5 ComposerCloud Alternatives You’ll Actually Own

I used to be a ComposerCloud subscriber. But I eventually got sick of paying the monthly fee. After canceling, I lost access to all those libraries. On top of that, many of my old DAW sessions became completely unusable.

If you’re like me, you aren’t a fan of software subscriptions. You’d rather buy a product once and have lifetime access to it. So with that in mind, I’ve picked out some ComposerCloud alternatives that let you own the libraries after buying them.

Quick Look: The Best ComposerCloud+ Alternatives

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1. Native Instruments Komplete 14 Ultimate

There’s an argument to be made that Komplete Ultimate is a must-have product for composers.

For starters, it includes Kontakt. It’s a powerful sampler that can host countless 3rd-party sample libraries, including the other two collections on this list.

Beyond that, the collection of sample libraries and instruments rivals that found in ComposerCloud. With Komplete Ultimate, you get:

• A full suite of orchestral instruments
• Choirs and vocal samples
• Pianos, guitars, and drums
• Ethnic and world instruments
• Synths, loops, and effects plugins
• Sample packs and expansions for other NI products

On top of all that, Komplete Ultimate comes with dozens of plugins for mixing, mastering, and effects. That includes iZotope Ozone 10, one of the most powerful mastering plugins ever made.

The bundle already gives you a lifetime of sounds to play with. But if you want to splurge a little more, you can get the Ultimate Collector’s Edition, which includes even more instruments and effects.

2. Musio

Musio is the new “infinite instrument” made by the folks at Cinesamples. Now, they’re taking everything they’ve created, put it in the new Musio engine, and wrapped it in one comprehensive collection.

You’ll find over 1,500 instruments across 70+ collections ranging from their classic orchestral libraries to vintage keyboards and world instruments.

These are some of the more notable libraries:

• The entire CineSymphony line, including CineStrings, CineBrass, CineWinds, CinePerc, and all their sub-collections.
• Tina Guo Solo Cello — Incredible solo cello sampled from one of Hollywood’s top players.
• Men of the North — Low-voiced male choir. Ideal for that “viking” sound.
• Studio Guitars & Studio Basses — A growing collection of straightforward guitars and basses.
• Various vintage synthesizers sampled from classics like the Roland Jupiter 6 or Oberheim 4.

Be aware that Musio is still in its early launch days. So there may be some bugs and features that still need to be worked out. And that introductory pricing won’t last forever!

But $300 for the whole CineSymphony range is an incredible deal! Add all the other sample libraries, and Musio is arguably one of the best deals in all of music.

3. Arturia V Collection

If you like vintage synthesizers, then the Arturia V Collection is for you.

This expansive collection comes with over 30 virtual instruments. Most famously, it includes faithful recreations of pretty much every classic synthesizer and keyboard you can think of:

• Moog Minimoog
• Yamaha DX7
• Roland Juno-6
• Arp 2600
• Prophet 5
• Hammond B3
• And a whole lot more.

Plus, the collection comes with original instruments from Arturia’s “Augmented” range. These hybrid instruments combine sampled strings and voices with synthesis to create entirely new soundscapes.

4. SoundIron Omega Bundle

SoundIron is one of the most prolific sample library companies out there. They create everything from orchestral instruments to weird helium-induced Elvish Choirs.

The Omega Bundle includes every SoundIron library to date. Some of the highlights include:

• Hyperion Strings and Hyperion Brass — A series of great symphonic libraries
• Olympus Symphonic Choir — Their flagship choral library
• Emotional Piano — A warm, emotive piano sampled from a Kawai grand
• Axe Machina — A powerful 7-string electric guitar
• Apocalypse Percussion Ensemble — Epic percussion for trailers and action cues

SoundIron’s bundle also has a wide collection of weird and experimental instruments. They have entire sample libraries made from literal garbage, fart noises, and cat sounds.  You won’t find these anywhere else!

Getting the Omega Bundle also gives a 50% discount on future SoundIron products for three years after purchase. And given that most SoundIron libraries are inexpensive anyway, it’s a fantastic bargain.

5. Impact Everything Bundle

Impact Soundworks is another brand that offers a wide range of sample libraries. Their Impact Everything Bundle includes almost every product in their catalog.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Super Audio Cart — The largest collection of samples from vintage game consoles and computers ever assembled (Read Our Review).
• Tokyo Scoring Strings — Chamber-style orchestra that recreates the intimate sound of Japanese anime and video game soundtracks.
• Shreddage Guitar Series — Incredible-sounding electric guitars and basses.
• Bravura Scoring Brass — A collection of orchestral brass ensembles and soloists.
• Vocalisa: Slavic Women’s Choir — Bulgarian-style singing performed by an all-female chorus.
• Ventus Series — Ethnic and folk wind instruments from around the world.
• Pearl Concert Grand — A beautifully sampled Yamaha concert grand piano.

All in all, the Impact Everything bundle gives you a compelling set of libraries for scoring music in any genre.

How We Chose These ComposerCloud Alternatives

When looking for ComposerCloud alternatives, I tried looking for bundles that met two criteria:

1. Comparable Instruments: ComposerCloud is a comprehensive package that includes orchestral instruments, choirs, pianos, synths, guitars, and more.
   • V Collection breaks this rule a bit. But it’s a noteworthy product that would be of interest to media composers.
2. Reasonably Priced: The total cost must be around the same as 3-5 years of a ComposerCloud+ subscription.

Generally, I felt that the bundles in this list best fit those criteria. In the case of NI’s Komplete, I’d argue that it’s essential for any composer to have.

There are plenty of other sample library companies out there. But most of them tend to niche down into one product type. For example, Orchestral Tools makes fantastic orchestral and cinematic libraries, but not much beyond that.

Others like Spitfire Audio offer an Everything Bundle, but at a price that’s far from affordable for most musicians.

The Overall Best ComposerCloud Alternative?

My favorite alternative to EastWest’s ComposerCloud+ is Komplete 14 Ultimate. Here’s why:

• It’s a well-rounded collection with solid orchestral libraries, amazing synthesizers, and tons of other instruments and sample packs.
• It comes with Kontakt, which is an engine that hosts hundreds of other instruments from various developers.
• There’s also a large collection of mixing, mastering, and effects plugins. The other bundles don’t focus on those.

That said, Musio is more composer-focused, and arguably a closer alternative to ComposerCloud. There’s even the option to subscribe if you just want to replace one subscription with another.

V Collection is great if you love vintage synthesizers. But it lacks the orchestral and cinematic instruments that film & TV composers would need.

Both the SoundIron Omega Bundle and Impact Everything Bundle require Kontakt to use their libraries. So they can’t stand on their own. But if you already own Komplete, then they’d make incredible additions to your collection.

Other Virtual Instruments and Resources

As a composer, you’re probably interested in other sample libraries. Here are some other resources you might check out:

• 6 Kontakt Libraries for Retro Video Game Music — From chiptune blips to classic sample libraries, these Kontakt instruments help you recreate the sounds of ’80s and ’90s video games.
• 5 String Libraries That Don’t Require Kontakt — Maybe you don’t like Kontakt and none of these ComposerCloud alternatives will do. In which case, you might find these string libraries appealing.
• Kontakt Strings: What Are the Best String Libraries? — Some of our favorite orchestral string libraries for Kontakt.