Frequently Asked Questions

We’re here to help you get the best drum loops and samples as well as the best service. If your question is not answered here, contact us for more specific information.

Drum Loop Questions

What are drum loops?

Drum loops are short audio recordings of drumming—typically between one and four bars—that are intended for seamless, repeated playback. Drum loops allow songwriters, DJs, and even live artists to use a drum pattern repeatedly, with the intention of simulating the live performance of a drummer.

Initially, drum loops were often sampled from popular, commercial recordings, selecting “drums only” passages that could be isolated and reused in other musical compositions. Countless albums from the 60s, 70s, and 80s were scoured looking for such grooves. Famous examples include the “Amen Break” (which many consider the most sampled drum break ever) but other famous and heavily-used grooves by artists like Billy Squier (see “The Big Break” which has been sampled and found in songs by Jay-Z in “99 Problems”, A Tribe Called Quest in “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down”, “Girl on Fire” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and countless others), James Brown (“Funky Drummer”), Led Zeppelin (“When The Levee Breaks“), among countless others.

In short, drum loops provided songwriters countless ways to include previously-recorded drum tracks in new compositions as context, tempo, and pitch could all be altered and manipulated to taste. Besides commercial music as a source for drum breaks, drum recordings expressly intended for use as “drum loops” rose in popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s with product lines released by Sony (intended for use in Sony’s flagship loop DAW Sony ACID), Big Fish Audio, and Beta Monkey Music.

While drum loops remain the most popular type of loop given their transient, rhythmic, and non-melodic character, loops may contain melodic or rhythmic material. It’s not uncommon to find guitar, keyboard, or bass loops. But, due to inherent challenges found in melodic loops – namely musical keys and the sustaining nature of these instruments – drum loops are far more common. As a percussion instrument, drums have neither a defined musical note nor considerable sustain and, as such, are ideal for looping.

These small sections of repeated audio (the ‘loop’) are not to be confused with one-shot samples, however, as samples are not intended for repeated playback/performance but rather used as one single musical expression (although a sample can be repeated individually in the form of a musical expression composed of individual samples). Although the terms “loop” and “sample” are used interchangeably by many, we consider “samples” as single one-shot sounds and “loops” as seamless, repeated musical figures.

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Which loop format is right for my software?

Sometimes it can be confusing to know which loop format is the one best suited for your software or stand-alone DAW. While can be an issue with some sample and loop providers, we have made it easy here at Beta Monkey.

When you purchase any loop set, you get ALL available formats with your purchase. This simplifies any issues with loop compatibility in nearly all situations, no matter your software/platform configuration.

Your purchase gives you access to the 16-bit ACIDized WAV, 24-bit ACIDized WAV, Apple Loops and (when available) the REX2 format loops as well.Unlike most of our competitors, we do NOT charge extra for additional formats. You get all available formats to download with any purchase. Only in some very rare cases do a few of our sample libraries available in the Beta Monkey Drum Loop Shop not have all three major formats with REX2 being the one option not available.

So, whether you are unsure of the format you need or require multiple formats if you have a multi-platform setup (and who doesn’t have multiple computers, both MAC and PC, these days?), we have the format question answered for you. You get the all now and can sort out how to use the different loop formats later.

If you’re still interested in reading, here are specific recommendations for different DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), audio software and hardware situations.

  • Ableton Live: 16 or 24-bit WAV format. REX2
  • Sony Acid: 16 or 24-bit WAV format.
  • Adobe Audition: 16 or 24-bit .WAV
  • Cakewalk Products: 16 or 24-bit WAV format
  • Cubase,Nuendo (Steinberg): 16 or 24-bit WAV or REX format. Users probably already know REX format is, in some ways, a better format to work with but either WAV or REX/REX2 is compatible.
  • Digital Performer: DP supports REX as well as Acid WAV (3.1 and above) and Apple Loops (4.5 and above). Per MOTU’s spec page: Apple Loops (AIFF and CAF), REX (and RCY)
  • FL Studio: 16 or 24-bit WAV format loops, AIFF format audio, and ReCycle Loops (*.rex / *.rx2 / *.rcy)
  • GarageBand: Apple Loops (AIFF format with embedded meta information). More info and help for using Apple loops in GarageBand and Logic
  • Logic: Apple Loops format. Older versions (6.0 and below) should use REX format.
  • Presonus Studio One: ACIDized WAV (16 or 24-bit) or Apple Loop formats, Learn more about using our drum loops in StudioOne.
  • Reason (Propellerheads) Programs: REX format, of course.
  • ProTools (Avid): Loop format compatibility depends on the version of your ProTools software. For Pro Tools 7.4 and above, use WAV format (16 or 24-bit). For anyone using Pro Tools 7.0 to 7.3, REX2 loop format is your best option.
  • DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATIONS: (BOSS, Roland, Yamaha, etc.): 16-bit WAV. 24 bit can be used in some, but definitely not all DAW hardware. If you in doubt, check with your manufacturer’s website and/or product literature.

Of course, if you don’t see your software or hardware listed above and are unsure of the format right for you, email customer support and we’ll make sure you get the right format for your next project. If you need it, you can get more specific information about the APPLE LOOPS format here.

Obviously, you know your setup best, but here are our recommendations for the most popular programs using Beta Monkey drum loops and samples. Feel free to download actual loops and samples from most of our collection (see the individual disc’s page) and test them in your setup.

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Which loop library should I get if I want to write a song like (insert song name here)?

We provide demo audio for all products and try to indicate the appropriate musical styles our various sample libraries are best-suited.

But, if neither is specific enough for your demands, feel free to write anytime to run questions like this by us. We’ll do our best to see if we can find a match.

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Are these loops license-free? Royalty-free?

Yes. Beta Monkey music loops and samples are completely license-free and royalty-free. There are no royalties to pay ever so long as you use these loops/samples in music. You may not resell or distribute the loops “as is” in loop form no matter how you may tweak, EQ, combine or otherwise digitally alter them. Use the loops and samples in a musical composition of your own creation, commercial or private – that is essentially the only stipulation.

All of this is specifically addressed in our EULA: View the End User License Agreement (for those that love to read legalese).

But, if you want the shorter, plain English versions, your Beta Monkey license can be summarized by the following:

What You MAY Do with Your Beta Monkey Loops:

  • Use in music CD’s (both commercial or private), videos, software, online games, podcasts, concert performances, TV or radio advertisements, demos, school projects, or any other type of audio/visual project.
  • You may sell, distribute, or perform to paid audiences and clients so long as you have added musical content to the loops themselves.
  • Use and enjoy at home in your own music to your heart’s content.

What You MAY NOT Do with Your Beta Monkey Loops:

  • Re-sell or re-license the loops and samples on their own (includes physical copies of the Beta Monkey discs) All Beta Monkey loops and samples must be combined with something else (music, video, you farting into a microphone) before you can sell or distribute them to the public.
  • Claim any type of ownership of the Beta Monkey Music loops and samples.
  • Copy CD’s, post online for download or in any way distribute, give away, offer, or sell the loops “as is” (that is, with no musical element added to the loops themselves) Remember, only the original purchaser may use the loops and samples. When you buy Beta Monkey Music drum loops and drum samples, you are not, in any way, shape or form, buying ownership of the sounds – you are buying a LICENSE to use the loops and sounds within your music.

Beta Monkey Music will always remain the sole copyright holder and owner of the drum loops, samples, and sounds – our license grants you the use of our work in your own recorded works, for home or commercial use with no royalty obligation to us whatsoever. We have caught people reselling our loops – not nice. Don’t do it.

Think of how you might feel if someone broke into your house and stole your guitar, bass, or keyboard. That is essentially what you are doing to us – drummers who sweat our nuts off so you can have some powerful grooves to write with – when you post our drums on various torrent sites or try to pawn them off on ebay after you have made copies for yourself (we catch folks pulling this routine quite often, so don’t bother).

Respect the grooves. Respect our license. Respect music.

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Can I mix and match drum loops and samples from different Beta Monkey libraries?

The problem with a lot of loop libraries from competing companies and their products is the fact that so many of the loops in these libraries do NOT work together. In most cases it is because you have a random assortment of drum sounds, varying from one loop set to another.

Nearly all Beta Monkey sample libraries are “single session” products. By “single session,” we mean the entire library features one single drum sound (all loops are taken from the same kit, same room, same recording session, same drum mix). This means all the loops – grooves, groove variations, fills, one shots, and multi-velocity samples – sound EXACTLY the same. And, because of this, you can mix and match anything together, greatly improving the versatility and usability of the drum loops and samples.

We pioneered this idea when we began and it has been copied by nearly all loop sellers since.

If you are looking for even more sonic consistency and want the ultimate in versatility, many of our sample releases share the same sound and recording specs (cut from same recording session, same kit, same room, same settings) and can be used together. In other words, loops from one disc can be used with loops from another disc. For example, Drum Werks VII, VIII and Pure Country II are derived from the same recording session and all loops from the three discs can be mixed with loops from any of the other three discs – essentially, a multi-disc collection of single session drum loops.

Unless explicitly stated on the disc description, ALL Beta Monkey drum loop libraries are single recording session collections of loops.

Please visit the Beta Monkey Drum Loop Compatibility resource to see which sample libraries may be used together.

We have labelled and organized our many different drum recording sessions on that page so it is now easy to know which releases are compatible.

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I am having issues seeing the loops in GarageBand or Logic?

One of the most common questions we received from GarageBand users is this one: “Where are the drum loops in GarageBand?”

This almost always is related to indexing your drum loops in either of these two programs.

See our Apple Loops Help and Info Page for solutions.

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Ordering Questions

Are sample libraries available for digital download or physical product?

As of 2018, Beta Monkey no longer ships any physical product. All orders are available via instant digital downloads after purchase.

You’ll receive download links via email immediately after purchase – 24/7, 365 days a year – and inspire your music within minutes.

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Is there an extra charge if I need multiple loop formats?

No. Unlike many of our competitors who up-sell you with additional charges should you need to use more than one loop format, all available formats are included with purchase at Beta Monkey for one low price.

We know that many artists and songwriters have multiple ways to write and record and, as such, work in different recording platforms.

So, we make it easy: ALL available loop formats are INCLUDED with your download purchase.

Please check individual discs for specific information about available formats as some libraries do not offer all loop formats.

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What if I have download issues after purchasing?

If for any reason your download links are not received via email immediately after purchase, please check your spam or junk email folder as the automated download link emails will occasionally arrive there.

If not found there, please contact us and we will resolve the issue quickly and painlessly.

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How big are the sample libraries? What internet connection speed do I need?

Please remember our downloadable drum loop online are quite large (ranging anywhere from 400 MB to 1.2 GB) – a good internet connection with plenty of bandwidth is recommended.

And, don’t forget, if you’re ordering multiple loop sets, you’re likely looking at several GB of data! So, please anticipate the time involved when ordering.

On average, customers are able to download loop sets of 500-700 MB in about 15-20 minutes. Your speeds obviously may vary, but that is typical.

Additionally, it is not recommended that you try to download your purchases to your phone.

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I lost my files from a prior purchase. Do I have to pay again for a replacement?

No. Again, unlike many of our competitors who up-sell you with additional charges, we do not charge you again to replace lost files (whatever the cause may be). We’ve even seen our competitors charge for “insurance” should you ever need to replace lost or damaged loops. We think such charges are petty and insulting, if not a little shady and disreputable.

We are always here for you and if you have purchased loops from Beta Monkey in the past, we will always be here for you to replace them. We recently just replaced a customers loops that he ordered in 2006! Sure, it took a little longer than usual to check out his order in the archives but, once we found proof of order, we issued download links immediately. Needless to say, the customer was thrilled to get back and running with his Beta Monkey loops!

You will always have us as the ultimate backup to re-issue download links should you need them next week or ten years from now.

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What types of payment are accepted? How secure is my order transaction?

Beta Monkey Music accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover or bank account payments via Paypal. You DO NOT need a PayPal account to pay by credit card.

If you do use PayPal, you may also pay by using your PayPal account.

All payments are processed by PayPal through our secure shopping cart.

The PayPal site is highly secure. You can be 100% confident that your online purchase will be safe and secure, backed by the highest security standards provided by PayPal.

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What is your product return policy?

We have an “no questions asked” exchange policy because your satisfaction is of the utmost importance to us.

Due to the digital nature of our soundware products that can be purchased from Beta Monkey Music, you can not return a product for a cash refund

But you can exchange your purchase for any other Beta Monkey product within 30 days of your purchase from Beta Monkey Music.

In order to exchange your Beta Monkey product, you simply email us to indicate which new product you’d like to exchange for your purchased product. We’ll issue new download links.

If your new product is more expensive than the original purchase, you will only be asked to pay the difference in price.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed and of the highest concern for us here at Beta Monkey Music. All purchases are covered under our “no questions asked” 100% satisfaction product exchange policy. We will always work to make sure you get the soundware products you and your music need.

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Company Questions

Why are Beta Monkey prices so much better than the competition?

Ah, yes, the big question. Here are two answers, the short and the long, with the long one first.

You want to know why we charge less than everyone else? Because we think they charge too much. We have bought our fair share of discs for $50 and up. Some were good, some were OK, and some were flat-out useless. But, in every case, we always felt the price tag was just way too stiff. Now, many will say, “Oh, but these are license-free loops!” or “It takes a lot of money to book studio time, buy equipment, and produce CD’s.” And, sadly many people will buy it.

We didn’t.

And we still don’t.

We offer our discs, which pound for pound put other commercial releases to shame, at FAIR prices. We’ve found through experience that people truly appreciate rock solid, no-nonsense, 100% acoustic drum grooves and fills at the prices we offer them for. Proof enough is the amount of repeat business we do. Unlike most of the others out there, we aren’t out for the quick “one hit” purchase. We have over forty releases now and plan to release even more. We want you back. And, we can only do that if you feel you got what you paid for (and we prefer you feel you got MORE than what you paid for). “But, you get what you pay for!” is what some will counter. Well, this is true with a lot of things in life (like cheap microphones or cheap instruments), but we can assure you it’s not true with Beta Monkey. Plus, for our prices, you can actually try us out and still not be out a bundle. Think you would take the same risks with a $100+ sample CD? Not nearly as likely.

The bottom line is our price is a major selling point. If we felt like screwing people, we would charge $49.99 like everyone else. We don’t. We won’t. We can’t. It’s just not what we believe in. But, hey, if you want to spend more and get less, email us. We know of more than a few places who will gladly stiff you for more and send you a disc of even stiffer loops.

The Short Answer? We’re just not greedy like our competitors. We want to offer great products at a price ALL musicians can afford, from working pro musicians with an unlimited spending budget to the project studio artists with more limited means. We know – we have been both.

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Why do Beta Monkey drum loops sound better than competitors?

We’d like to think we produce some of the best-sounding drum loop and sample products anywhere. And, what we have always attempted to achieve was a wide variety of professional grade drum recordings. This means we have been to some of the best drum rooms in the US. Whether it’s in New York City, Nashville, Los Angeles, or San Francisco (and a bunch of places in-between), we go to the great rooms to get the great sounds.

So, while the competition is putting out the same over-processed, over-compressed, sample-replaced schlock that is coming from the same room year after year, we can offer you the beautiful variety of the top studios in the nation. And, while recording in your backyard garage might be cool for some things, we prefer to go to the rooms that have produced platinum-selling records. While we might be wrong, but there just might be some difference between The Record Plant in Sausalito, CA and some Pro Tools rig you have in your backyard tool shed.

It’s just part of what we do to give you better-sounding drums, ones that are unique and distinct from anything else you’ll find anywhere. There’s no shortcut to great sounding drums and sometimes you have to go to the studios that can deliver the sounds you want. That’s what we do and enthusiastically bring to you on each and every Beta Monkey release.

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Have Beta Monkey drum loops been quantized by Beat Detective or similar groove-killing processes?

Without hesitation, no!

All Beta Monkey sample releases are 100% live and unquantized. While some editing is necessary to get loops to accurately reflect stated tempos, we leave as much of the beautiful human factor – you know, all that stuff like feel, groove, and pocket that is getting lost in the digital age of recording – in all of our sample releases.

While the competition is cranking out lifeless after lifeless sets of loops that have been locked to the grid in near-robotic fashion, we don’t see any need to do so. Our drummers know how to lay down great time and feel, delivering musical performances that will inspire your music with “in the pocket” playing listeners will know are live and, more important, human. If you have bad time or no soul, then Beat Detective is a lifesaver.

We’ll leave the locked-to-the-grid drum machine parts to the other loop and sample sellers out there. They know who they are!

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Who plays drums for Beta Monkey?

We get asked this all the time and our answer is always the same: We can’t say. Well, we could tell you of course, but that’s just not part of our ethos or style. We’ve never believed in the whole name-dropping approach.

What we have done for all of our drum loop products is seek out the best players for the genre. Through various connections, both personal and professional, we have been fortunate enough to get some amazing players, players who have been on countless platinum albums, toured the world’s venues, and celebrated in the music press. Put simply, some of the best players you could imagine.

While we’d love sometimes to share with you all who is playing behind you as you write your latest song with Beta Monkey loops, we can’t.

Just know, you are in very good musical company.

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Am I going to get a library of funky MIDI v-drums or some slamming live drumming?

No. For that, you want to visit Sonic Foundry or any of the others you might call our competition. You can view the table of contents for all discs prior to purchasing and we do our best to describe the discs as accurately as we can. When we say rock, we mean rock. If we label a disc Bluesy (like our Volume III CD), then you are going to get shuffles and 6/8 feels.

And, for goodness sake, a Roland v-drum will never be found at Beta Monkey Studios. Arguably , they are the worst scourge brought upon the drumming and general music community since disco. And, the sad thing is people will swear, “Oh they sound cool!” or “I just have to dial up the kit I want and there’s the sound I want!” It’s really sad. It breaks our hearts to hear the loops people claim are “rock” loops when they are v-drum garbage that sounds only somewhat better than what GM sounds were like in the mid-90’s.

Please, people do yourself and your music a favor and never use a v-drum or midi loop again. You can do better.

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I’ve been burned by other loop companies on the net. What makes Beta Monkey Music different?

If you haven’t figured it out by now, then we don’t think you will ever see it. But, one simple way to remedy this would be to email us. Get to know us, ask questions, see who and what you’re dealing with. That will probably distinguish us from the competition even more than the quality of our grooves.

So, if you’re still reading this page, we think it’s time for you to hear for yourself – head over to our drum loop download shop and start hearing for yourself what our drums can do for your music.

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