For a lot of producers, Spitfire LABS was the first free instrument plug-in they ever installed. It put beautiful recorded sounds in everyone's hands for nothing.
On October 31, 2026, Spitfire stops supporting LABS and LABS+. After that date they get no new sounds, updates, bug fixes or support. If LABS is already installed it keeps working, and songs that use it still open.
Splice bought Spitfire Audio in 2025, and the LABS sounds now live in Splice INSTRUMENT. It needs a Splice account, and the LABS+ sounds need a paid Splice plan.
If you want those exact sounds, that's where they are. If you're looking around anyway, here's a different kind of free plug-in.
Studio 56 is a free plug-in for your music app: VST3 and AU on Mac, VST3 on Windows. It comes with free instruments to play. What makes it different is that you can also describe the sound you want in plain words, like "a warm Rhodes with slow tape wobble" or "a gritty 808 that glides between notes." Studio 56 builds that instrument with its own presets, and it shows up in the plug-in by itself, ready to play.
If you're stuck for an idea, press Play me a riff and it writes a short part for whatever you're playing.
Studio 56 is strongest at synths: basses, leads, pads, plucks, keys, bells and textures. It isn't a recorded orchestra, so if you came to LABS for its strings and choirs, keep INSTRUMENT around too.
Making your own instruments starts with a free trial of Pro, and after it Pro is $10 a month. If you cancel before the first payment, you pay nothing.
Download it, put it on an instrument track, sign in, and type what you want to hear. If something doesn't sound right, email me at oliver@studio56.ai. I read every one.
Oliver
LABS is a trademark of Spitfire Audio. Studio 56 isn't affiliated with Spitfire Audio or Splice.