[Fixed in 4.4] Weird bug: latest "Spectral Suite" update not included in upgrade plan

[jsp1979]

This takes development time away from the "main" program, and since the add-ons would likely create more revenue, this would seem to incentivise BW to save the best add-ons as paid add-ons. Going in that direction definitely gives the DAW and customers a back seat.

[docbot]

What's really confusing is how they didn't launch this after introducing 4.4, launching a paid add on before dropping a great upgrade for the paying customers... what did they think would happen?

[darkinners]

Happy Logic user here,
luckily not charged for many, many upgrades for many, many years...
Sorry ladies, had to write this statement

Apple has a different business model, a hardware company, and their software and services are the tools to lure and lock you into their ECO system.

I am speaking as someone who ditched PC entirely and has tons of Apple devices.

[[nx]]

Bitwig is dead to me! (after using it for no more than a week). Joking aside, this was definitely a misstep. I wonder how they will respond, because it is clear a lot of people aren't happy. Bitwig is a good DAW and has a lot potential, but they've really have to sort out this aspect of their business. It was already hard for me to wrap my head around the upgrade plan model, and this certainly doesn't make it any easier.

[slackhead]

What's really confusing is how they didn't launch this after introducing 4.4, launching a paid add on before dropping a great upgrade for the paying customers... what did they think would happen?

I think this WAS going to be 4.4 but they changed their plan. I suspect 4.4 will now be much postponed as they have to start again.

[soulmedia]

And what happens about updates to the addons; how are they paid for? By an addon upgrade licence, or the core bitwig licence? If addons are a one-off purchase then core users are paying for the updates to them unless I'm missing something.

[ralfrobert]

And what happens about updates to the addons; how are they paid for? By an addon upgrade licence, or the core bitwig licence? If addons are a one-off purchase then core users are paying for the updates to them unless I'm missing something.

Update Plan XXL plus?!

[docbot]

What's really confusing is how they didn't launch this after introducing 4.4, launching a paid add on before dropping a great upgrade for the paying customers... what did they think would happen?

I think this WAS going to be 4.4 but they changed their plan. I suspect 4.4 will now be much postponed as they have to start again.

possible but not sure. But from a PR standpoint this is really bad, they should have just dropped 4.4 and announced at the same time that they will release add ons "in the future" that are extra and everybody would have been prepared and it would have gone down much better.

[0degree]

This takes development time away from the "main" program, and since the add-ons would likely create more revenue, this would seem to incentivise BW to save the best add-ons as paid add-ons. Going in that direction definitely gives the DAW and customers a back seat.

That is most likely what will happen. So not only Bitwig is the most expensive DAW to upgrade but also the regular "upgrade plan" will bring almost nothing new. The main takeaways for me are:
1. Bitwig doesn't keep their promises
2. I'm not sure if I can afford it anymore

It's just sad

[excuse my arrogance!]

Ridiculous idea and move from Bitwig stopped temporarily at updating with version 4.2 but am happy i didn't pay yet for the yearly update. Really going back to Ableton live now, greedy Bitwig. Bitwig has potential but this is not the route they should go really upset......

Bitwig you have lost me......

[mholloway]

Honestly pretty shocked by this. Can't decide if it reeks of a totally out-of-touch shift in their marketing / business department, or just outright desperation (or both...)

The entire selling point of the annual subscription was that you'd Get All The Cool New Stuff when you re-upped. They've just broken that concept, forever. Irreparably. That's a bold move, for sure -- in all the wrong directions.

Really, really surprising -- and absolutely bad news for all BWS users.

[ollie.rollover]

Loving the revolution!!! Power to the people...

[musikarldererste]

its 50/50 from dislikes of youtube
so half us paying the price
dont no why , but i think the half form the user will go away

[Phil B]

Make a new update tier that includes Add-ons and inform users with currently active plans that they receive Spectral Suite but that once their current plan expires, they will no longer receive Add-ons unless they purchase the new tier

A lot of my problem (and initial shock) is definitely with this aspect, so I agree with that for sure.

But, don't they already have the Standard vs Suite or Reason vs Reason+ distinction in their product line? Looking at their website, 16-Track excludes: all Grid devices, Phase-4, Amp, Convolution, Chorus+, DC Offset, Delay+, Dual Pan, EQ+, Flanger+, Phaser+, Saturator, Spectrum Analyzer, Time Shift, Treemonster, Vocoder, Dribble, Note Repeats, Ricochet, Strum, FX Selector, 4-Stage, Audio Rate, Envelope Follower, etc. So, like upgrading to Suite or subscribing to Reason+, if you go with Studio, you get all of that add-on stuff. This would be a third, super-premium tier. Why not keep it simple and just raise prices if that's what they need to do?

I think this approach will backfire on them (even if and when they make things right w/r/t Spectral Suite and people get over the whole episode) because their goal is obviously to increase and accelerate revenue, but they will have created more incentive to delay buying annual plans until you first get to see which new stuff actually gets included in Tier 2 vs Tier 3. And if the decision is irreversible (e.g., once you do a Tier 3 upgrade, you can't do Tier 2 upgrades anymore), I'd be out for sure until they had at least a dozen amazing add-ons to buy into

Not to beat a dead horse, but it would be a few years of seeing how this plays out before I'd buy into a super-premium Tier 3 (or continue buying Tier 2 and buying add-ons one by one). I'll use what I've purchased and life goes on, but I have Live Suite too and feel like I need to be prepared to return to it once my Bitwig plan expires in a year

[Nemirov]

For me it is clearly that everybody with active upgrade plan must recieve this and all further updates until plan end, including all content, addons, etc. This what was clamed when selling upgrade plan.
For new upgrade plans from this moment Bitwig can change rules where it will not include some addons, but client must know this before buy. And while devs time for paid addons will be taken from core functions, upgrade plan cost must become lower.

If this will not be so, so best wishes..