Dilemma over Shortcircuit sample library

[keyman_sam]

Ok folks, here's the dilemma I've been facing :

I've created a sound library for shortcircuit 1. I think it is commercial-worthy material. This is my first time doing a sample library (though i've programmed drum loops for some companies). I've spent quite some amount of effort programming Shortcircuit. Some of the pads are so freaking nice and atmospheric that I coulda sworn it fits a cinema-esque track well. The basses are dirty, the lead sounds are glitch-worthy and there are some traditional synth-elements in there too.

If I decide to make this library a commercial product, I'll probably be selling it for 10 bucks. However to do this, I need a website setup and all that crap - its too time consuming. Everytime I try to get started on the website, I think I should spend that time programming SC and making more sounds.

If I decide to make this library free-for-all, I'd want to put it in Vemberaudio's website (through Claes) so that I'll get some sort of recognition.
I'm sure many will benefit from it.

Decisions, decisions....


[edit] Forgot to mention that if i decide to sell it, 10% from all sales will go towards Vemberaudio as donation.[/edit]

[shamann]

I think only you can make that decision. More folk will use it if it's free, so it depends on what you want to get from putting it out.

[blatanville]

i think it's asking a LOT of vemberaudio to host and provide bandwidth for samples for an instrument they're not even making money from anymore (donations - which I've made - aside)

just my $0.02

[keyman_sam]

i think it's asking a LOT of vemberaudio to host and provide bandwidth for samples for an instrument they're not even making money from anymore (donations - which I've made - aside)

just my $0.02

Precisely why the library will be free.

I look at this way :
The sample library goes up in VemberAudio. SC users can get a taste of how powerful this sampler is. They look into Surge, and its free advertisement for Surge (from vemberaudio too).

One more thing : Enough interest in SC1 might convince Claes to work on SC2 again.

[shamann]

Well, you can always dream, but you might want to have a plan b in the event Claes doesn't get on board, which is a strong possibility given that he has no real involvement in the library.

[keyman_sam]

Well, you can always dream, but you might want to have a plan b in the event Claes doesn't get on board, which is a strong possibility given that he has no real involvement in the library.

The initial plan was to sell the library. Plan B was counting on Claes. So I guess I need a plan C now.

Plan C - Publish under the creative commons licence (don't know how to do that though)...

[shamann]

If you go with Plan C and need webspace, let me know, I'd be happy to help.

[Bassballjg]

Your labor and intellectual property have value, and your hypothetical price is fair, depending on the size(if it's above a certain size, you're being unfair to yourself). However, yes, the logistics of distribution and administration can be a pain in the ass.

[blatanville]

Plan C - Publish under the creative commons licence (don't know how to do that though)...

simple: go to
http://creativecommons.org/license/, and answer the questions: the web site will spit back a license (human and machine readable versions) that you can affix to wherever you host the sample collection. you might paste the text of, or a link to, the license into any text fields that .wav files allow.

[Lotuzia]

Your labor and intellectual property have value, and your hypothetical price is fair, depending on the size(if it's above a certain size, you're being unfair to yourself). However, yes, the logistics of distribution and administration can be a pain in the ass.

+1

All work deserves a decent fee (French 0.0002 cents proverb)

I know that keyboards players tend to think that they can replace guitars and every other musicians and that everything should be free for them because .... erf because I don't know the answer to that.

If you wanna play guitar you have to buy a guitar then change strings sometimes ...

If you wanna play keys or synths well you might as well pay a few for good presets you think your music deserves. If you don't wanna pay anything well you can also spend your life designing presets or sample libraries. Cos it takes a bunch of time to make decent instruments.

Of course all the above is very oriented and can be looked at as the most and worst possible subjective talk.

After all we're also making and selling presets éhéhéhé.

Sell it for a fair and legitimate price is my answer.

The very good thing with selling your creations is that people will really try to use them and you'll have some real feedback on your work. Not just cheers and hellos from people wich spend their time crowding their HD with free stuff when they could maybe try making music. ( Please note that I'm not saying everyone using freeware has this behavior, but well I do know at least some, so don't flame .... (too much A little warmth is always appreciated ) )

Cheers,

LtZ

[Kel]

I think that if you have spent some time and effort on this, you should be rewarded... at least, maybe put a reduced price or build a little web page for donations if you dont want to charge too much.

My self I spent sometime (1 week) trying to get realistic and expressive instruments from SC, but at the end of the day I need better samples so no luck for me with free stuff... BUT if I had done what you have done I would charge for it, its your time, and time is money... appart from all the love that went in preset making and stuff.

[shamann]

I think that if you have spent some time and effort on this, you should be rewarded...

That all depends on the reward you are looking for. If the goal is to get the samples in to a lot of users hands, giving it away will be more successful than selling. Setting up all the necessary administrative requirements to sell a single sample library when the likelihood of selling more than 100 licenses is slim may not be a reward for all people. But if the intention is to sell more libraries as they are created, then the initial administrative requirements are much more worth it, and selling from the outset makes more sense.

[eduardo_b]

There are really two sides to this -- seller and buyer. For the former, the goal is to be rewarded monetarily for your efforts, which seems reasonable, and you have set a low price, which is also reasonable.

The latter is more problematic. There was a long, contentious thread a number of months ago about someone selling presets for a free synth (which is relevant because ShortCircuit 1.1 is free, now). The issue was one of ethics -- selling presets for freeware crossed a line for many, who felt that the very essence of freeware was being compromised by asking for money for the presets.

I happen to think you might make the samples you have donationware. Those who think they are worth a small contribution will do so, and those who feel otherwise will not.

Just another opinion.

[Sickle]

If you plan on commercial material in the future, releasing this free is a great way for potential customers to become acquainted with your work.

[Lotuzia]

If you plan on commercial material in the future, releasing this free is a great way for potential customers to become acquainted with your work.

That's true, as could be true the opposite :

If you plan on commercial material in the future, selling this is a great way to know if people have enough desire for it to take their cc out of their pocket and if its worth planning anything else

Well reading this topic, I realize more that all this is a very personnal decision.

I know this kind of statement wont help a lot but .....

LtZ