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Sound Editors

Sep 24, 2018 Posted by: Steve Pecile

Sound Editors have long relied on Soundminer’s advanced feature set.  The biggest names in Sound use Soundminer:  Warner Bros, Disney, Skywalker Sound, Soundelux, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, and many many more....why?  Because it has a proven track record in not only leading the industry in features but in making available options that start as low as $199.

So which product should I buy?
This depends on your budget and your needs.  You may not need all the features our flagship v4pro offers.  Check this product comparison out.  And often people will ask about which metadata features exist as you go up the product line. This document will dispel myths.

We make two different lines of desktop products:  The HD line and the V4.5 line.  The V4.5 line is MAC only and is our flagship product line that has been embedded in so many facilities world wide.  If you need ALL the bells and whistles and are a Mac user, check out v4.5 Standard or v4.5pro.  The HD line was created as a less expensive option with the ‘best of’ from our V4.5 line and it was built on a new framework that allows for either MAC or PC based licenses (or Universal , both MAC and PC support).  Most of what Sound Editors need can be found here.  And the products now offer an entry level application, HD Basic, for $199, an intermediate application, HDplus for $399, and a server version for those needing to have centralized shared databasing within their facility and we recently added a ProPack for Windows and Mac HDplus users to get them most of the features from 4.5pro($275).  HDplus Server is $599 per client and the Server software starts at $500 for up to 5 connected clients. And if you buy one and need to move up, the price is ALWAYS just the difference if within the same version!!  

Check out our product tour as well.

Server Options
For facilities that need to operate on shared centralized databases,  Soundminer offers a few different options:  V4pro can be outfitted with Soundminer Server and each attached client can have a log in, permission set and access defined by the server software.  In addition, HDplus Server is now available allowing MAC and PC  clients to work off the same database in the facility.  HDplus server has a lighter Server software component (HD5 for up to five attached clients for $500, HD10 for up to 10 attached clients for $1000 or can use the more advanced SM server, $1500 for more clients).  In addition to adding true centralized controlled server functionality, any server can also be equipped with our Web Portal which allows a facility to add web browser access to their database from either within their intranet or to the world wide web.  The Web portal can be customized for graphics and branding as well.


Soundminer Web Portal(Musicminer) - advanced web software that can be installed on your master servers, locally or remotely and can provide a fully customizable web front end to share/distribute your tracks.  APIs exist to allow it to be integrated into your site as well.  Musicminer has many advanced search options, easy to use drag and drop playlists, many sharing options that allow you or your clients to share playlists or selections, option for Cuesheets, Ecom and licensing and mobile interfacing and is ideal for facilities with secondary users who may not require the desktop features but still need access to files.

Mp3converter - MAC only - add-on utility (stand alone or with v4pro) that batch converts your master file format to any kind of mp3 while retaining the exact folder structure, artwork and metadata in the process.  Ideal for creating streaming proxies for the web!

CueManager - add-on to the web portal that enables broadcast cuesheet creation will EDL import from AVID, Pro Tools and Final Cut.  Cuemanager also leverages the metadata work on your site to auto-fill the Composer and Publisher information on recognized tracks in the cuesheet and can electronically deliver a final validated cuesheet to ASCAP’s RapidCue system.

ECOM/Licensing - Musicminer can be fitted with this option for those wishing to sell directly on the web or even for those who wish to have an advanced licensing module.  This allows clients to convert a playlist for licensing, pick their preferred licensing options for a rate card and submit it.

Mobile Interfacing - This is not just an optimization for your site, but an actual dedicated interface for all phones and tablets that allows users to do almost all the same functions they would when connected to the site via a standard desktop browser.