Licensing Guide
Not all samples have the same rules. This page breaks down every license type you'll find on Selekt Audio — in plain English — so you know exactly what you can and can't do before you use a sample.
The Quick Version
Safe for selling beats, streaming, ads, sync — make money however you want.
Public Domain, CC0, CC-BY, Royalty-FreeCommercially usable, but with a catch — read the details before committing.
CC-BY-SA, CC-BY-NDCannot be used in anything commercial. Personal projects and demos only.
CC-BY-NC, CC-BY-NC-SA, CC-BY-NC-NDEvery License Explained
Click any license to see the full breakdown. We wrote these like we're explaining to a friend — no legal jargon.
Selekt Audio vs. Other Options
| Feature | Selekt Audio (Public Domain) | Royalty-Free Libraries | Traditional Sampling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial use | ✓ Unlimited | ✓ With license | ✗ Requires clearance |
| Credit required | ✗ Not required | Varies | ✓ Usually required |
| Royalty payments | ✗ None | ✗ None (one-time fee) | ✓ Ongoing royalties |
| Clearance needed | ✗ Pre-cleared | ✗ Pre-licensed | ✓ Must clear rights |
| Cost | Free / Pro tier | Per-sample or subscription | $500 — $500,000+ |
The Two Letters That Matter
If you see “NC” in a license name, you cannot make money from it. No selling beats, no monetized streams, no paid placements. If money is involved in any way, this sample is off-limits.
If you see “ND” in a license name, you cannot change the sample. No chopping, no pitch-shifting, no time-stretching. You can only use it exactly as-is. For most producers, this makes the sample unusable.
Our Verification Process
Every sample added to Selekt Audio goes through a multi-step verification process before it enters the library:
- 1Source verification — we confirm the recording's publication date, origin, and license from the original source (Library of Congress, Internet Archive, Freesound, Musopen, or other verified public domain archives).
- 2Audio fingerprint scan — every track is scanned against a database of over 150 million commercial songs using audio fingerprinting technology — the same type of recognition technology used by services like Shazam, Deezer SongCatcher, and Musixmatch. If a match is found, the track is rejected before it ever enters our library.
- 3Rights check — we verify no active copyright claims exist and confirm the license allows commercial use. Samples with non-commercial restrictions (NC) are excluded.
- 4AI analysis — the sample is processed through our pipeline for BPM, key, genre, mood, instrument detection, section analysis, and stem separation.
- 5Quality review — we ensure audio quality meets our standards before the sample goes live.
Your download certificate documents the results of this process for every sample you use — including the source, license, and fingerprint scan status.
Still have questions?
Check out our FAQ page →