Is plugin market going down?

[nonnaci]

Multiple factors but overall, the pie (total money transacted) has shrunk for the entire music industry after each technological leap from Vinyl to CDs, CDs to downloads, and downloads to streaming. Subscription streaming for example generate 1/3 of all music revenue today but at $10 per month for access to all the world's music just isn't generating the same volume as the download model ($1 per song) or CD sales ($10 per CD). Moreover, the label's cut tends not to trickle down to the artist/sound-engineer/producers and so there's less spending power by your target audience; an indie for example trying to make it on Spotify is even worse off due to the click-based distribution model.

[skipscada]

"Cool lifestyle" marketing is mainly for teenagers I think. Voxengo's visitors are 30-50 y.o. people in average.

IMO you overrate 30-50-year-olds. They're just balding kids.

Anyway, your website could definitely use an overhaul, starting with showing the prices on the product pages. Right now it looks like the prices have been hidden away, and we all know what the consumer thinks when the seller seems to want to hide the price.

[keel]

Gui's definately matters and I can't believe how blind some developers are on this. I would buy Voxengo and Melda plugins, if they would look something like FabFilter or u-he presswerk / RePro stuff. Voxengo guis are still better than Melda tho, but Voxengo site looks like 20 years old. Melda plugins looks like, well, lets just say old.. very old..

[stratum]

Gui's definately matters and I can't believe how blind some developers are on this. I would buy Voxengo and Melda plugins, if they would look something like FabFilter or u-he presswerk / RePro stuff.

Most of the displays on this part of the world hasn't changed yet, I guess. Besides developers are not photoshop experts, they need to obtain that service from somewhere else. Guess what, inessential stuff like that is done much better in developed countries, because market size means better specialization. I have no problem figuring out directx or opengl and programming it to be compatible with high resolution displays, but in the end a good looking GUI requires an artist.

[PurpleSunray]

EQ GUIs are basically similar except thin lines of controls on the top and bottom of the interface.
"Cool lifestyle" marketing is mainly for teenagers I think. Voxengo's visitors are 30-50 y.o. people in average.

How to sell overpriced smartphones to a saturated marked? How to sell overpriced Cars on a market where 10 other overpriced Car brands are fighting each other? How to sell all those useless gadgets to people that don't need it?
Think again on your understanding of "lifestyle marketing".
If I ask my Boss why he drives Mercedes instead of BMW, he won't tell "price" (BMW is about the same), "quality" (BMW is same), "power" (you can also get powerfull models form BWM), ....
but he will tell me: "nah.. BMW is for styling-gel-head, daily gym, pseudo businessmen. Daimler is for real professionals."
The decission about what Car to buy was obviously only driven by brand image and the "lifestyle marketing " (styling-gel vs pinstripe suit) of that brand. My boss is 50+.

[ghettosynth]

"Cool lifestyle" marketing is mainly for teenagers I think. Voxengo's visitors are 30-50 y.o. people in average.

IMO you overrate 30-50-year-olds. They're just balding kids.

Anyway, your website could definitely use an overhaul, starting with showing the prices on the product pages. Right now it looks like the prices have been hidden away, and we all know what the consumer thinks when the seller seems to want to hide the price.

I think that these references to kids and the entitled generation and what have you are misguided at best. GUI, workflow, value, all matter to consumers no matter their age. I think that you can make some generalization regarding experience, but, you're shooting yourself in the foot if you think that you can dismiss these factors based on a prejudiced perspective.

[VariKusBrainZ]

Competition has increased dramatically

Constant sales from other devs

Cost of living

Exchange rates - I personally buy less now the £ to $ rate is shit

Voxengo doesn't have a sexy image

[stratum]

Exchange rates - I personally buy less now the £ to $ rate is shit

You haven't seen any real shit. Have a look at the ytl to $ rate the next time

[Zombie Queen]

Gui's definately matters and I can't believe how blind some developers are on this.

A big +1. It ain't about cool, it's about good looking. I have much love for Voxengo plugins, but GUI scheme is an eyesore. The old GUI looked dated, but it was easy to deal with. I'm no teenager. Seriously, hire an artist.

The site looks ain't a problem IMO, hidden prices are. Musicians are smart folk. Standard marketing strategies may have opposite effect.

[hivkorn]

What's your opinion on that? For example, Voxengo web site visits have increased considerably, like by 20-30% in the last year yet there was no similar impact on sales. Moreover, "sales per visitor" generally have decreased in the course of the last 2 to 3 years. Some big restructurization of the market has happened for sure and I can't grasp its meaning, and where it goes.

Musicmaking does not attract people anymore? People do not need more plugins?

Too much dev
Too much promo
Too much seller
Too much piracy

But not enough of new kind of fx/instrument


The last paid plugins who create something original / not usual is 'The Orb' by AudioThing.

The new stuff i would like to happens is a chorus like Audio Damage Vapor but with sync function , there s a lot of chorus but no one recreate the same kind of sound of Vapor....

[fluffy_little_something]

Maybe because the KVR market place is booming

Seriously, I can imagine that the right to resell software in the EU has had a certain impact on original sales since the ruling a few years ago.

[hivkorn]

Maybe because the KVR market place is booming

Seriously, I can imagine that the right to resell software in the EU has had a certain impact on original sales since the ruling a few years ago.

..i don't think it is a factor , some dev still continue to claim NFR license , i could understand and agree to charge a fee for the transfer of a 2 hand transfer , but i am totally against the NFR system license...
I have 3 synth i don 't use i can't sell because the dev don't want....I even tell him i am ok to paid a fee , but he still disagree.It suck.

[fluffy_little_something]

Well, it was just an idea...
I mean, it is striking when the site traffic goes up, but sales go down. That might mean that someone investigates a plugin before buying it second-hand.
The same happens with consumer electronics stores. People go in and investigate/test stuff, and when they are happy with it, they go home and order it cheaper online.

[rasmusklump]

Well, the reason I did not buy from your site are the guis. And the first thing after installing Cubase or Wavelab is to inactivate the Voxengo eq.

Sorry.

And since I own console1 my g.a.s is near zero. Something that cannot be loaded into c1: doesn't bother me. Thats good for my wallet.

One surgical EQ (for me thats the new Cubase eq) the rest is done in console one. Compressowise I have sold everything except my softube ones.

[hivkorn]

Well, the reason I did not buy from your site are the guis. And the first thing after installing Cubase or Wavelab is to inactivate the Voxengo eq.

Sorry.

And since I own console1 my g.a.s is near zero. Something that cannot be loaded into c1: doesn't bother me. Thats good for my wallet.

One surgical EQ (for me thats the new Cubase eq) the rest is done in console one. Compressowise I have sold everything except my softube ones.

Maybe it is because we all have everything we need and it could explain why 'older' user don't buy stuff anymore...