The course
Cinematic Piano Course
A beautiful piano sound is just the beginning. Learn to write, arrange and finish emotional piano music for trailers, adverts and television.
View the course →Tape Piano
A free upright piano from Spitfire Audio, played in Splice INSTRUMENT.
Tape Piano starts with a modern upright, then runs it through vintage tape machines, tape loops, echoes and a magnetic card reader. A variation slider moves the sound from warm and wobbly to gritty and less predictable. The five presets give it a worn, lo-fi feel. It suits memory scenes and flashbacks, as well as lo-fi and hip-hop style cues. It is free in the Splice INSTRUMENT plugin, which replaced LABS in October 2026, and a Splice account is needed. The catch is that the pitch wobble and grit are part of the sound, so it will not work where a clean, steady piano is needed.
Worth knowing: Formerly a Spitfire LABS pack. Since LABS closed on 31 October 2026 it loads in the free Splice INSTRUMENT plugin, which you download by giving an email address.
Get Tape Piano from Spitfire Audio →More free upright pianos
- Writing for trailers, adverts and TV
- Arpeggio patterns that make plain chords cinematic
- Making MIDI piano sound played
- Light orchestration with strings
- A quick mix and master for each track