KVR Audio Plug-in and News Submissions
How to get a product into the database and maybe a news item too.
At KVR Audio we endeavor to be as up to date as possible regarding VST, Direct X, Audio Unit, RTAS (and to a lesser extent LADSPA / DSSI) plug-in Instruments, Effects and Hosts so if you have a new plug-in or host that you want to announce, or if you've found a website with information about a plug-in or host that isn't yet featured here at KVR, or if you have a relevant news item that you think should appear in the KVR news please send all pertinent information to us we'll take a look.
Remember: We only post news regarding VST, Direct X, Audio Unit, RTAS and LADSPA Instruments, Effects, Hosts and immediately related subjects (sound sets, sample libraries in plug-in sampler formats, special offers, etc.).
Please send the information to contactus@kvraudio.com with the image(s) attached.
NOTE 1: If you are sending details of a new plug-in or host we would appreciate it if you could include all of the requested information specified below as it makes our life a lot easier and will result in the submission being processed much faster. Of course a sensibly formatted press release is also generally acceptable.
NOTE 2: If you are informing us of an update to a product that is already in the database please only include details of what has changed in the new release, you do not need to resubmit the whole checklist again.
NOTE 3: To keep the KVR Audio Plug-in database as complete and up to date as possible you can help out by sending us information about any plug-ins or hosts that are not currently in the database (or are out of date), even if they aren't a new release or have not recently had a new update, we still want to add them to the database for completeness, although we won't post a news item obviously.
IMPORTANT:
We will edit out hyperbole, superlatives, crazy marketing speak and wild claims from your submission so the more factual and realistic your submission is the more likely it will appear in an unedited form (and the quicker it is likely to appear too).
If your submission is just marketing hyperbole the news item may end up being very short (or not even posted at all)!
Sample Library developers in particular, I'm talking to YOU!
VERY IMPORTANT:
Non-Plug-in News (Soundware, Special Offers, Training, Competitions, etc.)
If the news you are submitting is not specifically about a plug-in or host (i.e. it is not about a plug-in or plug-in host release or update) it may be processed with a lower priority which could result in a delay in posting the news (or even the news not being posted at all). We receive a lot of news submissions and do not have the resources to review and post everything. Plug-in and host news is the priority (no matter how minor the news). Apologies in advance if your news item is overlooked.
However, you can increase the likelihood of your non-plug-in news item being posted by ensuring that you include ALL relevant information - formats, pricing, availability and/or release date in particular, and it being written and spell-checked in British- or American-English. It should also be clearly formatted and grammar checked. News submissions that meet these requirements can be processed quicker and therefore stand a higher chance of being posted.
Remember, a URL to something and a short note to "take a look at this cool thing, all info you need can be found here: www.example.com/amazing-new-sound-library-with-groundbreaking-nee-revolutionary-features-that-have-never-been-seen-before-and-are-gonna-change-the-world-honest-guv" is unlikely to generate a news item (unless it truly is amazing).
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT:
News should be NEWs. Please don't send us a PR for a product that was released three months ago and then wonder why we don't post it. If you want a news item at KVR at least try to send us the info when it is new. This is the Internet, a week is long time on the 'Net. If the "news" is older then a month it is old news. Plug-ins will still be added to the database, obviously, but other news will probably not be posted. You have been warned advised.
Sample Library developers in particular, I'm talking to YOU!
SUPREMELY IMPORTANT:
Distributors and shops (online sample shops/distributors in particular)
Many of you sell the same products (distributors, admittedly, usually in different territories). We receive PR emails from numerous sample suppliers (who, often, also sell other developers products) for the same products all the time - you guys often sell each other's stuff and its very hard to follow what's by who and was released when. Confusion leads to news being overlooked.
If every normal shop that stocked a product sent KVR a PR when they started selling something we'd go crazy.
Our policy is to report the news once and, ideally, link it to the sample library developer's web site and let the users find their local dealer / distributor from there.
If a release is an exclusive to you please make that clear when you send the PR as it's very hard to know.
Checklist [What we need]
This is for plug-in / host news only. If you are sending us Soundware news we don't need screenshots, classifications, etc. We do want pricing, availability and sound/sample formats though, obviously.
Names:
- Developer/Company Name (This is not normally a personal name)
- Product Name
Screenshots:
- At least one full size, good quality, screenshot in PNG, JPG or GIF format. Additional screenshots can be included. Thumbnails are not required.
- The screenshot file-names should be in lower-case without spaces. e.g. productname.(png|jpg|gif)
- The screenshot must be cropped exactly and should not include any non product image such as the VST Instrument container that surrounds an instrument in Cubase.
- It should NOT be some artsy-fartsy 3D rendering or drop-shadowed-web-2.0-mirror-image-reflection nonsense. Or a collage.
- It should NOT be the product box (WTF?). We do NOT want to see the box. Boxes aren't interesting. No boxes. Not even 3D rendered or drop-shadowed-web-2.0-mirror-image-reflected boxes. Really. No boxes. Please. Hands up, who wants to see a box? No one? Good.
- What do we want? Good question: We want at least one full size, good quality, screenshot in PNG, JPG or GIF format.
Product description:
- A description of the product to go below the image. This is usually a paragraph or two and some bullet points of the main features.
Classification / Tag:
- Primary Classification. [Required]
- Any other classifications. [Optional]
Any item in the database can be classified under multiple entries so that they can be returned under multiple searches (e.g. SuperCamelPhat is filed under Dynamics (Compressor / Limiter), Distortion / Overdrive / Amp and Filter and will be returned in the results of any of those searches, it's primary classification is Multi FX.
A list of all available categories can be found on the database query page.
URLs:
- A direct URL to the product's web page.
- A URL to the download or download page (if available).
OS:
- Operating System the product is available for (Windows / Windows x64 / Mac OS X / Mac OS X Universal Binary / Linux).
Formats:
Please state what the product functions as (Instrument/Effect/Host) and in what formats it is available for each one (VST/VST3/DX/AU/LADSPA/DSSI/RTAS):
- Instrument (VST/VST3/DX/AU/DSSI/RTAS).
- Effect (VST/VST3/DX/AU/LADSPA/RTAS).
- Host (Instrument formats | Effect formats).
If it can function as any combination of the above please make this clear, i.e. if it can host VST effects and it also runs as a VST instrument please clearly state this.
SynthEdit, SynthMaker, Delta SP, SonicBirth, Max/MSP (Pluggo), Plug-in Constructor
- Was it created with one of the "Save as...<plug-in format>" development environments listed above ? If so let us know and it will be marked as such. Why? Because some people want to know this information. It also enables them to be filtered out of the searches if people want to.
Sample Formats
- If it can load samples what sample formats does it support (WAV/AIFF/SF2/etc.)
Copy Protection
What type of copy protections does it use? Only the primary (most intrusive) is listed on the products page.
- CD Check (Installation/Update)
- CD Check (Random)
- Challenge/Response
- Dongle
- Key File
- None
- Pace iLok
- Pace InterLok
- Serial Number
- Watermark
- Other - Please specify
Cost
- Is it free? If not how much does it cost?
NOTE: We list the MSRP in the database. Even if it is currently available for an intro price, or some other special offer.
Version Number
- The current version number.
Availability
- Is it released yet or just announced?
Miscellaneous
- Any other pertinent information.
Lastly, please check all text for spelling and grammar, full stops (periods) and commas in the correct places are very handy. Also, acronyms should be in uppercase - VST, DX, AU, MIDI, LFO, ADSR, etc.
