Library of Congress Launches Open-Source Sampling Tool for Music Producers

Led by current “innovator in residence” Brian Foo, the Library of Congress has shared a preview of a project titled “Citizen DJ.”

The project, launching sometime this summer, will allow users to access the libraries’ extensive catalog of audio files dating back over a hundred years, with all files available for royalty-free download and use.

Users will have three ways to access and use the sounds through the database, per the project’s website:

1) An interface for quickly exploring a particular collection by sound and metadata.

2) A simple music-creation app that lets you remix collections with beats.

3) “Sample packs” that you can download which contain thousands of audio clips from a particular collection that can be used in most music production software.

Test out the project here and find out more about the project here.