Over the last few decades loop based computer music production has grown massively and has proved to a very popular style of music production. Searching and working with loops in some DAWs can be a frustrating experience as getting loops from one application into another isn’t always as fluid as we want it to be. What products can you use to make the process of producing a song with loops easier and more creative?
Back in 2018 we published a free video tutorial showing you the powers of Loopmasters’ Loopcloud 2.0:
Since this version of Loopcloud, Loopmasters have been busy at work improving not only the application but also the service. The latest version of Loopcloud 5 (which has jumped 3 versions in just over a year) now includes a number of very cool features and subscription models, which we feel make this one of the simplest, most flexible and creative loop engines around for music producers, songwriters and recording artists.
Loopcloud, as the name suggests, is a cloud based loop engine application for Mac and Windows. It’s available as a free application to download and includes a huge catalogue of free samples ready for you to start using. The free catalogue of loops is continually being extended, which should keep your creative juices flowing especially if you’re on a budget.
If the free collection of loops isn’t enough for you then you can checkout the ‘full-fat’ version of Loopcloud which is subscription based enables full access to their extensive libraries
New Subscription Model
The previous pay as you go credit system is no more. If you are a hardcore loop based music producer who relies heavily on loops then checkout the Loopcloud website and look at their subscription plans starting from £5.99 a month with savings if you commit to an annual plan. With the £5.99 entry level subscription you have access to the Pro version of Loopcloud, which includes the new effects plug-ins along with 100 points per month, 10 free sounds per day and 5GB of storage. If you find that you’ve used all of your credits up in your month’s subscription you can top up your balance with 100, 250 or 500 points starting at £4.99.
Storage is a neat component in Loopcloud. It enables you to store your own personal audio loop catalogues in the cloud within your user account for easy access. This is a cool way of saving space on your local or media hard drives while also being useful if you produce music across two or more studios.
It’s worth noting that if you download and use the free version of Loopcloud 5 you will have no points to use on samples in their store though if you want to demo the full potential of the store you can download and activate a free 30 day trial of their Studio plan and gain 300 points to use on samples - Visit the Loopcloud website to find out more about their subscription plans.
Learn How To Start A Song Using Loopcloud 5.0
In this free video tutorial, we show you the main areas within the Loopcloud 5 application to help you get setup and running with Loopcloud quickly. We show you:
How to search for loops and audition results.
How to use the integrated 8 track system for auditioning loops alongside each other within the application.
How to purchase loops using Loopcloud’s credit currency.
How to sync your DAW to Loopcloud and import loops into the timeline of a DAW using drag and drop.
How to apply effects using Loopcloud’s new effects engine (Effects not available in the free version of Loopcloud).
Loopcloud Main Features
Loopcloud samples are royalty free.
Your credit points will not expire and rollover as long as your subscription is active. If you cancel your account or your subscription lapses your points are frozen for 180 days and will be added back to your account if you return in that time period, otherwise they will expire.
You have full control over BMP and pitch of any loop. All loops fit brilliantly together no matter their original speed and pitch.
Automatically connects to all popular DAWs with the Loopcloud plug-in acting as a monitoring application. The DAW lightning bolt symbol at the bottom right of the application will show you if your DAW has synced correctly or not.
includes two new plug-in instruments called Loopcloud Drum and Loopcloud Play which contain thousands of sounds and instruments.
Verdict - Get Your Head Out Of The Clouds, There’s No Good Reason Not To Have This On Your Studio Computer
I cannot think of many, if any, other pro audio applications that receive updates and revisions as frequently as Loopcloud. It’s an application that keeps on growing and improving at a rate of knots and is clearly being developed by creative people who are passionate about making music. The free version is super powerful on it’s own with plenty of loops readily available to sink your teeth into yet to harness the full power of the Loopcloud 5 application you will need to sign up to the entry level Artist plan for £5.99. The new subscription structure is simple enough to understand and represents very good value for money. Just to give you a sense of how reasonable this could be for you, a client of mine produced 5 songs using an earlier version of Loopcloud last year and used well under 100 credits which today would cost £4.99 as a credits top up. The new subscription offerings in Loopcloud is of course a predictable move in today’s audio production marketplace. For the seasoned pro loop producer this maybe a more attractive way to use Loopcloud.
In short, if you are a recording artist or music producer I can’t think of any good reason not to have the Loopcloud application installed on your computer. It’s free, easy to use and is always ready to go with fresh content when your creativity decides to strike.
Visit Loopcloud to download the free application to start experimenting with it for yourself in your studio.
Alternatives To Consider
If you have played around with Loopcloud and feel it doesn’t fit your needs yet you need a creative loop based engine then consider Splice Sounds and Output’s Arcade. Both are equally respected and provide similar subscription plans and credit systems for purchasing loops.