# How/where to sell my own sample libraries ?



## Fredeke (Jan 15, 2019)

Hello all.

For a while now, I've been developing multi-sample libraries from analog synths. Some of them are now ready for commercial release.

Only, I don't really know the market. I see many studios set up their own webstore, but I'm afraid that approach won't give me enough exposure... Am I right ?

There are obviously big platforms dedicated to the selling of sample libraries. But I'm unsure how to approach them, or even which ones to target. I am confident my libraries are up to most quality standards, so I wouldn't mind a platform that reviews and approves libraries before adding them to their catalog.

Anyway, any thought, insight or advice welcome !

PS: a few examples of the kind of libraries I make:
- Bass multisamples from the modular
- Multisample patches from the Roland MKS-50 / Alpha Juno
- Multisample patches from soviet synth Aelita
- Modular drones
- Complex waveforms straight from analog oscillators
- etc.
Some of them come with a custom Kontakt interface.


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## d.healey (Jan 15, 2019)

KontaktHub or Sampleism might be suitable for you


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## robgb (Jan 15, 2019)

Herein lies the problem with every product known to man: exposure. Getting eyes on your widget. You might look into what David has suggested, and also consider some ads here on VI. Certainly make sure you post here about your libraries when they're up for sale.


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## Fredeke (Jan 15, 2019)

d.healey said:


> KontaktHub or Sampleism might be suitable for you


Just checked them out - thanks.
Yes, that's the kind of platform I had in mind.



robgb said:


> Herein lies the problem with every product known to man: exposure. Getting eyes on your widget. You might look into what David has suggested, and also consider some ads here on VI. Certainly make sure you post here about your libraries when they're up for sale.


Good idea. I shall do that.
I suppose it's ok to advertise and link to my libraries even if they are hosted at a third-party store like the ones David suggested ?

Does anyone know how pricing works on these platforms ? Do they set the price, or do I, or do we negociate ?
Does anyone know what kind of revenue splits are to expect ?


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## d.healey (Jan 15, 2019)

Fredeke said:


> Does anyone know what kind of revenue splits are to expect ?


I haven't used Sampleism for a few years but I recall that when I signed up it gave me the revenue split info, might still be the same or you can email them and ask.


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## Fredeke (Jan 15, 2019)

d.healey said:


> I haven't used Sampleism for a few years but I recall that when I signed up it gave me the revenue split info, might still be the same or you can email them and ask.


Do you remember whether they would claim exclusive distribution ?


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## d.healey (Jan 15, 2019)

Fredeke said:


> Do you remember whether they would claim exclusive distribution ?


They do not.


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## Fredeke (Jan 15, 2019)

d.healey said:


> They do not.


Thanks. I'm going to finish a couple of collections, compose a demo, and submit that to them.
(Also, by following the links in your signature, I learned about HISE, which is a tempting format !)(because it's _libre_)


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## d.healey (Jan 15, 2019)

Fredeke said:


> (Also, by following the links in your signature, I learned about HISE, which is a tempting format !)(because it's _libre_)


HISE is fantastic but has quite a learning curve


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## Fredeke (Jan 15, 2019)

d.healey said:


> HISE is fantastic but has quite a learning curve


Well, I already know javascript so...
As a matter of fact I did wonder why Kontakt didn't use javascript, which seems made for dealing with interfaces. Anyway, I suppose I should focus on Kontakt for now, for which there is a wider audience.


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## d.healey (Jan 15, 2019)

Fredeke said:


> Well, I already know javascript so...
> As a matter of fact I did wonder why Kontakt didn't use javascript, which seems language made for dealing with interfaces. Anyway, I suppose I should focus on Kontakt for now, for which there is a wider audience.


Javascript is too slow for real time audio so in fact HISE uses a script that looks and smells very similar to javascript but isn't  I suspect Kontakt's scripting was never originally intended to do half the stuff it does today but NI kind of got trapped with KSP in order to maintain backwards compatibility between Kontakt versions.


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## Fredeke (Jan 15, 2019)

d.healey said:


> I suspect Kontakt's scripting was never originally intended to do half the stuff it does today but NI kind of got trapped with KSP in order to maintain backwards compatibility between Kontakt versions.


That's certainly what it looks like 
But then again it doesn't deal with audio directly. It deals with controls and MIDI data, which come through at a much slower rate. I am still amazed by how much it can do in real time, though. (And also by how much it _can't _do, for no other apparent reason than oversight)


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## Fredeke (Jan 15, 2019)

Anyway, back to my original question. Sampleism and Kontakt Hub seem promising. Any other suggestion ? (Anyone?)


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## Lindon (Jan 16, 2019)

Well, We work very closely with KontaktHub, so PM me and we can talk. But first I suggest you read these articles. They are not so current, and the world continues to move on, HISE for a start, but they are (often sobering) useful background.

http://channelrobot.com/10/building-audio-products/


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## Fredeke (Jan 16, 2019)

Lindon said:


> Well, We work very closely with KontaktHub, so PM me and we can talk. But first I suggest you read these articles. They are not so current, and the world continues to move on, HISE for a start, but they are (often sobering) useful background.
> 
> http://channelrobot.com/10/building-audio-products/


Thanks. Interesting article. Of the 4 options it suggests, I am combining 1 and 4: code my own reusable framework. The graphics is done, and the code was done before I did the graphics. Both my enthusiams over a custom interface's possibilities and KSP's lack of flexibility (knobs being not skinnable, etc.) result in that I must now rewrite most of the code to fit the new graphics... but I'm getting there.


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## GeneraStudios (Jan 28, 2019)

I sell through my site (www.generastudios.com), as well as KontaktHub, Sampleism, ADSR, Sounds.com, and Reverb.com (and more to come soon). 

KontaktHub is an absolute dream for both Kontakt developers and customers. Glyn from KontaktHub and Sampleism is super awesome, and the sites are incredible in that they give you live sales records, allow you to easily do bundles and discounts, and have a very fair revenue share (I don't want to share it here, but if you email them they'll tell you - very transparent sites). 

I'd highly recommend reaching out to them. 

As far as selling on the other sites, you can reach out to them directly. Alternatively you can go to a company like Rightsify which handles distribution to many sites. The perk of this is that you submit your files to one site and they handle pushing it to all the sites and collecting payments. The downside is that you have less immediate control over your stores, and they take a small cut. It comes down to what you want to spend your time doing, and if you'd rather have that time back or the money they take as the middle-man instead. Its also an easier way to get into the bigger stores.


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## charlieclouser (Jan 28, 2019)

As an end user I can speak every highly of both Sampleism and Kontakt Hub - I've bought way too many things from both sites due to a few factors:

- Frequent super-sale prices on certain items, coupled with "customers who viewed this product also viewed..." recommendations. You sort of figure, "well, library X only cost me $19 instead of $99, so why not splash for these other two at $29 and $49? I'd be losing money NOT to do it!" I've fallen for that one too many times! But seriously, it works and I find it helpful.

- Detailed info of the libraries on their site, with detailed features, file sizes, soundcloud demos, and often video demos. 

- Decent search capabilities. Not the best of the best, but certainly workable.

- Fast downloads, and the ability to go back and retrieve older purchases should disaster occur.

- Update notification when libraries are updated, with links to download the new items.

- Frequent, but not intrusive, email blasts with new product and sale price announcements. These work and I don't mind getting them. After all, I signed up to receive them.

All in all, both sites seem almost identical, are they the same people running both? In any case I only have a few very minor gripes:

- If you receive an email blast, then click the email to take you to that product's page on the site, you're not automatically logged in (no matter how many times you click "remember me"). So you go to log in, and then you're returned NOT to the product page you were on, but to the front page. Sometimes this makes you search around for the product link. A small annoyance.

- When viewing your order history it's not immediately apparent what to click on to download (or re-download) your files. If you have a zillion purchases like me, then it can take a few minutes to locate which multi-product order contained the thing you're looking for. Again, a small issue, but it's slightly inelegant.

Both sites are a great way to find reasonably-priced "gadget" libraries, like a $19 dulcimer or a $39 collection of cinematic drones. I tend to not buy anything from them that's more than, say, $99 - but that seems to be near the upper end of the prices on there. I frequently recommend both sites to folks looking for interesting new sounds who aren't operating on an OT / Spitfire / 8dio budget.


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## gregh (Jan 28, 2019)

Fredeke said:


> Thanks. Interesting article. Of the 4 options it suggests, I am combining 1 and 4


1 I understand but not 4 
Where do you license an engine from?


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## GeneraStudios (Jan 28, 2019)

Yeah the same team runs both KontaktHub and Sampleism. Divergent Audio Group, they also script custom libraries as a service 



charlieclouser said:


> As an end user I can speak every highly of both Sampleism and Kontakt Hub - I've bought way too many things from both sites due to a few factors:
> 
> - Frequent super-sale prices on certain items, coupled with "customers who viewed this product also viewed..." recommendations. You sort of figure, "well, library X only cost me $19 instead of $99, so why not splash for these other two at $29 and $49? I'd be losing money NOT to do it!" I've fallen for that one too many times! But seriously, it works and I find it helpful.
> 
> ...


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## GeneraStudios (Jan 28, 2019)

gregh said:


> 1 I understand but not 4
> Where do you license an engine from?



The Photosythesis engine is free to use. You could also contact developers and see if you can buy a license to their engines.

I've been playing around with this idea since I've made several engines of varying complexity. Might make one available for free and offer a cheap reskin service for people who just want something to sell without customizing and learning to code.


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## Fredeke (Jan 30, 2019)

@GeneraStudios @charlieclouser : Thanks ! That's exactly the kind of infos I was looking for.



gregh said:


> 1 I understand but not 4
> Where do you license an engine from?


What I meant is I plan to reuse the engine I am making quite a lot.



GeneraStudios said:


> The Photosythesis engine is free to use. You could also contact developers and see if you can buy a license to their engines.


I hadn't thought of that. In fact I didn't know such business existed. It is rather exciting!
But alas I'm a lone coder. I can never find my way around someone else's code. And I like bugs I will inevitably encounter to be mine, so I can more easily correct them . But maybe I could see myself on the coding side of such transactions...


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## Lindon (Feb 16, 2019)

gregh said:


> 1 I understand but not 4
> Where do you license an engine from?


-- from a developer like us.


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## Fredeke (Feb 16, 2019)

Lindon said:


> -- from a developer like us.


I might consider that. Do you have a website (or a demo, or sales pitch, or anything) ? I've been googling for something like that, without success.


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## Lindon (Feb 16, 2019)

Fredeke said:


> I might consider that. Do you have a website (or a demo, or sales pitch, or anything) ? I've been googling for something like that, without success.


er.... www.channelrobot.com?


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