Universal Audio's Spark subscription service brings audio production plugins to the Mac

For those who want to try their hand at audio production, one of the most significant barriers to entry is the cost of equipment and instruments. That Korg Minilogue you have in mind for a killer synthwave track? Even a pre-owned one will set you back about $400. In recent years, audio plugins you can use with your favorite digital audio workstation have made it more affordable to dabble in audio production, but even those can be expensive.

Universal Audio wants to make its audio plugins more accessible with a subscription service called UAD Spark. Priced at $20 per month, the package includes some of the company’s most popular plugins, including ones that replicate the Neve 1073 preamp and Studer A800 tape recorder. You’ll also find a handful of exclusives. One such exclusive emulates the Opal Morphing Synthersizer.

But what’s likely to make UAD Spark compelling to a lot of people is that you don’t need one of the company’s Apollo or Volt audio interfaces to take advantage of the service. All the plugins included in Spark will run natively on your Mac (and Windows machine come this fall). And if you already own a Volt audio interface, you’ll get a free 30-day trial to the service. Should you decide to subscribe, any plugins you already own will be available through Spark.