The rules, in plain words.

Sidechain Studio (sidechain.studio), also called Sidechain by VocalEssential, is run by VocalEssential, the team behind the VocalEssential vocal plugins. “We”, “us” and “Sidechain” mean us. “You” means anyone who uses Sidechain: creators who make and sell plugins, and buyers who play and buy them.

By using Sidechain you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, don't use it.

• You need an account to make plugins, sell them or grab free ones. Use a real email address and keep your login to yourself. You're responsible for what happens on your account.
• You must be at least 13 to use Sidechain. If you're under 18, a parent or guardian has to agree to these terms for you. To sell and get paid you must be 18 or older, because payouts run through Stripe.
• Your store lives at your handle (handle.sidechain.studio). Don't pick a handle or store name that passes you off as someone else or another brand.

Describe almost anything. Sidechain builds the sound, designs the faceplate and puts it in your store. Characters, mascots and objects are welcome, unhinged ones included. Think PG-13 to borderline R.

This covers everything in your store: plugin names, descriptions, faceplates, and your store name, bio and links. If something crosses the line, we can take it down (see reports and takedowns).

• Only sell what you have the right to sell. Everything you put in (names, descriptions, words on the faceplate, your store details) has to be yours, or something you're allowed to use.
• Sidechain designs original faces. Ask for a famous character, meme or mascot and you get an original take in the same spirit, with a new name and a new look. Don't try to get around that.
• No recreating named characters (memes included), other companies' brands, logos or product names, the look of someone else's gear or plugins closely enough to pass as theirs, or real people.
• Your plugins are yours to sell. You give us permission to host them, show them, let people play them, sell them in your store, and feature them in our own promotion (like our homepage or socials) while they're on Sidechain.
• The sound engine, the Sidechain Player, this site and our brand stay ours. You can't copy, resell or take them apart.

• When you buy a plugin you get a license to use it in your own music production, personal and commercial. Release, stream and sell the music you make with it. No royalties.
• You can't resell, share, upload or give away the plugin itself, your license key or its faceplate art.
• Your license key comes by email, and the plugin waits in your Purchases when you log in with that email. Plugins you buy also work in your DAW through the free Sidechain Player.
• Each plugin is made and sold by its creator. Prices are theirs, in US dollars, paid once, with checkout by Stripe. When you buy or grab a free plugin, the creator gets your email address.
• A problem with an order? Write to us and we'll make it right, with a refund where that's fair. Nothing here takes away rights the law gives you as a buyer.

Publishing and selling come with the Creator and Pro plans; there's no listing fee. When a plugin sells, Sidechain keeps a platform fee and the rest is yours. Card processing is on us.

FreeNo card

20% fee on each sale

Creator$19/mo

20% fee on each sale

Pro$49/mo

15% fee on each sale

• Plans are billed monthly or yearly and you can cancel anytime. What you've published stays live and keeps selling on any plan; on Free you can build and set up a store, and publishing needs a paid plan. Desktop downloads of your own plugins (the Sidechain Player) need the Creator or Pro plan. Details on pricing.
• Payouts go through Stripe Connect. Connect Stripe from your dashboard and your share goes to your bank on Stripe's payout schedule. Until you connect, your sales still go through and your share is held for you.
• If a sale is refunded or charged back, your share of it is taken back. If a plugin is taken down for breaking these terms, we can hold the money from its sales while we sort it out.
• You're responsible for taxes on what you earn. Stripe's own terms apply to payouts too.

See something that breaks these rules, copies your work or uses you? Use the Report link at the bottom of any store or plugin page, or write to create@sidechain.studio. If it's your work being copied, tell us what's yours and where we can see the original.

1. 1We review it. A person reads every report.
2. 2We can take it down. If it breaks these terms, we can hide the plugin or the whole store. A takedown hides it; nothing is deleted.
3. 3The creator hears from us. We tell them what was reported and why. They can reply with their side, and if it checks out, we put it back.
4. 4Repeat offenders lose their store. Creators who keep breaking the rules, or keep selling other people's work, lose their store.

People who already bought a plugin that's taken down keep it, unless the law or a rights holder requires us to remove it.

• You can stop using Sidechain anytime. To close your account, write to create@sidechain.studio from the email you sign in with.
• We can suspend or close an account, or take down a store, if you break these terms, put buyers or other creators at risk, or if the law requires it. We'll usually tell you first, unless we can't.
• If a store closes, buyers keep what they bought. Money from genuine sales is still paid out, less refunds and chargebacks.

• Sidechain is provided as it is and as available. We work hard to keep it running and sounding great, but we can't promise it will always be available, free of bugs, or right for what you need.
• Plugins are made and sold by creators. We don't promise how any plugin sounds or that it fits your music.
• As far as the law allows, we're not liable for lost profits, lost data or indirect damages. Our total liability to you for anything to do with Sidechain is limited to what you paid us in the 12 months before the claim, or $100, whichever is more.
• You're responsible for what you make and sell. If someone brings a claim against us because of your content or because you broke these terms, you cover our reasonable costs.
• Some places don't allow some of these limits, so they may not all apply to you.

We'll update these terms as Sidechain grows. When a change matters, we'll tell you by email or on the site before it takes effect. The date at the top shows the latest version. If you keep using Sidechain after a change, you're agreeing to the new terms.

Questions, reports or rights claims: create@sidechain.studio. A person reads every email.