Sampling vs. Interpolation vs. Cover: What’s the Difference?

These three get mixed up constantly, but the difference decides who you have to ask and whether they can refuse.

Sample

You lift the actual recording — the real audio — and drop it into your track. Because you are using both the composition and the master, you generally need to clear both (see our master vs. publishing guide), and either owner can say no.

Interpolation

You re-record or replay a recognizable piece of the composition yourself, without using the original master. You still need the composition/publishing license, but not a master-use license — because you never touched the original recording.

Cover

You record your own full version of someone else’s song. In the U.S. this is covered by the compulsory mechanical license — the songwriter cannot stop you, as long as you pay the statutory rate and do not change the fundamental character of the song.