Editorial standards
How We Review and How We Make Money
LordReverb helps music producers work out what is worth their money. This page explains how we choose what to cover, how we research and write about it, how we use AI, and how the site earns money. We would rather you know exactly how this works than have to guess.
In short
- Our reviews are built from the manufacturer's own information, public product details and updates from our partners. When an article is based on real hands-on use, it says so.
- Some links are affiliate links. If you buy through one we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we write or how we rate a product.
- Nobody can pay for a review, and nobody can pay for a place on our playlists.
Why LordReverb exists
Most gear coverage falls into two traps. It is written by someone chasing affiliate clicks, or it is spec-sheet copy that never says who a product is actually for. We try to do the useful part in one place: what the product is, what it costs, what it does well, where it falls short and who it suits. On top of that, Stacks show what working producers really use in their studios.
What we cover, and why
We write about plugins, software, hardware and AI music tools that producers search for and use. A product gets covered because producers care about it. A company asking us to cover it, or offering us money, does not decide whether we write about it or what we say.
How a review is made
- We gather the facts. The manufacturer's product page, manuals, specifications, supported formats, system requirements and the price at the retailer.
- We check it. Prices come from the seller's own page instead of being typed from memory, links must point to real pages, and claims we cannot back up are removed.
- We keep it current. When a product, a price or a fact changes, the article is updated.
What we look at
Depending on the article, you will find what the product is and does, what it costs, where it falls short and who it suits. How each article is written, and how long it is, depends on the product.
How we handle prices
A price on LordReverb comes from the seller's own product page, read by our price checker, never from memory. Only US dollar prices are accepted: if a page shows another currency, nothing is written. If a price cannot be read, the article is left as it was instead of guessing. Each buy box names the seller and the date the price was last checked, for example "Price at Plugin Boutique, checked" followed by the date. When a product is on sale, we also record its regular price.
Sales, regional pricing and currency changes can still make a price out of date at any moment, so the seller's own page always has the final word.
How we find deals
Deals reach us in a few ways: updates from our partners, requests from readers and makers, our price checker, and our own searching. A deal goes on the site only when the seller's own page shows the lower price. A maker asking us to list a deal does not decide whether we list it. If a deal comes through an affiliate partner, the link is an affiliate link, like any other.
When we test hands-on
When an article is based on our own use, it is marked as hands-on and shows what we did: what we used the product on, what we compared it with, and our own screenshots or audio where we have them. We never imply first-hand use that did not happen.
How we use AI
We use AI tools to help draft articles. The editor, Salvatore Tomaselli, checks and edits them and is responsible for what is published.
How we make money
LordReverb earns a commission when you buy a product through some of our links. These are affiliate links. The price you pay is the same, and we only add one where we have an affiliate programme with the seller. The sellers we have a programme with are listed on the Affiliate Disclosure page.
- A commission never decides which products we cover, what we say about them, or how we rate them.
- Paid or sponsored content is always labelled as such.
- Playlist pitches, release submissions and news submissions from members are free, are reviewed by hand, and cannot be bought.
Free products and review copies
Makers and sellers sometimes give us a product or a licence to look at. That never buys coverage, a good verdict or an affiliate link. When an article is based on our own hands-on use of a product that was given to us, the article says so.
Community content
Stacks, playlist pitches, releases and news are submitted by members. We read each submission before it is published and remove spam and anything that breaks the Terms of Service. We do not test the gear that members list in their Stacks, and a Stack is not an endorsement by LordReverb.
Corrections
If you spot a mistake, tell us at info@lordreverb.com. When we confirm it, we fix it quickly. We would rather be corrected than stay wrong.
Meet the editor
Senior Editor and founder
Twelve years in studios producing, mixing and mastering, and two albums and six singles as the recording artist Lord Reverb. He runs LordReverb from Heerhugowaard, the Netherlands.
Contact us
Questions, corrections or ideas? Email info@lordreverb.com.