Beatport, a name synonymous with electronic music DJing, has introduced Beatport Studio, a fresh initiative designed to better support music producers. This production membership aims to be a comprehensive tool, bringing together an array of creative instruments and effects from the Plugin Boutique catalogue, an extensive sample library from Loopmasters, and an intuitive workflow through Loopcloud.
Subscription model promises flexibility
Beatport Studio is built on the premise that many DJs are also producers, and thus, it has been designed to meet the needs of this significant market segment.
Beatport says that a key feature of Beatport Studio is its flexibility and cost-effectiveness. It offers a rotating selection of plugins, allowing producers to change their tools every 30 days. This system is meant to encourage experimentation and help DJ/producers to discover new sounds and techniques that align with their evolving creative vision.
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With a roster of plugins from well-known names like Baby Audio, UJAM, and Applied Acoustic Systems, and rising stars like Lunacy Audio and Excite Audio, there’s lots of choice, and a notable feature for ongoing projects is the “Frozen State” technology, which lets users keep using rotated plugins without interruption.
Beatport Studio subscribers can delve into a large collection of sounds within the Loopcloud Sounds plugin, directly accessible from their digital audio workstation (DAW). This feature simplifies sample selection, allowing artists to focus on creation. The library is ever-growing, filled with royalty-free samples across various genres, and includes access to DAWs such as Bitwig Studio 8-Track and Cubase LE.
Our First Thoughts
Of course, Plugin Boutique, Loopmasters and Loopcloud are already Beatport properties. Giving an option to use these services under one subscription is smart, enabling branding and usability efficiencies. Certainly the screenshots we’ve seen look neat and impressive, and some of the features will appeal to hobby producers especially – having the ability to keep plugins in a frozen state even when no longer subscribed to them is a great move.
So compared to the first obvious competitor that springs to mind, Splice, this “Frozen State” technology and the monthly rotating plugin model are distinctive. Also, while Splice also offers a huge breadth of samples and plugins, Beatport Studio’s integration of DAWs might be seen as an added advantage for some users.
• Beatport Studio comes with a monthly subscription of £11.99 or an annual subscription of £119.99. For more details on features, benefits, and pricing, go to the Beatport Studio page.
Phil Morse
