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Emerging in the late 2000s, many credit the internet with the birth of chillwave, a genre developed in part thanks to the popularity of music blogs and sharing platforms like SoundCloud. While it’s a term of derision for some, many artists associated with the chillwave movement — Tycho, Washed Out, and Toro y Moi to name a few — continue to push the genre forward with captivating and engaging music.
Fancy giving it a try for yourself? In this round-up, we’ve collected some of the best free sample packs to help you capture that dreamy, faded vibe without breaking the bank.
Chillwave
We’re kicking things off with Chillwave, a pack that perfectly encapsulates the hazy, nostalgic sound the genre is known for. Featuring 100 loops of lush synth pads, soft leads, and mellow drum patterns, this collection is ideal for adding a retro feel to your productions.
Belibat Synthwave
There’s no denying the influence of the 1980s and its sonic palette on many chillwave artists. This Synthwave pack offers up twinkling plucks and arps, pulsing basslines, and classic electronic drum sounds — many of which are drenched in a healthy dose of gated reverb.
Synthwave Drums Vol. 2
If you’re looking for a sturdy percussive backbone for your arrangement, this pack has your rhythm section covered. Inside are 75 one-shots and 25 loops with plenty of punch to cut through your ambient soundscapes and drive your track forward.
Download Synthwave Drums Vol. 2
Sweeping Cinematic Synths Vol. 2
A must-have for creating expansive, cinematic arrangements, this pack includes rich, evolving synths and atmospheric strings, perfect for layering into your ambient productions for a bit of a widescreen feel.
Download Sweeping Cinematic Synths Vol. 2
MusicTech: The Horror Synthesizer
While the iconic horror scores of decades past might seem at odds with the optimistic, light-hearted sounds of chillwave, they do share a common thread — the use of analogue synths. There are plenty of brooding bass sounds and effects-laden plucks here, ideal for moody, slow-building sections within your arrangements.
Download MusicTech: The Horror Synthesizer
80s Thriller Movie
Ambient and downtempo music doesn’t always have to be low energy. This pack cranks up the tempo a bit, perfect for creating more driven, dance-inspired tracks you might hear from Tycho or Washed Out. With 85 loops in total, there’s also a focus on electric guitars to add more sonic depth to your arrangements.
Organic Ambient Chill
Want to slow things down and take your listeners on a winding journey to another world? Organic Ambient Chill is the pack for you, filled with soft textures, natural percussion, and mellow synths — perfect for adding a tranquil, meditative quality to your compositions.
Download Organic Ambient Chill
Electronica Melodic
This pack takes an ethereal turn, combining shimmering keys and cleaner synth flourishes with glitchy, distorted stabs and effects that are ideal for dialling in some textural contrast.
Organic Electronica
Part of what makes chillwave so effective at evoking long-forgotten memories is its use of organic timbres and textures to ground the arrangements in the real world. The loops and samples in this pack feature a range of found sounds, foley hits, and pitched percussion like kalimbas and celestas, adding an earthy feel to your compositions.
Ambient Electronica
Heavily inspired by Tycho’s music, the Ambient Electronica pack is filled with crisp and crunchy drum loops, washed-out keys and pads, and expansive delay lines of guitars.
House vs Electronica
Rounding things out is House vs Electronica, which leans more heavily towards dance and EDM. With a range of uplifting and melodic loops, this pack is perfect for experimenting — why not try chopping them up or slowing them down to uncover new textures for your ambient tracks?
