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Harbinger of Things to Come with Music Software?


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I've heard that Ableton Live will be sold direct only, starting on October 1. I remember when Apple pulled Logic off the shelves of retailers, and how much turmoil that caused.

 

Is it only a matter of time before all software goes direct-only? Could retailers do anything to provide extra value that would convince people NOT to buy direct?

 

Interesting times...

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I suspect that one of the problems IS retailers, selling software for less than the company that created it. Added value is the problem, not the solution - at least from the perspective of the creator. On the other hand, retailers often have staff that can explain things to customers, saving the software company from needing staff for customer service. It's a mixed bag!

 

Maybe Ableton Live will be able to lower their price if they sell direct only, instead of competing with retailers selling it for less than they do. 

I saw Sweetwater selling Waveform in their catalog, once. I've always just updated from the Tracktion home site. 

 

I'm sure that some software creators will continue to sell through vendors and others won't. I suspect that some who switch to selling software directly may end up switching back as well. Then there are the "compilers" like Plugin Alliance, who sell a variety of titles.

 

I guess we'll see what happens, it may or may not be what we suspect. 

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Its an inevitable step in technological change. Box stores can't compete with the instant gratification of downloading and the software houses can't help but see boxed products as a drag on their capital. That goes triple for software synthesizers. I don't think even added-value goodies on a flash drive or a golden ticket for 50% off a new synth that's still in development can compete.

 

One advantage of aging gracelessly is embracing sampled string sections and giving my ignorant fanboy dreams of owning a Synclavier the finger. Now that I could have one as a plug-in, all I care about is how much easier it is to just scoot along in Logic. What you describe isn't yet to come; its already the norm.

 

I'm also pleased that we have few flying cars. If they were in common use, they'd be peppering office buildings and littering the landscape like mega-roadkill.

 "I want to be an intellectual, but I don't have the brainpower.
  The absent-mindedness, I've got that licked."
        ~ John Cleese

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I bought Ableton Live vs. 1 after a recommendation from the person that runs the keyboard department at my favorite music store. Some years earlier I bought Cakewalk vs. 1 from the same person. Same with Reason. But all upgrades were done direct. All add-ons done direct. The store is no longer in operation and I have not made a major purchase of music software from a store in who knows how long. I used Sweetwater for upgrades on software a couple times, but it is easier to order direct. My next software purchase will probably be Arturia V Collection 9. Waiting for a black Friday sale. Will see who has the best price. 

This post edited for speling.

My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page

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1 hour ago, RABid said:

I bought Ableton Live vs. 1 after a recommendation from the person that runs the keyboard department at my favorite music store. Some years earlier I bought Cakewalk vs. 1 from the same person. Same with Reason. But all upgrades were done direct. All add-ons done direct. The store is no longer in operation and I have not made a major purchase of music software from a store in who knows how long. I used Sweetwater for upgrades on software a couple times, but it is easier to order direct. My next software purchase will probably be Arturia V Collection 9. Waiting for a black Friday sale. Will see who has the best price. 

Now that you mention it, in 2003 I bought a MOTU 896 and a CD with Digital Performer on it, I think version 3. something. I upgraded to 4 online, hated all the different sized windows that opened up (apparently designed by hippies) and cluttered the interface and I didn't like the sound of the 896 either, sort of bland and insipid. 

So I got a Mackie Onyx interface and it came with a free version of Tracktion 3. The interface got left behind as technology moved forward but I've upgraded over the years to Waveform 11, almost entirely on the Tracktion website. 

 

Other than the boxed version of SampleTank 3 that I might have bought at a store (don't remember and it kept crashing anyway), I don't think I've bought a single plugin anywhere but from the company that wrote it, exception being Plugin Alliance for a couple of guitar amps and some Brainworx stuff when it was on sale. 

 

Plugins ARE the ultimate sale item, they go cheap on sale or when they are about to introduce a newer version, at which point if you buy the one that's on sale and get in on the upgrade sale you can save a fair bit of money sometimes. 

 

I'm shameless about trying out free synth plugins but only a few get to stay. U-he has some nice ones and Surge is good too. Crystal is just too weird to ignore, I almost never have a use for it but it's fun. 

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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On 9/30/2022 at 2:15 PM, Anderton said:

Is it only a matter of time before all software goes direct-only?

 

Yes - almost certainly, IMO.   Free trials, loyalty discounts, dedicated support, deep “Black Friday” type discounts without having to worry about dealer margins….I could go on.

 

More than a few software manufacturers I know have nothing but disdain for dealers. No wonder - dealers don’t really need to learn anything about the software to “sell” it because of manufacturer web sites/demos, free trial periods, forum discussions, etc…so the customers typically know more about the products they’re looking to buy/researching than the average sales guy

 

Also, there’s boatloads of options when it comes to software products, available with features that change constantly…

 

Consequently, the dealers make very little effort to try and sell software.

 

 

On 9/30/2022 at 2:15 PM, Anderton said:

Could retailers do anything to provide extra value that would convince people NOT to buy direct?

 

Not that I can tell. :idk:

 

Having the product in stock is not an advantage when it comes to software.  Dealers are essentially unable to provide support - customers pretty much always need to connect with the manufacturer if for no other reason than to get updates.

 

The only thing the dealer can really offer is discounts from MAP (either from standalone purchase and/or in bundles with other softener/hardware), and the manufacturer is clearly able to offer better discounts…

 

…and most of the potential customers know when those discounts are probably coming. :idea:

 

I maintain that forums like this offer more potential value to software customers than traditional dealers, as we provide manufacturers an almost effortless way to attract and connect with a whole bunch of potential buyers.

 

dB

 

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:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

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8 hours ago, David Bryce said:

I maintain that forums like this offer more potential value to software customers than traditional dealers, as we provide manufacturers an almost effortless way to attract and connect with a whole bunch of potential buyers.

 

It's amazing that more companies haven't figured that out. "Hey Musicplayer, start a forum for us, we'll have our peoiple come by from time to time."

 

I think the Pro Reviews at Harmony Central back in the day provided indisputable proof that forums offer a far better connection between users and companies than anything else.

 

Did you know one company booked a Pro Review for a product that had been out for over a year? I tried to convince them NOT to do it, I said that they wouldn't get a response that justified the expense. But it turns out they knew exactly what they were doing. They used it as a focus group to help figure out what to include in their next version of the product. Pretty brilliant, actually, especially when you consider that a Pro Review cost around $5K at that time and getting a company to put together a focus group cost around $50K. And I bet the quality of our forumites was better anyway :)

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9 hours ago, Anderton said:

It's amazing that more companies haven't figured that out.

VST developers figured it out long ago. I remember when KVR-VST had maybe 8 dedicated developer forums. You could get support, reveal bugs, suggest features, and I ended up beta testing products for more than one company due to relationships built on the forum. A responsive person handling the company replies went a long way in building confidence in the products and company, and users would recommend their products. I can name one company that was the opposite. They had good products, but the owner was short tempered and did not react well to any criticism of his products. He eventually closed the KVR forum and created his own, alienating a huge customer base. The company still survives but sales are a fraction of what they could have been. Now the KVRAudio forum has more company sections than I wish to count, but there are 19 starting with "A". 

 

I do remember one exchange with the FL developer. I asked when FL would take advantage of multicore technology on the new CPU's. The response was "Never. That is a dead end and I will not waste my time reprogramming FL for multi-core CPU's." It took him a while to see the light. :) On the positive side, he was not a butt hole like the person I mentioned above. A year later when they announced multi-thread support no one mentioned his previous comments. We were just happy it finally happened.

This post edited for speling.

My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page

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You know, I would like to see this place develop a developer section. Much like KVR for VSTi's, Modwiggler for modular, Elektronauts for Elektron and other beat boxes. Is there a place for recording and mixing? We sure have the experts here to give it credibility. One more thing I will point out, some companies have their individual forums which are okay for support, but honestly, who wants to jump around to so may forums. I used to visit Roland, Yamaha, NI, Reason, Ableton and other forums but it was too much to keep up with. I think those companies are missing out on marketing opportunities by just "preaching to the choir". I would love to see those companies here offering some support, hinting at new products, listening to suggestions, etc...

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This post edited for speling.

My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page

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2 hours ago, RABid said:

You know, I would like to see this place develop a developer section. Much like KVR for VSTi's, Modwiggler for modular, Elektronauts for Elektron and other beat boxes. Is there a place for recording and mixing? We sure have the experts here to give it credibility. One more thing I will point out, some companies have their individual forums which are okay for support, but honestly, who wants to jump around to so may forums. I used to visit Roland, Yamaha, NI, Reason, Ableton and other forums but it was too much to keep up with. I think those companies are missing out on marketing opportunities by just "preaching to the choir". I would love to see those companies here offering some support, hinting at new products, listening to suggestions, etc...

You and me both. :2thu:

 

We're going to SynthPlex later this month.   I imagine we'll get the opportunity to have some interesting discussions there.

 

dB

 

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:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

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When I was at Korg I got involved in some forums to learn more about our customers, how our products were being used, and so on. I ended up being so impressed by what Korg Forums (used to Irish Acts) was doing to support the brand that we ended up helping them out when times got tough for them. To this day Korg USA still hosts their site for them - no money involved, and no interference with how they run things. But after I left the brand decided not to be directly involved anymore, and no one (or very few people) from the company ever visit or get involved. And it has hurt their image/reputation...

 

Now to be fair, I've been gone from the company for 11 years now (wow!) and I don't know what's going on with the business, staff etc. So they may have good reasons for their decision. But I know that it is simply good business and a valuable resource to be involved to some degree with the front lines of your customers. Even when things get a bit difficult.

 

Jerry

 

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2 hours ago, RABid said:

You know, I would like to see this place develop a developer section. Much like KVR for VSTi's, Modwiggler for modular, Elektronauts for Elektron and other beat boxes. Is there a place for recording and mixing? We sure have the experts here to give it credibility. One more thing I will point out, some companies have their individual forums which are okay for support, but honestly, who wants to jump around to so may forums. I used to visit Roland, Yamaha, NI, Reason, Ableton and other forums but it was too much to keep up with. I think those companies are missing out on marketing opportunities by just "preaching to the choir". I would love to see those companies here offering some support, hinting at new products, listening to suggestions, etc...

I think a developer section would be fantastic. If it grew into the "one place where we can all go to stay up on the latest developments" even more kudos. 

 

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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