Artist-developer building personal instruments — how do indie devs survive today?

[spectraoul]

Hey everyone,

I am an artist-developer. For years, I have been scribbling strange sound ideas in Max/MSP, Pure Data, or bits of code in Python or JavaScript, creating ephemeral tools that resemble living instruments more than traditional software.

My current project is called Modal Compas. It's an abstract interpretation of the Flamenco Compás — those rhythmic cycles built around 12 beats. I started playing with the chromatic link to that number 12 (12 beats in the Flamenco cycle, 12 chromatic notes) and ended up building a physics engine where marbles act as "dancers" bouncing inside a circle of accented and non-accented beats. As they collide with bumpers, the plugin generates modal motion and chord progressions. The musical output emerges from physics — not from a step grid.

ModalCompas_Snapshot.png

Here's a demo — piano solo, no effects, just Modal Compas generating the MIDI:



For a long time, it was just a Python project with a TUI interface. But recently, using AI coding agents as translators between my ideas and C++, I was finally able to develop it as a full-fledged plugin using DPF. It runs as VST3/CLAP/LV2 and Jack Standalone on Linux, macOS, and Windows. I just finished it.

I'm also working on something bigger — a node-based spectral audio explorer called k2k — but that's a story for another day. Here's a taste though:

K2K_Editor.png

K2K_Player.png

This is where I need your help. I know how to design these kinds of tools and systems, bringing my own personal vision to them, and I understand how to work with AI to compile them, but I am a complete novice when it comes to the business side of releasing plugins.

I want to fund my development so I can keep making these weird "spice" tools instead of keeping them on my hard drive. But I don't know how indie devs actually survive today. Do people hate Patreon? Is Gumroad where plugins go to die? Should I just make a Discord and share betas with a few brave souls?

Any advice from people who've walked this path — or who appreciate niche/artistic tools — would be amazing.

Thanks!

[Lind0n]

Find yourself a distributor(they will take 30%) and let them sell it for you.

[spectraoul]

Thank you, I will do more specific research on platforms such as Gumroad, Splice, and PluginBoutique.

[kernaudioio]

i'm a solo dev running a boutique plugin label (KERN Audio, kernaudio.io) and went direct-to-consumer from day one, so i can share what's actually worked from that angle.

Gumroad is not where things go to die, but it does require you to drive traffic yourself. the transaction experience is fine and the payout is fast. the limitation is discoverability: your Gumroad page won't be found by search, so you need KVR, YouTube, forums like this one, and social to point to it. Patreon works better when your audience connects with you as a person building in public, not just when they want a product. for instruments with your kind of "living thing" philosophy, that might actually be the right fit.

distributors take 30–50% but give you placement in catalogues people actually browse. for niche/experimental work, that placement might not convert anyway. i'd test direct first with a low price point, build a small list of people who care, and only bring in a distributor once you know the tool has an audience.

one thing that's underrated: posting here with transparency about what you're building (like this post) is genuinely the highest-signal marketing you can do in this space. people who are curious become early adopters who give real feedback.

[Shabdahbriah]

[...] one thing that's underrated: posting here with transparency about what you're building (like this post) is genuinely the highest-signal marketing you can do in this space. people who are curious become early adopters who give real feedback.

+1

[spectraoul]

Thanks, I'll keep updating on my progress.

[CinningBao]

That spectral explorer looks fascinating. When/if you're looking for beta testers..

[spectraoul]

... Patreon works better when your audience connects with you as a person building in public, not just when they want a product. for instruments with your kind of "living thing" philosophy, that might actually be the right fit. ...

That’s what tipped the scales for me. The way I work—just one person, personal tools—is the story of my process, not a product line. K2K has reached a level of maturity and consistency, and personally, I’d rather see it evolve within a community. I just discovered the kernaudio.io plugins—wow, super precise and elegant. Unfortunately, I’m on Linux. Kudos on this masterful work.

[spectraoul]

That spectral explorer looks fascinating. When/if you're looking for beta testers..

I have ready-to-use alpha versions available—for Linux, macOS, and Windows. I've tested it on Linux and Windows. Send me a private message and I'll send you a link. I'd really appreciate your honest feedback—first impressions, crashes, strange behavior, anything you like.

[kernaudioio]

... Patreon works better when your audience connects with you as a person building in public, not just when they want a product. for instruments with your kind of "living thing" philosophy, that might actually be the right fit. ...

That’s what tipped the scales for me. The way I work—just one person, personal tools—is the story of my process, not a product line. K2K has reached a level of maturity and consistency, and personally, I’d rather see it evolve within a community. I just discovered the kernaudio.io plugins—wow, super precise and elegant. Unfortunately, I’m on Linux. Kudos on this masterful work.

appreciate the kind words, spectraoul. "precise and elegant" is exactly what we're going for, so that lands well.

linux is on the radar but no timeline yet. JUCE supports it, so the build side is straightforward. the bottleneck is testing: i'd need a reliable QA setup for the major distros and DAWs (REAPER, Ardour, Bitwig). if that ever comes together, you'd be first to know for sure.

your Patreon approach makes sense for what you're building. when the tool is the process, people want to follow the person, not the product page. let me know when youre set up and i will support in any way i can!

[Tj Shredder]

This project sounds interesting.
And would love to test it on Mac.
I am in a comparable position. I always made my own tools in Max/MSP (started out with Max 2) and now with RNBO and AI there is a bridge to make these accessible for a bigger audience. I do not need to make money with it and would rather open source it. But sharing experiences would be great in general…

[spectraoul]

This project sounds interesting.
And would love to test it on Mac.
I am in a comparable position. I always made my own tools in Max/MSP (started out with Max 2) and now with RNBO and AI there is a bridge to make these accessible for a bigger audience. I do not need to make money with it and would rather open source it. But sharing experiences would be great in general…

Max RNBO is a powerful tool.
But as my projects grew more fragmented, I found myself piecing things together haphazardly and ended up with components that were increasingly difficult to connect and keep stable. That’s why I decided to consolidate everything into a single C++ app. AI allows me to learn and work much faster.

I’m very interested in feedback from a Max/MSP expert. It’s not the same thing, but I think my brain has been shaped by Max. Send me a DM so I can send you a link.

[Cranky Man]

I always get a pocket change on gumroad, never really watch it, but then my papal always has some small change to buy stuff, so it isn't bad.

[spectraoul]

I always get a pocket change on gumroad, never really watch it, but then my papal always has some small change to buy stuff, so it isn't bad.

It's nice to have that steady little income. But I'm constantly tweaking things and adding new features. If I were releasing stable, finished plugins, Gumroad would be a good option.

[Dexter US]

Hey everyone,

I am an artist-developer. For years, I have been scribbling strange sound ideas in Max/MSP, Pure Data, or bits of code in Python or JavaScript, creating ephemeral tools that resemble living instruments more than traditional software.

My current project is called Modal Compas. It's an abstract interpretation of the Flamenco Compás — those rhythmic cycles built around 12 beats. I started playing with the chromatic link to that number 12 (12 beats in the Flamenco cycle, 12 chromatic notes) and ended up building a physics engine where marbles act as "dancers" bouncing inside a circle of accented and non-accented beats. As they collide with bumpers, the plugin generates modal motion and chord progressions. The musical output emerges from physics — not from a step grid.

ModalCompas_Snapshot.png

Here's a demo — piano solo, no effects, just Modal Compas generating the MIDI:



For a long time, it was just a Python project with a TUI interface. But recently, using AI coding agents as translators between my ideas and C++, I was finally able to develop it as a full-fledged plugin using DPF. It runs as VST3/CLAP/LV2 and Jack Standalone on Linux, macOS, and Windows. I just finished it.

I'm also working on something bigger — a node-based spectral audio explorer called k2k — but that's a story for another day. Here's a taste though:

K2K_Editor.png K2K_Player.png


This is where I need your help. I know how to design these kinds of tools and systems, bringing my own personal vision to them, and I understand how to work with AI to compile them, but I am a complete novice when it comes to the business side of releasing plugins.

I want to fund my development so I can keep making these weird "spice" tools instead of keeping them on my hard drive. But I don't know how indie devs actually survive today. Do people hate Patreon? Is Gumroad where plugins go to die? Should I just make a Discord and share betas with a few brave souls?

Any advice from people who've walked this path — or who appreciate niche/artistic tools — would be amazing.

Thanks!

I am using Patreon for my vst's and for my vcv rack selection files exc.. Some people may not want to go through the trouble of subscribing I suspect. I didn't have great luck with using rnbo but I did come up with some unusual delays. Mostly I am just using plugdata but haven't in awhile. There is nothing exclusive about Patreon where you can't move products or list them other places later if they already have a price or you are offering it at free + plus.

I would check to make sure that the state of the plugin in saving if it isn't I would use automation in the daw and try saving again.. I went so far as to buy a book on rnbo so you certainly understand it better than I do..