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The rulebook has been well and truly torn up when it comes to making pop music, with countless artists pushing the boundaries. Movements like hyperpop emerged in the 2010s, pioneered by AG Cook and his PC Music label to name a few, combining accessible songwriting with far-reaching influences from trance, EDM, dubstep, punk – and everything in between.
These sample packs focus primarily on the electronic side of things, drawing inspiration from names like Charli XCX, Flume, Sophie, and KUČKA – who explained more about the process of recording her album, Can You Hear Me Dreaming?, and its ‘no-rules’ approach in our digital cover feature.
Want to get a little experimental with your own pop productions? These free sample packs are filled with loops, one-shots, textures, and effects to help you score a chart-topper.
[Editor’s note: BandLab and MusicTech are both part of Caldecott Music Group]
Experimental Pop
Bandlab Sounds Experimental PopDistorted basses, crunchy drum hits, and sparkling arpeggiators are just a taste of what you’ll find in this highly versatile pack. Sounds range from simple to complex, and many are treated with quirky and intriguing effects for plenty of character.
Download Experimental Pop
Pop Essentials
Bandlab Sounds Pop EssentialsThis pack focuses more on cleaner, melodic content like chord progressions and riffs perfect for contemporary pop productions – or for mashing and mangling with your own processing if you’re looking for a bit more edge. You’ll find everything from modern synth patches to more organic loops featuring guitars, keys, and acoustic drums.
Download Pop Essentials
Alternative Pop
Bandlab Sounds Alternative PopThis collection slows the tempo down a bit, serving up brooding bass sounds, sparse drum loops, and ethereal pads that blend seamlessly into darker, more atmospheric production styles.
Download Alternative Pop
Rookes: POPNOTPOP Pack Vol 1
Bandlab Sounds PopNotPopUK producer Rookes is the name behind this lighter, playful selection of loops and one-shots comprising glistening keys, snappy drum parts, and experimental reversed textures that work as well in radio-ready chart toppers as they do in left-leaning alternative productions.
Download Rookes: POPNOTPOP Pack Vol 1
91Vocals: Pop Vox
Bandlab Sounds Pop VoxVocals – it’s hard to do pop without them. This pack contains a vast selection of hooks, harmonies, ad-libs, and effects from professional vocalists. Leaning into the hyperpop sound? Try dirtying them up, running them through autotune, or pitching them well beyond their original key.
Download 91Vocals: Pop Vox
Experimental Electro Pop
Bandlab Sounds Experimental Electro PopWant to channel the weirder sonics of producers like Sophie and AG Cook? This pack takes sound design in a more creative direction, with wobbly leads, siren-esque synths, and growling basses, plus a handful of foley-inspired drum loops.
Download Experimental Electro Pop
Bedroom Pop Vocals
Bandlab Sounds Bedroom Pop VocalsPop vocals don’t always call for a powerful performance. If you’re looking for something on the softer side, this pack offers gentler delivery recorded with an upfront, close-mic sound that’s intimate and emotive. Alongside dry vocals, there are plenty of effected versions with carefully dialled reverbs, delays, and filters.
Download Bedroom Pop Vocals
Tim Wicked: Dream Pop
Bandlab Sounds Dream PopNew Yorker Tim Wicked takes a more dance-inflected approach to pop with this pack. There’s a distinctly analogue flavour to the synth sounds, which is perfect if you’re leaning on the nostalgia factor that’s nearly always in vogue.
Download Tim Wicked: Dream Pop
Hyperpop Vocals
Bandlab Sounds Hyperpop VocalsWhile the other vocal packs in this list offer plenty of options for warping into something new, this selection of hyperpop vocals lets you shortcut straight to the sounds of 100 Gecs and Midwxst out of the box. From formant-shifted hooks and melodies to glitchy autotune effects, these samples could inspire your next track from the ground up, or be the final piece in a more developed production.
Download Hyperpop Vocals
Effected Percussion
Bandlab Sounds Effected PercussionsWhether you’re after heavy-hitting half-time beats or crafting intricate patterns with an IDM flavour, getting your drums right is vital in any electropop arrangement. This pack errs on the minimal side, but its tight, snappy hits are great for adding detail to your loops – especially with the healthy dose of modulation that’s been applied.
Download Effected Percussion
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