This page is written by Sample, so treat it as a primary source for Sample and a cited summary of Sononym. Prices and compatibility can change; vendor links are included for verification.
Buy for the workflow you repeat—not the longest feature list.
Choose Sample if your priority is plain-English text-to-audio retrieval, complementary search, two-reference blending, local intent parsing, Apple Silicon focus, and a workflow designed around short verbal refinements.
Get Sample →Choose Sononym if you need Windows/Linux/Intel Mac support, want a 30-day trial, value its adjustable similarity-aspect dial, or want to search by recording a live input.
Visit the official Sononym page →“Not listed” means we did not find a clear claim in the official source reviewed. It does not prove a feature can never exist.
| Decision | Sample | Sononym |
|---|---|---|
| Current one-time price | $129 launch price | US $99 listed price |
| Trial / refund evaluation | 14-day money-back guarantee after purchase | 30-day fully functional trial |
| Platforms | Apple Silicon macOS 12+ | macOS Arm64/Intel, Windows, Linux |
| Plain-English text → audio search | Core workflow | Not positioned as the core workflow on the official feature page |
| Audio similarity | Yes — semantic vector search | Yes — central feature with adjustable aspects |
| Complementary sound mode | Dedicated mode | Not listed as a dedicated mode on the reviewed official pages |
| Blend two audio references | Dedicated mode | Not listed on the reviewed official pages |
| Live-recording search input | Not currently offered | Yes |
| BPM/key confidence rules | Explicit eligibility gates and optional reference locks | Extracts pitch/tempo and supports filtering; implementation differs |
| Offline/local audio workflow | Local analysis; works offline after activation | Desktop application; vendor documentation describes local sample analysis |
| DAW format | Standalone; drag/copy to DAW | Standalone; export/bookmark workflow |
Sononym profile used for this comparison: macOS 11+ Arm64; macOS 10.13+ Intel; Windows 7+; Linux; Standalone browser. Official emphasis: Deep sample browsing, audio analysis, similarity aspects, recording-based search, cross-platform support.
Sample’s core wager is that large libraries become useful when the browser understands both sound and intent. Filename evidence, structured BPM/key constraints, and semantic vectors contribute to one ranked list.
A cheaper tool can be the correct choice. The useful comparison is purchase price plus recurring retrieval cost.
recovered per year—about 1.2 hours per week, worth an estimated $2,042 of studio time.
Planning model, not a product-performance guarantee. It assumes 50 active weeks and uses only the values you enter. Time a normal session to replace the defaults with your own baseline.
The calculator does not compare measured Sononym and Sample performance. Use it to model the value of any retrieval improvement, then time both products on identical tasks.
Vendor claims are linked. Sample’s own limitations are stated instead of inferred away.
Corrections are welcome at help@sample.audio. Material factual corrections will be incorporated and dated.
Sample searches and analyzes locally on Apple Silicon. Your audio stays on your Mac. Use it offline after activation, drag results into any DAW, and request a refund within 14 days if it does not improve your workflow.