keys, Phrase, 41 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Emotional Piano](https://freesound.org/people/triangelx/sounds/189175) | `openverse:0d69314a-ddd2-48f7-84d3-d6f8fcac1ef0` | Keys, 16 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Dramatic Tension Piano Melody – Cinematic Suspense Background Music](https://orangefreesounds.com/dramatic-tension-piano-melody-cinematic-suspense-background-music/) | `orangefreesounds:57513` | Keys, Phrase, 17 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Piano, Bach Fantasia, A (H1).wav](https://freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/411162) | `openverse:0a11d8ab-3a3e-48d9-a40d-7645e14633c7` | Keys, 20 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Cinematic Ambient Emotional Piano Music](https://orangefreesounds.com/cinematic-ambient-emotional-piano-music/) | `orangefreesounds:58123` | Keys, Phrase, 1:48 | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Salamander Grand Piano · piano A0 · 0](https://github.com/felixroos/dough-samples/blob/main/piano/A0v8.mp3) | `strudel:piano/piano/0` | Keys, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Outing- Chinese kids' Piano Song - Junjun's edition (selected from real piano lesson)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Outing-_Chinese_kids%27_Piano_Song_-_Junjun%27s_edition_(selected_from_real_piano_lesson).ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Outing-_Chinese_kids'_Piano_Song_-_Junjun's_edition_(selected_from_real_piano_lesson).ogg` | Keys, 1:21 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Salamander Grand Piano · piano C1 · 1](https://github.com/felixroos/dough-samples/blob/main/piano/C1v8.mp3) | `strudel:piano/piano/1` | Keys, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Cole Porter’s “I Love You” - JMC, Han's Piano Edition](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cole_Porter%E2%80%99s_%E2%80%9CI_Love_You%E2%80%9D_-_JMC,_Han%27s_Piano_Edition.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Cole_Porter’s_“I_Love_You”_-_JMC,_Han's_Piano_Edition.ogg` | Keys, 1:05 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Salamander Grand Piano · piano D#1 · 2](https://github.com/felixroos/dough-samples/blob/main/piano/Ds1v8.mp3) | `strudel:piano/piano/2` | Keys, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Piano-phrase](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Piano-phrase.wav) | `wikimediacommons:Piano-phrase.wav` | Keys, Phrase, 3.8 s | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Salamander Grand Piano · piano F#1 · 3](https://github.com/felixroos/dough-samples/blob/main/piano/Fs1v8.mp3) | `strudel:piano/piano/3` | Keys, One-shot | Strudel sample banks | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Blue Danube (Exercise and variations-collections in piano) JMC, Han](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_Danube_(Exercise_and_variations-collections_in_piano)_JMC,_Han.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Blue_Danube_(Exercise_and_variations-collections_in_piano)_JMC,_Han.ogg` | Keys, 7:19 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |

## Questions

**How do I turn single piano notes into a playable instrument?**

Load each note into a sampler zone at its root note, and let the sampler stretch it across the keys in between. More notes per octave sound more natural. Some sources offer a whole multisampled piano, which comes ready to map.

**Why do some piano samples have noise or room sound?**

They were recorded with microphones in a real room, sometimes in a concert hall. That space is part of the character. University and orchestra collections are often very clean; home recordings can carry pedal noise and hiss.

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