Editorial Standards

These are the rules every piece on Sound Tech Insider follows. Some of them apply to reviews alone, and say so.

1. Something only we could add

Every piece carries something that could only come from us: a tool we tested, prices we checked ourselves against the vendor’s own checkout, an interview we ran, or judgment from working in a studio. Which of those it is depends on the subject. That is the point of the rule rather than a loophole in it — what we will not publish is a piece that any search could have assembled.

Reviews are held to more than this. Sections 2 and 3 set out what a review has to show, and a guide or a feature is never dressed up as one.

AI tools may help with research and drafting around that core; they never replace the testing or the verdict.

2. Proof in every review

Where a tool makes sound, the review includes audio it produced, unedited and labeled. For other tools, we show screenshots and the workflow we used. Each review is signed “Tested by Dan Lopes” and says when and how it was tested, and which version.

3. Honest verdicts

Every review opens with a short answer: yes, no or it depends. “No” is a valid verdict. Every review tells you what the tool gets wrong as well as what it gets right, and names at least two alternatives, so you can see what we weighed it against.

4. Sponsored pieces are labeled, and the verdict isn’t for sale

Sponsored pieces carry a Sponsored label at the top. Sponsors don’t get to change the verdict.

We do accept sponsorships and paid placements, and we label them. What payment never buys is a recommendation: we turn down tools we don’t think are worth your money, and a sponsored piece gets the same verdict it would have got unpaid.

5. Affiliate links are disclosed

Every page with affiliate links says so near the top. The disclosure page explains how they work and which programs we’re part of.

6. Dated and maintained

Every review and pricing page shows when it was published, when it was updated and when its prices were last checked. Prices are stored once for each tool and shown with that date wherever they appear, so they stay consistent across the site. When prices are more than six months old, they’re due for a recheck.

Articles from the archive

Sound Tech Insider has published since 2023. Older pieces that haven’t been rewritten yet carry a From the archive note with their original publication date, because prices, plans and features may have changed since. We’re rewriting them in order of how useful they are to readers, starting with music distribution and AI music generation.

7. Guest contributors

Some pieces are written by people who work in music and audio, and they carry the author’s name and their own background.

• Guest pieces are guides and features, never reviews. Reviews are tested and signed by Sound Tech Insider.
• A guest may mention their own product once, where it is genuinely relevant to the piece. When they do, a line under the byline says who they are and what they make, so you know before you reach the mention.
• If a guest piece is paid for, it carries a Sponsored label like any other sponsored piece (section 4). An unpaid guest links to their own work because it is relevant to the point they are making.
• We edit guest pieces for accuracy and house style, and the author sees the changes.

If you would like to write for us, see the contact page.

8. Corrections

If we get something wrong, we fix it and update the page’s date. To report an error, email info@soundtechinsider.com.