It's always been the unofficially accepted way things are done in the music business. Short samples are tolerated, but some people are sensitive and try to sue

It's always been the unofficially accepted way things are done in the music business. Short samples are tolerated, but some people are sensitive and try to sue and then I believe it can go either way depending on the details. If you lose, you'll have to license it. Caveat Emptor: I am a software engineer who loves music and about 20 years ago I read a book about how the music biz works. (spoiler: it was mostly quite ugly behind the scenes!)