Since the early 2010s, drill has been taking the hip-hop domain by storm.
As with any genre, making great drill means having the right tools for the job. If you don’t have hours to painstakingly record, sample, and craft your own, then sample packs and loops are where it’s at. These should give you a fast start in the genre.
Here are some of the best free drill sample packs and loops and building blocks you can use to create killer drill.
Trap – Starter Pack by Cymatics.fm
As you can probably tell from the name, Cymatics’ Trap – Starter Pack was created for trap music.
But melody loops in a trap vein can work quite well alongside drill drums. Trap – Starter Pack, specifically, contains over 30 trap melody loops.
Of course, that’s not all this pack comes with. There are a total of 200 loops and samples, all of which could come in handy for your next project.
Download: Cymatics.fm
Cobra – Hip Hop Sample Pack by Cymatics.fm
Cymatics’ Cobra – Hip Hop Sample Pack often tops the list of many guides just like this one, given everything it comes with.
As with Trap – Starter Pack, Cobra comes with plenty of trap melody loops that should prove complementary to drill drums.
This collection features an array of guitar, flute, melody loops, drum one shots, drum loops, MIDI files, and more.
Download: Cymatics.fm
Orchid – Premium Sample Collection by Cymatics.fm
Orchid – Premium Sample Collection is one of Cymatics’ most versatile and expansive. Whether drum one shots, 808s, or even instrument one shots, you’ve got plenty here to work with.
In total, there’s over 3 GB of content created specifically for trap, pop, dancehall, RnB, and other genres.
You’ll find content in the categories of drum one shots, drum loops, hi hat loops, percussion loops, 808s and basses, FX, melody loops, instrument / one shots, and vocal loops.
Download: Cymatics.fm
2022 Melody Collection by Cymatics.fm
The 2022 Melody Collection beta sample pack comes with a ton of melody loops to help you create memorable hooks for your drill projects.
This collection features over 150 loops as well as their stems and MIDI, with melodies created for drill, RnB, trap, reverse, wavy, and various.
2022 Melody Collection also comes with three bonus sample packs and a course.
Download: Cymatics.fm
Oracle Sample Pack by Cymatics.fm
The free Oracle Sample Pack comes bundled with MIDI and 808 collections. The Sample Pack contains a total of 103 WAV files, with the MIDI collection comes with 100 files, and the 808 collection with 34 WAVs.
These sounds can be used as is, but they can also form the basis of sound design elements and your own creations.
Whether trap, RnB, hip-hop, or drill, chances are you will find something of substance here.
Download: Cymatics.fm
Sizzle Hi-Hat MIDI & Loops by Cymatics.fm
Sizzle Hi-Hat MIDI & Loops features 22 loops and 22 MIDI files, infused with a modern sound.
Many producers will tell you that hats are a great place to start building the framework for your beats, and this is the perfect tool to help you do just that.
Download: Cymatics.fm
Drill Essentials by GodlikeLoops
With a name like Drill Essentials, you’ve got to have a good feeling about this one already.
The 127 MB collection features 44.1 kHz / 24-bit WAVs, including 10 melody loops, 22 stem files, 32 WAV files, and 19 one-shot drum samples.
This kit comes with everything you need to create your next drill beat. These were developed from scratch, to avoid providing the same samples and loops you can find elsewhere.
The collection was inspired by the likes of Stormzy, Drake, and Pop Smoke, among others.
The Drill Essentials collection is 100% royalty free and is usable with your favorite Digital Audio Workstation.
Download: Beats24-7
‘HAZE’ UK Drill Sample Pack by Loop Cult
This sample pack was tailor made for UK trap and drill projects. Plenty of edgy, aggressive tones in this collection, be it sub basses, beats, percussion loops, synths, or bells.
The HAZE sample pack is 100% royalty free. The files have been key, and tempo labelled, and they are all in 24-bit WAV format.
Download: SoundPacks.com
Trap Mayhem Hi-Hat Loop Kit by Rob
The Trap Mayhem HI-Hat Loop Kit features original hi-hat creations. These are well suited to phonk, trap, and drill projects.
There are a total of 49 hi-hat loops. Some are crisp. Others are more in a lo-fi vein. All loops are eight bars long and have two tempo variations.
That adds up to 99 loops, thanks to one loop coming with a third variation.
This is another great kit for nailing down your hats.
Download: SoundPacks.com
Dirty Smoke – FREE DRILL SAMPLES by Godlike Loops
Dirty Smoke was inspired by the likes of JackBoys, Travis Scott, Five Foreign, and other well-known names in the genre.
This is a good all-rounder, featuring all the elements you need to create effective drill beats.
In all, Dirty Smoke features 15 drill melody loops made up of flutes, pianos, synths, strings, drum hits, MIDI files, and melodic sequences.
This pack is 100% royalty free, but the MIDI files make it the perfect jumping off port for creating your own fire hooks.
Download: r-loops
“Humble” – Hip Hop Sample Pack by Cymatics.fm
“Humble” Hip Hop Sample Pack was inspired by Kendrick Lamar. That may not be much of an attention grabber if drill beats are your thing.
That said, those who know Lamar well will know that he has appeared on a few sick drill remixes and the like.
Given that this collection is very much trap inspired, there is bound to be some usable material (even if it’s not the entire kit).
This collection is comprised of modern trap, boom-bap, jazz fusion, and more. Included are some fantastic melody loops, drum loops, and one-shots.
Download: Cymatics.fm
9God – Hip Hop Sample Pack by Cymatics.fm
The Drake inspired 9God Hip Hop Sample Pack features a mix of drum one shots, drum loops, melody loops, FX, MIDI files, and even Serum presets, for over 100 files.
The Cymatics team studied Drake’s greatest hits in putting together this offer, and their effort shines through.
As with “Humble,” not everything here will be applicable to your drill projects, but you may find an item here and there to build out your sample and loop folder.
Download: Cymatics.fm
Astro – Hip Hop Sample Pack by Cymatics.fm
The Travis Scott inspired Astro features 85 samples and loops – melody loops, drum loops, drum one shots, and FX samples.
This collection also gives you the opportunity to study exactly how Travis Scott got his groundbreaking and memorable sounds.
Download: Cymatics.fm
808 Trapstep Vol 1 by TriSamples
TriSamples’ 808 Trapstep Vol 1 was created especially for hip-hop, future bass, and 808 heavy trap.
The package comes with 3 instruments, nine kick drums, 10 808 basses, 23 cymbals, 27 claps / snare drums, 18 vocal chants, and 13 FX.
Download: TriSamples
808 Trapstep Vol 2 by TriSamples
808 Trapstep Vol 2 focuses on various 808 and 909 sounds for a classic trap sound, perfect for hip-hop, future bass, trap, and other similar genres.
This collection features 51 snare drums, 40 808 basses, 46 kick drums, 58 claps, 64 percussions, 51 chants, and 24 FX.
Download: TriSamples
Certified Trap Star Kit (Soundkit) by Hipstrumentals
The Certified Trap Star Kit comes with a mix of brass loops, brass one hit, bells, drum kit, synth loops, whistle loops, and soundfonts.
Download: Hipstrumentals
Trapaholics Drum Kit (Soundkit) by Hipstrumentals
Trapaholics Drum Kit comes with a mix of instruments, snaps, snares, 808 kicks, claps, percussion, chants, and SFX.
Download: Hipstrumentals
Trap Squad – Trap Loops (Soundkit) by Hipstrumentals
As an essential building block for trap, Trap Squad – Trap Loops comes with 808s, 808 one shots, 808 loops, crashes, hi-hats, hits, kicks, shots, snares, brass, and lead loops.
Download: Hipstrumentals
808 Mafia Free Drum Kit by The Highest Producers
808 Mafia inspired sounds, 808 Mafia Free Drum Kit is a complete kit, featuring 808 kicks, 808 bass drums, kicks, snares, hi-hats, crashes, percs, claps, trap bellz, piano, soundfonts, samples, FX, FX transitions, channel states, and chantz.
Download: The Highest Producers
Trap Ghosts Drum Kit by Johnny Juliano
Created by Grammy nominated Johnny Juliano, Trap Ghosts Drum Kit features loads of essential trap samples.
This kit includes 808s, kicks, snares, hats (open and closed), chants, vox, evil laughs and screams, hits, percs, and FX.
Download: SoundPacks.com
New Loops Free Trap Kit 2 by New Loops
Admittedly, New Loops Free Trap Kit 2 is mostly made up of mellower hip-hop and trap sounds. To that extent, it may not become an instant go-to for your drill beats. But as with all packs discussed here, you never know when mining for gold might turn up a few nuggets.
New Loops Free Trap Kit 2 comes with 38 trap one shots and multi-samples, drums, synths, sound effects, 13 trap loops (24-bit WAV), five MIDI files, 10 REX2 loops, kits for Kong, Battery, Geist, and patches for Halion, Kontakt, and NN-XT.
Download: New Loops
100 Awesome Free Kick Samples by Markus Hakala
No matter the style of electronic music, awesome kick sounds are a critical necessity.
Markus Hakala’s 100 Awesome Free Kick Samples includes 100 samples, perfectly suited to any electronic genre requiring punchy kicks.
The samples were created from scratch at 32-bit and are note labeled.
While these samples were made for tech, minimal, house, and deep house styles, you could easily repurpose and mangle these to suit your own drill.
Download: How To Make Electronic Music
Ultimate 808 Drum Pack (Drumkit) by Hipstrumentals
The 808 sound is indispensable to hip-hop, so we couldn’t possibly pass up a kit named Ultimate 808 Drum Pack.
This one comes with everything you’d expect – classic 808s, kicks, hi-hats, snares, and percussion. All the pieces you need to make a great beat.
Download: Hipstrumentals
Trap Snares by Beat Production
Just like it sounds – Beat Production’s Trap Snares is a library of custom trap snare samples. These samples originally come from some of their premium products, like Soulection Drum Kit and Metro Boomin Drum Kit.
As you’ve probably gathered, this collection is made up of snare sounds and snare sounds alone. The files are all in WAV format and they are royalty free.
Download: Beat Production
Trap Kicks by Beat Production
Just like the last collection, except this one comes with kicks rather than snares. These are perfect for hip-hop, urban, trap, and soul trap.
Download: Beat Production
Pyrex Trap Sound Pack by Beatsmith
The Pyrex Trap Sound Pack is beginning to be your go-to for all trap applications.
There’s a mix of 808 kicks, sub bass, snares, claps, percs, vox, and other sounds included.
In total, you’ll find 158 samples, 37 FST FL Studio Channel State presets, and 29 SF2 SoundFonts.
Download: SoundPacks.com
Trap Melody Loop Pack by Sound Scientist
Melodic hooks play a key role in drill and trap. If the idea well is dry, then it’s worth leaning on a collection like this – the Trap Melody Loop Pack.
This package includes 30 synth loops in WAV format, all of which have been key- and BPM-labeled.
Download: SoundPacks.com
Ultimate Drum Shots by Function Loops
Here’s another multi-function drum package you’ll find compelling.
This collection features high quality drum sounds you can use across an array of electronic genres, from hip-hop and trap to retro and synthwave.
Download: SoundPacks.com
808 Heat Sample Pack by Sound Scientist
Sound Scientist’s 808 Heat Sample Pack contains genre appropriate 808 bass samples, to the tune of 251 samples!
No matter the 808 bass sound you’re searching for, it’s unlikely you won’t find it here.
Download: SoundPacks.com
‘UNIT: 808’ – 808 Sample Pack by Loop Cult
‘UNIT: 808’ – 808 Sample Pack is just what the doctor ordered when you’re looking for that elusive 808 one-shot but just can’t seem to find it.
From hip-hop to trap, this pack is complete with 329 samples, all representing different eras in the evolution of the genre.
It covers all the essential drum sounds, including kicks, snares, hats, cymbals, toms, or percussion.
The royalty free collection has been delivered with royalty free 24-bit WAV files, all of which have been key- and-tempo labeled. As a bonus, you’ll find 16 drum kits in this package.
Download: SoundPacks.com
Destroyed Drum Kit by Beatsmith
It may be an oddball, but you just never know when a library like this could come in handy.
Destroyed Drum Kit comes with a myriad of mangled, “destroyed” drum sounds, just as you’d expect.
It’s a giant pack, with 606 samples consisting of 808s, snares, kicks, hi hats, crashes, percs, claps, one shots, open hi hats, bass guitars, reese basses, sampled drum loops, sampled melody loops, 58 FX, and over 20 extras!
Download: SoundPacks.com
Top Free Drill Sample Packs, Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve gone and downloaded your favorite sample packs and loops, you should have everything you need to get started and stay started. Now it’s just a matter of putting the puzzle pieces together to create your own drill masterpieces.
Experiment with the samples and loops and combine them in interesting ways. Then, use them for inspiration to start crafting your own ideas and hooks. That’s how you become a true original in the genre and a legend in the industry.
Good luck out there.