Best Free Kontakt Sample Libraries / Instruments

A Curated List of Reviewed & Recommended Kontakt Sample Instruments for Kontakt (full version) or Kontakt Player (as noted below). This list is regularly updated. (UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2024)

Finding free Kontakt sample libraries is easy. Just use Google. Finding high-quality free Kontakt sample libraries is much more challenging. The web is filled with less than stellar free sample libraries. This list was created after many hours of trying out free sample libraries and compiled to provide others with a list of the cream of the crop. Each library has been tested and has a brief review provided before a link to download it.

⭐ =Highly recommended. 

PIANO Libraries

8Dio Plucked Grand Piano ⭐
This library features piano strings that were played with a pick and struck with a hammer and it sounds gorgeous. The hammered sounds remind me a lot of hammered dulcimer. 8Dio accurately describes some of the other sounds as “a hybrid between a harp, clavinet, guitar, lute, and the unforgettable sound of the harpsichord.” I concur. I’ve owned this library for quite a while. I bought it when it was for sale and I thought it was excellent then and it still is today — and the fact that it’s free is fantastic. It’s regular price was $98 US and it’s a really lovely library — for a paid library and for free it’s a complete no-brainer. 8Dio has a habit of giving away their formerly paid libraries for free, The developer is known for making highly detailed libraries — which makes a huge difference for acoustic instruments — which is the case here. Of course, 8Dio is trying to get you to try out their libraries for free because they believe that once you try the free ones, you’ll end up buying some paid ones too. I think it’s a smart strategy and an easy win for sample users.

https://8dio.com/products/the-new-plucked-grand-piano?variant=41309992812744

Fracture Sound Blueprint: Epic Grand ⭐
A Steinway Model D Grand Piano recorded in octaves that truly sounds epic. I love this library and immediately was inspired after first playing it. It only contains one patch, but it’s great at what it does and I would have been happy with the results had I paid for this library — it’s that good.

Audio Ollie The Memoir Piano ⭐
What I like best about the Memoir Piano is soft piano patch, the 14 sound design patches, and the multis. They are very geared towards cinematic music, but they’re lovely and well done. The developer states that the piano is six velocity layers, but it doesn’t seem like it. Requires the full version of Kontakt.
https://www.audioollie.com/sample-libraries/p/memoir-piano-prologue

Man Makes Noise: The Lobby Piano
This is a very interesting, appealing and unique sounding piano sample library created using “sound design trickery” (the dev’s own words).  The library deservedly has a lot of fans on Pianobook.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/the-lobby-piano-playable-techniques/

Sterzov Sampling: The Felt Seiler Free Edition
A very delicate sounding felt upright piano.  It’s a free Kontakt Player library.
https://www.strezov-sampling.com/products/view/the-felt-seiler-free-edition.html

The Real Piano
It took me a long time to decide if I wanted to include this piano library. Candidly, that’s because I don’t love the included presets. There’s just something about the way it’s EQ’ed that doesn’t appeal to me. But I spent more time with the piano, tweaking the factory presets, creating my own presets, and using external EQ and I can now say that I might use this in a project where I’m looking for a very vintage sounding character piano. The sampled piano is a 1903 Chickering grand piano. It is a Kontakt Player library, so you don’t need to own the full version of Kontakt to use this library.
https://www.straightaheadsamples.com/the-real-piano

The Love Piano
This is a sampled grand piano with  12 velocity layers “between the soft to moderately loud dynamic range (no loud or “fff” dynamics here!) and also included hammer sounds pedal sounds (both of which can be added/removed) to give it even more persona.” It includes 18 reverb impulse responses.  It  sounds very nice. It’s a free Kontakt Player library, so you don’t need to own the paid (full) version of Kontakt to use it.
https://vstbuzz.com/special/the-love-piano-kontakt-player-freebie/ 

Tatak Felt Piano (muted) ⭐
I really love the character to this muted felt piano.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/tatak-muted-felt-piano/

Westwood Instruments Alt Piano Lite ⭐
A very nice sounding upright felt piano.
https://www.westwoodinstruments.com/alt-piano-lite-edition/

KeyPleezer Living Room Upright Piano
I have included some excellent grand pianos, but haven’t had much in the way of upright pianos. This is a very imperfect upright piano that has a quirky character that I like. When you want more of an unsophisticated, bar room piano sound instead of a very polished, sophisticated grand piano.
https://keypleezer.com/livingroom-upright-piano/free-edition/

Ivy Audio Piano in 162
A Steinway Model B grand piano was sampled for this library, made by a talented college student who also made Impact Soundworks Pearl Concert Grand library while in college. The Piano in 162 has two microphone positions (close & ambient), 5 dynamic levels, 2 round robins and sustain pedal on and off samples. I wouldn’t put it in the same league as 8Dio’s and SonicCoture’s pianos, but it is very nice and has a different vibe to it. Listen to the demos on the page linked below and go to the last demo, which is a ragtime piece. This piano sounds really good for that style.
https://vstbuzz.com/freebies/piano-in-162/

8Dio 1928 Scoring Grand – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
There simply isn’t another premium piano library with this quality and similar specifications for KONTAKT that is availabe for free anywhere else; the closest anyone comes is SonicCouture’s Hammersmith FREE, below.  The 1928 Scoring Grand is a beautiful sounding, highly detailed sample library with extensive velocity layers, round-robin based sustains and round-robin based staccatos, two mic positions, some very nice convolution reverb IRs,  23 presets — and the presets are really good and include other samples that it layers with the piano that sound excellent including a marimba, a Rhodes electric piano, glasses, glockenspiel and more. There’s a sound design patch and a lite version patch too.  There’s really not another piano library for free comparable to this one, and I suppose that’s because 8Dio took a piano library they had priced at $249 US (but I’ve seen it on sale for as low as $49 prior to their making it free). Normally commercial sample developers free pianos are cut down versions of one for sale. That’s not the case here. This library is also available for SoundPaint, but that version doesn’t include the additional samples for layering and the sound design patch. If the piano takes a long time to load, I’d strongly recommend doing a batch re-save in Kontakt.
https://8dio.com/products/1928-scoring-piano?variant=41309999792328

SonicCoture Hammersmith Free (KONTAKT Player) – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
IMO, the Hammersmith Free is the other must have acoustic grand piano freebie (the only reason not to download and install this is if you own the full paid version). It’s not as extensively sampled as the 8Dio Scoring Grand, for a free piano sample library, before 8Dio released the 1928 Scoring Grand, there was no other free piano sample library for KONTAKT — or any other sampler — at the same quality and detail level of the Hammersmith Free. The sampled piano is a Steinway Model D grand piano. It lacks real sustain pedal samples and multiple mic positions, but it sounds great, and if you’re comparing it to other free piano libraries,  you really won’t find any others except for 8Dio, with this level of detail. 21 velocity layers and 4.8 GB.
https://www.soniccouture.com/en/products/p322-hammersmith-free/

Heaviocity Foundations: Piano* – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Like most free pianos, there aren’t many velocity layers, but it sounds good and what’s really good about this are the snapshots and the effects, like the built-in arpeggiator. 
https://heavyocity.com/product-category/foundations/ 

Strezov The Creative Toolbox Piano ⭐
A lovely Steinway grand piano.
https://www.strezov-sampling.com/products/view/the-creative-toolbox-piano.html 

Isolation Tubes and Tape Piano
One of my favorite piano sample libraries on Pianobook. A Steinway Model O piano was sampled for this.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/isolation-piano-tubes-tape/ 

Quarantine Piano
A beautifully sampled Yamaha U3 upright piano.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/quarantine-piano/ 

The Woodland Piano
A Yamaha Upright piano with 4 articulations: normal, felt, muted and plucked.
https://www.ockpii.com/instruments/woodland-piano 

Dan Keen The King’s Upright
A lovely, soft upright piano.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/the-kings-upright/ 

The Experience (Mason and Hamlin Grand Piano)
Dore Mark has made a series of detailed piano sample libraries available on Pianobook that are at a very high quality level.  But the character of this piano really just connects with me more than any of his others.  
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/the-experience/ 

PREPARED PIANO Libraries

Preparato Piano Free  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
This is an amazing prepared piano sample library. A reflection of how talented this young developer is. Great work and it’s truly surprising this is free. Try it and you’ll understand why I’m so fond of this developer (FTR, I don’t know him, I’m just a paying customer who loves his libraries and read about him at his site).
https://www.xperimentaproject.com/preparato-piano-free/ 

Production Voices Death Piano  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A superb prepared piano sample library. I really love this library, especially the reverse piano samples.
https://www.productionvoices.com/death-piano-le/ 

ELECTRIC PIANO Libraries

Soniokinetic EMP Electromechanical Piano (KONTAKT PLAYER LIBRARY)
A Rhodes Mark II Electric Piano. This is a decent sounding electric piano,  that definitely has a very lofi vibe to it. It’s definitely not as pleasing as some of the other choices below, like my favorite free electric piano, Fracture Sounds: Blueprint Electric Keys, but that’s a different model Rhodes, so if you want to have a larger palate of electric pianos, give this a try. It is compatible with the free Kontakt Player, so you don’t even need to own the full version of Kontakt to enjoy it. 
https://www.sonokinetic.net/products/contemporary/emp/

Wavesynth Glow
Three Rhodes-like wavetable electric piano patches from a Sequential Prophet 6.
https://karanyisounds.com/product/wavesynth-glow-free-edition/

Fracture Sounds: Blueprint Electric Keys (KONTAKT PLAYER LIBRARY)  – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A beautiful, 1969 Rhodes Mark I Electric Piano library that’s good enough to be a paid library. It allows you to adjust the key noise. It doesn’t have a bunch of presets, but it lets you choose between direct input and amped and has controls for stereo spread, reverb, chorus, and atmosphere.  It’s pretty obvious to see the developer’s rationale for giving this away free. Once you use it, you’ll be interested in their other libraries.  
https://fracturesounds.com/product/blueprint-electric-keys/

ETI Roads
A very detailed Rhodes MKII electric piano sample library.
https://eti-roads.com/ 

Lo-fi Wurly
Despite the name Lo-fi Wurly, this Wurltizer electric piano AKA Wurli/Wurly is a detailed sample library that sounds really nice, but unfortunately does have noise in it that a pro sample developer would have fixed.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15U99DL5BJdPAwj3SDOYvI2EPJ1_eaL8K/edit

Premier Sound Factory Wurly G
I want to put a caveat on this one, as I don’t love this sample library straight from the factory, however, I made my own user presets that I like a lot. So, if you spend a little effort, I think you can get some nice sounds of this, but I’m not in love with the sound straight out of the box.
https://premiersoundfactory.com/wurly-premier-g/ 

HARPSICHORD Libraries

The Blanchet Harpsichord and Small Italian Harpsichord
These harpsichord libraries are fairly old (in Kontakt 2 format), but they sound good and they work fine in the latest version of Kontakt. 
http://sonimusicae.free.fr/blanchet1-en.html
http://sonimusicae.free.fr/petititalien-en.html

ORGAN Libraries

 Samplephonics Leeds Towhall Organ  – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A very huge sounding 3.2GB church pipe organ sample set with 7 patches. 
https://www.samplephonics.com/products/free/sampler-instruments/the-leeds-town-hall-organ

SoundIron Aquae Organ
https://soundiron.com/collections/free/products/aquae-organ

Sonokinetic Carousel (KONTAKT PLAYER LIBRARY)  – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
This library nails the carousel organ sound. If that’s the sound you’re after, this is a must have. Very well done. 
https://www.sonokinetic.net/products/instruments/carousel/

SoundIron: Aquae Organ HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Aquae Organ is not a regular pipe organ sample library. It’s a sound design library and I really like it a lot. SoundIron created the library using a stereo pair of high-grade hydrophones recording two pipe organs in unison.  They then alterered the result using sound design techniques into something quite different and appealing in its own way.
https://soundiron.com/collections/free/products/aquae-organ

Sonuscore Pipe Organ
“An  E.M. Skinner pipe organ.”
https://www.sonuscore.com/shop/free-pipe-organ/ 

Hunter’s Tonewheel Foundations – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A well-sampled and beautiful sounding Hammond organ with a controllable Leslie speaker (I grew up the son of a piano/organ/guitar teacher and played piano/organ/drums and we owned an organ and a Leslie along with a Wurli, piano and other instruments so I fell in love with these sounds very early on in life).
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/hunters-hammond-tonewheel-foundations/ 

The Leeds Town Hall Organ
Take me to church.
https://www.samplephonics.com/products/free/sampler-instruments/the-leeds-town-hall-organ

Orange Tree Samples Melodica* (KONTAKT PLAYER LIBRARY)  – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Okay, this developer has been a client and is a friend, but Orange Tree Samples’ is also one of the most talented sample developers on the planet. If you like the sound of the Melodica, which is pretty popular for indie rock, this is a must. 
https://www.orangetreesamples.com/products/indie-melodica 

GUITAR Libraries

If you’re looking for the best quality free electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and electric bass available, it’s not for Kontakt, they’re Ample Sound’s VST instruments, and they’re on my other list (linked above). 

Audio Ollie: Palm Mute Guitars
A small, but nicely done sample library of “ultra low tuned palm mutes” from acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, electric bass guitar, electric bass and more than 50 sound design multis. Well done. Not detailed, but high quality.
https://youtu.be/lCd3lTYX480?si=hGtQ3h6wxBpRFTIf
https://www.audioollie.com/olliesfreebies

Fracture Sounds Blueprint: Feedback Guitar
A Gibson Les Paul based ambient pad with two articulations options. Sounds beautiful. Works with the free Kontakt Player too.
https://fracturesounds.com/product/blueprint-feedback-guitar/

Jon Meyer Acoustic Guitar Plucks
This is a one trick pony library, but what it does, it does very well. I love the tone of the guitar. I’m struggling with giving this a recommendation. The only reason I’m not doing so is that it’s only plucks, not a more complete collection featuring regular sustained guitar notes. But I think it’s excellent for what it is.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/acoustic-guitar-plucks/

8Dio Songwriting Guitar
More than 1.3 GB of acoustic and electric guitar chord strums and licks. Very well recorded and eq’ed acoustic guitars, clean and distorted electric guitars.
https://8dio.com/products/songwriting-guitar?variant=41309930815688

8Dio Ambient Guitar
What it says on the tin. More than 2.8GB of multisampled, production ready ambient guitar and bass.
https://8dio.com/products/the-new-ambient-guitar-vst-au-aax-kontakt-instruments-samples?variant=41309932257480

Various Free Acoustic and Electric Guitar Libraries
Pettinhouse has been making guitar libraries for Kontakt longer than most sample developers. The free libraries are pretty basic and older, but if you’re looking for simple guitar chords and well recorded, easy to play libraries, this is worth your effort. Guitar libraries suitable for rock, funk, and R&B.  
https://www.pettinhouse.com/html/download.html

Klang: Guitar Harmonics
Harmonics sampled from an electric guitar.  It sounds lovely and, like everything from Cinematique, it’s well sampled.
https://cinematique-instruments.com/pages_instr_KLANG/instr_gharm.php

Heavyocity Nylon Guitar*
A nylon stringed acoustic guitar. Very nice and delicate.
https://heavyocity.com/product/foundations-nylon-guitar/ 

DRUMS & PERCUSSION Libraries

Analogue Drums Big Mono- – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Analogue Drums is a developer that owns a recording studio out of New Zealand. They record drums using vintage analog hardware. They’re libraries aren’t ultra detailed, but they often are detailed enough. This is a small kit with a  60s/70s  vibe to it. The kit is somewhere between early Bonham, Motown, and blues. It has a great vibe to it.
https://www.analoguedrums.com/drumkits/big-mono/

Darbuka
It sounds very good. If you’re looking for a darbuka, you found it!
https://soundprops.com/soundprops-darbuka/

Prism Drums Lite
This is geared towards modern pop, hip, synthwave, etc. It doesn’t have a bunch of toms or a good acoustic drum kit. But it has some really good sounding kits for modern styles that I quite like. It’s compatible with the free Kontakt Player, so you don’t  need to own the full version of Kontakt to enjoy this library.
https://avamusicgroup.com/products/free-kontakt-drum-library

Hunter’s Percussion – World- – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A collection of high quality sampled percussion instruments — djembe, conga, bongo, udu and the taiko family (o daiko, taiko, shime daiko).
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/hunters-percussion-world/

Hunter’s Percussion – Orchestral- – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A collection of snares, toms, bass drum, and concert chimes that were deeply sampled with three mic positions from one of my favorite samplists on Pianobook.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/hunters-percussion-orchestral/

Jon Meyer Soft Drums- – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A 1960s Beatles style Ludwig drum kit played with Promark Broomsticks — similar to brushes but a little harder, so it sounds a bit different than brushes. The library sounds great. I only wish it was GM mapped. Other than that, I love it.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/soft-drums/

Noize Drumz 2
918 analog drum samples recorded from a Nintendo Gameboy.  Useful for electronic genres.
https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1-Instruments/55-Kontakt-Instrument/474-Noizedrumz-Vol-2

Sonuscore Dhol – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A collection of dhol drum samples (a double-sided barrel drum played with a bare hand). Beautifully recorded. It’s a simple percussion instrument that sounds great. 
https://www.sonuscore.com/shop/free-dhol-ensemble/

Drum Mic’A – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
This is an oldie but a goodie. A full acoustic drum kit with a mixer including built in EQ, transient designer, and compressor.   https://web.archive.org/web/20200116200208/https://ru-ru.sennheiser.com/drummica
For Windows :https://assets.sennheiser.com/software/drummica.iso or https://sennheiser-assets.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/software/drummica.iso

Strezov The Creative Toolbox Drums and Percussion*
A full drum kit with cymbals, a drum machine and percussion samples. The drum kit is nice, but it sounds really small like a picollo snare. It would fit well for R&B and hip hop, but I wouldn’t use it for most rock situations.
https://www.strezov-sampling.com/products/view/the-creative-toolbox-drums-and-percussion.html 

DS RCS Essential Demo – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
It’s called a demo, but it’s a complete drum kit with cymbals and it’s a very good rock drum kit.
https://www.redpackdrums.com/dsdrum-kontakt 

8Dio Cajon and Bongo
Check out the bank labelled “Bongos 4.” They sound really good.
https://8dio.com/products/the-new-cajon 

Fruit Shake*  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Contains four shakers. Very nicely recorded.  Free Kontakt Player library.
https://insessionaudio.com/products/fruit-shake/

Red Room Audio Snaps, Claps, Stomps and Shouts
I have a bunch of sample libraries of snaps, claps and stomps, but I most often use this one. It’s epic! 
https://redroomaudio.com/product/snaps-claps-slaps-stomps-shouts/

ORCHESTRAL/STRINGS/BRASS Libraries

Sonuscore The Orchestral Elements ⭐
Thirty orchestral presets, with 4+ GB of “25 string-, 9 brass- and 12 wind-articulations, plus playable percussion and choir.” This sounds great and is a lot of fun to play with sequenced string and horn / woodwind parts.  Developers often make free version of their commercial sample library lines and this is an example of a developer who hit it out of the park. Compatible with the free Kontakt Player.
https://www.sonuscore.com/shop/the-orchestra-elements/

Fracture Sounds Blueprint: Short Strings ⭐
Fracture Sounds makes some excellent freebies and this library is no exception,  a staccato string library. It sounds great and works in the free Kontakt Player.
https://sites.fastspring.com/fracturesounds/product/blueprint-short-strings

Woven Strings ⭐
A beautiful sounding string library includes a collection ofarticiulations, drones and phrases of violin, viola, and octave viola.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/woven-strings/

Sonuscore HD Orchestra Chords and HD Sustained String Chords  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Sonuscore’s free HD Orchestra Chords and HD Sustained String Chords sound beautiful and allow you to immediately get the sound of a very lush, orchestra or string section. It’s simply fun to play this and hear a beautiful sounding orchestra or string section.
https://www.sonuscore.com/free-orchestra-chords/

Embertone Intimate Strings  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A string quartet playing in unison. It sounds beautiful.
https://embertone.com/instruments/intstrings-lite.php

Carpenter Trombone ⭐
The developer captured a very nice sounding trombone for this library.  Features a legato patch.
https://vstbuzz.com/freebies/carpenter-trombone/

Musical Sampling: Solo Trumpet  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A very well done legato solo trumpet. It’s 760 MB and sounds very, very good — far better than I’d expect a free trumpet library to sound.
https://musicalsampling.com/trumpet-freebie/

Westwood Instruments: Roots – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
This is a extremely lush strings — specifically violas — library that sounds gorgeous to my ears. Only 5 presets, but they sound wonderful.  Works in the free KONTAKT Player.
https://www.westwoodinstruments.com/roots/

Pacific – Solo Cello Legato – Performance Samples – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A solo cello patch with slurred legato. This is a beautiful sounding cello library. “One dynamic with espressivo vibrato (the vibrato isn’t controllable).”  Three mic positions – CL (close), SC (section), and AB (spaced far pair). 48kHz / 24bit. 
https://www.performancesamples.com/pacific-solocellolegato/

Fracture Sounds: Gentle Strings – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A “chamber-sized string ensemble was captured in a large studio hall playing with mutes to produce a long con sordino articulation. The library includes three microphone signals and a bespoke atmosphere layer produced from the original samples.” This developer has been putting out some beautiful free libraries. This is compatible with the FREE KONTAKT Player, so if you don’t own KONTAKT, you can still enjoy this.
https://fracturesounds.com/product/blueprint-gentle-strings/

Fractured Sounds: Textured Violin
“There are four textural articulations alongside effects such as Delay and Reverbs which can be found in the full Trails library, allowing users to get a flavour of what Trails is about.” It’s lovely.
https://fracturesounds.com/product/blueprint-textural-violin/

Project Sam: The Free Orchestra* and “The Free Orchestra Part Two*  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
From the developer:  “16 free cinematic instruments ranging from soft strings to thunderous drums; Includes sounds from our acclaimed Symphobia series.”
https://projectsam.com/libraries/the-free-orchestra/
https://projectsam.com/libraries/the-free-orchestra-2

Heavyocity: Staccato Strings* – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Love it and it has an arpeggiator that’s lots of fun. 
https://heavyocity.com/product-category/foundations/ 

Red Room Audio Palette Primary Colors  – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Strings, woodwind, and brass ensembles. 
https://redroomaudio.com/product/palette-primary-colors/

Dan Keen: Soft String Spurs – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Dan Keen creates some of my favorite sample libraries on Pianobook and this is probably my favorite of his. Really, it’s just beautiful.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/soft-string-spurs/ 

Pocket Blakus Solo Cello  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
I own a bunch of paid solo cello libraries, but end up using this freebie a lot. One of my all time favorite freebie sample libraries.
https://vstbuzz.com/freebies/pocketblakus-cello/ 

Dan Keen Solo Cello Spurs – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
I’m a sucker for strings, especially the cello.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/solo-cello-spurs/ 

Strezov Afflatus Mimilist Violins  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A beautiful violins section sample library, Excellent.
https://www.strezov-sampling.com/products/view/afflatus-freebie.html

TUNED PERCUSSION Libraries

Fractured Sounds Blueprint: Toy Piano – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
If you’re looking for a toy piano, look no further.
https://fracturesounds.com/product/blueprint-toy-piano/

Fractured Sounds Blueprint: Greenhead Chimes – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A beautiful set of chimes.
https://fracturesounds.com/product/blueprint-greenhead-chimes/

Hunter Rogerson: The Wildmother’s Dulcimer-Vol 1 and II   – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A beautiful sounding hammered dulcimer library.  And I’ll just be candid, I usually don’t love the sound of dulcimers, but LOVE the sound of this one and the sample libraries (there are two) are truly beautiful. If this were a paid library, I’d be very happy with it. Hunter didn’t merely sample typical articulations, but included unusual articulations for a dulcimer, included bowing.  I find this sampelist is one of my favs on Pianobook. He’s very talented and there’s a magical vibe to many of his libraries.  The first volume features 12 patches and the second volume features 7 patches (Hammer and Trem Combo, Plucked,
Plucked Harmonics, Bowed Tremolo, Cedar Splatterpaint, Meadow Chimes and Woodpecker). 
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/the-wildmothers-dulcimer/
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/the-wildmothers-dulcimer-vol-ii/

Jon Meyer Schlumerich Handbells
A very nice sounding set of handbells that I’ve used in a final production.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/schulmerich-handbells/

Klang Spiel Uher
A taped music box recorded on analog tape.
https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1-Instruments/55-Kontakt-Instrument/6828-TAPED-Spiel-Uher

Klang: Bike Bells ⭐
Sampled bicycle bells that have been played around with until they sound like a glockenspiel. I really like it.
https://cinematique-instruments.com/pages_instr_KLANG/instr_bikebells.php

Rosenspiel
I’m a sucker for glockenspiel libraries and this is a different approach. It’s a glockenspiel played with a bow instead of a mallet. The developer said it pretty accurately, so I’ll just quote him: “The staccato samples sound like a celeste with a softer attack, while the sustains sound like a glass harmonica with slight bow noise. Very nice. 
https://vstbuzz.com/freebies/rosinspiel/

8Dio Copperphone –  – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
I’m a sucker for percussion, tuned percussion, metalophones…I love the way this custom instrument sounds. It’s made from modified copper pipes and recorded struck with hard and soft mallets (some of the demos are gorgeous). This is a deep sampled, 1.36 GB library that easily would be worth paying for if they weren’t giving away free.
https://8dio.com/products/the-new-copperphone?variant=41310010278088

8Dio Polyphone (Music Box) – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
There are certain instruments that are just magical, the piano, acoustic guitar, mandolin, the Wurly, Hammond B3, Les Paul, celeste, Dulcitone, glockenspiel, hang drum…and music boxes.  I own A LOT of music box libraries and this one still brought something new to the table.
https://8dio.com/products/polyphon?variant=41309927178440

Frozen Glock ⭐
A beautiful glockenspiel library.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/frozen-glock/ 

Mister Rogers Celeste*  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Yes, that trolly sound from Mister Rogers (if you’re an American and grew up in that era). But if you didn’t, it’s kind of a plain sounding celeste, but it has a certain charm.
https://store.cinesamples.com/products/mister-rogers-celeste 

Toy Xylophone*
What can I say, I love glockenspiels, xylophones and all sorts of tuned percussion.
https://store.cinesamples.com/products/createseriestoyxylo 

Create Series Kalimba*
There are a ton of free kalimba sample libraries on the interwebs. This is one of the good ones.
https://store.cinesamples.com/products/createserieskalimba 

Tongue Drum*
Beautiful tone. But I do wish it was more than 1 octave. Still, I love it. 
https://store.cinesamples.com/products/tonguedrum

SonicCouture Music Boxes* – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
I’m a sucker for music boxes and this library contains two music boxes: one uses punched paper and the other an embossed metal cylinder.  https://www.soniccouture.com/en/products/p43-music-boxes/ 

Soundiron Desk Bell – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Don’t let the fact that they sampled a desk bell fool you into thinking this library isn’t special, it is.
https://soundiron.com/collections/free/products/desk-bell

Jonathan’s Glockenspiel ⭐
A well sampled, very nice sounding one and half octave glockenspiel.
https://vstbuzz.com/freebies/jonathans-glockenspiel/ 

Dave Hilowitz Reonator Glockenspiel ⭐
It’s a different sounding glockenspiel that contains resonator bells, like orchestra bells and vibraphones have.
https://www.decentsamples.com/product/resonator-glockenspiel-free/ 

8Dio Smiley Drum
This sounds like a tongue drum, and I think,technically, that it is a tongue drum. Noice!
https://8dio.com/products/smiley-drum

Deagan Vibraharp Vibraphone ⭐
A beautiful sounding vibraphone that is nicely sampled by one of the most talented sample developers on Pianobook.  It is as good as a commercial (paid) vibraphone sample library and I even like it better than some of the vibraphone sample libraries I’ve bought.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/deagan-vibraharp-vibraphone/ 

Shulmerich Handbells
A really beautiful set of Schulmerich handbells from samplist Jon Myer.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/schulmerich-handbells/

Music Box DLX
I’m a sucker for music box sample libraries and this is a very nice one that is as good as the paid music box sample libraries I own.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/music-box-dlx/

Splash Sound Music Box
The straight default music box sound on this is nice, but where this really shines is when you push the slider to double.
https://splashsound.org/musicbox.html

Spring Chimes  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
This library, which was created by combining 14 bells and metallophone libraries together (all free libraries from Pianobook) is pure magic. If playing this doesn’t inspire you, I don’t know what will.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/spring-chimes/

VOCAL / CHOIR KONTAKT Libraries

Splash Sound: Indie Voices
This isn’t a very versatile library and it’s uses are limited, but it’s good for what it is. If you’re looking for a pop choir enthusiastically singing “hey!,””wooh!,” “oh!” you found your library.
https://en.splashsound.org/products/indie-voices/

Clare Solo
A voice library with legato featuring an award winning female opera singer.
https://vstbuzz.com/freebies/clare-solo/

Jacob Collier Audience Choir – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Jacob Collier recorded his audiences at various concerts singing (doing ahs, oohs, mmms, and various vowels, stomping, clapping.  it includes finger snaps as well. This is a must have, IMO. It’s small, but fun. Works with the FREE KONTAKT Player.
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/vocal/jacob-collier-audience-choir/

Heavyocity Emotive Choir* – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
“Evolving, sustained vowels and textures paired with a layer of our signature sound design.”
https://heavyocity.com/product/emotive-choir/ 

SonicCoture Tape Choir* – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
They nailed the choir sound from 10CC’s “I’m Not In Love.” Yes, you can buy the real thing, fairly inexpensively from SampleTekk, but this free version does the job well at no cost.
https://www.soniccouture.com/en/products/18-exclusive-free-content/p170-tape-choir/ 

Micah’s Choir by Cordaro Rodriguez   – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
A beautiful, soulful solo male vocalist that you can play chords to make into a choir. I wish there was a commercial version of this. The developer (and musician) and singer are very, very talented individuals.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/micahs-choir/ 

Embertone Arcane   – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
This contains 5 small sample libraries,  but the ones I like best are the vocal ones.
https://www.embertone.com/instruments/arcane.php 

ALSO SEE Project Sam: The Free Orchestra under Orchestral

SYNTH KONTAKT Libraries

Moonlight CMX  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
This is the developer’s attempt to imitate the Fairlight CMI. I wouldn’t say they nailed it, but it is still pretty good in its own right — especially when you start adjusting the controls.
https://soundprops.com/moonlight_cmx/

Synimer
A very synthwave sounding patch that sounds straight out of the 80s. There’s not much to it, but I like it and it’s free.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/synimer-3/

Output: Signal  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
I wasn’t sure what category to put Output Signal under. It is a “pulse engine” that works in the full version of Kontakt, which is series of looped prases.  I find Output is a lot of fun to play around with. The free version contains 25 presets — 2GB of samples — that are designed to motivate you to buy the full, paid version. 
https://output.com/products/signal-free

Stephen O’Connell: Mellow Saw – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Analog 80s type synth brass and strings with a twist, retro sounds, tape effect — I really like this.  The samplist said he was channeling a Rick Wright, Pink Floyd vibe, I think he attainted it.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/mellosaw/

Peter Flint: Dictaphone Loop Synth- – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
This is a lo fi synth library that captures a very Mellotron-esque vibe. The samplist made the recordings using an old dictaphone micro cassette recorder. I really love this library and it made me a fan, which turned me into a customer.
https://www.musicbypeterflint.com/product-page/dictaphone-loop-synth-kontakt-version

Rhythmic Robot: Commodore 64 Sessions Deluxe – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
If you appreciate 8Bit sounds, Ryhtmic Robot’s Commodore 64 Sessions Deluxe is going to be right up your alley. I find it pure fun. Thirty patches.
https://www.rhythmicrobot.com/product/c64

Stephen O’Connell: Amalgam Analogue  – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
If you love retro, lush layered analog synths, this should be right up your alley.
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/amalgam-analogue/

Native Instruments: Analog Dreams – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
“Analog sounds from vintage synths of the ’70s, ’80s, and beyond.” This sounds really good to my ears and a lot of it has a very synthwave vibe to it, although it’s certainly not limited to that genre.
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/play-series/analog-dreams/

Native Instruments: Etheral Earth
Great for very rich / lush pads.
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/play-series/ethereal-earth/

Various Retro Synths from Hollow Sun
Like a lot of others, I suspect, I used to have these little friendly chats with Stephen Howell, the developer behind Hollow Sun. I was a customer, who sent him my bio and offered him free advice (not in exchange for NFRs, I just appreciated him as a developer I bought from and offered it completely free). Anyhow, we had a bunch of really nice chats and I thought he was a really nice guy who made some really nice synth libraries for KONTAKT back in the day. He gave away a series of synth libraries used by Gary Newman on  his song “Cars.”
http://hollowsun.com/HS2/freepacks/index.htm

ETHNIC KONTAKT Libraries

World Color Clar Duduk* ⭐
A well sampled and beautiful sounding duduk.
https://www.evolutionseries.com/product/world-colors-clar-duduk/#:~:text=Welcome to World Colors Clar,a bit of worldly magic. 

MELLOTRON KONTAKT Libraries

LT Mellotron   – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
I love the Mellotron and Chamberlain vintage samplers and this has a bunch of excellent Tron patches. My favorite patches are the cello, 8 choir, M300A 2 viloins, mixed brass, MKII flute, and MKII violins,  The only patch I find not up to my expectations is the vibes. Otherwise, I love this library.
https://soundprops.com/lt_mellotron/

Tronsonic Expressive Tron  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
I’m a huge fan of the Mellotron M400, and that’s what this developer sampled, originally recorded to analog tape with vintage gear, for this collection of libraries including flute, strings, cello, and male choir.
https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1-Instruments/55-Kontakt-Instrument/996-Expressive-Tron 

Sinewavelab: Mellotron  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
I am a sucker for Tron sounds and I own the M-Tron Pro, Sonic Reality’s various Tron libraries (from Dave Kerzner), UVI Mello and a bunch of Tron KONTAKT libraries and this freebie is still worth having. It contains unlooped, 7 second samples of the following libraries: Combined Choir, GC3 Brass, M300A, M300B, MkII Brass, MkII Flute, MkII Violins, String Section, Woodwind 02 and Cello.
https://sinewavelab.com/products/free-mellotron-library-for-kontakt/ 

ASSORTED Libraries

Audio Bro – Silver  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
I don’t know what inspired Audio Bros to put together a Tongue drum, electronic drums, synth pads, hand played bowls, and synth bass, but it’s a nice collection of sample libraries, but they’re all very well made sample libraries. It plays in the free Kontakt Player.  
https://audiobro.com/silver/

SOUND DESIGN Libraries

Textures
The developer of this library created it by sampling his guitar picked and bowed as well as sampling air, water, AC, etc. 
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/textures/

Pulsesetter Reverxis
I really enjoy reverse sounds. Reverxis is a collection of reverse electric guitar library multisamples. I especially enjoy the collection of pads and have used them on a couple of songs I have shared on SoundCloud.
https://www.pulsesetter-sounds.com/product/reverxis/

Klang: Frozen Pan  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Some sound design on pan drum samples that sounds great to my ears.
https://cinematique-instruments.com/pages_instr_KLANG/instr_frozenpan.php

Klang: Neon Buzz  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
This is a synth-type patch that I really love, made by sampling a buzzing neon light.
https://cinematique-instruments.com/pages_instr_KLANG/instr_neontubebuzz.php

Sound Dust – Just get everything free  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
I’m a long time fan of Pendle / Sound Dust. Sound Dust makes really weird, wonderful libraries and they have a several little odd KONTAKT instruments for free that I think are pretty cool.  They’re not for everyone, but I sure love their work and they’ve caught on with some big name artists / composers like .Trent Reznor and the folks at Spitfire.
https://www.sound-dust.com/free-stuff

KLANG by Cimematique Samples  – – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ⭐
Everything. I’ve downloaded all of their freebies and bought numerous paid libraries from the series and they’re just small sound design sample libraries that I think sound really good.
https://klang.cologne/ 

SOUND EFFECTS – Libraries

99 Sounds: Sound Effects
From the developer: “…cinematic braams and drones designed for use in movies to modern cinematic impacts, complex sonic textures, and various purely digital noises that can be used in any audio or video project.”
https://99sounds.org/free-sound-effects/


An asterisk (*) denotes that the library plays in the free KONTAKT Player and does not require the full version of KONTAKT.