KVR Audio

braj · Post by **braj** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:54 pm

Like in the old days, buying a clarinet from the music store, you could pay $20 a month or something and that would go towards buying it if you found you really wanted to keep it. Yeah, I know, stupid idea but what can I do? gotta work with what I've got

jsp1979 · Post by **jsp1979** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:05 pm

Yeah, but unlike virtual instruments and effects, there aren't many freeware clarinets available for download.

JavaJ · Post by **JavaJ** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:09 pm

Well, Kore was sort of like that- you got the free player and then could buy add-on's. Not a rental, but easier to digest. Maybe go with Kontakt Player (or Komplete PLayers or whatever they are calling it) and add on from there.
You could also just beg indie developers for a free copy

braj · Post by **braj** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:30 pm

Really, I'm just being silly

but it does make me think some sort of 'subscription' service with a plugin being fully 'yours' to keep after some designated period of membership credits would be cool, a way for a developer to get more steady stream of business while users get a cheaper entry into their products. If you choose to continue to subscribe, the longer you maintain your subscription the more invested you become in their products. I guess Wusik has something like that going, but that isn't really too interesting to me, NI would be way more interesting, if you could selectively 'rent' some libraries and after some time they are considered purchased, that would be interesting model for Komplete to adopt.

1-2-Many · Post by **1-2-Many** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:30 pm

It's called a demo

braj · Post by **braj** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:38 pm

1-2-Many wrote:It's called a demo

You can go to a music store and rent a piano for some period of time for some session work, then return it when you are done, it is a common way to deal with expensive professional tools, even lawn mowers

Anyhow, like I said it is just an idea, not necessarily a good one. But I personally sometimes would like access to a certain synth, say the NI organs, but maybe I don't need to own them outright, it seems NI would benefit from getting $30 or whatever for a month rental while I work on some project

just exploring possibilities.

Aiynzahev · Post by **Aiynzahev** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:12 pm

I've thought about this. It would be great to be able to rent a softsynth for a month. I've also thought that companies would benefit because so many people may not be prepared to buy it but would like to make use of the sounds for one or more projects.

Rent to buy could be made to work even more for them too, maybe if I rent it for $30 a month each month I get $10 off the final price if I do want to buy it or something like that for example.

People may even choose to rent it instead of downloading the demo if they like the look of it enough and think they will end up using it on a project.

bailees7irish · Post by **bailees7irish** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:15 pm

isn't that basically what the Ohmforce payment option is?

mcnoone · Post by **mcnoone** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:25 pm

No one can learn the full potential of any synth plugin, in a month, week, days.
Of course if you just wanna use presets for them, or if you wanna use the random sound creator, and make it a selling soundset, then it might be a different story. Which usually equates to similar music, and lfo'ed, noise, and stutter soundsets.
edit:no...not even one-ping-only.

D.Josef · Post by **D.Josef** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:42 am

Nah, it does in fact make sense perfectly. "Software as a service" is becoming more and more popular.
I do think that a "leasing-based" scheme could work. Of course to make piracy really hard, it would require some form of network authorization scheme, which means that to run the software, you would need to be connected to the Net. (Or a USB hardware key with its own built-in clock.)
If I ever get into developing VSTs, I'll keep this idea in mind.

aciddose · Post by **aciddose** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:59 am

already exists. rarely works without CR or dongle protection. (dongle being the same thing as CR, only plus a dongle!)

Mattiiiii · Post by **Mattiiiii** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 11:17 am

I think Waves and Avid are already offering plugin rentals.

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 11:24 am

Indeed. Also, doesn't Urs offer something similar? Or am I confused again?

braj · Post by **braj** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:23 pm

I was thinking about this again, that i hear that many developers can't afford to continue because of piracy, market saturation, etc. and I have to think when I buy a used plugin I am keeping money from a developer that could use it. But I don't have that much cash to generally pay the asking price for many new plugins upfront and I personally would really benefit from some NFR price or rent to own system. Something like a demo timeout voucher you can buy that extends a fully functional demo for a month, and with all funds being applicable towards the purchase price. I would demo a bunch of synths probably over a year's time, buying some of them but really getting a chance to see if they are right for me. and the dev would at least get $30 or whatever, and possibly a full purchase.

Lotuzia · Post by **Lotuzia** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:37 pm

braj wrote:I was thinking about this again, that i hear that many developers can't afford to continue because of piracy, market saturation, etc. and I have to think when I buy a used plugin I am keeping money from a developer that could use it. But I don't have that much cash to generally pay the asking price for many new plugins upfront and I personally would really benefit from some NFR price or rent to own system. Something like a demo timeout voucher you can buy that extends a fully functional demo for a month, and with all funds being applicable towards the purchase price. I would demo a bunch of synths probably over a year's time, buying some of them but really getting a chance to see if they are right for me. and the dev would at least get $30 or whatever, and possibly a full purchase.

Not a bad idea in se but difficult to implement. ( and yes it would probably be dongle based )

And yes AVID proposes such rental options on their site. But as its mainly PT oriented, its for people who have paid projects and very precise stuff to accomplish.

I wonder if such a system would meet a real audience in the amateur world, but probably someone will make it and then we'll know a bit more about this.

LtZ

I want a rent-to-own option for softsynths :)