Free String Samples for Music Production
Free string samples from real orchestral, chamber, and folk recordings. Violin, cello, and full sections, public domain, CC0, and CC-BY, with a certificate.
Catalog updated August 2026
- $2,000–$50,000+ — typical cost to clear one commercial sample
- Documented terms — public domain, CC0, or CC-BY per sample
- Two evidence paths — fingerprint screening or source attestation
Featured String Samples
Where to use string samples
Selekt string stems are isolated from real orchestral, chamber, jazz, and folk recordings using AI stem separation. The catalog covers solo violin (Heifetz-era performances now in public domain), cello (Casals recordings, modern CC0 contributions), violas, full string section sweeps from classical orchestral works, gypsy-jazz violin from Django Reinhardt-era recordings, and modern CC0 fiddle and folk strings. Real string ensembles captured on real recordings have qualities virtual instruments cannot replicate — bow noise, slight intonation differences between players in a section, natural hall reverb, and the swell of multiple bows moving in close-but-not-perfect time. Producers use these for cinematic hip-hop beats with dramatic string swells, lo-fi productions where a single sustained violin note becomes the whole atmosphere, sample-based productions where a 4-bar string passage becomes a hook, and ambient or new-age tracks built on layered legato strings. The catalog also includes pizzicato (plucked) string samples for percussive use. Every stem ships with a license certificate showing source and license type. Selekt's free copyright-check tool can screen any audio against an industry-standard database of 150M+ commercial recordings.
String Key & BPM Finder
Find string samples that fit a track you are already working on. Drop the track in and this reads its key and tempo in your browser — the audio never leaves your tab — then searches only the string samples on this page for ones in a compatible key and a workable tempo, including half- and double-time. You can also just set the key and tempo yourself. Matching uses the Camelot wheel, so it returns the relative major/minor and the neighbouring keys, not only an exact match.
- Drop in a track, or set a key and tempo by hand.
- The key and tempo are detected locally, in your browser.
- Compatible string samples from this page are listed, with a preview player.
How every sample here is cleared
- Sourced from named, verified sources. Public domain, CC0, and CC-BY — from Freesound, the Library of Congress / Citizen DJ, Internet Archive, and Musopen. Not anonymous “royalty-free” uploads.
- Screened anyway. Samples are fingerprint-screened against an industry database of 150M+ commercial recordings (the same class of recognition behind Shazam and Deezer), and matches are rejected. The exception is recordings from before 1926, which are public domain by age — there the evidence is the documented source and date rather than a fingerprint match.
- Publicly verifiable. Every download ships with a license certificate, and each clearance record is cryptographically signed (Ed25519 + SHA-256 hash chain) — so you, a distributor, or a sync library can verify it in the browser, with no account.
How clearance works · Verify a certificate · See live proof
Screening and certificates are documented evidence, not a legal clearance opinion — confirm rights before commercial release.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of strings are included?
Solo violin, cello, viola, double bass played as strings (not jazz upright), full string section, gypsy-jazz violin, fiddle, and pizzicato (plucked) string samples — sourced from classical, jazz, folk, and modern CC0 contributors.
Can I get isolated solo violin vs. full section?
Yes. Use Describe & Find with "solo violin" or "string section" to filter. Some recordings are inherently solo (chamber works, jazz violin); others are orchestral with full sections that separate as one stem.
Are these usable for cinematic productions?
Yes — string stems from classical orchestral recordings are commonly used by film and game composers as starting points or layers under virtual instruments. The natural hall reverb and ensemble blend add depth that pure VST production lacks.
What about pizzicato strings?
The catalog includes plucked string samples from classical and jazz recordings. Use search terms like "pizzicato" or "plucked strings" to surface them. Useful for percussive accents in modern productions.
Are these stems recorded mono or stereo?
Most pre-1950s recordings are mono; later orchestral recordings are stereo. The original recording format is preserved in the stem. We label it on each sample page.
Related instruments
Browse Other Stem Types
Selekt's string samples come from documented public-domain, CC0, and CC-BY recordings, with the source and terms carried into each download. Check the sample's exact license before release.
What is Selekt?
Selekt is a catalog of cleared samples and stems — every file is public domain or CC0, sourced from named archives and fingerprint-screened against commercial recordings before it's listed — paired with browser tools to chop, separate, and recombine them. Every download includes a license certificate naming the exact source and license, so you keep documentation, not just a promise. Free to start, no account needed to browse.
Who Selekt is for
Selekt is for producers, beatmakers, and composers who need source material they can legally release — on streaming, in client work, in sync and video — without chasing clearance or paying per-use royalties. It's for people who want the character of real recordings with the safety of documented provenance.
What you can do with Selekt
- Flip cleared public-domain and CC0 samples into beats you can actually release.
- Isolate stems — vocals, drums, bass, and more — from cleared recordings for remixes and edits.
- Source royalty-free audio for sync, video, podcasts, and client work, each with a license certificate.
- Combine catalog samples with your own uploads into one creation whose certificate covers the whole blend.
