Hold on to yer butts, it’s Black Friday 2023!
Are this year’s deals any better than last year? At this point, it’s real hard to tell, but there are certainly loads of companies that are absolutely desperate for your money. As per Samplecast tradition, the deals highlighted below are not just any old thing – they’re the libraries and plugins that I personally vouch for and use on a regular basis. I’ll be adding more deals as the weekend progresses so keep checking in…
Red Room Audio – Palette Complete Orchestra – 83% off – $149
Same deal as last year, but still a brilliant offer. I’ve supported Red Room Audio from the very start and this offer is an entire orchestral collection for less than the price of just one pack! Even if you already have plenty of orchestral libraries this is worth picking up. The gorgeous legato Melodics, hundreds of FX and tempo-synced Runs are worth the price of admission alone. This library really warrants a deep dive to discover hidden gems.
8DIO – Kontakt Goodies – FREE
Have 8DIO lost their damn minds? Well, yes (probably years ago) with some heavyweight Kontakt freebies that are too good to pass up. A 1928 Steinway Piano, Ambient Guitar and Hybrid Rhythms are worthy additions to your sound design arsenal.
Sample Logic – Genesis – 70% off – $74
A really great deal on 13 GB of inspiring pads and evolutions. I did the video walkthroughs for Genesis and still use these sounds as the basis for space-age compositions. Super-lush textures that are highly customisable (but only for the full version of Kontakt).
Free To Use Sounds – All In One Bundle (2 TB) – $15
An offer returning from last year, this is a ginormous foley collection of 11,000 WAV files, captured from all over the globe. Use code BLACKFRIDAY2023 to knock $10 off the $25 list price, reducing the price to just $15.
Fracture Sounds – The 99 Bundle – 42% off – £99
A secret weapon for emotional piano scoring, Fracture Sounds have burrowed their way into my heart in the last couple of years. This Black Friday they’ve bundled their latest wind library with a classic piano to create a bespoke £99 deal. The rest of their store is also discounted and don’t miss out on their latest freebies. If you’ve never experienced the melancholy of their libraries then there’s no better place to start.
Soundtoys – Effect Rack – 50% off – £119
I always like to give a shout-out to Soundtoys, and although their products are never on very deep discount, a saving of 50% on their multipurpose effects rack is as good a price as you’re ever likely to find. You can also grab Little Plate for FREE until December 1st.
Sample Logic – Drum Fury – 80% off – $40
I worked on both the Drum Fury libraries that are currently on sale for 80% off. The first one features thunderous impacts and marching drums. The second is more about synth tones and smaller percussion. I prefer the first instalment but they’re both decent, and great value at just $40 each. More info on both packs HERE
iZotope – Vocal Synth 2 – 86% off – £29
I use this vocal mangling plugin on a regular basis throughout my tracks, although I very rarely actually use it on vocals. Throw it on percussion, synths and effects to inject character and punch with some unexpected processing from the hundreds of presets. Plugin Boutique is also selling it part of their Creative Mix Bundle for 90% off.
Sonokinetic – Sotto X – 75% off – €25
A flash deal on one of the strangest libraries yet from my old friends at Sonokinetic. As ever, I put together the walkthrough videos and after initially being sceptical of the concept, I was won over by the vintage synths tones of this supremely playable phrase library. Fun and inspiring in equal parts.
Cinesamples – up to 67% off storewide
Cinesamples have been pushing their Musio platform hard over the last few months. But if you’re old school (like me) then you can still grab their Kontakt libraries for a heavyweight discount until the end of the year. I regularly use their brass, percussion and lush chords. I’m really not keen on their redesigned website though.
Fallout Music Group – up to 75% off everything
Another returning deal from last year, Fallout Music Group’s horror-themed Kontakt products are like nothing you’ve heard before. For Hereditary-style scratchy strings grab Unstrung, cranks and cogs galore with Steampunk or their explosive Trailer tools. Their generous freebies are 100% awesome.
Pettinhouse – Complete Bundle – 92% off – $49
24 hour deal only! These guitars aren’t the latest and greatest, but I still reach for them when I need guitars that play nicely under the fingers without too much messing about with key switches. This bundle also includes bonus ukulele and drums. You can also grab individual instruments for just $29.
Artistry Audio – Staccato – 66% off – $49
If you’re creating hybrid or dance music, this heart-pumping pulse library is a great option. I worked on the walkthrough videos and loved the highly editable sounds. Lots to explore here, for both preset rinsers and tweaker-heads. Originally listed on the APD site at $99, use coupon code LOYAL50-57QJ7UTU to bring down the price to $49.
Audio Ollie – Scoring Synths – 66% off – $49
I reviewed this “worldized” synth collection back on the weekly Samplecast show, giving it a generally positive reception with some caveats. However, priced at two-thirds off it’s certainly worth taking a second look, to inject some silky analog goodness into your cinematic scores. There are lots of other decent offers on the Audio Ollie site too, including LA Modern Percussion for just $99.
Backblaze – Cloud Storage / Backup – 20% off
Lastly, a completely essential deal that isn’t a library or plugin. I use Backblaze to constantly back up my computer system and all external drives. Saving my bacon on several occasions, it’s a stress-free way to keep everything safe, without having to perform physical backups each day. A rare offer of 20% off is valid for the next few days using coupon code BLAZEITUP23
Audio Plugin Deals – 18 deals revealed over 3 days : I already know what these deals will be but I can’t tell anyone yet. There are a couple in particular that are extraordinary value and you’ll definitely want to pick them up. Keep an eye on the page.
Heavyocity Foundations – FREE : Awesome sounds for zero money. The choir is especially good. They also have some decent discounts for Black Friday.
Spitfire Audio – The Ton – £99 : As ever, Spitfire’s eclectic yearly bundle is a tempting treat. Is it ok to buy their stuff again now?
Impact Soundworks – Up to 76% off : If you fancy every Shreddage guitar or just a grab-bag of oddities, then Impact Soundworks have you covered with their bargain bundles.
Orchestral Tools – 50% off Berlin Series : If you want to go all-out, the best deal is the entire collection for €949 – but it’s half-off for the rest too.
Boom Library – Processed Impacts – FREE : Half a gig of free booms and impacts for zero money.
Samples From Mars – 98% off – $49 : Snag an amazing price on 62GB of drum machines, synths and more… all sampled from the original hardware. Try coupon code SNACKS for an extra 10% off.
Waves – Silk Vocal – FREE : We all love to hate on Waves, but with freebies like this, it’s hard to resist.
