[4] Three recensions of the Samaveda have survived, and variant manuscripts of the Veda have been found in various parts of India.

These layers of the compilation dates from the post-Rigvedic Mantra period of Vedic Sanskrit, likely around the 6th century BCE.

[12] He estimates the composition of the samhita layer of the text chronologically after the Rigveda, and in the likely range of 1200 to 1000 BCE, roughly contemporary with the Atharvaveda and the Yajurveda.

[13] The musical notation is written usually immediately above, sometimes within, the line of Samaveda text, either in syllabic or a numerical form depending on the Samavedic Sakha (school).

[3] The text uses creative structures, called Stobha, to help embellish, transform or play with the words so that they better fit into a desired musical harmony.

[3] Thus the contents of the Samaveda represent a tradition and a creative synthesis of music, sounds, meaning and spirituality, the text was not entirely a sudden inspiration.

[3] The portion of the first song of Samaveda illustrates the link and mapping of Rigvedic verses into a melodic chant:[3] अग्न आ याहि वीतये – Rigveda 6.16.10[25] Agna ā yāhi vītaye

Multiple melodies were created by clans of sages from a Yonimantra, which is a base Mantra for Sama Chanting.

Both are notable for the lifting metric melodic structure, but it is Chandogya which has played a historic role in the evolution of various schools of Hindu philosophy.

Adi Shankara, for example, cited Chandogya Upanishad 810 times in his Vedanta Sutra Bhasya, more than any other ancient text.

[28] The precise chronology of Chandogya Upanishad is uncertain, but it is the youngest layer of text in the Samaveda, and it is variously dated to have been composed by 8th to 6th century BCE in India.

[29][30] The Chandogya text combines a metric, melodic structure with a wide range of speculations and philosophical topics.

Max Muller notes that the term "space" above, was later asserted in the Vedanta Sutra verse 1.1.22 to be a symbolism for the Vedic concept of Brahman.

[32] Paul Deussen explains the term Brahman means the "creative principle which lies realized in the whole world".

[33] The text discusses Dharma and many other topics: There are three branches of Dharma (righteous life, duty): Yajna (sacrifice), Svādhyāya (self study) and Dāna (charity) are the first, Tapas (austerity, meditation) is the second, while dwelling as a Brahmacharya for education in the house of a teacher is third, All three achieve the blessed worlds.

In the fourth chapter, the Kena Upanishad states, for example, that all beings have an innate longing for spiritual knowledge, for self-awareness.

The rules and suggestions for playing various instruments form a separate compilation, called the Gandharva-Veda, and this Upaveda is attached to the Samaveda.