VST / Plugin

A plugin is a piece of software that runs inside a DAW to add capabilities it does not have on its own — either virtual instruments that generate sound (like synths and sampled pianos) or effects that process it (like reverb, EQ and compression). VST, standing for Virtual Studio Technology, is the most widespread plugin format, so common that 'VST' is often used loosely to mean any plugin, though other formats like AU and AAX exist for different systems. Plugins are how producers build out a personal toolkit, mixing the instruments and effects bundled with their DAW with free and paid third-party options, and they are central to the flexibility of computer-based music-making.