How much money have you spent on plugins?

[4damind]

Yes, that can be expensive. But Arturia, NI, Waves etc. are all developers who sell updates almost every year. It's a business model that almost looks like a subscription model.
It's interesting if you write it down, many people will be surprised how much money they spend on music stuff. But I think that's still very little compared to other activities... many people certainly spend a lot more on their hobbies?

[elassi]

But I think that's still very little compared to other activities... many people certainly spend a lot more on their hobbies?

Or simply on cars and their running costs.

I'm using buses and trains for several years now (read: don't have a car anymore). Compared to my buddies' annual costs just for their comfort, I could spend thousands a year and still 'save' money.

[liquidsound]

It’s easier to list the ones I didn’t buy

And now I just use 3 or 4

It’s KVR fault

[chk071]

It's interesting if you write it down, many people will be surprised how much money they spend on music stuff.

I just did that for the last 3 years in a Google Sheets file. 300 to 400 € each year, so, I guess I'll have to revise the figures I mentioned here once a bit. 2.000 to 3.000 € in total just won't do. Rather 3.000 to 4.000 €. If not more.

Well, not too much considering what others spend, and what others spend for other hobbies. It's OK.

[DCrown]

Imo it takes some time (years!) to find out what plugins work best for you. I don't regret plugin purchases, although there are plugins I don't use at all any more. I also could re-sell some plugins, so everything is fine. The highest resell price I got from selling NI Komplete Ultimate.
I have my "best of" folders (Comp, Eq, Fx, Reverb, Delay, Instruments) in Reaper, so I don't loose too much time finding a good plugin.
And I often use quite the same plugins on masterbus, busses,fx and amps for guitar etc, so I have project templates, but it changes over the years here and there.
My most continually used plugin might be TDR Kotelnikov.

[chk071]

Imo it takes some time (years!) to find out what plugins work best for you.

Yep! It took me a long time to figure that out for me. I guess it's not something you can avoid, and you just have to go through that process.

[cryophonik]

I'm not sure if the scarier thing is how much I've spent on software over the past 2+ decades, or how much value it's lost.

[Ruukern]

Imo it takes some time (years!) to find out what plugins work best for you.

I totally agree.
I've been in music production from 2014, and I finally feel I can evaluate if the plugins really needed.
Making a shopping list of plugins you really need and demo-ing them is a good way to resist a temptation of bargains.

[jamcat]

The problem is better plugins come out that you want to buy to replace your previous “best” plugins. And then there are upgraded versions of your plugins that you have to pay to update.

And eventually you realize you don’t even like techno and you want to score symphonies instead, and that requires a whole new slew of plugins.

[havran]

Probably a small number of thousands.

[jamcat]

I'm not sure if the scarier thing is how much I've spent on software over the past 2+ decades, or how much value it's lost.

You’ve spent more on food, and that’s lost all of its value.

[sjm]

You’ve spent more on food, and that’s lost all of its value.

Only if still being alive is devoid of value.

[neverbefore]

i've spent less money on music than I've saved by only buying small affordable cars and keeping them for many years - so really I've saved money even though over the years I would have spent enough to buy another small car or maybe even just a better car

[Bombadil]

This is 'don't ask, don't tell' question for me, at this point.
(I actually don't know, and would be afraid to tally the numbers).
I've tapered off since the big IK 25th anniversary group buy. This last year, Tonex, and 3 Valhalla plugs.

[stoopicus]

I don't even want to think about this.