Arcade by Output vs BandLab Sounds

Arcade by Output is a playable sampler and instrument plugin for exploring, shaping, and tweaking samples and instruments on macOS and Windows. An Arcade subscription includes over 60 product lines, 4,400 samplers, 1,300 chromatic instruments, and 80,000 samples. Output says the royalty-free library is updated daily with synths, vocals, textures, drums, and multisampled instruments. Users can add their own samples for automatic chopping, slicing, and effects, then create playable kits. Sounds can be locked to key and tempo and reshaped with sampler tools. Arcade works with major DAWs through 64-bit AAX, AU, VST, and VST3 formats, and MIDI is included. It can run as a standalone application for previewing, playing, and downloading, but recording is unavailable there. Internet access is needed for login and downloads; downloaded kits and loops work offline for 30 days. System requirements include macOS 12 or later or Windows 10 or later, 8 GB RAM, and a 64-bit system and DAW. Arcade monthly access is $12.99 per month.

BandLab Sounds is a library of royalty-free loops, samples, and one-shots for music creation. Its website advertises more than 160,000 loops and one-shots. Users can browse Packs, Loops, and One-Shots, preview sounds, save favorites, and download them; samples can also be dragged into BandLab Studio to make tracks. Downloads use claims that refresh weekly without carrying over: the Free plan gives 20 claims per week, BandLab Pro gives 100, and BandLab Max gives 500. A non-exclusive, royalty-free license allows use in personal or commercial compositions when a sound forms part of a larger composition, but standalone redistribution or resale is prohibited. My Sounds lets members upload external audio to cloud storage, organize collections, and search with custom tags. Supported formats are AAC, FLAC, M4A, MP3, and WAV, with a 2 GB allocation and a one-minute limit per file. BandLab Sounds is available on Android, iOS, and the web, including through the BandLab mobile app and Sounds Hubs. Listed prices include $14.99 a month for Pro and $199 a year for Max in the first year, then $299 a year.