ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Sampling (music)

Sampling in music is just like taking a piece of your favorite snack and trying it. Imagine you have a jar of cookies, and you take out one of the cookies to taste it. That's just like what musicians do when they 'sample' a piece of music.

In music, 'sampling' means taking a piece of an old song (which is already recorded) and using it in a new song to create something different. Just like taking a cookie from the jar and combining it with other ingredients to make a yummy cake.

Musicians use different tools to 'sample' music like a computer software or a musical instrument, which lets them record a piece of music from an old song and combine it with new music to create something unique.

Sampling is like recycling music, but instead of throwing old songs away, musicians use them to create new melodies. Imagine if you are playing with a toy and you create something new by combining pieces of different toys, that's what musicians do when they sample music.

So, sampling is a fun way to create something new using old music, just like baking a cake by combining different ingredients.