The Short Answer
Splice is a solid platform — good catalogue, try-before-you-buy credit system, massive variety. But for most producers who already know their genre and want long-term value, buying MIDI packs outright costs less, gives you unlimited access to your full library forever, and doesn't send you a monthly bill when you stop opening your DAW for a few weeks.
This isn't a hit piece on Splice. It's an honest breakdown of what each model actually costs over time, what you get for your money, and which approach makes more sense depending on where you are in your production journey.
How Each Model Works
Splice Sounds — The Subscription Model
Splice offers a subscription service called Splice Sounds. You pay a monthly fee (plans start around $7.99/month for 100 credits, up to $13.99/month for 300 credits) and spend credits to download individual samples, loops, and MIDI files from their catalogue. Downloaded files are yours to keep — but only as long as you maintain an active subscription to access new downloads. If you cancel, you keep what you've already downloaded.
The catalogue is enormous — tens of millions of samples from a wide range of creators. You can preview before downloading, which is genuinely useful. The credit system means you're selectively curating rather than bulk-downloading.
Buying MIDI Packs Outright — The One-Time Purchase Model
With a one-time purchase, you pay once and own the pack outright — no subscription, no credits, no recurring charges. You get immediate access to the full pack: every progression, melody, or drum pattern, in all keys, organised by genre and mood. No monthly bill regardless of how often you use them.
MusicCreator operates entirely on this model. A chord pack with 3,600+ progressions costs $47 once. A drum MIDI pack is $27. You download everything immediately, and it's yours permanently.
Cost Comparison Over Time
| Timeframe | Splice (100 credits/mo, $7.99/mo) | Splice (300 credits/mo, $13.99/mo) | MusicCreator (one-time purchases) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | $7.99 (100 credits) | $13.99 (300 credits) | $47 — full chord pack forever |
| 6 months | $47.94 (600 credits total) | $83.94 (1,800 credits total) | $47 — still the same one pack |
| 12 months | $95.88 (1,200 credits total) | $167.88 (3,600 credits total) | $47–$121 depending on packs purchased |
| 24 months | $191.76 (2,400 credits total) | $335.76 (7,200 credits total) | $47–$200 — complete multi-genre library |
| If you stop for 3 months | $23.97 billed (no new files) | $41.97 billed (no new files) | $0 — you still have everything |
Note: Splice credit costs vary by file — a single MIDI file typically costs 1–5 credits. One-shot drum samples average 1 credit. Premium content costs more. The figures above reflect approximate usage patterns, not guaranteed credit-to-file ratios.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Factor | Splice | MusicCreator (One-Time Purchase) |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Monthly subscription + credits | One-time purchase per pack |
| Catalogue size | Tens of millions of files | Focused genre-specific packs |
| Try before you download | Yes — audio preview in browser | Free packs available to download and test |
| Ownership | Keep downloaded files; must subscribe for new downloads | Full pack yours permanently, no ongoing access needed |
| Genre depth | Wide but variable quality | Deep within genre — 3,600+ progressions per pack |
| Quality consistency | Mixed — community and pro creators | Curated by a concert pianist with 26+ years of experience |
| MIDI specifically | Available but not the focus | Primary product — deeply organised and structured |
| All 12 keys guaranteed | Not always | Yes — every pack covers all 12 keys |
| Recurring cost | Every month, active or not | Zero — no ongoing charges ever |
| Best for | Producers who need constant variety and discovery | Producers who know their genre and want depth + value |
Where Splice Has a Genuine Edge
Credit where it's due: Splice's preview functionality is excellent. Being able to hear a sample or MIDI file in context before downloading it reduces waste and helps you discover things you wouldn't have searched for. If you're a multi-genre producer constantly hunting for fresh inspiration across styles, the breadth of Splice's catalogue genuinely adds value.
The community aspect also matters — new content is added constantly, so active subscribers always have something new to find. And the credit system, while sometimes limiting, does force a useful discipline: you curate rather than hoard, which means the files you download tend to get used.
For producers in their early exploration phase — still figuring out their sound, experimenting across genres — the subscription model's variety can accelerate that discovery process.
Where One-Time Purchases Win
Long-term cost. If you produce consistently for two or more years, a one-time library of outright-purchased packs will almost always cost less than an equivalent Splice subscription. The maths are simple — subscriptions compound.
Depth over breadth. When you know you make hip-hop, you don't need ten million random sounds — you need 3,600 well-organised hip-hop chord progressions in all 12 keys, properly named by mood and feel. That depth is what MusicCreator's genre packs deliver. Splice's MIDI content exists, but it's scattered across creators with inconsistent quality, organisation, and key coverage.
No anxiety about using your library. With a subscription, there's a subtle psychological pressure to keep downloading to justify the monthly cost. With a purchased library, everything you have is already paid for — you just open it and make music.
No subscriptions to manage. Pausing production for a month? You're not paying for anything. Come back six months later and your entire library is exactly where you left it.
When to Choose Splice
- You're a multi-genre producer who works across styles regularly and needs constant variety
- You're in discovery mode — still building your sound and want to experiment widely
- You produce consistently enough that the monthly cost feels like a tool expense, not a luxury
- You specifically need audio samples (loops, one-shots) more than MIDI
When to Choose One-Time Purchases
- You've found your genre and want to go deep rather than wide
- You produce at variable frequency — sometimes heavily, sometimes not for weeks
- You want to own your library outright without recurring billing
- You primarily need MIDI — chord progressions, melodies, drum patterns — rather than audio samples
- You want your MIDI organised in all 12 keys with professional quality control
Try MusicCreator Free First
If you've never used MusicCreator's packs and want to evaluate the quality before committing, every genre has a free pack. Download one, load it in your DAW, and compare it to whatever you're currently using. No subscription required, no credit card needed.
Free Packs — No Subscription Needed
- Every genre in one bundle
- Best value for producers working across multiple styles
- All 12 keys, 100% royalty-free
- One-time purchase — yours forever
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Splice have MIDI packs specifically?
Splice does offer MIDI files in their catalogue, but MIDI is not their primary focus — the platform is predominantly sample-based. The MIDI content on Splice varies widely in quality, organisation, and key coverage since it comes from many different community and professional creators. If MIDI packs are your main need, a dedicated MIDI pack provider will typically offer more depth, better organisation, and guaranteed coverage in all 12 keys.
Can I cancel Splice and keep my downloads?
Yes — files you've already downloaded to your local drive remain yours even after cancelling your subscription. However, you lose the ability to download any additional files from the platform until you resubscribe. Your downloaded files are licensed for use in your music productions, so anything you've already saved and used in tracks is fine to keep and release.
Is it possible to use both Splice and one-time purchased packs?
Absolutely — many producers do exactly this. A common approach is to use Splice for browsing audio samples and discovering one-off sounds, while maintaining a purchased library of MIDI packs for core harmonic and melodic work. The two serve different purposes and aren't mutually exclusive. If you're on a budget, starting with free and purchased MIDI packs and adding Splice later (once you know exactly what you'd use it for) tends to be the more cost-effective sequence.
How does MusicCreator's MIDI quality compare to what's on Splice?
MusicCreator's MIDI packs are created by Niko Kotoulas — a concert pianist with 26+ years of experience and 100M+ streams. Every progression is written using real music theory knowledge, covering all 12 keys with professional harmonic depth. The key difference is curation depth: each genre pack contains 3,600+ progressions, all thoughtfully organised. On Splice, MIDI quality varies considerably by creator, and finding consistent genre-specific content across all keys requires significant time browsing.
Are MusicCreator packs royalty-free for commercial use?
Yes — all MusicCreator packs are 100% royalty-free for commercial use. Once you purchase (or download a free pack), you can use the content in songs, beats, albums, sync placements, YouTube videos, and any other commercial project without paying additional licence fees or crediting MusicCreator. This applies to both the MIDI packs and the sample packs. See our guide to royalty-free music for a full explanation of what that means in practice.
