How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?

[hujackus]

I attempted to use JUCE several years ago to make a VST (before they dropped support for VST2). I can't remember if I got a license from Steinberg by email or filling out an online form, but it would be convenient to find out.

For those of you that have VST2 and VST3 licenses, what do you have as proof that you in fact have the licenses? Did anyone fill out a paper form and send it in the mail?

Also, I am going to set up a website to showcase the VSTs I made. Does anyone have an example of an open source VST they distribute online? Not sure which source files are required to meet the GPLv3 requirements.

[d.healey]

@hujackus Vst2 is proprietary so not suitable for open source.

I put my source on codeberg https://codeberg.org/librewave/

[hujackus]

@d-healey said in How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?:

@hujackus Vst2 is proprietary so not suitable for open source.

Interesting, but if I don't have the license I can't distribute, right? I still need to be open source since I don't have a commercial license from HISE.

[d.healey]

@hujackus Correct, but I'm not sure you can distribute a VST2 under the GPL because it would require a proprietary SDK.

[hujackus]

@d-healey said in How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?:

@hujackus Correct, but I'm not sure you can distribute a VST2 under the GPL because it would require a proprietary SDK.

So nobody can meet the requirements of the open-source license (for HISE) if they want to export to VST2? Not even if you hold a proprietary VST2 license from Steinberg?

[d.healey]

@hujackus said in How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?:

So nobody can meet the requirements of the open-source license (for HISE)

The terms are set by the GPL not by HISE. If the end user is unable to build the binary you are providing then you haven't met the terms.

In practice I don't think anyone will care though.

[hujackus]

Moving on to the other part of my initial question. How do I show proof of having a VST license? If I fill out the VST3 license with Steinberg, what should I expect to get back from them: An email? Something buried on their website? Nothing?

[d.healey]

@hujackus said in How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?:

If I fill out the VST3 license with Steinberg, what should I expect to get back from them: An email? Something buried on their website? Nothing?

I have no idea, you don't need a license if you're releasing under the GPL though.

If you want to check on your VST2 license the best people to ask are Steinberg.

[hujackus]

@d-healey said in How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?:

I have no idea, you don't need a license if you're releasing under the GPL though.

I'm going to have to check again, for some reason I thought the VST SDK I built HISE with was a binary, and not source code. I remember reading that VST3 does have a GPLv3 license, but I didn't realize that was what I was using to export my VST2 and VST3 plugins.

[hujackus]

So I looked into it and HISE is not built with source code that falls under GPLv3 and therefore a VST3 license is needed from Steinberg. I was reading into which versions of VST3 have the GPLv3 license and I found that not everything HISE needs to compile falls under GPLv3.

Reference this: https://forums.steinberg.net/t/vst-3-sdk-license/201637

[d.healey]

@hujackus said in How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?:

So I looked into it and HISE is not built with source code that falls under GPLv3

What do you mean?

[hujackus]

@d-healey said in How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?:

@hujackus said in How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?:

So I looked into it and HISE is not built with source code that falls under GPLv3

What do you mean?

The boilerplate at the top of all the VST SDK code is from 2016 and has no mention of GPLv3.

You can see this here: https://github.com/christophhart/HISE/tree/develop/tools/SDK
[3rd party SDKs
In order to build certain configurations, you'll need some 3rd party SDKs that can't be distributed along with the rest of the source code for licencing reasons. Instead you'll need to register at each company and do everything they tell you to do in order to get their SDKs.]

[d.healey]

@hujackus ah that needs updating, the vst3 SDK is included with the source code

[hujackus]

@d-healey said in How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?:

@hujackus ah that needs updating, the vst3 SDK is included with the source code

So as it stands, I can't compile HISE without a VST3 license because the VST SDK it uses hasn't been updated to the version with the duel license(which includes GPLv3).

[d.healey]

@hujackus Oh interesting. @Christoph-Hart What's the reason for this? Is the newer version not compatible with JUCE 6?

[hujackus]

@d-healey I did some more digging. There is some VST3 source code under GPLv3 that is included in the JUCE portion of the HISE source code. Here is a link to that code.

HISE/JUCE/modules/juce_audio_processors/format_types/VST3_SDK at develop · christophhart/HISE

The open source framework for sample based instruments - HISE/JUCE/modules/juce_audio_processors/format_types/VST3_SDK at develop · christophhart/HISE

GitHub (github.com)

The main LICENSE.txt file has a dual license with two parts.

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// LICENSE
// (c) 2021, Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, All Rights Reserved
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This license applies only to files referencing this license,
for other files of the Software Development Kit the respective embedded license text
is applicable. The license can be found at: www.steinberg.net/sdklicenses_vst3

This Software Development Kit is licensed under the terms of the Steinberg VST3 License,
or alternatively under the terms of the General Public License (GPL) Version 3.
You may use the Software Development Kit according to either of these licenses as it is
most appropriate for your project on a case-by-case basis (commercial or not).

a) Proprietary Steinberg VST3 License
The Software Development Kit may not be distributed in parts or its entirety
without prior written agreement by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
The SDK must not be used to re-engineer or manipulate any technology used
in any Steinberg or Third-party application or software module,
unless permitted by law.
Neither the name of the Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH nor the names of its
contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this
software without specific prior written permission.
Before publishing a software under the proprietary license, you need to obtain a copy
of the License Agreement signed by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
The Steinberg VST SDK License Agreement can be found at:
www.steinberg.net/en/company/developers.html

THE SDK IS PROVIDED BY STEINBERG MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES GMBH "AS IS" AND
ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.
IN NO EVENT SHALL STEINBERG MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES GMBH BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE
OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED
OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

b) General Public License (GPL) Version 3
Details of these licenses can be found at: www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But if you look at the LICENSE.txt in ../VST3_SDK/public.sdk, there is a different boiler plate

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// LICENSE
// (c) 2021, Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, All Rights Reserved
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
// are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
// 
//   * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, 
//     this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
//   * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
//     this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation 
//     and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
//   * Neither the name of the Steinberg Media Technologies nor the names of its
//     contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this 
//     software without specific prior written permission.
// 
// THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND
// ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED 
// WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. 
// IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, 
// INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, 
// BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, 
// DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF 
// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE 
// OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE  OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED
// OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm still looking through the code to find other places where HISE uses non GPLv3 source code. Would it be easier to search the HISE-develop\tools\SDK\VST3 SDK directory and delete all the files that don't have the dual license and see what compiles?

[d.healey]

@hujackus said in How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?:

Would it be easier to search the HISE-develop\tools\SDK\VST3 SDK directory and delete all the files that don't have the dual license and see what compiles?

You could try it.

[clevername27]

@hujackus I wouldn't worry about it. Just do your thing. I don't think Steinberg will mind.

[hujackus]

This post is deleted!

[hujackus]

@d-healey said in How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?:

@hujackus said in How can you tell if you have a VST2 or VST3 license?:

Would it be easier to search the HISE-develop\tools\SDK\VST3 SDK directory and delete all the files that don't have the dual license and see what compiles?

You could try it.

So I tried it. I deleted the HISE-develop\tools\SDK\VST3 SDK directory and I recompiled HISE Standalone without any problems. I opened up my project in HISE and exported it to VST3 and immediately got an error "VST SDK is missing".

I put back the VST3 SDK directory, but removed the vst2.x subdirectory and I was able to successfully export it as a VST3. I disabled VST3 support and it exported as a VST2 successfully.

It seems HISE does require some of the files in HISE-develop\tools\SDK\VST3 SDK, but does not use all of them (all the vst2.x files for example).