KVR has always supported independent audio developers, including people releasing their first plugin both within the community forums, and through initiatives like the KVR Developer Challenge. We want that to continue.
We also acknowledge the tools now available to developers across the industry. We firmly believe AI tools are the future of software development and we welcome responsible use of these technologies. We believe it can help artists and developers explore ideas, build useful music-making tools and usher in a new era of music making technology.
As those tools make development more accessible, our responsibility is to give new work a fair opportunity while keeping KVR useful, trustworthy for the people discovering it, and a place to call home for the hundreds of thousands of members who have frequented our site for over two decades already.
Why we are changing the process
In a recent 48-hour period, KVR received 44 developer applications. In case you didn’t know, our site depends on contributions from developers and community members, supported by a small team. UGC or ‘user-generated content’ if you will. Currently, we cannot thoroughly assess every product, website and announcement at that volume.
Some of these applications introduce useful products that deserve attention. Others are just extremely low effort, arriving with incomplete information, untested claims or little indication of how the software will be maintained and supported. Releasing a large catalog quickly can make those concerns harder to assess. We had one case of a brand release over fifty new plugins at once, which we feel is unsustainable and untenable.
We care about the quality of the finished work and whether the developer takes responsibility for it. Whether AI helped create the code, artwork or description, users need accurate information, software that works as described and a developers who are accountable for and take pride in their work.
A forum for new developer releases
For now, announcements from new, unapproved developers will be directed to the New Developer Product Release Forum, rather than the main KVR news feed.
For developers, after registering a KVR account, they will be able to post release announcements or press releases in this forum. Community members can discuss the product, share their experiences and ask questions. This gives new developers a place to introduce their work and build a record of feedback.
When a product attracts substantial interest or positive feedback, KVR may review the brand and consider approving its developer account for news submissions. KVR may also review a brand directly when we have the opportunity. Community feedback will help us review a brand; approval won’t be automatic.
Developer accounts registered before January 1, 2026 have effectively been grandfather in with an approved status for now as we introduce this change. Accounts registered from that date onward will need approval before being considered for the front page news feed. We may still approve news items for other feeds, but only news that strictly adheres to KVR’s updated submission guidelines for developers.
What we’re asking of developers
Give users a clear account of what your product does, what it requires and what customers will receive. Supply current product images, working links and support information. Test the software and check every claim in the announcement before submitting it.
AI can help with development and communication, but a human representative must review the finished work and take responsibility for it. Generic promotional copy, invented capabilities and misleading images make it harder for users to assess a release. A smaller, well-supported catalog gives users more confidence than a large number of releases whose quality and maintenance are unclear. A high release cadence of multiple plugins per month simply shows us not enough care was taken in developing the product.
We welcome experimentation and first releases but we ask developers to present their experience and their products honestly, respond to feedback and make a clear commitment to support.
Keeping KVR open and useful
We want new developers to find an audience here, and we want community members to be able to make informed decisions about the software they discover. The new forum gives emerging developers a route to introduce their work while allowing us to review news access more carefully.
We will review how this approach works in practice, including feedback from developers and users. Feel free to join the conversation below. Our aim is to keep KVR welcoming to new ideas, supportive of responsible AI use and sustainable for the community that relies on it.
For further discussions on AI in music production there is also the Machine Learning and AI for Software and Music Creation forum.
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