Splice INSTRUMENT brings Spitfire LABS into a new plugin
Free virtual instrument with monthly Free Drops. LABS packs auto-detected.
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Splice repackages Spitfire LABS into a new free plugin and folds it into the wider Splice catalogue
Splice has launched Splice INSTRUMENT, a free virtual instrument plugin (VST3, AU, and AAX) that takes over from Spitfire Audio's LABS as the home for the same sample-based presets. The plugin ships with hundreds of free presets, adds monthly Free Drops of premium content, and auto-detects existing LABS pack installations so long-time LABS users do not have to re-download anything. The team behind LABS at Spitfire built INSTRUMENT, with additional content from the Splice label.
How to use Splice INSTRUMENT
What is in the plugin
The interface is split into Discover (latest additions across the LABS, Spitfire Audio, and Splice labels), Search (filter by instrument type or pack name), and Play (the performance section once a preset is loaded). The Play section gives you a Dynamics Slider that blends across sample layers for expressive control, parameter knobs that vary by preset, a personal library view of everything you have downloaded, and one-click access to the current Free Drops.
Every download stays in your library forever, including Free Drops grabbed during their limited window. Existing Spitfire LABS users get a clean migration path: INSTRUMENT scans for installed LABS packs and points at them in place rather than asking for a re-download.
How access works
The plugin itself is free and ships with the always-free preset library. The full premium catalogue requires either a dedicated INSTRUMENT subscription at $12.99/month, or an existing Creator or Creator+ plan, both of which now include unlimited INSTRUMENT preset access at no extra cost. Splice has flagged that individual pack purchases (yours forever, no subscription required) are coming, but no date is given.
How to get it
Download Splice INSTRUMENT from Splice's site, log in with a Splice account, and the free preset library is available immediately. If you already pay for Creator, Creator+, or the standalone INSTRUMENT plan, the full premium catalogue activates from the same install.
Our View
The cleanest acquisition outcome you could ask for: LABS, but better-organised
The telling line in the launch post is the LABS auto-detection. Splice acquired Spitfire Audio a while back, and INSTRUMENT is the first product that visibly merges the two catalogues without breaking either. LABS users can keep their setup; new users get a single free plugin that pulls in the same library plus the rest of Splice's instrument content. That is a better outcome than the usual acquisition pattern of forced migration, version churn, and broken sessions.
The "coming soon" pack-purchase line is the part to push Splice on. Subscriptions only suit creators who actively work in the catalogue every month; one-off pack ownership is what makes a virtual instrument library a long-term tool rather than a rent-to-keep arrangement. Native Instruments Kontakt 8 ($299, see our cheapest way to buy Komplete for the bundle routes) sits at the high end of one-off virtual-instrument hosts; FL Studio's stock instruments ($179 for Producer Edition) cover the budget end. INSTRUMENT undercuts both at zero entry cost and matches them on Spitfire-grade source material, but only if the pack-buy option actually ships.
Worth installing today if you used LABS, were curious about Spitfire-quality samples without the Kontakt commitment, or are already on a Creator plan. If you are buying instruments for the long haul, wait for the individual-pack purchase rollout before committing to a subscription on top of one you already pay. If you are also weighing the new Splice x Ableton Live integration and Soundcheck AI beta, both are bundled into the same Creator and Creator+ plans, so a single subscription covers everything.
Pricing
Pricing
The plugin is free; the premium catalogue requires a subscription. See all plans. Prices in USD only globally. Verified May 2026.
- INSTRUMENT plugin (free preset library): $0
- INSTRUMENT subscription (full premium catalogue): $12.99/month
- Creator (INSTRUMENT premium + 200 Sounds credits): $19.99/month ($4.99 first month)
- Creator+ (INSTRUMENT premium + 500 Sounds credits): $39.99/month
Education Pricing
Verified students and educators get a 30% discount on Sounds+ at $8.99/month. INSTRUMENT-only plans are not currently included in the student offer. Eligibility: .edu or .ac email in the USA, UK, Australia, South Korea, or Japan.
Free Trial
The plugin and its free preset library have no trial limit. Premium catalogue access requires a subscription; the Creator $4.99 first-month promo is the cheapest entry route. Download free here.
Updates and Upgrades
Plugin updates ship through the Splice desktop app at no charge for all users, free or subscribed. Existing LABS pack installations are auto-detected, no re-download required. Individual pack purchase is on the roadmap with no published date.
Demos
