Steinberg VST3 & ASIO SDKs Go Open Source
In October 2025, Steinberg made two groundbreaking announcements that reshape the audio development landscape. On October 20th, Steinberg released VST3 SDK version 3.8.0 under the MIT open-source license, and on October 15th, ASIO became dual-licensed under GPL3 or the existing proprietary license. These licensing changes eliminate major barriers that have restricted audio software development for years and open new possibilities for both commercial and open-source projects.
The VST3 licensing change is particularly significant for plugin developers. Previously, developers had to sign proprietary license agreements with Steinberg before distributing any VST3 plugin, whether commercial or free. The SDK could not be redistributed without written permission, preventing developers from sharing complete source code repositories or bundling the SDK with their projects. The alternative GPL3 option required open-sourcing all code, making it unsuitable for commercial development. Under the new MIT license, developers can freely use, modify, and distribute VST3 in any project without restrictions, signed agreements, or permission from Steinberg. This enables open-source DAWs, educational projects, and commercial plugins to adopt VST3 without legal complications.
The ASIO dual-licensing announcement provides flexibility for different types of developers. ASIO can now be used under GPL3, which benefits open-source audio applications that can adopt GPL3 licensing for their entire project. Commercial developers who cannot use GPL3 can continue using the existing proprietary ASIO license, which remains unchanged. While the ASIO change primarily opens doors for open-source projects, the VST3 MIT licensing represents the more transformative shift for the industry. Together, these changes benefit the entire audio software development community, from independent developers building their first plugins to established companies shipping professional audio tools.
