The Ethics of the Sample: Collaboration, Consent and Credit Across Cultures
Conference
The Ethics of the Sample: Collaboration, Consent and Credit Across Cultures
Speakers: Paul Hartnoll (Orbital), Angelica, Laima Leyton, Quinn Whalley
Moderator: Ruth Daniel
Electronic music has always been a music based on borrowing. From the blues samples that built drum and bass, to the Afro beat loops threading through contemporary house, to the sacred chants now appearing on festival main stages, the genre has drawn deeply and consistently from the musical traditions of the Global South and indigenous communities worldwide. And that borrowing is accelerating as production tools make global field recordings more accessible. As audiences increasingly reward sonic diversity, more artists than ever are reaching across cultural borders for material, inspiration and collaboration. But reach is not the same as building relationships.
Sampling without consent, crediting a "sound" rather than a person, and treating living cultural traditions as aesthetic raw material are practices the industry can no longer afford to regard as normal. At the same time, genuine, reciprocal collaboration between electronic producers and artists from under-resourced communities can be transformative, opening markets, generating income and creating work of real cultural significance. This panel brings together producers, cultural rights advocates, and artists from communities whose music is most frequently borrowed, to answer the hard questions honestly.
What does meaningful consent look like when working with communities that have no formal publishing infrastructure? How do you credit a tradition rather than an individual? What is the difference between influence, homage, sampling and theft, and who gets to decide? When does a collaboration genuinely serve both parties, and when does it reproduce the same extractive dynamics that have always defined the relationship between the music industry and the Global South?
We will also share real processes, from how to seek prior informed consent, to fair contracting with artists who lack label or management representation, to how streaming royalties and sync fees can be structured to benefit source communities rather than just the producer holding the masters.
The time of the event is still to be announced.
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ADE Pro is the ultimate business and inspiration gathering for the electronic music industry. The four-day conference returns to live action at our iconic home base Felix Meritis and features dedicated programming at the forefront of our industry. In addition, ADE will also continue to host conference programs dedicated to young creators and aspiring professionals.
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