Calling all Rack Extension Developers

[rogerraa]

Simply put.. I want to create rack extensions.. I know that Propellerheads doesn't just let anyone who downloads the sdk make and distribute RE's, but instead you have to have a company. Does anyone know exactly the process in getting setup to qualify as a RE developer?
Can you use the RE's you make for personal use in "non sandbox" mode? (if there is such a thing)

Any information you may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated. I think I have somethings to offer our community for good value.


Thanks!
p.s. - I hope this is the right category. I apologize if not.

[rcbuse]

I think this is a common misconception that scares people away form development.

From https://www.propellerheads.se/developers

Anyone can register as a developer, but only companies can sell Rack Extensions or ReFills in the Propellerhead Shop.
The requirements for selling products in our shop are:

You need a company with some sort of Tax ID, being a sole proprietor is sufficient as long as you are registered for VAT.
You need a website.
You need an email address where customer can get product support.

This means each developer will sign up for a user account and then apply to register a new company.
If you don’t have a company yet, you can put your own name in the company name field.

So please, register, try it out. You if want to invest the time to develop a rack extension, registering as a company to get paid is such a tiny fraction of effort compared to the whole RE development process.

[selig]

As for your question about personal use, you can test REs so you'd need to keep renewing your 30 day beta test license to use REs for your own use. This may or may not be practical for personal use. There are other options that may or may not work for you which I should probably leave to the Props to explain further.

BTW, the term "Sandboxed" refers to the structure of ALL REs - there is no "non-sandboxed" mode.

[Lizard]

Simply put.. I want to create rack extensions.

Awesome.

I know that Propellerheads doesn't just let anyone who downloads the sdk.....

This is true. You have to apply with a company name and a valid email address, That's about it.....

....make and distribute RE's but instead you have to have a company.

OK. The confusing part. You DO NOT technically have to have a company to get access. Propellerhead will give you everything you need to get started and you can see your working product on your machine. Just for testing. Do you want others to see it? Well this is when you have to have a "company". Depending where you live in the world and how you are governed by taxes you will need to establish a company. That is get a TIN, EIN or VAT number. Consult local laws where you live to find out. Some are easy and others a little more work.

Does anyone know exactly the process in getting setup to qualify as a RE developer?

Already stated in this thread. Follow the link by rcbuse.

Can you use the RE's you make for personal use in "non sandbox" mode? (if there is such a thing)

Selig explains the term for sandboxed pretty well. What I think you are asking is can I create for myself for my registered version of Reason? The answer is kind of. Once you are a company with a tax ID you can build at Propellerhead and distribute like any other developer.... in 30 day increments.

Any information you may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated. I think I have somethings to offer our community for good value.

Thanks!
p.s. - I hope this is the right category. I apologize if not.

I think that sums it all up. Simply put, just apply. They will accept you and then you have access to everything you need. At that point you can drink the goat's blood, offer your first born and join the rest of the crowd sworn to secrecy.

[bgold]

Disclaimer: I am not an attorney or accountant

What it takes to register a "company" varies widely, and it's not the Props' business to check that you've filed every last local form with your city council. If you're in the US, setting yourself up as a "sole proprietor" usually takes very little effort. Often you just start selling stuff, keeping track of expenses/revenues, and attach an extra form to your 1040. Boom, you're in business. If you want to do business under some official company name that's not just your personal name, you probably need to file something else. Lots of people make LLCs (they're usually not too hard either), but the main point of those is to protect you in case you get sued. As long your RE doesn't explode and kill a few people, you probably don't need to worry about it much. For me personally, the biggest hassle was opening a bank account that could receive international wire transfers (you need this to get paid!)

As far as REs for personal use - the others have covered it a bit. I'd just add that in my experience, once I've gone to all the trouble of making an RE that's not painful for me to use on a regular basis, it's not all that much more work to just clean up the GUI and put it on the shop. If it's something you just wanted for yourself, any sales are like free money! And you can give yourself a free license, of course.

[rogerraa]

GREAT! thanks so much for the help and advice guys!

I will give it a go and see what happens.