FL Studio 2024 (nee FL Studio 21.3)

[t3toooo]

All back. It was a April joke.

[AdvancedFollower]

Between no paid updates forever and rampant piracy, is that company profitable?. How they do it?

Sheer volume of sales?

Also, they did just recently introduce their separate "FL Cloud" subscription service.

So likely, they will continue to add services to that, to ensure a regular revenue stream, from subscribers ... of which, there are possibly a LOT, and potentially many more existing customers to sign up. Given, how popular the DAW is.

Even though FL gets pirated a lot, many end up buying it too. The frequent, free updates are a big incentive for would-be pirates to buy the software so they always have the latest version.
Lots of users probably also upgrade to higher-tier editions of the software (e.g. from Fruity to Producer etc.) at some point.

Plus I-L release new plugins from time to time, which are separate purchases (even the "All Plugins" version of FL only includes the plugins available at the time of purchase).

[MrJubbly]

All back. It was a April joke.

Nope!

[osiris]

I'm afraid I can't open that file for you, Dave.

[musicartist99]

I think they're trying to copy Adobe, who after CS6 started the dreaded CC 2015, CC 2016 etc series of names for their software

[Teksonik]

Even though FL gets pirated a lot

Is this still true with the new two factor verification system? The reason they implemented it was some people were sharing their reg files willy nilly so I assume the new system has stopped that to a large degree.

I know sometime with a new release I have to authorize FLS again and that requires me to enter a verification number sent to my email address. I much prefer that system over less desirable CP methods.

I think IL thrives on attracting new users but that is a double edged sword as those of us who have owned FLS for a very long time don't get the same attention since they've already gotten our money.

DAWs that do have update plans or charge for major updates at least have some incentive to listen to current users.

So to sum up, while I love the free lifetime updates they often contain nothing I really want or need while ignoring what I really do need so their value to me pretty much equals their zero cost.

[vertibration]

Even though FL gets pirated a lot

Is this still true with the new two factor verification system? The reason they implemented it was some people were sharing their reg files willy nilly so I assume the new system has stopped that to a large degree.

I know sometime with a new release I have to authorize FLS again and that requires me to enter a verification number sent to my email address. I much prefer that system over less desirable CP methods.

I think IL thrives on attracting new users but that is a double edged sword as those of us who have owned FLS for a very long time don't get the same attention since they've already gotten our money.

DAWs that do have update plans or charge for major updates at least have some incentive to listen to current users.

So to sum up, while I love the free lifetime updates they often contain nothing I really want or need while ignoring what I really do need so their value to me pretty much equals their zero cost.

I disagree, plenty of veteran users have constructive conversations with Devs on the forums, and things do get done. Im sorry, is there another DAW in which the Devs have constant open dialog with users?

[Teksonik]

I disagree, plenty of veteran users have constructive conversations with Devs on the forums, and things do get done. Im sorry, is there another DAW in which the Devs have constant open dialog with users?

There is a big difference between conversation and results. I've had an "open dialog" with the developers for decades and still can't get a simple feature added that is present in every other DAW.

That's why I've moved on to another DAW and Image-Line could not care less because they have no financial incentive for me to stick around.

There is also a big difference between cost and value. When free updates bring nothing you want or need then they have no value.

[Dionysos]

There is a big difference between conversation and results. I've had an "open dialog" with the developers for decades and still can't get a simple feature added that is present in every other DAW.

Lifetime free updates are not the reason why your feature requests aren't being implemented, and IL absolutely have an incentive for you to stick around.

those of us who have owned FLS for a very long time don't get the same attention since they've already gotten our money.

I've never seen any proof or even hints for the validity of such statements. The difference between keeping existing customers happy and attracting new ones isn't as big as you think.

[vertibration]

I disagree, plenty of veteran users have constructive conversations with Devs on the forums, and things do get done. Im sorry, is there another DAW in which the Devs have constant open dialog with users?

There is a big difference between conversation and results. I've had an "open dialog" with the developers for decades and still can't get a simple feature added that is present in every other DAW.

That's why I've moved on to another DAW and Image-Line could not care less because they have no financial incentive for me to stick around.

There is also a big difference between cost and value. When free updates bring nothing you want or need then they have no value.

You know FL had to be totally reworked from the ground up. Im sure its not easy for the Devs to implement things, but they have been recently blowing out big updates for free. Maybe just be a patient a little while longer, Im sure some of the things you want will eventually be available now that they have a team working on the playlist.

[underscoreraven]

Do users feel positive, negative, or indifferent to this change?

Is this all just a marketing ploy to attract more attention, or is it beneficial and more obvious for customers to recognise which is the latest up-to-date release?

With FL Studio's "Lifetime Free Updates", perhaps this is less of an issue, since existing licence-holders will always get free updates, whenever they're released, regardless of their major or minor status.

As a customer of FL, the name of the current version never mattered for the reasons you mentioned, free updates. Unlike it's competitors they never needed big version upgrades to justify a new price tag. I think for customers directly this is a neutral change, perhaps positive as it's easier to spot being out of date.

Where this may matter more is for their developers, perhaps they found the model of having bigger updates to justify major version increases to be unnecessary constricting and instead prefer to work on small to medium updates. In that case, it might mean getting access to new things faster than if they were held back for a major version increase.

[zwap]

I think the renaming into year is a good thing.

[Teksonik]

There is a big difference between conversation and results. I've had an "open dialog" with the developers for decades and still can't get a simple feature added that is present in every other DAW.

Lifetime free updates are not the reason why your feature requests aren't being implemented, and IL absolutely have an incentive for you to stick around.

No, the reason is either because the developers are myopic or GOL programmed them into a corner they can't get out of. I think the latter possibility is probably more likely. What incentive would there be for Image-Line for me to stick around if they're never going to get another penny from me? Absolutely not one penny more for FL Studio because of lifetime free updates and almost certainly for any of their other content which is mostly aimed at producers and not musicians.

those of us who have owned FLS for a very long time don't get the same attention since they've already gotten our money.

I've never seen any proof or even hints for the validity of such statements. The difference between keeping existing customers happy and attracting new ones isn't as big as you think.

Then you have simply not been paying attention as I have for over two decades. How many times has more than 125 Mixer Strips been requested? (not by me but by other existing customers)

Still not implemented. That's just one example.

[Teksonik]

You know FL had to be totally reworked from the ground up. Im sure its not easy for the Devs to implement things, but they have been recently blowing out big updates for free. Maybe just be a patient a little while longer, Im sure some of the things you want will eventually be available now that they have a team working on the playlist.

"Reworked from the ground up" would have been the perfect time to remove a major flaw that is not present in any other DAW I've ever tried and I've tried almost all of them. I've been on IL about the same issue for well over a decade or more and still....nothing. Just how patient should I be?

Just like the request from other existing customers (not me) for more than 125 Mixer Strips which has been around probably longer than a decade and still....nothing. Just like the bug in the theming system that I've brought up over and over and is still present even in the latest beta. I grow weary of bringing the same thing up over and over with either no result or no response at all. That's why I quit their alpha team. They tend to ignore things they don't want to deal with or simply don't understand.

So even though I can't drop FL Studio altogether since I have so many projects in various stages of completion, all new projects will be in another DAW which does have the feature I need. It's not a decision I wanted to make but it's the only decision available since the flaw in FLS is apparently never going to be fixed.

I've brought up the problem with MW,AT, and PB data over and over and over and....nothing So I'm simply going to move on. Again IL doesn't care since they've already gotten their money and I'm sure they're glad to see me go.......

[Tiles]

... How many times has more than 125 Mixer Strips been requested? (not by me but by other existing customers)

Still not implemented. That's just one example.

And how many customers does in fact need more than 125 strips? That's just a tiny fraction. And so the devs had simply other priorities first. And this is not different with other DAW's.

The good news is, they are in fact now at the new mixer. But development takes its time. And so we might want to wait yet another few years. For me that's fine.

In the end you have a job to do, i understand completely your point. So i cross my fingers for you that the grass is really greener at the other side