Output Co-Producer Is Here—But Is It Better Than Arcade?
Over the past decade, Output has built a reputation for designing tools that bridge the gap between pro-level sound design and accessible, intuitive workflows. From Kontakt instruments like REV and Analog Brass & Winds to the wildly popular Arcade, the company has consistently delivered plugins that feel both polished and playful. What sets Output apart is its focus on creativity and usability—making music-making easier without dumbing it down. Their products have become go-to tools for producers across genres, from bedroom beatmakers to major film composers. Now, they’ve launched something completely new: Co-Producer, an AI-powered plugin that analyzes your project and suggests samples that actually fit your track. It’s not just another loop player or browser—it’s a smart assistant that listens to your session and helps you find the right sounds faster. In this post, we’ll explore what Co-Producer is, how it works, and how it compares to Arcade, Output’s other flagship plugin. If you’re already using one (or neither), this guide will help you figure out which tool fits best in your workflow.
Output Co-Producer Is Here—But Is It Better Than Arcade?
What Is Co-Producer and What Does It Do?
What Are Co-Producer Key Features?
Co-Producer vs Arcade: Which One’s Right for You?
Is Co-Producer Right for You?
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
What Is Co-Producer and What Does It Do?
Co-Producer is a new plugin from Output that uses AI to help producers find the right samples faster. Instead of acting like a loop player or creative instrument (like Output’s Arcade), Co-Producer focuses on workflow and support. It’s designed to solve a common pain point: spending hours auditioning loops, checking keys and tempos, or endlessly dragging samples into a project just to see if they’ll fit. With Co-Producer, you load the plugin into your session, let it listen to your track, and it suggests samples that match your project’s rhythm, harmony, and key—pulling from Output’s massive, high-quality library.
The idea isn’t to automate creativity or write the track for you. Output has been clear: Co-Producer isn’t about replacing the producer—it’s about accelerating the process. The plugin uses AI not to generate musical ideas from scratch, but to understand the musical context you’ve already created and recommend sounds that naturally fit. It’s a tool for refining and finishing—not for starting from zero. That makes it especially helpful for producers who already have something in progress but want fresh, relevant material without breaking their flow.
Like Arcade, Co-Producer runs on a subscription model, giving users unlimited access to Output’s catalog of royalty-free, studio-ready samples. But while Arcade is centered on inspiration and real-time manipulation, Co-Producer is aimed at precision and speed. It fits neatly into your DAW like a studio assistant, helping you move from idea to finished track faster—without creative compromise.
What Are Co-Producer Key Features?
AI-Powered Sample Selection That Listens to Your Track
The main innovation behind Co-Producer is how it flips the usual sample workflow on its head. Instead of digging through endless folders and trying to match samples by ear, Co-Producer uses AI to analyze your actual project. You load the plugin on your master bus, hit play, and it listens to your track in real time—looking at both rhythm and harmony—before serving up sample suggestions that are matched to your tempo and key. It’s a simple concept, but the impact is big: you don’t have to hunt for sounds that “might” work. You get ones that already do.
This makes Co-Producer especially useful for producers who are midway through a track and stuck in sample overload. It acts more like a collaborative assistant than a loop browser—listening to your work, understanding the musical context, and delivering relevant, usable material. Whether you’re filling out a drum groove or looking for one last melodic texture, it’s designed to help you move faster and stay in flow, not stall out scrolling through sounds.
Search with Natural Language, Not Tags
Co-Producer also includes a text-prompt search function, which lets you guide the plugin with a few words—like “dreamy pad,” “gritty 808,” or “funky guitar loop.” This adds a layer of intention to the AI engine. If you know the vibe you want, you don’t need to mess around with filters or genre tags. Co-Producer translates plain English into musical context and returns matching results from Output’s massive sample library. It’s a flexible system: you can rely on pure AI suggestions, or steer things a little more creatively with prompts.
The benefit here is speed and simplicity. You don’t have to learn any syntax or dive into metadata. You just tell it what you're looking for, and it tries to get you there—quickly. And because it's pulling from Output’s professionally produced library, the results usually sound polished and ready to drop in.
Built to Work Inside Your Workflow
Unlike loop players or virtual instruments, Co-Producer isn’t meant to be the centerpiece of your track—it’s meant to sit in the background and quietly make your life easier. It runs as a plugin in your DAW and works with any project you’re already building. Once it suggests samples, you can preview them in context, drag them into your session, and move on. No exporting, no bouncing, no weird file management. It’s a clean, modern workflow built for fast-moving producers.
Everything about the plugin is designed to reduce friction: no switching between software, no second-guessing tempo or pitch. It listens, recommends, and integrates directly with your session. That simplicity is what makes Co-Producer feel fresh—it’s not trying to be another instrument or sampler. It’s just focused on doing one job really well.
A Subscription Model That Makes Sense
Like Arcade, Co-Producer runs on a subscription model, giving you unlimited access to Output’s full sample library. There are no credit limits, no à la carte downloads—just a constantly updated stream of high-quality, royalty-free sounds. For producers who use samples regularly, this is a big plus. You can audition everything in real time and use what fits, without worrying about running out of downloads or juggling multiple libraries.
Of course, subscription pricing isn’t for everyone. But if you’re already subscribed to Arcade or considering it, Co-Producer makes a strong case as a complementary tool. You’re essentially gaining a second workflow: one for inspiration (Arcade), and one for speed and fit (Co-Producer). And for people who already spend a lot of time auditioning samples manually, the time saved alone could be worth the monthly cost.
Co-Producer vs Arcade: Which One’s Right for You?
Output now has two powerful, sample-based tools in its lineup: Arcade and Co-Producer. At first glance, they might seem similar—they’re both subscription-based plugins that give you access to Output’s massive, royalty-free sample library. But they serve very different purposes, and understanding that difference is key to choosing the right tool for your workflow.
Arcade is built around inspiration and play. It’s a loop-based sampler instrument where you load up “Lines” (genre- or instrument-focused packs), trigger samples in real time, and shape them using built-in effects and macros. It’s great for starting tracks, jamming ideas, or just getting inspired when you’re staring at a blank session. It’s especially useful if you like to manipulate and perform with samples in a musical, hands-on way.
Co-Producer, by contrast, is more of a studio assistant than an instrument. You don’t “play” it—you let it listen to your track, and it recommends samples that match your harmony and rhythm. It’s meant to slot into your existing workflow and help you finish faster. It doesn’t try to spark inspiration or surprise you with unexpected sounds. Instead, it supports your creative direction by offering material that fits what you’ve already built. It’s a very different vibe from Arcade, and it’s not meant to replace it. It’s meant to complement it.
So which one should you use? If you’re just starting a track and want to play around with ideas, Arcade is the better pick. It’s more fun, more interactive, and better for discovering the unexpected. If you’re deep into a project and looking for the perfect kick, riser, or texture to tie things together, Co-Producer is the faster, more focused tool. Many producers will benefit from having both: Arcade for creativity, Co-Producer for efficiency. But if you’re choosing just one, it really comes down to how you work—and where in the process you need the most help.
Is Co-Producer Right for You?
If you often find yourself bogged down auditioning samples or struggling to find sounds that actually fit your track, Co-Producer is designed to solve that exact problem. It’s not here to reinvent how you make music—it’s here to remove friction. By analyzing your project and suggesting samples that match your tempo and key, it helps you move faster and stay focused. For producers who already have a sense of direction but need the right building blocks to get across the finish line, Co-Producer can be a powerful addition to the workflow.
That said, it’s not for everyone. If you love experimenting with loops, triggering sounds live, or starting tracks with manipulated textures, Arcade might still be a better fit. Co-Producer isn’t built for jamming or invention—it’s built for support and refinement. And because it runs on a subscription model, it makes the most sense for producers who are regularly using samples and want fast access to curated, high-quality content. If that sounds like you, Co-Producer could quickly become a go-to tool for cutting through the noise and getting your tracks done faster.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.