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Citizen DJ

Remix free-to-use audio and video from the Library of Congress.

From the Xiry library · Updated 3 October 2026

Visit citizen-dj.labs.loc.gov ↗

Citizen DJ is an experimental browser-based audio tool created by Brian Foo for the Library of Congress Innovator in Residence Program. It lets music producers navigate thousands of historical sound recordings, speech clips, and public-domain videos using an interactive visual sampler. Users can audition slices against drum patterns directly in the browser and download sample packs for their own digital audio workstations.

What it's for

  • Find public domain spoken-word clips and interviews for music production
  • Audition historical audio samples over drum patterns directly in the browser
  • Download curated, royalty-free sample packs to use in external DAWs

Features

  • Interactive visual clip explorer for navigating large historical audio archives
  • In-browser beatmaker interface to audition samples against rhythmic patterns
  • Direct sample pack downloads for external DAW workflow
  • Archival collections covering Edison recordings, blues, jazz, early cinema, and dialect interviews
  • Clear licensing and public domain usage guidelines for remixers

Pricing

Free public access

Details

Type
Web app
Category
Other
Topic
Audio Sampling
Platforms
Web
For
Music producers, hip-hop beatmakers, sound designers, and educators seeking public domain audio.
Alternative to
Splice, Tracklib, Loopcloud
Tags
music, samples, sampling, public domain, audio archive, beatmaking

Why it was saved

  • @dotmvsic, 3 February 2026: Provides high-resolution public domain speech, interviews, music, and sound bites arranged into an intuitive visual drum machine/sampler interface.

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