If you're a songwriter or producer that likes to work with sample libraries, you've likely spent a considerable amount of time scrolling through a seemingly endless list of sounds, seeking out samples that spark inspiration or fit with an existing project.
Today, Output unveils a new plugin that's designed to speed up that process, which the company describes as "one of the biggest challenges in music production". Billed as "the fastest way to find samples that fit your music", Co-Producer is an AI-powered plugin that sits on your master bus and listens to your project, analyzing its rhythm and harmony before suggesting royalty-free samples from Output's library to augment the track.
Open up Co-Producer and you'll be given the option to play either four or eight bars of audio into the plugin to be analyzed. Before searching for appropriate samples, you're asked to provide Co-Producer with your track's key signature, and given the option to add a text prompt that tells the plugin what instrument, genre or vibe you're looking for.
Once you've hit the search button, Co-Producer will return a list of samples that should match up harmonically and rhythmically with your project. You're able to preview the sounds from within the plugin, with sounds synced to the appropriate key and tempo, before dragging and dropping to your timeline. Samples can also be dropped into Output's sampler plugin Arcade to be transformed into playable instruments.
Co-Producer is a subscription-based plugin that gives users access to a regularly updated library of "premium, musician-made" samples. Output gives all subscribers unlimited access to its entire sample library, rather than operating a credit-based system like sample platforms such as Splice.
"We built Co-Producer to address the real frustrations of music makers. After talking with thousands of writers and producers, it was clear that endlessly scrolling for samples held back creativity," says Output CEO Gregg Lehrman.
"Artists want sounds that fit their track from the start, with the ability to preview them in context and drag-and-drop directly from within their DAW. They also don’t like the credits system that many companies have."
"We're not using AI to generate audio—we're using it to improve how music makers work," adds Spencer Salazar, Output’s Head of R&D. "By combining language models, audio analysis, and a scalable engine, we deliver high-quality, musician-made results that are 100% free and clear to use."
Output Co-Producer is available now for $9.99/month and a 7-day free trial is available.
