interpolation
/ɪnˌtɜːrpəˈleɪʃən/
CommonRe-recording a melody, lyric, or hook from an existing song rather than lifting the original audio.
Legal distinction matters. Interpolations only require songwriting clearance, not master recording clearance. This makes them cheaper and easier to license. Fans online often mislabel interpolations as samples.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | That hook interpolates an old Aaliyah melody. They rerecorded it but you can tell. | The singer remade the melody from the original rather than lifting the actual recording. | reddit, 2023 |
| 02 | People keep saying sample but it is an interpolation. They did not use the actual tape. | Correcting a common misconception about how the original song was used. | x, 2024 |
| 03 | The interpolation hit harder than the original honestly. | The re-recorded version of the borrowed melody is more effective than the source. | tiktok, 2024 |
| 04 | She cleared the interpolation without clearing the master. Smart move legally. | The artist only needed songwriting rights, not the original label's master recording rights. | reddit, 2023 |
Use it when
- Describing a melody or lyric lifted from one song and re-recorded in another.
- Distinguishing between direct audio sampling and re-recorded melody borrowing.
- Discussing music licensing or publishing rights.
Do not use it when
- The actual original audio recording was used directly.Use “sample” instead.
Interpolation vs sample
interpolation
Interpolation re-records the melody or lyric in a new session.
VS
sample
A sample uses the actual original recording directly in the new track.
Origin and context
Term borrowed from music theory and publishing law. Widespread use in online music discourse grew alongside the rise of hip-hop production commentary on YouTube, Reddit, and Twitter through the 2010s.
- First seen
- 2010s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/interpolationUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0