SAMPLED

MIDI, formats and standards · updated 2026-08-16

PLUGIN FORMATS (VST/AU/AAX/CLAP)

The interfaces that let third-party processors run inside a DAW. Which ones you can use depends on host and platform.

MIDI DIN in/out connectors on an RME audio interface card — the physical ports behind the MIDI, interface and I/O terms in this section.
MIDI, formats and standards — MIDI DIN in/out connectors on an RME audio interface card — the physical ports behind the MIDI, interface and I/O terms in this section.

Photo: RME Hammerfall DSP 9652 MIDI connectors (opens in a new tab) by Dan Lynch (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • The interfaces that let third-party processors run inside a DAW.
  • Which ones you can use depends on host and platform.
  • VST3 is cross-platform, AU is Apple's and required by Logic, AAX is Pro Tools, and CLAP is a newer open format with better handling of per-note modulation and multithreading.
  • A plugin can ship the same processing code in all four wrappers — the audio is identical, only the host integration differs.
  • Watch out: installing the wrong architecture or format and concluding a plugin is broken when the host simply cannot see it.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define plugin formats (vst/au/aax/clap) in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at plugin formats (vst/au/aax/clap) in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

PLUGIN FORMATS (VST/AU/AAX/CLAP) IN DEPTH

Plugin formats are the interfaces between a plugin and a host. VST3 is cross-platform, AU is Apple's and required by Logic, AAX is Pro Tools, and CLAP is a newer open format with better handling of per-note modulation and multithreading.

How it works in practice

A plugin can ship the same processing code in all four wrappers — the audio is identical, only the host integration differs.

The mistake people make

Installing the wrong architecture or format and concluding a plugin is broken when the host simply cannot see it.

WHERE PLUGIN FORMATS (VST/AU/AAX/CLAP) SITS

Plugin formats (VST/AU/AAX/CLAP) belongs to midi, formats and standards in the Sampled music glossary. The plumbing — the specs your gear, files and delivery pipeline agree on.

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on plugin formats (vst/au/aax/clap). Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes plugin formats (vst/au/aax/clap)?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with plugin formats (vst/au/aax/clap)?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to plugin formats (vst/au/aax/clap)?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for plugin formats (vst/au/aax/clap) — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • CLAP — open plugin standard (opens in a new tab)

    Primary reference · cleveraudio.org

    “The interfaces that let third-party processors run inside a DAW.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.

  • Steinberg — VST developer info (opens in a new tab)

    Primary reference · steinberg.net

    “Which ones you can use depends on host and platform.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.

RELATED TERMS IN MIDI, FORMATS AND STANDARDS

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