Bedroom Producers Blog has covered music production tools since 2009. In that time, we’ve tested, reviewed, and written about thousands of plugins, instruments, samples, and DAWs — with a particular obsession for the free ones. This page explains how we actually do that work, so you know exactly what’s behind every recommendation you read here.
The short version is that we don’t repackage press releases. If we tell you a free plugin is worth installing, it’s because one of us installed it, ran it in a session, and came up with the conclusions that are shared in the article.
Who’s behind the testing
BPB was founded in 2009 by Tomislav Zlatic, a sound designer and music producer who’s been hands-on with virtually every notable free release since.
Our in-depth guides and first-hand “BPB Tested” reviews are written and tested by Tomislav personally; day-to-day news coverage comes from a small team of writers, primarily led by senior writer James Nugent.
Every article carries a byline, and you can meet the BPB team for more information.
What we cover
- Free VST/AU plugins — synths, effects, mixing and mastering tools
- Free instruments and sample libraries
- Free and paid DAWs
- Deals and discounts on commercial software
- Industry news and new releases
Our focus has always been on free tools. That’s where we can save you the most money. We are separating the useful free plugins from the thousands that aren’t.
How we test
Every tool we recommend is installed and used on a real production setup — not judged from a spec sheet or a screenshot. In practice, that means:
- We install it ourselves on the machines we actually work on — an M1 MacBook Air (macOS) and a Windows 10 laptop — and load it in Studio One.
- We run it on actual material — real drum buses, vocal takes, full mixes, and Tomislav’s current cinematic SFX projects.
- We check what matters in real use: sound quality, stability (does it crash?), CPU load, latency, and behavior across formats (VST3, AU, etc.).
- For “best free X” guides, we compare the contenders head-to-head and tell you which we’d actually reach for, and why — including the ones that didn’t make the cut.
When an article is a first-hand test, we note the setup we tested on where it’s relevant.
How we decide what’s “the best”
A recommendation is earned on more than sound alone. We weigh:
- Sound and quality — does it actually deliver?
- Genuinely free — real free tools, not crippled demos or time-limited trials dressed up as “free.” If there’s a catch, we’ll mention it in the article.
- Stability and performance — reliable in a real session, reasonable on CPU.
- Usability — can you get a result without reading a manual?
- Safety — we only link to official, legitimate download sources. You will never find cracks, warez, or sketchy mirrors on BPB.
- Platform support — and we’re clear when something is Mac- or Windows-only.
How we keep our guides current
The plugin world moves fast. We revisit our free VST plugin lists and update them as new tools launch, old ones get discontinued, or our picks change. Each one shows when it was last updated, so you always know how fresh the advice is.
How we make money — and how it does (and doesn’t) shape what you read
BPB is free to read because it’s supported three ways: display advertising, affiliate links, and clearly labeled sponsored content. You deserve to know exactly how each one works:
- Affiliate links. Some links to stores (like Plugin Boutique) earn us a small commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.
- Sponsored content. Companies sometimes pay to feature a product. When they do, it’s clearly labeled as sponsored and kept separate from our independent reviews and “best of” guides. A company can pay for a spotlight; it can’t pay to be called “the best.”
- Display ads. Standard ads run alongside our content and have zero influence on what we cover or recommend.
How we write
Our reviews and guides are written by our team, and the call on what’s worth your time is made by our honest opinions and experience. The only writing software we use is a grammar and spell-checker (Grammarly) to catch typos before a piece goes live.
Spotted a mistake? Know a tool we missed?
We get things wrong sometimes, and tools change. If you spot an error — or there’s a free gem we’ve overlooked — contact us. We read everything and update accordingly.