99Sounds vs Samples From Mars

99Sounds is an independent sound design label and free sound effects repository launched in 2014 by Tomislav Zlatić. Its collections include cinematic effects, drum samples, field recordings, rain sounds, loops, and other categories. Audio files and plugins are royalty-free for personal and commercial projects, including music, video, game development, podcasts, and sound design, and attribution is not required. The license does not permit selling or redistributing downloaded audio, either separately or as an attachment to work. It also bars use of the sounds in noise, white-noise, sleep-sound, or similar apps. Free instrument plugins are listed in VST, VST3, and AU formats. The maker says its instruments work with VST and AU hosts on 32-bit and 64-bit Windows and macOS, but not macOS Catalina. Drumplayer includes twelve kits, eight slots, stereo and multiple mono outputs, channel volume and pan, and pitch-modulation LFO. Upright Piano includes four sampled notes per octave, six dynamic layers per note, and adjustable envelope, tremolo, filter, and reverb. Sound and plugin downloads cost nothing.

Samples From Mars sells sample libraries and software instruments made from vintage electronic and vinyl instruments. Its team captures sounds using hardware, consoles, tape machines and vinyl, then provides libraries as ZIP files containing 24-bit, 44.1 kHz WAV files. Downloads are for offline use, not a cloud sample service, and products are sold per item. The free 101 Drums From Mars plan includes 60 drum hits and is 60 MB unzipped. Cassette Drums From Mars costs $29, paid once and includes 430 one-shots, 16 pre-made kits and 488.5 MB unzipped. 808 From Mars costs $39, paid once and lists 16 formats. Other listed content includes 18 multi-sampled instruments, 22 drum patterns and fills, vocal synths and trumpets. Formats include Ableton, Battery, FL Studio, Kontakt, Logic, Maschine, MPC, Reason, SFZ and WAV; installation instructions name Ableton, Kontakt and Maschine. Sounds are royalty free in commercially released musical compositions, but redistribution is prohibited and use in websites, applications or software requires a separate license. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Brooklyn, New York.