The Best 808 Samples: 9 Free and Paid Packs for Trap and Hip Hop (2026)

The 808 is the kick and the bassline at once, so it is the one sound in a trap or hip hop beat that has to be right. The good news is that you do not need to pay much for good 808s. Most of the packs below are free, and the paid ones cost less than a takeaway. For each we list what you get, how the download is gated, and what the 808s are best for. Then we cover how to tune, glide and distort an 808 so it works on small speakers.

Contents and prices were checked in November 2026. Free offers change, so check each page.

The short list

• Most free 808s in one download: MusicRadar’s SampleRadar 808 pack, 105 WAV files, no signup.
• Best free key labelled set: Ghosthack’s 808 packs, 20 to 25 hits each, email signup.
• Best free designed 808s: Clark Audio’s Mind Blown kit, 45 clean and distorted 808s made in Serum.
• Best for hardware samplers: 808 From Mars, 24 bit WAV with MPC, Kontakt and Maschine patches.
• Best paid one shots: IQ Sounds Trap Starter Pack, 10 key labelled 808s in a 65 hit kit.
• Best 808s inside full beats: Apocalypse Trap (Rhino Star), five kits with tuned kicks, bass loops and MIDI for $3.99.

Comparison table

Pack	808 content	Format	Price and gating
SampleRadar 808 weight samples (MusicRadar)	105 files: 21 original 808 recordings, each through 5 effect chains	WAV, 60 MB zip	Free, direct download
Phat 808s, Heavy 808 Basskicks, Day 9 808s (Ghosthack)	25, 20 and 20 one shots, the Day 9 set key labelled	WAV	Free, email signup
Mind Blown Free 808 Drum Kit (Clark Audio)	45 808s, clean and distorted, designed in Serum	WAV	Free
808 From Mars (Samples From Mars)	16 808 drum samples plus sampler patches	24 bit WAV, 21 MB	Free, name and email
Free 808 Samples (Unison)	10 808 one shots and 10 matching loops	WAV	Free, $0 checkout
Trap Starter Pack (IQ Sounds)	10 key labelled 808s in a 65 hit kit	16 bit WAV	$14.99
The Best Trap Sample Pack (Production Music Live)	7 808s in a 160 sample pack with project files	24 bit WAV	19.90 euros, often on sale
Apocalypse Trap (Rhino Star)	Tuned kicks and bass loops in 5 construction kits, 7 MIDI files	24 bit WAV and MIDI	$3.99
Roland TR-808 packs (Splice)	Official TR-808 hits and many third party 808 kits	WAV	Subscription credits

1. SampleRadar 808 weight samples (MusicRadar)

Right for: producers who want a lot of 808 variations with no signup.

21 original 808 bass recordings, each run through five different effect chains, for 105 WAV files sorted into six folders: one raw, five processed. The whole thing is a 60 MB zip. Strengths: no email, no account, and the processed versions save you the saturation work. Caveats: no key labels, so you will need a tuner plugin to find each sample’s root note. See MusicRadar’s free drum samples.

2. Free 808 packs (Ghosthack)

Right for: producers who want tuned, labelled 808s for free.

Ghosthack has given away several 808 sets through its advent calendars and free hub: Phat 808s (25 heavy hits), Heavy 808 Basskicks (20), and the Day 9 set of 20 key labelled 808 hits. There is also a 50 piece trap drum kit with 808s inside. Strengths: the key labelling on the Day 9 set, and the hits are made for modern trap. Caveats: each download asks for your email, and the sets are spread across several pages. See Ghosthack’s free trap packs.

3. Mind Blown Free 808 Drum Kit (Clark Audio)

Right for: producers who want both clean subs and distorted 808s.

45 original 808s designed in Serum and then processed, a mix of clean and distorted. Strengths: designed 808s have longer, more even tails than sampled hardware, which makes glides easier. Caveats: the page does not state key labels or bit depth. See Clark Audio’s free kits.

4. 808 From Mars (Samples From Mars)

Right for: MPC, Maschine and Kontakt users who want the real machine, mapped.

A free taster of Samples From Mars’ TR-808 library: 16 drum samples in 24 bit WAV with patches for Ableton Live, Kontakt, Battery, Maschine, MPC, Logic and SFZ, in a 21 MB zip. Strengths: the sampler patches, and Samples From Mars records hardware well. Caveats: 16 samples is small, and you enter your name and email to get the link. Read about it at Bedroom Producers Blog.

5. Free 808 Samples (Unison)

Right for: a quick set of 808s with matching loops.

10 808 one shots and 10 matching 808 loops at $0 through Unison’s normal checkout. Strengths: the loops show you how each 808 sits in a pattern. Caveats: the page headline promises 75 samples, loops and MIDI, but the listed contents are 10 and 10 with no MIDI, so expect the smaller number. See it at Unison.

6. Trap Starter Pack (IQ Sounds)

Right for: producers who want a small, chosen set of 808s with the rest of the drums.

10 key labelled 808s inside a 65 hit kit that also covers kicks, snares, claps, cymbals and percussion, 44.1 kHz 16 bit WAV, $14.99. Strengths: labelled and consistent. Caveats: 16 bit rather than 24, and $14.99 for 65 files is expensive next to the free sets above. See it at IQ Sounds.

7. The Best Trap Sample Pack (Production Music Live)

Right for: producers who want to see 808s used in a finished project.

7 808s inside a 160 sample pack, with FL Studio and Ableton project files that show how the 808 is tuned, glided and mixed. 24 bit WAV. Strengths: the project files teach more than the samples. Caveats: only 7 808s, and the base price is 19.90 euros. See it at Production Music Live.

8. Apocalypse Trap Sample Pack (Rhino Star)

Right for: producers who want 808 style bass already written into full beats, with MIDI.

Five hard trap construction kits with tuned kicks, bass loops, drums, synths and FX as separate parts, plus 33 one shots and 7 MIDI files, all labelled with key and BPM, for $3.99. Strengths: the bass is already tuned to each kit’s key, and the MIDI lets you play the bassline through your own 808 sample. Caveats: it is not a dedicated 808 one shot library, so combine it with one of the free sets above for a bigger choice of hits. The $1 Trap Kit is one full kit from this pack if you want to try it first. See Apocalypse Trap.

9. Roland TR-808 and third party 808 packs (Splice)

Right for: producers already on Splice.

Splice carries official Roland TR-808 sample packs alongside hundreds of 808 kits from other labels, one credit per sample. Strengths: search for the exact 808 you want and take only that. Caveats: it is a monthly subscription, and the most downloaded 808s turn up in everyone’s beats. See 808 packs on Splice.

How to use an 808 once you have it

• Tune it. Put a tuner plugin on the 808 and find its root note. Then transpose the sample so it matches your track’s key. An out of tune 808 sounds muddy no matter how you mix it.
• Set your sampler to mono with glide. One voice at a time, with portamento on, is what makes 808 slides work. In FL Studio that is the slide note; in Ableton Simpler it is Glide mode.
• Control the tail. Long 808 notes clash with the next kick. Shorten notes where the groove needs space, or sidechain the 808 to the kick.
• Add harmonics. A little saturation or distortion adds upper harmonics, so the 808 can be heard on phone speakers and earbuds, not only on big systems.
• Layer a click. If the 808 has no attack, layer a short kick on top for punch and keep the 808 for the sub.

Our guide How to Make Trap Beats goes through programming the 808 step by step, with the drum pattern to put it under.

Questions

What is the difference between an 808 and a kick?
An 808 is a long, tuned bass drum sound that doubles as the bassline. A kick is short and punchy and sits on top. Most trap beats use both: the kick for the hit, the 808 for the note.

Are free 808 samples royalty free?
The packs above all describe themselves as royalty free, but read each license. Royalty free means you can use the sound in your own track, not resell the sample on its own.

Should I use 808 samples or a synth?
Both work. Samples are faster and have character. A synth 808 (a sine with a pitch envelope and drive) gives you full control over tuning and glide. Many producers sample their own synth 808 once they find a sound they like.

Ready to build a beat around your new 808s? Start with the $1 Trap Kit or browse all trap sample packs. Every Rhino Star pack is royalty free and downloads right after checkout.