How would a subscription model benefit the consumer using Logic?

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https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/23/apple-s ... table.html

If the "money people" don't understand why Apple isn't capitalizing on a subscription model for its apps, it's just seems "logical" that Logic would eventually become subscription. I imagine this would be both good and bad, depending on how you use Logic, but it makes me wonder if I would choose a different DAW it this were to happen.

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AFAIK Logic Pro is priced generously and their updates are most of the time free
because they want to sell their hardware to the artists.
They're making their revenue and profit via their MACs.
So do not expect a change in their pricing strategy.

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What the money people don't understand, is that music & video creation software doesn't lend itself well (yet) for the SaaS architecture, where you use a web browser to run software in the cloud.

You don't just need the software itself, but also a huge collection of audio files, synth & effects plugins, sample libraries. These also need to be shifted towards the cloud. Streaming gigabytes back & forth is not so efficient to get your work done.
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Subscription models benefit the seller, not the buyer. I don’t think it’s logical that this will happen - the article is more than a year and a half old, so either Apple is very slow, or they’ve considered the potential negative impact to user base.

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I think the core thing is that most (percentage-wise) Logic or any DAW (or most plugins) users are not doing it professionally, i.e. they don't make a living from it. If that's the case, subscription isn't really a great option, because why would I care to pay for a access to a DAW or library of plugins if I might not have the time to use them for several weeks because of work or family stuff? I prefer to save up and get what I need and might use piece-by-piece.

Also, AFAIK Logic is the most bang / buck DAW one can get, so I'm not sure what kind of subscription it would have to be to offer a better incentive, unless of course that would be the only option one can get it.
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what they usually mean by "leaving money on the table" is actually "i'm too shortsighted to see beyond the next financial quarter".
I don't know what to write here that won't be censored, as I can only speak in profanity.

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Subscriptions are good for the company providing the subscription, because they can keep extracting money from the customer in a predictable and consistent way without having to market and sell paid upgrades every x months/years.

They're also a good choice for large organizations or institutions, where they simplify the management and auditing of licenses.

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The first sentence in that article says it all - Apple makes the bulk of it's revenue via iPhone and it's supporting infrastructure. I doubt if a subs model would be of any financial benefit to Apple. It may even cost more to maintain.

edit:
ps I didn't read the rest of the article. Like most people, I think subs are bad for the consumer.

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Why would apple give up the opportunity to sell mac by making money: selling a software and lock the users to their OS? It's synergizing. Usually they are paying for advertising to do it.

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Googly Smythe wrote: Wed Jan 22, 2020 1:41 pm The first sentence in that article says it all - Apple makes the bulk of it's revenue via iPhone and it's supporting infrastructure. I doubt if a subs model would be of any financial benefit to Apple.
Pretty much. I seriously doubt if the Logic product would have any real impact on Apple's financials or bottom line no matter what they do with it. Given the other stuff they sell that actually moves their stock and worth, Logic is (despite being a great product and perhaps being technically financially viable for that small department that produces it) more just adding to the overall brand.

They could probably discontinue it tomorrow and not drop a penny in worth. They're certainly not the second most valuable tech company on the planet because of Logic. :) Which is also partly why they nearly give it away at $199.

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These are money people, they don’t have the slightest idea of the other side of the table. They think its a consumer market. Apple would loose money if they go that route, its a producer market no matter if targeted at professionals or amateurs...
No way would I ever use a software that stops working if I stop paying...

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I wouldn't take that article too seriously. It's just an op-ed by a market analyst, and market analysts -- just like anyone else writing opinion pieces -- do not in general know what they're talking about, nor are they any good at predicting the future.

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The rather critical factor they are missing in this case is that the DAW market is pretty competitive. People hate Adobe's subscription model but feel they don't have an alternative. Logic users can switch to Cubase, S1, Live... and not lose much beyond their presets.

Office 365 a) is sold alongside traditional software b) derives some genuine value from being a cloud service c) still manages to be a bit lame.

The only DAW with that kind of clout is Pro Tools and... oh look, they also get away with a notably expensive/despised licensing scheme.

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imrae wrote: Wed Jan 22, 2020 6:00 pm The rather critical factor they are missing in this case is that the DAW market is pretty competitive. People hate Adobe's subscription model but feel they don't have an alternative. Logic users can switch to Cubase, S1, Live... and not lose much beyond their presets.

Office 365 a) is sold alongside traditional software b) derives some genuine value from being a cloud service c) still manages to be a bit lame.

The only DAW with that kind of clout is Pro Tools and... oh look, they also get away with a notably expensive/despised licensing scheme.
I had an Adobe subscription for a few months as I was in the middle of a project and didn't want to take the time to find a Lightroom replacement. I then forgot about it and inadvertently gave them 5-6 more months than I needed to. I just cancelled the Adobe subscription today.

I will never install Adobe software again. I really like Affinity Photo, Designer and Publisher and I paid only $120 for all 3 and will use them for years without additional cost.

I would stop using Logic if it went subscription. Of course I cannot imagine Apple would do that as people have pointed out, Logic and other software sells hardware... the Mac to run it and an iPad for Logic Remote and so on.

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Because i’d buy the first perpetual license DAW instead, that’s probably crossplatform and can run with cheaper hardware.

Logic sells macs. Macs don’t sell logic.
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