[999900000999]

I actually like Instagram, primarily for the ads.

Most people don’t buy VSTs( music production software plugins ). I spend at least 50$ a month on them.

Sunday I spent an hour browsing instagram waiting for an ad to appear again. It wasn’t in my ad history for some reason. I found it and made a purchase.

I think these types of sites can work, if users can strictly op into what they see. For the most part my instagram feed is just music and I’ve found out about at least 4 concerts from instagram.

Just this year, 3/4 were artists I was already a fan of and the last 1 I found on instagram.

[NickC25]

If you need Instagram ads to tell you which VSTs to buy, you haven't:

1. spent enough time on KVR or Gearslutz, discussing with other musicians, hobbyists, plugin nerds and developers who are building and battle testing these plugins.

2. spent enough time making music....which is why you spend money on VSTs to begin with.

3. spent time learning to build your own plugins or VCV Rack modules.

4. watched YT videos made by your favorite producers telling you which ones they use, so you can get it, and then use it to make music. the idea is "hey if its good enough for (insert artists here), it's good enough for me". You wouldn't buy a plugin just to have it, especially when some of these plugins cost hundreds of dollars - you'd buy it to use it.

If you need to use instagram to tell you where concerts are, fine. But as a heads up, Youtube does this too! And it does so in a way that directly supports the artist. AFAIK Instagram doesn't pay artists for their content.

[999900000999]

I don’t solely rely on Instagram for this. My more expensive VSTs, the complete Korg Collection, I purchased after owning Korg Gadget for a while.

But if I see something cool for 20$ on instagram, why not?

> 3. spent time learning to build your own plugins or VCV Rack modules.

I don’t like C++ or other low level programming languages.

I guess I could now vibe code something, but then the comments would chastise me for that.

I probably do have enough VSTs at this point to sit down and actually finish a project. But ehh.

I think advertising can be ethical. It just needs to be honest.

[NickC25]

>but then the comments would chastise me for that.

Who gives a shit? You use AI to vibecode a tool you use to make music...cool, if it works for you and you make cool music with it, good. Honestly, nobody would even know, unless you disclosed it.

A filter is a filter is a filter. If you built one by writing all the code yourself, great. If a LLM generates the code for a filter, and you use it in your tracks, cool, it's likely nobody could even tell.

Make music for yourself my friend. Nobody will care how its made if it's cool music.

[999900000999]

> Make music for yourself my friend. Nobody will care how its made if it's cool music.

Exactly, and I prefer using instagram VSTs.

Last night I wasted 30$ trying to vibe code a midi tool that doesn’t work. Many of the same externalities that apply to social media also apply to AI…

[sebastiennight]

"I actually like the camel's design on the cigarette pack" is a surprising take in this thread, but I guess no product can get to billions of users without having many really happy users.

[999900000999]

How do you find your niche VSTs ?

They don’t exactly advertise them on the evening news.

I’m too lazy to make it, but now I want a short form video platform that’s 100% ads.

Nothing else. Call it HonestSales.

[NickC25]

I find my niche VSTs by being active in music production circles, as well as actively making (shitty) music.

I browse KVR, Gearslutz, Synthtopia, etc.. and if something catches my interest, i investigate.

When I make (awful noise) music, if I have a need for a type of effect or instrument, I will look one up, and try it out if it suits what I'm trying to do.

I don't rely on instagram.

[johng]

I've purchased so many things off Instagram in the past couple of years. I'm building a new house and half of it is going to be filled with Instagram advertised stuff. It just seemed so accurate for the stuff I needed. (my kitchen sink, master shower set, furniture, etc.)

[Synthetic7346]

How do you trust advertisements? Do you do your own research after?

[inigyou]

Doesn't that creep you out?

[insane_dreamer]

awesome, you can opt in to the ads while the rest of us get to opt out