Is There Hope in the Music Tech Industry? AI, Independent Devs, and What's Next

[diegorcortega]

Hey KVR community,

I recently published a piece on this topic and wanted to bring it here — honestly, there's no better place to have this conversation than with people who live and breathe this stuff.

The short version of my take:

The music tech industry has real problems — market consolidation, subscription fatigue, bloated installers, and a handful of companies controlling too much of the ecosystem. When competition shrinks, innovation slows, and we all feel it.

But I'm genuinely optimistic, and here's why:

AI is leveling the playing field. Tasks that once required large engineering teams can now be tackled by solo developers or small studios. DSP knowledge still matters — but the barrier to entry is lower than it's ever been.

Independent developers are filling the gaps. I experienced this firsthand: I built a free vocal rider plugin in early 2025 that hit 15,000+ downloads. That told me something important — producers are hungry for tools that solve real problems, and they don't care if it comes from a big brand or a solo dev.

Accessibility is winning. Free and affordable plugins are thriving precisely because the major players have pushed users away with expensive licensing and bloatware.

I came to audio software development from an unusual path — guitarist, music production engineering student, then programmer across multiple industries — and returning to build VST plugins felt like the industry was finally ready for more voices.

Would love to hear the community's perspective:

Do you think consolidation is killing innovation, or is the indie scene strong enough to counter it?
How are you using AI tools in your own development or production workflow?

Full blog post here: https://casaoccidente.com/blogs/news/is ... h-industry