Content & Community Guidelines

These standards apply everywhere on Patches — Marketplace listings, Social Feed posts, TONEtoob videos, Quick Takes, Groups, comments, messages and profiles.

• Be respectful and constructive, especially when you disagree.
• Keep contributions relevant to the place you are posting them.
• Do not harass, threaten, intimidate or target other people.
• Do not promote hate or dehumanize people.
• Do not post sexually exploitative content or graphic violent material.
• Do not facilitate illegal activity.
• Do not scam, defraud or deceive other users.
• Do not impersonate other people, artists, manufacturers, companies or Patches staff.
• Do not deliberately disrupt conversations, listings or communities.

We do not police whether an opinion is popular. We do care about behavior, honesty and relevance.

Buyers should know exactly what they are getting before they pay. Your listing should accurately identify the product, the compatible devices, firmware and software, what the buyer receives (file types, counts, formats), and any dependencies such as IRs, plugins or expansion packs. Use appropriate categories and tags, and keep the listing current if an update materially changes compatibility or included content.

Not allowed:

• Stolen, pirated, unauthorized or repackaged patches, presets, captures, IRs or libraries.
• Cracked software, license keys, serials, activation bypasses, or tools to defeat another creator's licensing.
• Accounts, or access to accounts, offered for sale or transfer.
• Malicious files, or files that do not match the listing.
• False compatibility claims, fake products or deceptive descriptions.
• Bait-and-switch pricing, fabricated discounts, deceptive bundles, or calling something free when payment is required.
• Hidden required dependencies that materially affect use of the product.
• Materially misleading previews, spam listings and keyword stuffing.

Sales, launch pricing, bundles and free patches are all welcome — just describe them accurately. Payment and refund terms live in our Terms & Conditions.

Buying or downloading a patch does not automatically give you the right to redistribute it. Do not resell, repackage or commercially distribute another creator's patch — including a modified version — unless the creator or applicable license permits it.

You may create and sell your own original patches inspired by songs, artists, tones, genres, gear and other sounds. Similarity of sound alone does not mean a patch was copied. If a license permits modification or redistribution, follow that license.

More broadly: only upload, post, share or sell material you created, own or have the legal right to distribute — patches, presets, IRs, captures, samples, MIDI, backing tracks, music, video, photos, artwork and written material alike. That includes music behind a demo or performance. Crediting someone is not the same as having their permission.

If you believe content on Patches infringes your rights, tell us through Contact Us or a support request with details of the work and the material in question.

Demos should fairly represent the product or sound being offered. Make them sound great — polished, musical demonstrations are welcome and encouraged. You are never required to post dry, raw recordings. The goal is honest representation, not boring demos.

Disclose it when processing materially changes what buyers think they are hearing — external effects or extra amp/cab processing, heavy EQ or compression, layered instruments or backing tracks, reamping, or added plugins and editing.

Identifying compatible gear is expected and allowed (“Compatible with Fractal Audio AX8”). Falsely implying manufacturer endorsement, official affiliation, sponsorship or authorization is not.

TONEtoob is home to patch demonstrations, tutorials, performances, gear demos, education and reviews. Aim for:

• Clear audio — it matters more than camera quality here.
• Accurate, useful titles and descriptions.
• Representative thumbnails (no bait imagery).
• Relevant tags so people can find your work.
• Reasonable video quality; 1080p recommended, not required.

Quick Takes are short-form and mobile-first, so we do not expect desktop production values — just clear audio, vertical framing that fits the format, a relevant caption, and content that gets to the good part.

Everything in these Guidelines applies to Feed posts, shares, comments and reactions. Sharing someone else's content does not exempt it. Self-promotion is welcome when it is relevant and reasonable — creators sharing patches, demos, tutorials and performances is the point of the Feed.

Group owners and moderators may add rules for their own community; those rules supplement these Guidelines and never replace them. Private or hidden Groups are not exempt from platform rules.

Articles, tutorials and long-form posts are some of the most valuable content on Patches. Keep them clear, useful and accurate, structured so they can be skimmed, with images or screenshots where they help and sources attributed.

Reviews should reflect genuine opinions and real experiences. Do not fabricate experiences, coordinate fake reviews, or deliberately misrepresent competing products. If you received a free product, payment, sponsorship or affiliate compensation related to what you are posting, disclose it clearly in the content itself.

Promoting your own patches, videos or listings is not “sponsored content” and needs no disclosure — sell your work with confidence.

• No repetitive spam or mass unsolicited promotion.
• No fake accounts, likes, follows or comments.
• No coordinated engagement or ranking manipulation.
• No clickbait, malicious redirects or fraudulent links.
• No automated activity designed to manipulate discovery.

Normal creator engagement — replying to comments, sharing a release, thanking supporters — is healthy and welcome.

These rules cover usernames, display names, avatars and bios too. Do not impersonate artists, creators, manufacturers, companies, other users or Patches staff, and do not falsely claim official or verified status.

AI tools may be used responsibly, and you remain responsible for whatever you publish however it was made. AI never excuses copyright infringement, impersonation, fraud, misleading claims or spam. Disclose AI involvement when AI-generated or AI-altered material could reasonably mislead people about who created or performed something, whether someone said or did something, or whether a demo represents the actual product.

Do not expose other people's private or sensitive information without authorization — addresses, private phone numbers, credentials, financial information or private communications. Check screenshots and screen recordings before uploading for emails, order numbers, license keys and open tabs.

Patches does not currently publish a separate privacy policy; our Terms & Conditions govern your account, and questions about your own data can go to a support request.

Patches distributes real files to real musicians, so this rule has no flexibility: no malware, credential stealers, malicious or destructive executables, executables disguised as patch or audio files, or deceptive download payloads. Products must contain what the listing says. Uploads are scanned automatically and suspicious files can be quarantined or removed.

Amp repair, electronics, firmware, hardware mods and DIY gear are legitimate topics here — technical education is welcome. Do not present dangerous instructions as safe; clearly identify significant risks of injury, electrical hazard or equipment damage.

Do not make credible threats of violence, encourage self-harm, or coordinate activity that creates an immediate risk of physical harm.

Patches is not an adult-content platform: pornography, sexually explicit material whose primary purpose is sexual gratification, and explicit solicitation do not belong here. That is not a rule about lyrics, performances, artwork or album covers — artistic expression is welcome. Content that sexualizes, exploits or endangers minors is prohibited without exception and removed on discovery; if content features a minor, post no identifying details or material that could put them at risk. Account eligibility is governed by our Terms & Conditions.

Giveaways, contests and promotions must be genuine, clearly explain their terms and comply with applicable laws. No fake giveaways, nonexistent prizes or deceptive promotions to manipulate follows, engagement or purchases.

Linking to your own site, store, socials or a helpful resource is fine when relevant. Never post links used for phishing, malware, deceptive redirects, scams or credential harvesting.

Patches surfaces publish differently and not everything is manually reviewed. Content may go through automated checks, community reports and/or human review, and may then be published, held, restricted, quarantined or removed. Automated checks are generally fast; human review times vary.

Publishing is not permanent approval — content can be reassessed if it is edited, reported, raises security concerns or is the subject of a rights complaint. Passing a check is not an endorsement, and you remain responsible for what you post or sell anywhere on Patches.

Depending on severity and account history, we may warn a user, remove or restrict content, limit features or Marketplace privileges, suspend an account, or terminate it permanently. Serious violations may receive immediate action. In limited cases we may consider credible off-platform conduct that directly threatens Patches users or platform integrity, consistent with our Terms & Conditions. Most issues we see are honest mistakes, and a correction is usually all that is needed.

Do not knowingly submit false reports, coordinate mass-reporting, or use reporting tools to harass creators, sellers or competitors. Good-faith reports are welcome even when we ultimately find no violation — you will never be penalized for a reasonable report.

Do not repost removed material elsewhere on Patches, and do not use another account to evade a restriction or suspension.