A sample is when you incorporate a part or element of another artist’s song into an entirely new track of your own.

Using samples without legal permission is a violation of copyright law. It doesn’t matter how short or altered the sample is, you will still need permission from the copyright owner.

To legally use a sample you will need two different licenses, one to use the master recording (usually owned by the artist or label), and one to use the composition (usually owned by the songwriter and/or publisher).