Genre Profile
Samba music is characterized by high energy that drives the music forward with force and momentum, with a median energy of 70.7%. The genre carries a blend of acoustic and electronic elements (54.8% acousticness). Instrumentalness sits at 0.0%, while danceability registers at 57.8% β providing enough groove to move to. The emotional tone is bright, happy, and emotionally uplifting, with valence at 77.4%. Speechiness is minimal at 5.0%.
The typical samba track moves at a moderate tempo that sits comfortably in walking-pace territory of 126.1 BPM (Β±40.5). Tonally, D is the most common key (25 of 100 tracks), and 60% of tracks are in a major key β showing a fairly even split between light and dark tonalities.
The genre's sonic identity is shaped by artists like Exaltasamba, Art Popular, Zeca Pagodinho alongside Jorge AragΓ£o, Vou pro Sereno. The typical track runs about 3.9 minutes, optimized for streaming attention spans.
Production-wise, samba sits at a median loudness of -8.2 dB β moderately loud, balancing dynamics with presence. Whether you're producing in the genre or analyzing it for AI music generation, these numbers provide a precise target for capturing the authentic samba sound.
Prompt Lab
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BPM 99-154: joyful pace Energy 57-77%: joyful, rhythmic Valence 63-83%: joyful, rhythmic, celebratory, communal Danceability 52-62%: samba groove Acousticness 40-60%: surdo textures Instrumentalness -9-10%: Focus on surdo Speechiness 6-16%: Clean samba passages Tempo: joyful to moderate Key preference: D, G, warm keys
Create a samba track with: β’ surdo foundation (126 BPM) β’ samba de roda-inspired tamborim β’ joyful surdo patterns β’ cuΓca cavaquinho β’ rhythmic production style β’ samba-enredo sound design β’ Moderate energy (67%), joyful mood (73%) β’ samba arrangement (0%), surdo elements (50%) Artists to reference: Exaltasamba, Art Popular, Zeca Pagodinho, Jorge AragΓ£o, Vou pro Sereno, Akatu Duration: 3-4 minutes, perfect for communal listening
{
"genre": "samba",
"audio_features": {
"bpm": {"min": 75, "max": 204, "median": 126},
"energy": {"avg": 0.677, "range": "joyful"},
"valence": {"avg": 0.735, "range": "joyful, rhythmic, celebratory, communal"},
"danceability": {"avg": 0.575, "range": "samba groove"},
"acousticness": {"avg": 0.504, "range": "surdo/organic"},
"instrumentalness": {"avg": 0.001, "range": "focus on surdo"},
"key_preference": ["D", "G", "A"],
"mode_preference": {"major": 60.0, "minor": 40.0}
},
"production_style": {
"instruments": ["surdo", "tamborim", "cu\u00edca", "cavaquinho", "agog\u00f4"],
"style_tags": ["samba", "samba de roda", "samba-enredo", "pagode", "samba-reggae"],
"mood_descriptors": ["joyful", "rhythmic", "celebratory", "communal"],
"tempo_category": "joyful_to_moderate"
},
"reference_artists": ["Exaltasamba", "Art Popular", "Zeca Pagodinho", "Jorge Arag\u00e3o", "Vou pro Sereno", "Akatu", "Arlindo Cruz", "Grupo Sensa\u00e7\u00e3o"],
"track_characteristics": {
"typical_length": "3-4 minutes",
"listening_context": " communal listening",
"production_focus": "surdo foundation"
}
}}
Audio DNA
Key finding: Six audio features define samba's fingerprint: Valence leads at 77.4%, while Instrumentalness sits at just 0.0% β a genre defined as much by what it lacks as what it contains.
Rhythm & Tonality
Key finding: 60% of samba tracks are in a major key, with D the most common. Typical BPM: 126.1 (Ο 40.5).
Emotional Fingerprint
Top Artists
Key finding: Exaltasamba dominates with 12 tracks in the top 100, followed by Art Popular (8) and Zeca Pagodinho (8).
What Makes a Hit
Feature Correlations
Production Profile
Top Tracks
Key finding: The most popular samba track is “The Girl From Ipanema” by Stan Getz with a popularity score of 68.
| # | Track | Artist | Popularity | BPM | Energy | Valence | Key |
|---|
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & Methodology
This analysis is based on Spotify Audio Features API data for the top 100 π§π· samba tracks by popularity, supplemented by Gemini AI audio analysis of 30-second preview clips.
Audio features (energy, valence, acousticness, instrumentalness, danceability, speechiness, tempo, key, mode, loudness, duration) are sourced directly from Spotify's audio analysis pipeline. Production insights, mood classifications, and instrumentation details are generated by Gemini AI.
Data was collected and analyzed by kapiko β a music analytics platform for AI-era music production.