Black Octopus Sound has become a staple in modern music production, but their success isn’t just about making great sample packs. It’s about how they tap into the needs of producers while pushing creative boundaries. At the helm is Slade Templeton, the COO, alongside the two founders, Toby Emerson and Steve Roland, who’s as much about the big-picture vision as he is about the nitty-gritty details that make Black Octopus stand out.
Whether it’s navigating an industry that’s changing faster than ever or working with a remote team scattered across the globe, Slade and the team continue to deliver tools that producers can trust.
This interview dives straight into the heartbeat of what makes Black Octopus tick.
Toby and Slade share their thoughts on everything from the rise of AI in music production to the challenges of maintaining quality in a crowded market. It’s a perspective that feels grounded yet forward-thinking—exactly what you’d expect from the team behind some of the most well-loved tools in the game.
From upcoming projects that hint at bold new directions to the process of working with over 100 artists worldwide, the two thought leaders in the sample pack space give us a rare look behind the curtain and an inside look at what it takes to run one of the most successful sample pack companies in the scene.
What trends or changes have you noticed in the sample pack market over the last few years?
Many companies are jumping on the AI bandwagon, offering various solutions, and this is no different in the sample pack world. Subscription-based services are continually increasing as time goes on.
Both of these require careful thought, as we want to retain the human integrity of art with the rise of AI tools. Additionally, we don’t want to flood the market with more subscriptions unless we have something truly special to offer.
What’s been the biggest learning curve in running a company like Black Octopus?
For me, some of the biggest challenges are managing so many different people and projects simultaneously. Additionally, to stand out, our quality needs to be exceptional.
There are so many small details that need to align to make a great sample pack, and this process usually involves having the pack reviewed by many people to ensure the quality is up to par.
Can you describe the day-to-day operations of running a sample pack company? What are some of the unique challenges you face?
The entire Black Octopus team works remotely, which comes with its own set of challenges. Communication can be tricky when we all work from home. Many issues could have been avoided if we worked in the same building, but with staff spread across the world, this isn’t possible.
Each of us has our own schedules and tasks, and keeping aligned is one of the biggest challenges. Additionally, the sample pack space requires deep attention to detail. There are thousands of little details that need to be perfect to make a quality product.
Reviewing thousands of sounds for imperfections and ensuring they are top-notch is an intensive process both mentally and physically.
What is your process for identifying which types of sample packs or tools to develop next?
As one of the world’s most widely used sample pack brands, we not only have to stay on top of current trends but also have the ability to create new trends and genres.
We have a team of over 100+ very talented artists, and many times we pass creative control to them as they have their own strengths and artistic ideas. When we come up with ideas in-house, we then look at our artist roster to see who can best deliver on that particular concept.
What’s a project or pack that you’re particularly excited about in the pipeline?
We have a very special project coming up from our well-loved and talented Indian multi-percussionist KV Balakrishnan. The theme for this project is world peace, which the world desperately needs right now. We are also working on presets for some secret upcoming synthesizers that the music production industry is going to love.
Additionally, we’ve just launched Black Octopus Gold, our new online community featuring 100+ video courses, free samples, and more! At any given time, we can have upwards of 30+ sample packs in production, and many of these are exciting in their own way.
Can you give us a hint about any upcoming releases or new directions Black Octopus might take?
The Leviathan series has been one of our most popular and widely used packs. We followed this theme with our new monster techno pack, Trident Tech. We have a few more projects in the works that follow the massive, monster flagship sample pack theme, which we’re quite excited about.
Additionally, we’ll be continually updating Black Octopus Gold with more videos and content, making it a great resource for music producers of all skill levels.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
