Why do some freeware developers say "Don't use this plugin for commercial music" ?

[b4serenity]

Well, besides the TLS or TSL? compressors - mentioned above - what else out there has such restrictions?

[codec_spurt]

Well one developer really springs to mind with this one, and I thought I would be the first to mention it, but a couple of people have already beaten me to the punch line.


They make the software. They give it away for free, so the least we can do is respect their wishes of how it should be used.

Or, **** them then, I'll use something else seeing as it isn't really FREE, man.

I don't make money from music so I guess I am in the clear, but yes I find it strange personally speaking.

I can understand how people slave over sample libraries, using the best converters, spending money on proprietary software, collating and putting together stuff, exclusively for free. And they say: You can use this - have a hit record, make lots of money, get more friends, have more sex, but do NOT let me catch you pulling a funny one and passing off my samples as YOUR samples - I will hunt you down and ruin you! I understand that. Feel the same way myself.

But you build a plug in, you give it away for free, you know that 99 percent of people using it don't make any money at all, yet you draw a line with those that do. Very often not giving them an option to BUY the plug in anyway. So they are saying: make music that is unsuccessful by all means, but if you hit the big time please uninstall this un-buyable bit of software.

The most enigmatic and biggest offender on this front I won't mention. The fact he still gives his plugins away for free still amazes me, seeing how offended and slighted he was before by past transgressions. Don't get me wrong.
He is a genius. One of the best DSP coders EVER. And I respect his wishes. But he just confounds me with his logic sometimes.


Never mind me. But what do I do if I have a hit? Do I take his plugins out of my chain? Do I just 'overlook' it ?. At least give me an option to buy the thing should that happen. Or maybe I got it wrong, don't listen to me. I'm not going to name the dev, so...

[overhishead]

I for one, can't wait to see the first lawsuit resulting from making money off a song that was made by a compressor only. the song would be called "woosh woosh woosh" and it would feature lady gaga pantomiming on the video. its bound to happen.

The culprits would be... Swebish Mafia, and they will admit to using the Tall Tales Freeware Compressor exclusively to make their #1 hit, and closing soundtrack to The Hobbit Part 3. You will read it in Reddit, pegged at the #1 spot with 250,000 replies. Your fingernails will grow into your mouse before you read the last word. Then famous musicians everywhere will be dropping like flies due to the scandal ripping apart at its seams. Obama will obviously need to get involved. SWAT teams will be dropped out of stealth bombers HALO style right on top of all of the Swebish Mafia members. Finally freeware software devs will get their revenge.

Contrary to what some reality-deprived devs think, not everybody is on Ritalin flogging themselves with a cat o nine tails for not memorizing each word of eulas for every piece of software on their computers like its the bible.

[Sendy]

I just assumed "don't use this plugin for commercial music" meant don't use it to produce dubstep-tinged rap/pop featuring scantily clad females dancing around suggestively in the video.

[toitoi]

Some developers just hate "commercial music" which is radio-mtv-bullshit stuff, and don't want people to produce it with their tools.

[ObsoleteAcc99]

But you build a plug in, you give it away for free, you know that 99 percent of people using it don't make any money at all, yet you draw a line with those that do. Very often not giving them an option to BUY the plug in anyway. So they are saying: make music that is unsuccessful by all means, but if you hit the big time please uninstall this un-buyable bit of software.

The most enigmatic and biggest offender on this front I won't mention. The fact he still gives his plugins away for free still amazes me, seeing how offended and slighted he was before by past transgressions. Don't get me wrong.
He is a genius. One of the best DSP coders EVER. And I respect his wishes. But he just confounds me with his logic sometimes.


Never mind me. But what do I do if I have a hit? Do I take his plugins out of my chain? Do I just 'overlook' it ?. At least give me an option to buy the thing should that happen. Or maybe I got it wrong, don't listen to me. I'm not going to name the dev, so...

yes that absolutely does my head in too, and obviously if he codes such good work, he knows what he is doing and is probably getting off on it. Did any of you think of the scenario in this case where it really is simply nothing more than the dev on a power trip? there's no other logical explanation.

[b4serenity]

looking over at TBTales sight I saw this...

>>>>>>>>>>>
"BUSINESS" AND "COMMERCIAL" IS NOT THE SAME. If you CREATE something with the sound that come out of the tool
then you can do what ever the f**k you want with it. If you use the tool itself for the
purpose of making money then that is not ok. If you don't get that moral difference then f**k off!
>>>>>>>>>

I probably violated some other rule by doing that but I didn't "use" it for making money so I guess they won't arrest me! No, it really seems to say that it's OK in something you create just not something you might use in your business. There's more in the site itself;

http://www.tinbrooktales.com

[dark_virus]

They make the software. They give it away for free, so the least we can do is respect their wishes of how it should be used.

I think we all do respect their wishes. We're just discussing the reasons why some freeware developers like it this way.

Maybe it's irrelevant, but this is developing as an interesting thread.

[codec_spurt]

But you build a plug in, you give it away for free, you know that 99 percent of people using it don't make any money at all, yet you draw a line with those that do. Very often not giving them an option to BUY the plug in anyway. So they are saying: make music that is unsuccessful by all means, but if you hit the big time please uninstall this un-buyable bit of software.

The most enigmatic and biggest offender on this front I won't mention. The fact he still gives his plugins away for free still amazes me, seeing how offended and slighted he was before by past transgressions. Don't get me wrong.
He is a genius. One of the best DSP coders EVER. And I respect his wishes. But he just confounds me with his logic sometimes.


Never mind me. But what do I do if I have a hit? Do I take his plugins out of my chain? Do I just 'overlook' it ?. At least give me an option to buy the thing should that happen. Or maybe I got it wrong, don't listen to me. I'm not going to name the dev, so...

yes that absolutely does my head in too, and obviously if he codes such good work, he knows what he is doing and is probably getting off on it. Did any of you think of the scenario in this case where it really is simply nothing more than the dev on a power trip? there's no other logical explanation.

It's uncanny, it's almost as if you know who I am talking about. But then again I get the feeling that half the people in the thread are referencing this dev as well.


But funnily enough, I hear what you are saying and I would agree in regard to 90 percent of other devs taking this course, but I genuinely believe this dev is doing what he is doing for (if not the right reasons) then at least, reasons that make sense to himself. But for the life of me, when it comes to the word of the law, which is what we are ultimately arguing here, I do not understand the greater rationale.

[codec_spurt]

looking over at TBTales sight I saw this...

>>>>>>>>>>>
"BUSINESS" AND "COMMERCIAL" IS NOT THE SAME. If you CREATE something with the sound that come out of the tool
then you can do what ever the f**k you want with it. If you use the tool itself for the
purpose of making money then that is not ok. If you don't get that moral difference then f**k off!
>>>>>>>>>

I probably violated some other rule by doing that but I didn't "use" it for making money so I guess they won't arrest me! No, it really seems to say that it's OK in something you create just not something you might use in your business. There's more in the site itself;

http://www.tinbrooktales.com

Ok, so it's getting silly now pretending who we are not talking about.
I actually was the first person at KVR to post that change in the license agreement. It don't make me big or clever, I just happened to be there at the time. Of course a few people missed it, and when they were informed of Daniel's little update, they were a little taken aback. And perplexed. I mean, we can all wig out. I do it frequently, but I'm not a dev developing high end DSP code. Daniel is. It takes a certain kind of brain and aptitude to do that.

So yes, I posted the change that Daniel made to his readme where he told people they can f**k off. It's ok. I believe he was a bit miffed about something else that had just happened where someone had stolen his gui for one of their own plugins. Jeebus. I can't be bothered to go into it all now, but they guy felt genuinely aggrieved. All I can say is, Ok, he stopped development on that particular plugin, but he let the rest of his amazing plugins be freely available for years to come. That doesn't strike me as a bitter and twisted person, just someone that is maybe trying to make a point that I have not yet got.

I use TbT's plugins all the time, many do. If Daniel had really wanted to chuck his toys out of the pram he would have closed down the downloads on his site and he would have made anyone else hosting them persona non grata. He didn't do that.


I don't know. I don't have any answers. This thread seems to have focused on TbT and Daniel. I thought that from the very first post it could be directed at him. I don't know if it was or not.

Anyway, Daniel, if you are reading this or someone re-directs you to this post:
You make some seriously amazing plugins. What laws you lay down on their use are your own business and not really to be questioned by anyone else. Of course we will
question it..

[DuX]

Since I'm a Vulcan, I would say that's completely logical. The authors don't want their plugins to be used for commercial purposes. Why is that so hard to get?

[ksandvik]

The license I have for loops I release is that you are not allowed to make crappy music with them. If you do I will get after you with a bunch of Hollywood entertainment lawyers.

[dune_rave]

Since I'm a Vulcan, I would say that's completely logical. The authors don't want their plugins to be used for commercial purposes. Why is that so hard to get?

It's all about money!
Authors of freeware plugins will need money too - sooner or later!
So they will put a small donate button on their websites (like the tal-noizemaker for example..)

[synaesthesia]

I actually don't know who Daniel is in this instance. Someone care to enlighten me before I break an EULA I haven't even seen.

[srv-musikmaker]

And obviously people won't be able to sell these cause they're free to start with !

Sorry to say people sell other people's freeware all the time, burned onto CD-Rs and DVD-Rs, sold to people who have no idea how they're getting such a great deal -- 850 Incredible Music Programs For Just $18.99! Wow!

Oh God ! That's just really pathetic !