If you’re into music production, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Kontakt by Native Instruments.
It’s a powerful and versatile sampler that has become an industry-standard tool for sound design and composition.
Having high-quality libraries is essential for getting the most out of Kontakt, and that’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best ones available.
We’ve considered factors such as sound quality, versatility, and value for money to help you make the right choice.
Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Top 10 best Kontakt libraries
Spitfire Audio – Albion One
Overview and features
Albion One is an all-in-one orchestral library that boasts a wide range of cinematic sounds, from lush strings to thunderous percussion.
If you’re ready to get into trailer scoring or making epic sound textures, Albion One is the way to go.
I grew up playing in bands and then got into chiptune music in the late 2010s. Eventually, I wanted to get into orchestral music, and Albion One was the first “big boy” sample library I purchased.
It’s so chock-full of incredible sounds and instruments, that if you wanted to compose cinematic media music, you could probably get away with only owning this one library.
Suitable genres
Film scoring, orchestral music, ambient, and electronic.
Price and availability
Albion One is available at Spitfire Audio’s website, with a price tag of $449.
Output – Exhale
Overview and features
Exhale is a truly unique vocal engine that combines modern sound design with a cutting-edge sampling engine.
It offers a wide array of vocal phrases, pads, and loops that can be manipulated and tweaked to create otherworldly textures and harmonies.
If you want those trendy warped vocal samples you hear in every pop song, Output is for you.
Suitable genres
Pop, electronic, ambient, hip-hop, and R&B.
Price and availability
Exhale can be purchased from Output’s website for $199.
Native Instruments – The Giant
Overview and features
The Giant is a piano library like no other.
It features a meticulously sampled upright piano with a rich, resonant sound, as well as an innovative “Cinematic” mode that allows you to create atmospheric, evocative textures by manipulating the piano’s natural resonances.
Suitable genres
Classical, jazz, pop, electronic, and film scoring.
Price and availability
The Giant is available on Native Instruments’ website for $99.
Heavyocity – Damage 2
Overview and features
Damage 2 is the ultimate percussion library for epic, cinematic soundtracks.
It features a massive collection of organic and hybrid percussion sounds, as well as a powerful sound design engine that allows you to create your own unique hits and impacts.
If you want that epic, heart-pounding, “Jason Bourne sprinting down a European street” percussion feel, Damage 2 is the industry-standard library.
It’s a bit pricey, but it’s got that “you get what you pay for” energy.
Suitable genres
Film scoring, trailer music, electronic, and industrial.
Price and availability
Damage 2 is available from Heavyocity’s website for $399.
ProjectSAM – Symphobia 2
Overview and features
Symphobia 2 is a versatile orchestral library designed with film and game composers in mind.
When you’re ready to really take your orchestral compositions to the next level, Symphobia 2 is your huckleberry.
You’ll be dropping some serious cash, but this could very well be the last orchestral library you ever buy.
It’s got insanely high-quality multi-instrument patches, a massive array of orchestral textures not found in most sample libraries, and out-of-the-box presets for various genres (action, adventure, drama, etc.).
It’s extremely approachable for folks (like me) who don’t necessarily have that classical orchestral training but still love a good orchestral sound.
Suitable genres
Film scoring, orchestral music, and game audio.
Price and availability
Symphobia 2 (and the original Symphobia) can be purchased from ProjectSAM’s website for $329.
Orange Tree Samples – Evolution Guitar Series
Overview and features
The Evolution Guitar Series is a collection of meticulously sampled guitars that cover a wide range of styles and genres.
From acoustic fingerpicking to electric shredding, these libraries offer incredible playability and realism.
If you’re not a guitarist, don’t have the gear to record guitar, but still want that high-quality guitar sound on your tracks, Orange Tree has earned its reputation of being the best.
I’m a guitarist myself, and if nobody told me this was a sample library, I would’ve never guessed. While an authentic guitar recording will always be superior, we don’t all have that ability.
This gets darn close.
Suitable genres
Rock, pop, country, blues, and jazz.
Price and availability
The Evolution Guitar Series is available from Orange Tree Samples’ website, with prices ranging from $179 to $199 per library. You can also purchase the entire Evolution Guitar Bundle for $1,599.
Soniccouture – Haunted Spaces
Overview and features
Horror is one of those genres that just throws out the rulebook. Anything goes with horror music.
You could go classic horror, like Jerry Goldsmith in Alien. Or maybe you want to go for a more modern horror approach (like something you might find in The Witch, Hereditary, or Midsommar).
That kind of horror is really all about creating disturbing and sometimes downright upsetting soundscapes.
This is also the approach taken in games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, and this next library is perfect for a kind of skin-crawling sound design.
Haunted Spaces is a unique sound design tool that combines field recordings, granular synthesis, and convolution to create eerie, atmospheric textures.
It’s based on a series of incredible field recordings taken by the renowned Chris Watson, morphed and twisted into a delightfully sinister sound palette.
It’s perfect for creating tension and suspense in your music or sound design projects.
Want to scare the crap out of your players? Give this library a peek.
Suitable genres
Film scoring, ambient, electronic, and experimental.
Price and availability
Haunted Spaces can be purchased from Soniccouture’s website for $179.
8Dio – Claire Woodwinds Bundle
Overview and features
The Claire Woodwind Bundle is a collection of beautiful, expressive woodwind instruments, including flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon.
With their detailed articulations and true legato, these libraries allow you to create realistic and emotive performances.
Suitable genres
Orchestral music, film scoring, chamber music, and jazz.
Price and availability
The Claire Woodwind Bundle is available from 8Dio’s website for $498.
Embertone – Friedlander Violin
Overview and features
The Friedlander Violin is a deeply sampled solo violin library that captures the rich, expressive sound of a high-quality instrument.
With a range of articulations, including true legato and customizable vibrato, this library offers unparalleled realism and playability.
Suitable genres
Classical, film scoring, pop, and folk.
Price and availability
Friedlander Violin can be purchased from Embertone’s website for $99.
Realitone – RealiDrums
Overview and features
RealiDrums is a highly versatile drum library that offers an extensive collection of drum kits, percussion instruments, and grooves.
With its intuitive interface and comprehensive mixing options, you can easily create professional-sounding drum tracks for any genre.
Suitable genres
Rock, pop, electronic, hip-hop, and jazz.
Price and availability
RealiDrums is available from Realitone’s website for $199.
Impact Soundworks – Super Audio Cart
Overview and features
Super Audio Cart by Impact Soundworks is a Kontakt library that pays homage to the golden era of video game music.
This library meticulously recreates the iconic sounds of classic gaming consoles like the NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, and Commodore 64, among others.
With over 1,100 presets and a flexible 4-layer synth engine, Super Audio Cart allows you to create both authentic retro-style tunes and modern, hybrid compositions.
Super Audio Cart has a very special place in my heart – it was one of the first sample libraries I’ve ever purchased and I’ve used it on many compositions, including many of my YouTube videos (see below) and even a full-fledged game soundtrack composed in the SNES style.
My preference is still to compose 8-bit music in a tracker, but if I am composing chiptune in a DAW, 10/10 times I’m reaching for Super Audio Cart.
Suitable genres
Chiptune, electronic, game music, pop, and experimental.
Price and availability
Super Audio Cart can be purchased from Impact Soundworks’ website for $149.
Honorable Mentions
Here are a few additional high-quality libraries worth checking out:
- Sonokinetic – Noir: A jazz-inspired orchestral library perfect for noir-style film scoring.
- Spectrasonics – Omnisphere: A powerful synth engine with a vast library of sounds for all genres.
- Cinesamples – CineBrass: A comprehensive brass library suitable for film scoring and orchestral music.
Final thoughts
There you have it – my top picks for the best Kontakt libraries available today.
These libraries offer a wide range of sounds and genres, ensuring that you’ll find the perfect fit for your individual needs.
So, go ahead and explore these fantastic options to elevate your music production game. Happy composing!