v3.0.0 Beta — Plugin Detail Links & Loading Screen Refresh
Changelog

Release Notes

v3.0.0 Beta

New Features

  • ▸Duplicate Finder, Rebuilt Around Safety: Every row starts unchecked — nothing is ever selected for deletion by default. A new Preserve Types control lets you pick the format(s) you want to keep with one click; every other duplicate format is selected for you automatically
  • ▸Confirmation Before Cleanup: Cleaning now shows a full file list grouped by plugin with total reclaimed size before anything moves, and requires a typed confirmation for unusually large batches
  • ▸Post-Cleanup Report: After cleaning, PlugPane shows exactly what moved to the Bin (and where from), plus any groups it skipped to avoid leaving a plugin with zero surviving formats
  • ▸AU Duplicates Are Now Cleanable: Audio Unit components were previously locked out of the Duplicate Finder entirely — they're now selectable and deletable like any other format, since cleanup has always moved files to the recoverable Bin rather than deleting them outright
  • ▸Plugin Updates on the Overview Tab: See every plugin with an available update right on Overview, with the same download-and-install flow and live progress tracking as the plugin detail panel — no need to hunt for updates one plugin at a time
  • ▸PlugPane Update Banner on Overview: When a new PlugPane version is available, it's now surfaced on the Overview tab too, with a matching badge on the Settings icon

UI & UX

  • ▸Custom Title Bar: Replaced the native macOS title bar with one integrated into PlugPane's own UI — traffic lights included — for a cleaner, more modern window
  • ▸Redesigned Navigation: Overview, Duplicate Finder, Plugin Licenses, and Downloads are now direct entries in the main sidebar instead of nested inside a separate Manage screen — one click closer, always
  • ▸Refreshed Sidebar: Rounded, floating sidebar card with a subtle PlugPane mark anchored to the bottom
  • ▸Live Format Title: The plugin list header now names whatever you're viewing — All Plugins, AU, VST, VST3, AAX — in PlugPane's own display font

Bug Fixes

  • ▸Partial Duplicate Cleanup: Fixed a case where cleaning duplicates could leave one format undeleted if it needed an admin authorization prompt while another didn't — required authorization is now resolved for the entire batch up front, so a cleanup either fully completes or moves nothing at all
  • ▸AAX Filter Label: Fixed the plugin list header and filter pill showing "All Plugins" instead of "AAX" when filtered to that format

Build & Distribution

  • ▸Universal binary (Apple Silicon + Intel), signed and notarized

v2.5.5 Beta

New Features

  • ▸In-App Plugin Update Downloads: Download a plugin update directly from its detail panel — no browser tab required — with a real-time progress bar right in the app
  • ▸Automatic Install: .pkg installers run with the standard macOS admin prompt; .dmg and .zip downloads are mounted or extracted automatically and the plugin file is swapped in place — your previous version always moves to the Bin first, never deleted outright
  • ▸Downloads Panel: A new Downloads tab under Manage tracks every in-progress and completed download in one place, with the same install controls available inline
  • ▸Retry Failed Installs: A failed install can be retried with one click — no need to re-download the file
  • ▸Smarter Vendor Detection: The version-cache scraper now recognizes more vendors' direct download links — including Playfair Audio and Neural DSP — pulling installers straight into the app instead of opening a browser
  • ▸Custom Plugin Manager Launching: Plugins from vendors with their own manager apps — Native Instruments, Waves, Universal Audio, IK Multimedia, Plugin Alliance, and more — now show a manager badge with a one-click Launch button that opens that vendor's app directly
  • ▸Pro Tips: A rotating lightbulb tip appears after launch with handy usage tricks — dismiss it for the session, or opt out for good
  • ▸Update Changelog Blurb: When a PlugPane update is available, the header banner and About panel now show a short summary of what's new

UI & UX

  • ▸Redesigned Manage Overview: Disk usage now lives directly on the Overview dashboard — by format, by vendor, and largest plugins — with every row clickable to jump straight back to that plugin or a filtered list for quick action
  • ▸Themed Update Buttons: Download and Install buttons for plugin updates now use PlugPane's accent styling instead of plain text links, with a brief glow when Install becomes available

Bug Fixes

  • ▸Elevated Install From Downloads Folder: Fixed installs failing with a confusing "package path specified was invalid" error — macOS's Downloads-folder privacy protection was blocking the elevated installer process from reading the file directly; PlugPane now stages a copy outside that folder first
  • ▸Misclassified Archives: Fixed downloads that are actually a ZIP wrapping an installer (despite a .pkg-looking link) being rejected — PlugPane now verifies file type by content, not just the URL

Build & Distribution

  • ▸Universal binary (Apple Silicon + Intel), signed and notarized

v2.5.4 Beta

New Features

  • ▸PlugPane Update Alerts: PlugPane now checks for new versions of itself at launch. When one is available, an orange banner appears in the header with a one-click Update button that downloads the new DMG directly
  • ▸Check for Updates: Check manually anytime from the About panel — it tells you whether you're on the latest version and hands you the download if you're not
  • ▸Snooze or Skip Updates: Dismiss the update banner for the current session, or ignore a specific version entirely — you'll still be alerted when the next one ships

UI & UX

  • ▸Redesigned About Panel: A cleaner two-column layout — logo, version, and update controls on the left, developer links on the right — and it now always shows the exact installed version

v2.5.3 Beta

Bug Fixes

  • ▸Update Checker Now Clears After Refresh: Plugins that were updated and rescanned were still showing as needing an update. Fixed — "Refresh Plugins" now correctly detects version changes for existing plugins and clears stale update flags

Build & Distribution

  • ▸Universal binary (Apple Silicon + Intel), signed and notarized

v2.5.2 Beta

New Features

  • ▸Plugin Update Tracker: Check your entire library against the latest versions in one click. Updates appear as orange badges in the plugin list and sort to the top when sorting by Updates
  • ▸Ignore Updates Per Plugin: Toggle "Track Updates" off on any plugin to remove it from the update count and sort — useful for plugins you intentionally keep at an older version
  • ▸Download Type Labels: Update download buttons now show whether the file is a DMG, ZIP, PKG, or web installer before you click
  • ▸License Key Visibility Toggle: Serial numbers in the Plugin License Vault are masked by default. Reveal individual keys with an eye icon, or use "Reveal All" to show every key at once
  • ▸Vault CSV Export Confirmation: After exporting your license vault, a confirmation message now shows the exact file path so you always know where it landed

UI & UX

  • ▸Plugin Licenses Renamed: "License Types" in the Manage section is now called "Plugin Licenses" — clearer and more descriptive
  • ▸Vendor URLs: Plugin detail pages now link directly to each manufacturer's official product page instead of generic search results
  • ▸Manufacturer Name Normalization: Publisher names are now cleaned up and deduplicated across your library — no more "IK Multimedia 2008–2025" alongside "IK Multimedia"

Bug Fixes

  • ▸Bin Deletion Fixed: Deleting plugins that were installed with administrator privileges no longer fails with a permission error — PlugPane now prompts once for your password and handles everything in one shot
  • ▸Export list CSV now includes Update Version and Update URL columns for plugins with pending updates

Build & Distribution

  • ▸Universal binary (Apple Silicon + Intel) — one DMG works on any Mac
  • ▸Signed and notarized by Apple — installs without security warnings on macOS Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia

v2.5 Beta

New Features

  • ▸Plugin Detail Page Link: Each plugin now includes a direct link to its product page, opening in your browser from the detail view
  • ▸Globe Icon: New globe icon in the plugin detail panel links out to the plugin's product page

UI Changes

  • ▸Black Loading Screen: Initial launch screen updated to black background with white text for a cleaner first impression
  • ▸Black Rescan Overlay: Plugin rescan loading screen now matches the initial loading screen — black background, white text, green progress bar
  • ▸Simplified Loading Copy: Removed estimated scan time messaging from the loading screen to avoid setting expectations

Build & Distribution

  • ▸Universal Binary: Single DMG now contains a universal binary supporting both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs natively
  • ▸Signed and notarized with Apple Developer ID — installs without security prompts on all supported Macs

v2.4 Beta

New Features

  • ▸Clear License Button: Remove assigned license types from plugins with a new "Clear" option
  • ▸New App Icon: Fresh, modern icon design for the PlugPane brand
  • ▸New DMG Background: Custom branded installer experience

UI Refresh

  • ▸Duplicates Panel: Updated dark theme styling, better visual hierarchy
  • ▸License Types Panel: Cleaner iLok CSV import interface
  • ▸Header Logo: Added PlugPane logo next to app title
  • ▸About Modal: Website URL relocated with clickable link
  • ▸Toggle Switch: Larger, chunkier enable/disable toggle

Bug Fixes

  • ▸Fixed DMG bundling issues with background image path configuration
  • ▸Resolved inconsistent color styling across dark theme components
  • ▸Fixed button hover states in Duplicates and License Types panels

Build & Distribution

  • ▸Signed and notarized DMGs for Apple Silicon (ARM64) and Intel (x86_64)
  • ▸Stapled notarization tickets for offline verification

v2.3.1 Beta

Bug Fixes

  • ▸Improved macOS permission handling for plugin file operations
  • ▸Better handling for user-selected custom plugin directories

Duplicate Finder UX

  • ▸Reorganized results layout for clearer workflow
  • ▸Quick Cleanup separated in dedicated banner with info button

v2.3 Beta

Major Features

  • ▸Tagging System: Custom color-coded tags for organizing plugins
  • ▸Auth Tracking: Track iLok, License Key, or Free plugins
  • ▸CSV Import/Export: Backup and share your plugin catalogue
  • ▸AAX Support: Read-only support for Pro Tools users

Tagging

  • ▸Unlimited custom tags with color coding
  • ▸Filter plugins by tags, included in CSV export/import

License Management

  • ▸Secure serial number storage for License Key plugins
  • ▸Visual indicators for iLok protected plugins

Performance

  • ▸Improved caching with manual refresh option
  • ▸Right-click context menu with Reload option

Bug Fixes

  • ▸Fixed tag persistence after app restart
  • ▸Resolved CSV import not replacing existing tags
  • ▸Improved duplicate detection accuracy

v1.03

Bug Fixes

  • ▸Fixed corrupted DMG files: rebuilt installers for ARM and Intel
  • ▸Resolved scanning crash with corrupted plugin bundles
  • ▸Fixed memory leak in database operations

Improvements

  • ▸Enhanced disk usage calculation speed
  • ▸Added progress indicators for database matching

v1.02

Bug Fixes

  • ▸Fixed app not launching on macOS Sonoma
  • ▸Resolved plugin disappearing when moving directories
  • ▸Fixed UI layout on smaller screens

New Features

  • ▸Plugin validation before enable/disable operations
  • ▸Backup and restore for plugin directories

v1.01

Bug Fixes

  • ▸Fixed crash on initial scan for 1000+ plugins
  • ▸Resolved duplicate finder not detecting all duplicates
  • ▸Fixed tags not saving after restart

Improvements

  • ▸Improved scan performance via file system optimizations
  • ▸Enhanced database matching with updated plugin info
  • ▸Better error handling for corrupted plugins