Soundtrap, the cloud-based DAW that’s set the standard for online audio production, will offer effects VST compatibility. This means creators can use any professional effects plugin they have a license for via the desktop version of Soundtrap. They can then instantly listen back to their creations using these effects across mobile, tablet, and web sessions and in real time on shared Soundtrap projects. Virtual instrument plugins capability will follow later this year.
To celebrate, Soundtrap is teaming up with Antares, makers of AutoTune, to offer Soundtrap users a free month of their AutoTune plugin.
“For years, artists have used Soundtrap to create high-quality music together,” explains Per Emanuelsson, founder and CEO of Soundtrap. “Today, we’re giving them even more creative power, enabling them to collaborate in the same session using their favourite industry-standard plugins, such as AutoTune. We believe this marks a step change in collaborative music production.”
“Soundtrap has found the perfect solution that lets producers, musicians, engineers, and creators do more with their VST plugins and effects while collaborating remotely,” says Jeff Wright, CEO of Antares. “We’re thrilled to work with Soundtrap to help more people unlock the power of effects like AutoTune, wherever they are and however they want to collaborate.”
VSTs are a vital part of music making and audio production, yet making them work in the cloud has been challenging. Soundtrap has consistently pushed the boundaries of cloud-based tech to better reflect what creators, producers, and musicians need. Now, their favorite EQ, reverb, delay, distortion, and pitch correction are accessible to collaborators, no matter where they are located.
Soundtrap’s desktop version scans for VSTs on a user’s machine, then syncs them with Soundtrap’s cloud-based ecosystem. The user can then combine locally installed plugins with shared projects and access their sessions on other devices. When this user collaborates remotely with someone, that person can hear the VST in real time in the Soundtrap project, even if they don’t have the same effect.
When both collaborators have a license for a particular VST, they can both play with and edit using the effect in the same Soundtrap project, all while chatting over Soundtrap’s built-in video call function. A singer trying to nail the vocals, for example, can use AutoTune on a take, right as the producer listens and gives feedback from another continent. No need to export tracks or stems, upload or download them, or waste time bouncing ideas and sounds back and forth. The result is more collaborative and more creative remote production.
Music is catching up to other creative industries by joining them in the cloud. Soundtrap helped pioneer pro-grade cloud-based music production, taking the online DAW from toy to full-fledged studio and adding a built-in video call feature. Now this evolution continues; music pros can use all the tools they’re accustomed to on Soundtrap.
“Across every creative industry, everything is becoming more fluid, more shareable, and more powerful, whether it’s Canva in design or CapCut in video editing. We expect to see more creativity move online, replacing software tied to a single device,” reflects Emanuelsson. “We want Soundtrap to help define what that next generation of music creation looks like.”
More information: Soundtrap
