# Free vocal chops

> Free vocal chop samples for house, future bass and pop: short sung syllables, cuts and stutters with BPM and key where known, and a licence verdict on each.

14 samples from 1 sources (Openverse 14), updated 2026-10-23. Picked from a live search and refreshed daily.

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

## Getting good chops

The best chops come from clean, dry vocals with clear vowels. Long open sounds such as "ah", "oh" and "ey" pitch well across a keyboard; consonants make good percussive accents. Look for chops that list a key, or tune them to your track before arranging them.

To make chops your own, try formant shifting, reverse reverb tails, and a touch of stereo widening. Playing the same chop at several pitches can build a melody that sounds sung but is entirely sampled.

## Licences matter here

Vocals are where licence problems surface most: a recognisable voice is easy to identify, and uploads of famous songs are sometimes labelled as free by people who don't own them. The badge on each card shows whether the licence was stated by the source or only by an uploader, so you can steer clear of risky sounds.

## Samples

| Sample | id | What | Source | Licence | Commercial use | Direct download |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Dubstep Vocal Chop](https://freesound.org/people/zShwagg/sounds/185524) | `openverse:a790a105-1174-4b06-95a9-84a46448eb3e` | Vocal chop, 13 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Vocal Chops, Female, with Harmony](https://freesound.org/people/f-r-a-g-i-l-e/sounds/476663) | `openverse:744c1c95-9018-4195-88d2-7cc70c0de710` | Vocal chop, 36 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Arabic Vocal Chop Melody Full Loop - 160bpm - Cmin.wav](https://freesound.org/people/nnaudio/sounds/479386) | `openverse:67a31cb8-2ff9-497f-bdf6-a2e9b9917d22` | Vocal chop, Loop, 160 BPM, C minor, 12 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Vocal Chop Fx.wav](https://freesound.org/people/mkoenig/sounds/43538) | `openverse:f2665423-d90e-4177-a9a2-a94b79e87598` | Vocal chop, One-shot, 2.0 s | Openverse | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [vocal chop loop 1 [C#Minor] [128bpm]](https://freesound.org/people/deadrobotmusic/sounds/555917) | `openverse:e3a1dbf1-682c-4e95-b9fc-756ca2ababc8` | Vocal chop, Loop, 128 BPM, 15 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Vocal Chops, Female Dry](https://freesound.org/people/f-r-a-g-i-l-e/sounds/571242) | `openverse:063074c0-b001-4279-8822-28f20f05e435` | Vocal chop, 17 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Vocal Chops, Reverb, Female](https://freesound.org/people/f-r-a-g-i-l-e/sounds/478624) | `openverse:2a553c71-068e-4332-9819-7269f373e8ca` | Vocal chop, Loop, 19 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Vocal Chops, Female, Reverb](https://freesound.org/people/f-r-a-g-i-l-e/sounds/474095) | `openverse:e426d3e2-e575-4929-afec-a43cf9e8faa3` | Vocal chop, 27 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Vintage Vocal Chops](https://freesound.org/people/f-r-a-g-i-l-e/sounds/478627) | `openverse:cc286b49-3137-45c7-9d07-1a65f836944d` | Vocal chop, 16 s | Openverse | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Child Vocal Chops](https://freesound.org/people/f-r-a-g-i-l-e/sounds/496747) | `openverse:6944e2ee-2168-4baf-9009-32306e1de301` | Vocal chop, Loop, 22 s | Openverse | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [vocal chop loop 1 [reverse reverbs only] [C Sharp Minor] [128bpm]](https://freesound.org/people/deadrobotmusic/sounds/555916) | `openverse:31d3d313-3b6c-4bc9-aab7-8de0e782db06` | Vocal chop, Loop, 128 BPM, 15 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Peggy Vocals Chops, 1950's](https://freesound.org/people/f-r-a-g-i-l-e/sounds/496746) | `openverse:84aeaf9b-80f3-43e8-a545-2fc7fa8d07a8` | Vocal chop, Loop, 24 s | Openverse | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Child Vocal Chops, Dry](https://freesound.org/people/f-r-a-g-i-l-e/sounds/496748) | `openverse:6f7452db-4eaf-40b2-ba2b-13009907a92f` | Vocal chop, Loop, 19 s | Openverse | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Delilah Vocal Chop](https://freesound.org/people/beatsbygastronaut/sounds/664148) | `openverse:4a019b96-74a8-478e-b60e-2dd6a71389ab` | Vocal chop, One-shot, 3.2 s | Openverse | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |

## Questions

**What is a vocal chop?**

A short slice of a sung phrase, often a single syllable, played back rhythmically or melodically from a sampler. Producers use chops as hooks, fills and lead lines, especially in house, future bass and pop.

**Can I chop a vocal from an a cappella myself?**

Yes, if its licence allows derivatives and your use. Many a cappellas from remix communities are CC BY or CC BY-NC: the first is fine for a release with a credit, the second is not. Check the verdict before you start cutting.

## Related collections

- [Free acapellas](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-acapellas.md): Free a cappella vocals for remixes and new tracks, mostly from Creative Commons remix communities, with tempo and key where known and a licence verdict on each.
- [Free riser sound effects](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-riser-sound-effects.md): Free riser and uplifter sound effects for build-ups before a drop: white noise sweeps, pitch risers and tension builds, each with a preview and licence verdict.
- [Free impact sound effects](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-impact-sound-effects.md): Free impact and hit sound effects: cinematic booms, sub drops, braams and slams for drops, trailers and transitions, each with a preview and licence verdict.
- [Free choir samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-choir-samples.md): Free choir samples: sustained choral notes, chants, ahh and ooh pads and real choirs for cinematic, ambient and gospel-tinged tracks, with licences.
- [Free spoken word samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-spoken-word-samples.md): Free spoken word and voice samples: narration, speeches, radio chatter and public-domain recordings for intros and breakdowns, with a licence verdict on each.
- [Free vocal shouts and ad-libs](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-vocal-shouts.md): Free vocal shouts, chants, hype phrases and ad-libs for drops, hooks and transitions in dance and hip hop, each with a preview and a commercial-use verdict.

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Source: https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-vocal-chops