The Best FREE

Virtual Instruments
for Film Scoring.

First Things First…
I’m thrilled that you decided to download this guide!

It shows that you’re ready to start really taking your compositions to the next level.

The quality of sample libraries has improved dramatically over the last few years.

There are so many new companies and even individuals creating some unique and
extraordinary sounds. The problem is knowing which ones are worth it.

And that’s what I’m aiming to solve with this guide!

When I first started composing, sample libraries were expensive, and pretty uninspiring.
So I’d often just create my own sounds instead - mostly by recording all the random
objects and instruments I had around the house.

I learned two things from this:

1. Working with a limited palette makes you more creative, and your compositions better.

2. Using the same samples as everyone else makes you sound like everyone else.

So, taking those two lessons into account, all of the libraries in this guide are interesting
and unique in some way. You’re going to be creating new and original music, instead of
wasting your precious time trying to get a crappy sample to sound like a real instrument.

Because let’s face it, when was the last time you heard one of your composing idols say:

“I couldn’t compose a single note until I spent thousands of dollars on sample libraries”

Use your creativity to compose for your sample libraries.

Never force a library to fit your composition.

That said, I have included a list of the best free orchestral sample libraries too. You’ll
want to experiment with combining & layering a few different libraries in order to get the
orchestral sound you’re after. But if you’re serious about composing orchestral music,
you’ll definitely want to invest in a higher quality sample library ASAP - the free ones just
won’t cut it.

Finally, no one wants a library that’s full of bugs, heavy on your system, or just a pain to
use, so I’ve only included libraries from reputable companies that are known for making
great products.


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Some FYIs
Okay, before we get into the list, here’s a couple of final pointers that you need to bear in
mind:

- READ THE LICENSE TERMS. Always check the licenses of each library to make sure
that you are free to use it for your projects. Some libraries limit usage to personal use only,
some require accreditation, others are totally free for any and all projects. I cannot be held
responsible if any of the libraries I’ve listed have limitations.

- I am in no way affiliated with any of the libraries/companies listed below and I receive
no benefit whatsoever in promoting them here. I just like what they’re doing!

- Most of these libraries will require the full version of Native Instrument’s KONTAKT and,
of course, you’ll also need a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) to work with.

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The Libraries
All of the libraries are listed in alphabetical order by company name.

Orchestral Libraries

There are five main free orchestral libraries with good reputations.

As I mentioned in the intro, if you’re serious about composing orchestral music you’ll
definitely want to invest in a higher quality orchestral sample library ASAP.

But in the meantime, or for doubling other parts, here are the five main contenders:

The Alpine Project

Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra

The Total Composure Orchestra

Versilian Studios : VSCO 2

Virtual Playing Orchestra

BONUS! ProjectSam are currently releasing a whole orchestral package month by month:

Project Sam

You’ll need to experiment with blending a few of the orchestras together in order to get the
sound that you want. For maximum expressivity these will also require a lot of work when it
comes to mixing and MIDI automation.

Now, onto my favourite, more creative free libraries:


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Atom Hub

Library Name Usage Description

Trumpette Textures & Melodies Derived from samples of a “paper trumpet”, this library is
great for creating dark/twisted/scary textures.

Bus Stop Booth Percussion The clue is in the title! Great for interesting, trashy
percussion sounds

Empty Playground Percussion Another interesting percussive library where the sounds
are all recorded in an empty playground

Candlestick Percussion A recorded metal candlestick. Great for bells and metallic
percussion

Mr Pot Percussion More metallic percussion sounds, recorded from (you

guessed it) a kitchen pot

Audio Imperia

Library Name Usage Description

Epic Trailer Sounds Textures & hits I’m normally not a fan of “one-shot” libraries, but this is a
great collection of sounds if you’re after “epic” style trailer
Deconstruct hits, risers, and braaams, etc.

Audio Modern

Library Name Usage Description

FWRD Percussion & Textures So you might not own a Porsche, but that doesn’t
mean you can’t play with the noises from one! Another
interesting way to add percussion and texture to your
compositions

Cinematique Instruments

Library Name Usage Description

Landscape Textures This is a synth that automatically creates and

randomises moving textural patterns. Awesome.

Marble Anything Scroll halfway down the page for a link to the free
version of this brilliant synth.

Fabrique Patterns A free version of a pattern-based synth. Great for

pattern based rhythms or passages

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CineSamples
Library Name Usage Description

CineSine LITE Texture / doubling This plugin is amazing for doubling string parts. Copy and
paste your string MIDI onto it, and listen to how much fuller
your piece sounds, instantly.

Jerry’s Piano Piano Two grand pianos recorded simultaneously. Particularly great
for heavier, lower sounds.

Sony Room Tone Ambience This is an interesting one, in that it’s literally just a room tone.
Barely audible, but putting it underneath your whole track will
immediately add some real-world ambience.

Embertone
Library Name Usage Description

Soprano Jug Drum Percussion Wonderfully tonal drums

SCOREcast Kitchen Percussion Yep. Literally a sampled kitchen. Again, perfect for some
unique sounding percussion parts

Fluffy Audio
Library Name Usage Description

My Log Drum Percussion Percussive, tonal, kind of like a mini marimba

AURORROR Textures Creepy textures and noises

Frozen Plain
Library Name Usage Description

Victorian Music Box Melody / Harmony This is a really versatile music box library. It can do the typical
“child’s toy” music box sound, but also has a bunch of presets
for textures and even bass sounds. Really great for that
“Thomas Newman” sound!

HandHeldSound
Library Name Usage Description

Mini Naal Percussion An Indian instrument resembling the Tabla

PianoBoom Textures What happens when you wallop a grand piano with a gong
mallet? This. This happens. And it’s epic for textures!

Table Drum Percussion This is a massive (40”) drum that’s suspended on table
legs. So it gets deep resonant tones along with a lot of
resonance. There’s a muted sample too.

Metal Skewer & Cabasa Percussion Great to fill out the higher frequencies with this…kind of
“ticking” sounding instrument

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Impact Soundworks
Library Name Usage Description

Stroh Violin Melody / Harmony A violin with a metal resonator body. Gives a really
great, and very versatile sound. Particularly good for
ostinato patterns.

Cinematic Synthetic Drums Percussion I mean…do I really need to explain it with a title like
that? BIG CINEMA DRUMS :)

Ivy Audio
Library Name Usage Description

Piano in 162 Piano An absolutely beautifully sampled grand piano. Probably

the best free grand piano library.

Output
Library Name Usage Description

SIGNAL Patterns A free version of “the world’s most powerful pulse

engine” - great for all kinds of patterns

Samplephonics
Library Name Usage Description

Bowed Cümbüş Melody / Harmony / Textures A Turkish instrument that’s traditionally

plucked…but here it’s bowed. Really
versatile, capable of everything from
melodies to textures

Reverse Tape Textures Textures Some beautifully warm reversed tape

sounds and textures

The Wizard of Mbira Melody / Harmony A lovely plucky metallic sound

The Leeds Town Hall Organ Melody / Harmony Okay, so maybe I’m a bit biased having
studied in Leeds, but the organ really is
spectacular - as is this library

SonicCouture
Library Name Usage Description

RMI Rocksichord Melody / Harmony The beauty of electronic instruments is that they’re a bit easier to
get away with when it comes to sample libraries. The RMI
Rocksichord is an absolute legend in the pop music world. Classic
old school electric piano.

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Spitfire Audio (LABS)
Library Name Usage Description

Pedal Pads Textures Ambient pads built from a Wurlitzer, felt piano, and guitar fed
through all kinds of effects pedals

Music Box Melody / Harmony Two wonderfully resonant music boxes, complete with the sound of
paper scrolling through the box itself

Dulcimer Melody / Harmony Two Dulcimers thoroughly sampled with a variety of articulations.
Again, a really unique and interesting sound

Scary Strings Harmony / Textures Spitfire Audio completely understand what I talked about during the
intro: there’s no point trying to get realistic sounding “ordinary”
instruments as a sample library. So these strings are more texture
based, again, giving some really unique flavours to the sound

Modular Piano Textures A Wurlitzer and Upright piano + a series of analogue effects = some
stunning textural sounds

Frozen Strings Harmony / Textures “Frozen” basically meaning motto sul tasto giving a thinner, less
resonant sound that a typical string sound

Soft Piano Melody / Harmony A piano “dulled” by adding a strip of felt in front of the hammers.
This gives a beautifully soft piano sound.

NB: there are a bunch more libraries in Spitfire Audio’s “LAB” series, every single one of
them is worth owning - I’ve only included my personal favourites here

Strix Instruments
Library Name Usage Description

ZVENIGOROD - Toy Piano Melody The thing about Toy Pianos is that they’re pretty easy to disguise
as samples, and they just have a lovely high pitched tone that
can either be sweet like a lullaby…or horrifying…like…lullaby!

Versilian Studios
Library Name Usage Description

Upright No. 1 Melody / Harmony An upright piano to complete our piano collection - uprights
have a less resonant sound, so are great for that more
“intimate” feel.

Etherealwinds Harp 2 Melody / Harmony A great “medieval” sounding harp library.

VCSL Collection I’ve thrown this one in for good measure. It’s a collection of
“community” created sample libraries. Great for you to have
access to a wider range of sounds, but beware that some of
them won’t sound amazing.

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VSTBuzz

Library Name Usage Description

Shortnoise Anything Hundreds of electronic instruments covering a whole

spectrum of leads, pads, basses, etc.

pocketBlakus Cello Melody I’ve tried to avoid including “normal” instruments here
(apart from pianos), but with the pocketBlakus library you
can actually get a pretty convincing cello sound. So here
it is!

Pure Snap Magic Percussion For all of your “body percussion” needs - here’s a
collection of clicks, claps, stomps, and thuds

Wooden Percussion Percussion Some more really interesting percussive textures -

created by smacking wooden decking planks around

Jonathan’s Glockenspiel Melody Everyone needs a Glockenspiel! Here’s the best free
one. And before you ask, no: different Jonathan!

Strashed Percussion / Texture This is where you get to listen to a Fender Stratocaster
being smashed to bits - all in the name of sample library
creation! Don’t let the destruction go to waste

The Mither Melody / Harmony A Dulcimer-type sound created from a mandolin. Really
wonderful for a “light” sound

Rosinspiel Melody / Harmony A glockenspiel played with a bow. Gives a bright, glassy
sound. Perfect for fantasy / magical music

Cling Film Frame Drums Percussion Drums created simply from bowls with some cling film
wrapped over them! Surprisingly, it actually creates quite
a nice resonant frame drum sound.

WavesFactory

Library Name Usage Description

Typewriter Percussion Percussive sounds from a typewriter and a really cool

animated interface. What’s not to love? Perfect for a
“quirky” sound.

Whispers Textures Definitely not perfect for a “quirky” sound. Textures built
from people’s whispers. Scary as shit. Effective as hell.

Full Collections
Is that list seriously not enough for you?!

Okay sample-junkie, here are the other free libraries from the companies listed above:

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 Atom Hub
Audio Imperia
Cinematique Instruments
Cinesamples
Embertone
HandHeldSound
Impact Soundworks
Ivy Audio
Project Sam
Sample Phonics
Sonic Couture
Spitfire Audio
Versilian Studios
Wave Alchemy
Waves Factory

And if that’s still not enough here are a few places that compile other free samples:

KVR Audio
Music Production HQ
Plugin Boutique
VSTBuzz

But remember: hoarding sample libraries will not make you a better composer.

Here’s how I decide if I need more sample libraries:

Step 1 : I think of the sound that I want

Step 2 : try to create that sound using samples I already have

Step 3 : try to create that sound creatively (manipulating a sample or making a recording)

Step 4 : only if there’s no way I can get the sound I want, I go on the hunt for a new library


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Conclusion
Hopefully you’ll now have a full palette of sounds at your disposal, and you’re ready to
tackle pretty much any project that’s thrown your way!

But don’t stop here! Keep learning:

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