Software Sales ARE STUPID

[Boone777]

IK multimedia is a company I'll avoid for software purchases. IF i am to buy something it might be their iLoud micro monitors for laptop stuff.

I too avoid them except the freebies ! Took me many attempts to make the freebie Memory-V work !
I hate their installers and their bloat but to their defense I can say they make some good stuff and sadly their Ampeg is the best bass plugin to my ears. I hate to say it.

As for the Wave hate it's for the same reason for me, the installer. Compared to copying a DLL, it's so time consuming when I install 1 new plugin it takes me 20 minutes installing and re-scanning all my plugins.

It would probably help if I install SSD and NMVE now waiting on my desk but the reinstall time keeps putting me off.

[pc2000]

Many forget that you're actually just paying for a license to use software, you're not actually buying it as any physical commodity.

No, Please Don't fall in a misconception, with all respect, there are softwares that you buy and is actually yours, not in the sense that you can do whatever you want with it, of course you have to respect the agreement; but there are softwares you pay and is yours, we shouldn't be completely dependent of a company when we do investment, is a personal decision at the end but yeah...

It's no misconception. You own the license to the use of the software. Sure, you have the software in your possession and installed on your machine, but it's the license you're actually paying for not the software in most cases which is the point. The haggling about plugin prices is really senseless because you're debating about the price of a license! No one can guarantee their software which is the reason most Eula's include a disclaimer of warranties. Software is sold as is.

When someone resells their apps in the market place they're in fact selling their license and or account. Most developers offer demos that can be authorized, so in most cases you're not sending a buyer a copy of the app or plugin with the exception of small developers like Hornet and others that don't use copy protection. Consider the ownership of a vehicle. It may be yours, but depending on where you live you have to pay for yearly registration of your plates, pay for a city sticker and have a valid license to legally drive it.

[SAW75]

I’ve received 2 refunds through PayPal for “not refundable” software titles in the last month or so. One had a demo, one did not. Both were buggy and I documented my findings. Paypal had no problem with the refunds despite what you are saying about software being sold as is. Perhaps things are changing.

When I buy a car, I buy the car and the ignition key. When I buy software it is mine. I don’t care really what you say. My attitude has not waivered during disputes and I always see through a just outcome. You can’t rip me off. I won’t let you. Not even with licensing and Eula bullshit. You sell me crap and I am taking my money back. Like I said, PayPal, my bank through the years has never had a problem with it and no one has ever told me you are screwed because it is “software”.

That would be a bad day for that party.

[SAW75]

And what that has to do with artificial list prices and manipulative sales is beyond me. I think musicians should stop trying to be legal experts. Things aren’t so complicated.

[SAW75]

Back on topic, here is another lovely tactic. Heavyocity. For days I have been getting spammed with "LAST CHANCE TO SAVE 50%" emails. Over and over... then "LAST DAY!" multiple times yesterday... then this morning...

"SALE EXTENDED"

[whyterabbyt]

Sounds like you might find life a lot less traumatic if you unsubscribed from your various promotional mailing lists.

[SAW75]

Sounds like you might find life a lot less traumatic if you unsubscribed from your various promotional mailing lists.

Perhaps I write in a confusing tone. It's not traumatic. It's laughable. I am just pointing it out. It's STUPID!

[whyterabbyt]

If its stupid for them, their accountants would have noticed by now. If its just stupid for you, unsub.

[AcrossTheSky]

now that everyone has uhe deal plugins...
do we need more sales..?

so....if I had diva,repro...will I need IK synths? or Arturia ones?
....
which synths are effectively replaced by Uhe ones (if you had all)?..

[robotmonkey]

Of course Waves is not stupid. They were the leader in the market with this strategy which shows that even being an old big established company they are still able to react to the changing market realities.

If you haven't noticed, then the better to sell a lot with lower price than to sell few with a higher price model has been adopted everywhere when it comes to digital goods. Waves was not first at all to come to this realization. Gaming platforms like GOG and Steam were doing it years before Waves.

This micro transactions model works because people keep spending money. I certainly have bought a bunch of plugins just because they were cheap. I doubt, for example, that I would have ever bought a single AIR plugin if it would not have been dirt cheap price. And of course, I have a bunch of Wave plugins that I would have never bought at full price.

[Googly Smythe]

Back on topic, here is another lovely tactic. Heavyocity. For days I have been getting spammed with "LAST CHANCE TO SAVE 50%" emails. Over and over... then "LAST DAY!" multiple times yesterday... then this morning...

"SALE EXTENDED"

I bought OP-X in a sale about 6 years ago. That "sale" is still on...
http://www.sonicprojects.ch/obx/welcome.html

[SAW75]

If its stupid for them, their accountants would have noticed by now. If its just stupid for you, unsub.

Done. All the time unsubscribing. I ended up on the Heavyocity list because I just bought some Reaktor stuff... I don't really belong to mailing lists. Enough of it is out there to be aware of the practices. Not really a mailing list thing.

I like a good sale as much as anyone but when it starts to erode your company's integrity then it might be time to reconsider practices. I don't know how an accountant could quantify that. Might see a lot of money being generated but what is the quality of the user base? Is support keeping up? What is public perception... because that can change in an instant.

Might be nice to get developer opinions... I'm pretty sure many don't want to do this but have to "keep up with the Jones"... it is pretty clear proliferation. I would guess some of this has led to the question of subscriptions too? Maybe I don't know...

What I don't like about it is it makes me gun shy when I need a particular tool for a particular project. Obviously like most I am on a budget... It just feels more stressful than it should when trying to select a product. I don't care about 10 or 20 dollars but when it's a difference of $300? ouch.

[elxsound]

@SAW,

It's all about perspective (well, obviously...).

Most of the sales tactics are all the same...

• Initiate a sale

• Remind users the end is approaching

• Send more emails on last day

• Extend the sale followed by another round of last day of sale notices.

BUT WAIT... THAT'S NOT ALL!!!

They also coincidentally schedule the sale to end in the middle of week... Why? Because there is always at least one user out there who is going to ask for an extension because they get paid on Fridays.

WAIT... There's no one asking??? JUST SAY you have someone asking and then send an email to the loyal fan base saying... "By popular request, we are extending our sale!!" [queue the applause]

The perspective part....

For someone who wants to buy-in, but can't by the end date of the sale, that extension is great news.

For the person who purchased on that last day (the first one, not the extended one), chances are that they didn't even notice the extension or the extra emails. Even the person who purchased the sale in the beginning... They also probably don't notice all the extra emails.

The only one who notices all the nonsense, is the one who wasn't going to buy no matter what that discount was.

[V0RT3X]

[samsam]

I like a good sale as much as anyone

I agree with you, software sales are great!