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

[SLiC]

They did do that. $199 for the upgrade and suite. $169 for both at blowout.jrrshop.com

Ugh, I hate this, I just need a bone from Bitwig, before this Blowout ends. Just throw me a bone, something to let me know your users voices were heard. Hopefully Monday.

Yup, just penalises all the people who already have active upgrade plans, I have 8 months left on mine….why can’t I just add 30 bucks!?

[machinesworking]

It can be remedied easily. The development costs of it is already spent and they can easily just give it to people with active plans (and perhaps extend the plans of the people with active plans who have already paid for it) and then change or not change their policy going forward.

Which seems to me like the only sensible thing to do given the backlash, UNLESS this is selling enough (to people with active plans) to make it worth the backlash, or if the backlash is perceived to be a tiny minority of users.

I think your first ideas are the way forward, I don't think this is a tiny minority, influencers don't boycott products for a tiny minority.

[machinesworking]

They did do that. $199 for the upgrade and suite. $169 for both at blowout.jrrshop.com

Ugh, I hate this, I just need a bone from Bitwig, before this Blowout ends. Just throw me a bone, something to let me know your users voices were heard. Hopefully Monday.

Yup, just penalises all the people who already have active upgrade plans, I have 8 months left on mine….why can’t I just add 30 bucks!?

Yeah the real way forward is a turn around on policy, and a clarification for the future.

[pdxindy]

They did do that. $199 for the upgrade and suite. $169 for both at blowout.jrrshop.com

Ugh, I hate this, I just need a bone from Bitwig, before this Blowout ends. Just throw me a bone, something to let me know your users voices were heard. Hopefully Monday.

Yup, just penalises all the people who already have active upgrade plans, I have 8 months left on mine….why can’t I just add 30 bucks!?

It's not a great deal anyway... I never buy the update for $170... always $120-130

[wilkins_micawber]

I agree that they are entitled to charge for addons for people that go into a new upgrade contract that makes clear that addons will not be included. The terms of the old upgrade contract promised all new modules throighout the term of the upgrade contract, and it is clear through their change of the wording of the description of the upgrade plan that they're infringing on the contract of existing upgrade plan holders by not including spectral suite.

[SLiC]

They did do that. $199 for the upgrade and suite. $169 for both at blowout.jrrshop.com

Ugh, I hate this, I just need a bone from Bitwig, before this Blowout ends. Just throw me a bone, something to let me know your users voices were heard. Hopefully Monday.

Yup, just penalises all the people who already have active upgrade plans, I have 8 months left on mine….why can’t I just add 30 bucks!?

It's not a great deal anyway... I never buy the update for $170... always $120-130

Yeh, but the upgrade plan with add ins is 160 bucks on JJR Shop, so that’s still on 30 more than normal!

[catamorphism]

Really don't get why people are this upset about this.

[tomsa]

In seriousness, Bitwig just released a paid add-on (I was wondering why 4.4 was taking so long). Info is here: https://www.bitwig.com/spectral-suite/

Anybody else annoyed by this? When I purchased my upgrade license, I was told the following:

12 Months of Free Upgrades

Future-proof: All Bitwig Studio updates in the following 12 months are FREE.

It feels like Bitwig just got a lot more expensive.

EDIT: On reflection, I think this is arguably fraud. They advertise an upgrade plan as including all "updates" and "upgrades" (they use both words). Maybe this isn't an "update", since they have (seemingly arbitrarily) withheld a numbered release for it. Is it an "upgrade"? That's not black-and-white, but there's definitely a case to be made that it is. A reasonable consumer, based on both language and historical precedent, would plausibly assume this kind of content would be included in what they've purchased.

EDIT #2: It's worse than this. As 0degree points out later in the thread, Bitwig changed the language on their "buy" page:

If you go to web archive [on September 23] at the bottom of the page we have:

12 Months of Free Upgrades
Future-proof: All software updates in the following 12 months are FREE.

Now when you go to https://www.bitwig.com/buy/ you have:

12 Months of Free Upgrades
Future-proof: All Bitwig Studio updates in the following 12 months are FREE."

EDIT #3: Guenon found something that looks like pretty conclusive proof Bitwig has breached their contract with anybody who has an active upgrade plan. From their EULA (you can find it yourself in your Bitwig installation folder):

1.3: "This EULA also applies for upgrades. Upgrades include newer versions of the Final Version as well as add-ons which extend the Final Version’s functions in all editions except the Demo Edition."

2.5: the user "is entitled to receive free Upgrades for a period of 12 months, beginning with the registration of the license in the Bitwig user account. The User has the right to install and perpetually use all Upgrades, including newer versions of Bitwig Studio, which are being published during this period for his/her edition. The User may purchase an upgrade plan for a period of additional 12 months at a reduced price from Bitwig GmbH’s website (www.bitwig.com/buy), which entitles him/her to install and perpetually use all Upgrades which are being published during this additional period."

This is pretty damning, honestly. I don't know how the EU and Germany are going to feel about this legally, but that's nearly open/shut breach of contract. I'm going to have to look at my EULA again to see if there's any CYA language for things like, "we can change this EULA any time we want without telling you and you agree you have no legal recourse if we do so". That kind of statement does not often stand up in court. I've been championing Bitwig since version 1, but this just displays a complete lack of self-awareness, logic, and business sense. I'm really disappointed in the company right now. I'm glad that I have multiple other options if I need them.

[Dostoyevsky]

blah

[Phil B]

Really don't get why people are this upset about this.

Although high in quantity, I actually think the takes have been pretty sober. I think it’s the people complaining about people complaining that are blowing it out of context and proportion

[Pasaje]

Really don't get why people are this upset about this.

When people feel cheated/scammed they tend to get emotional. It can feel humiliating, disrespectful, disempowering, etc. Some have things going on in their heads or in their lives to, those can have extreme responses.

Better?

[tomsa]

Really don't get why people are this upset about this.

It's pretty simple. When a company says

12 Months of Free Upgrades
Future-proof: All Bitwig Studio updates in the following 12 months are FREE.

That usually in a very strict legal sense means that all updates are free for the next 12 months. Creating a plug-in to sell like it is any different from any of the modules that are already fully available, simply by quietly changing the language on their website and in their EULA is disingenuous, and kind of an insult to paying customers like me. Depending on what country you live in, the legality of how this has been handled so far might also be questionable. I should be absolutely clear- this has been my favorite DAW to work in for quite some time, but I am also pretty upset at the change of language to fill the coffers. I didn't get too terribly upset at the licensing model change like a lot of people did- but this one is kind of a slap in the face.

[Be_Lebowski]

The goodwill I felt for Bitwig is gone. Assuming they are to continue with their new commercial approach, then for me to consider any additional purchases they need to honour existing annual plan holder entitlements and provide the criteria they will use to determine what are "core features" versus "highly specialised features".

If I agree with their criteria then I will consider purchasing annual upgrade plans only after they have delivered/shipped sufficient content that I value. If I don't agree with their criteria then it will mean that I think the costs going forward will be too high for a closed ecosystem and I won't support that.

If they continue with ambiguous messaging then I abandon Bitwig and go back to alternating between Studio One and Ableton Live.

I don't mind if they change the price of the annual upgrade plan as I'll only purchase one when I perceive sufficient value to me (this has been my current approach anyway).

[tempsperdu]

Regardless of any EULA changes that might appear to 'legitimise' these moves, the very act of the change to add-on and the continuing silence is just plain disrespectful to both themselves and their users and in the long term that is what really has to be addressed for anyone to really trust or have faith in them again.

[JsinOwl]

Really don't get why people are this upset about this.

Although high in quantity, I actually think the takes have been pretty sober. I think it’s the people complaining about people complaining that are blowing it out of context and proportion

Yep.

I can forgive them and move on from this. It all depends on what they say and do, or don't....