Spitfire Audio LABS

Just another sound library? Well, not quite! Spitfire Audio LABS is a free series of software instruments from Spitfire Audio, a London company known for sample libraries recorded with professional orchestras and musicians. Each LABS pack is a sampled instrument - pianos, strings, pads, choirs, drums, synths and experimental textures - recorded by professional players and played from your DAW through the LABS plugin. Since 2016 the collection has grown to 65 free packs, and a paid LABS+ subscription with more than a hundred extra packs was added later.

The instruments are installed and managed with the free Spitfire Audio app, which lets you find, download and update the packs you want, so you only download the sounds you choose. The plugin is available in VST2, VST3, AU and AAX formats for 64-bit hosts on Windows and macOS. In the plugin window you pick a preset from a drop-down list and shape the sound with two sliders for expression and dynamics and a large, customisable control knob. After Spitfire Audio was acquired by Splice in 2025, LABS content moved to the free Splice INSTRUMENT plugin, but the LABS plugin keeps working and existing projects are unaffected.

Spitfire Audio LABS is a package of many diverse instruments, fitting for any musician who wants variety and quality of sound, while also being highly accessible

Features:

• Minimalistic design with an interface cut to its basic functions, so you don't waste time navigating the plugin
• The program is plugin-based, meaning you can use it seamlessly inside any compatible 64-bit DAW
• Sounds performed by professional musicians and recorded in high quality by the Spitfire Audio team, from delicate solo instruments to large ensembles
• A simple way of adjusting the expression, dynamics and the main control of the selected preset
• A collection of 65 free packs, from soft pianos and strings to drums and experimental sounds, each with its own presets and sound variations to choose from

So, Spitfire Audio LABS is really one of its own. At the beginning it was asked whether it was just another sound library, and the answer lies in how many carefully recorded instruments it gives musicians at no cost. Whether you need a soft piano for a film cue or a strange texture for an electronic track, there is a good chance that a LABS pack already has it.