Sound pack selling has become a huge part of audio production in this day and age.
Music producers, now more than ever, have so much access to resources that make it easier for them to do their job more efficiently.
Drum kits make it easier for you to keep up with the latest sounds ensuring that your beats stay fresh and brand new.
Nowadays, it’s common to find sound packs that contain sound presets which are another source of sounds for music producers and beat makers alike.
An interesting question I came across today inquired into whether synth presets are actually royalty free. I thought this was an interesting topic and I decided to write out a full article about it.
I’ll therefore walk you through and explain as to whether synth presets are royalty free or not.
I hope you find this post useful.
With that said, let’s get right into it…. so…
Are synth presets royalty free?
Synth presets and synth patches are not subject to copyright which means you can use them commercially without running into any legal problems. So yes, synth presets are royalty free.
Can synth presets be copyrighted?
Synth presets are not subject to copyright but you have to careful not to distribute patches from providers as your own.
This also goes for synth presets that you find in sound packs that you purchase.
Redistributing somebody else’s work as your own is illegal.
With that said, there are many digital plugins that have different synth presets and they’re not copyrighted. Which means you can use them in your songs.
However recreating copyrighted melodies and chord progressions even with royalty free synth presets could land you in trouble if the owners of the copyright found out that you had recreated their melody and used it in an unfair way.
Are VST presets royalty free?
VST presets are royalty free which means that once you purchase the digital plugin that has them, you don’t need to pay any more recurring fees for the use of the presrss.
This also applies to VST presets that you purchase in sample packs.
All you need to do is ensure that you purchase them from the seller genuinely. After which you can go about using the sounds however you want without running into any copyright or other legal issues.
Are synthesizer sounds copyrighted?
Synthesizer sounds are not copyrighted. And the sounds can be used for free without running into legal issues.
Once you buy the synth you automatically have full and free access to its sounds.
Can I sell presets?
Of course you can sell presets and there are quite a number of people doing so.
All you have to do is find a market, figure out what presets you could come up with and package up for sell in order to help people solve their problems.
After that, you can then start working on the presets, once you’re done you can put them up for sell on your website or other sites.
You can also set up a shopify store to sell your presets much easier.
Good places to find synth presets
Below are some places you can find synth presets.
Audio Bombs
Audiobombs is a great website that is community esque and is filled with tons of user-contributed presets and tools.
Although some sound designers sell their products on the site… you will also find a ton of presets and samples that are
completely free for you to download and use.
Audiobombs also allows you to host and share your own presets and samples. So if you’re looking to make some money with your skills, this site could be one of the ways you achieve this.
It has various synth presets, samples, effect presets, Ableton Racks and a whole lot more.
Samplephonics
Samplephonics is a website that offers a wide range of things I.e. sample packs, plugin presets, and virtual instruments
for sale.
These loops, samples, synth patches, and sampler instruments are all royalty free which means that you can use them in your projects without having to share any earnings with Samplephonics.
In addition to the products that are
on sale Samplephonics also offers a small selection of free synth presets, patches and sounds. These are
for use with Massive, Sylenth and FM8 and are 100% royalty-free for use in your work
Sound packs
Soundpacks is a website that has been around since 2008 and it offers a selection of sample packs, drum kits and preset packs for free.
If you are a music producer or sound designer you can also create and share free sample packs and preset packs with the community if you become a contributor.
Robust American Patches
Robust American Patches is known for being straightforward and perfect for synth enthusiasts who can get their
hands on original patches for analog synths.
The site has paid patches for Korg, Moog, Roland/S.E., and
Sequential synthesizers.
There is also a small selection of free patches that you can download.
The patches are available as individual sysex files or bank files depending on the synth.
Analog.no
Analog.no has been around for a while and offers quite a range of analog synth preset patches.
Their files are either sysex files that are raw dumps from the synths or wave files that were recorded from the tape outputs of the instruments.
The site has files for plugins like Crumar, Korg, Moog, Oberheim,
