Best subscriptions you've tried

[N__K]

"Best subscriptions, I've tried" ... That would be none

So you don’t watch movies or listen to music? Apple Music, Spotify, Netflix, etc;…
[...]

That was not directed at me, but I'll reply nevertheless.

I prefer to buy music as DRM-free files (such as on iTunes and Beatport) and keep local backups. That way, once I own [technically, a license to the content of] the file and media it's stored on, no-one can ever take it from me. Provided that I have maintained the devices needed, I can listen to anything I've bought, anywhere, anytime.

Also I still buy physical Blu-Rays, preferably 4K ones, but only because they don't sell them as DRM-free files. I'd much rather buy the files - but then again, the physical discs work as a good backup, for a fair number of years until disc rot happens.

***

For what it's worth: as an arguably "old" person, I see a risk in younger generations getting hooked on subscriptions, especially as long as parents still pay their bills. Same goes for acceptance of so-called "Digital Rights Management", which is a veiled term for treating potential buyers as potential thieves by default, and only "manages" to increase the rights of sellers to control usage of digital products by buyers.

On business (seller) side, the general strategy is to get people to feel that subscription is essential to them, and prioritize it in their life enough to countinue paying the bill - which is likely to increase, little by little, as years go by, to the point at which it makes most profit (possibly while dropping customers whose ability to pay is below that point).

On technical side, subscriptions - and to larger extent, DRM - leverage the knowledge and capability disparity between sellers and buyers of digital goods.

Recently some developments in our world have gone into direction of trying to make "non-technical" people comfortable with ideas of artificial digital scarcity, which in my opinion is outright scam-like and regressive.

Bluntly speaking, in large scale it looks like an attempt to raise a generation of obedient, hard-working bill-payers who don't question too much and don't know too much about technical sides of things.
Whether that is good or bad for society, in the long run, I'm not sure. But I know that I'd rather not make myself reliant on any digital vendor's continued benevolence.


TL;DR: Master Blaster runs Bartertown


EDIT: fixed typo

[Introspective]

TL;DR: Master Blaster runs Bartertown

Ay-yay-yay!

We look like ...

Cartoons!

[D-Fusion]

"Best subscriptions, I've tried" ... That would be none

So you don’t watch movies or listen to music? Apple Music, Spotify, Netflix, etc;…
[...]

That was not directed at me, but I'll reply nevertheless.

I prefer to buy music as DRM-free files (such as on iTunes and Beatport) and keep local backups. That way, once I own [technically, a license to the content of] the file and media it's stored on, no-one can ever take it from me. Provided that I have maintained the devices needed, I can listen to anything I've bought, anywhere, anytime.

Also I still buy physical Blu-Rays, preferably 4K ones, but only because they don't sell them as DRM-free files. I'd much rather buy the files - but then again, the physical discs work as a good backup, for a fair number of years until disc rot happens.

***

For what it's worth: as an arguably "old" person, I see a risk in younger generations getting hooked on subscriptions, especially as long as parents still pay their bills. Same goes for acceptance of so-called "Digital Rights Management", which is a veiled term for treating potential buyers as potential thieves by default, and only "manages" to increase the rights of sellers to control usage of digital products by buyers.

On business (seller) side, the general strategy is to get people to feel that subscription is essential to them, and prioritize it in their life enough to countinue paying the bill - which is likely to increase, little by little, as years go by, to the point at which it makes most profit (possibly while dropping customers whose ability to pay is below that point).

On technical side, subscriptions - and to larger extent, DRM - leverage the knowledge and capability disparity between sellers and buyers of digital goods.

Recently some developments in our world have gone into direction of trying to make "non-technical" people comfortable with ideas of artificial digital scarcity, which in my opinion is outright scam-like and regressive.

Bluntly speaking, in large scale looks like an attempt to raise a generation of obedient, hard-working bill-payers who don't question too much and don't know too much about technical sides of things.
Whether that is good or bad for society, in the long run, I'm not sure. But I know that I'd rather not make myself reliant on any digital vendor's continued benevolence.


TL;DR: Master Blaster runs Bartertown

I agree 100% and the same thing is happening if you own a company too.
Now you can rent one of the Industry Standard account Programs "Visma" but not buy it like you could before.

Seems like many people like to be a Virtual slave and a Virtual Hostage these days which i find scary.

Paying for Youtube to get rid of Commercials is one example where you support the oppressors that forces censorship and other crappy stuff your way.

[Googly Smythe]

Boris FX Continuum.

[martinjuenke]

Another vote for Apple Music!

[Gribs]

1. Amazon Prime and Music Unlimited family.
2. Netflix
3. Roland Cloud Pro (1st year was included with my MC-707, paid for second year and got a JP-800 plug-in lifetime key).
4. Bitwig. Let’s face it, Bitwig runs by what is effectively a subscription-style model if you want to stay up-to-date.  I am okay with it.
5. Adobe Illustrator cloud.  I use this for various hobbies and for work.  It is one of the rare subs that I use for non-music hobbies and work.  I use my employer-provided enterprise license for work and a personal subscription for my hobbies (two different computers).

I had an early Noizz subscription that I terminated because I was not getting my money’s worth anymore. I have the free Loopcloud and pretty much never use it.

I own all licenses for of Kilohearts plugins so there is no reason to subscribe.

I work as an optical engineer professionally and there are many licenses for engineering software that I use daily but are out of scope here.

[Spring Goose]

Beatport Link works for me at £27 per month.

[AdvancedFollower]

"Best subscriptions, I've tried" ... That would be none

So you don’t watch movies or listen to music? Apple Music, Spotify, Netflix, etc;…
Or are you using PirateBay and such like… that would explain everything

There's a big difference between music/movie subscriptions and plugin subscriptions.
I'm always listening to new music. I follow playlists that are updated daily, which I keep on shuffle in the background when I work. I discover new bands and songs, and make my own playlists to fit different moods. Of course there are songs and bands I keep returning to, and in a few rare instances, I'll also buy their albums on Bandcamp (more to support that artists than anything).

Same with movies. I don't rewatch the same movie over and over every day, so it makes no sense to "own" it if I'm just going to watch it once. There are a few really great movie I've watched more than once, but the vast majority of movies, I watch them once and have no desire to ever see them again.

It's just not comparable to plugins, where hoarding (whether via subscriptions, buying or pirating) can actually have a negative impact on your creativity. I've been using the same handful of EQ's, compressors, synths etc. for years, and they're already paid for. I don't need to pay an extra $30 a month for another 25 compressors I'll never use.

[noiseboyuk]

Therapists4Less.com

[Bla28]

Pronhub Premium

[hebex]

IMO, the only good subscription is no subscription.

this

Same here. I wouldn´t want to encourage corporate monsters by considering subscription/serfdom business models in a public forum.

[Mplay]

Nvm

[jamcat]

Abilify, Zyprexa, Saphris, Cialis

[fedexnman]

Road warrior for my job , Spotify , I used to use Google music but it changed to YouTube music .

[3lu5iv3]

I had an early Noizz subscription that I terminated because I was not getting my money’s worth anymore. I have the free Loopcloud and pretty much never use it.

Really? I've downloaded all the sample packs from Noiiz a few years ago IIRC. Best deal ever IMO.