CEO's 2021 review

[Billy+]

You're not wrong

And if the currency conversion was better that $20 would be £15

Then put that out with a 50% off and enable it on a per month indefinitely then I would almost certainly have continued the subscription. £7.99

But £20 a month for R12 and bassline generator is a bit expensive and the sound packs would have to be less well random / made up genres for them to start being an enticement although I haven't checked out any for months but I think that speaks for itself

[joeyluck]

I still think that if they modeled the subscription after the Kilohearts subscription plan, it would be a big win. I think many more users would get on board and appreciate the subscription.

So they could either offer vouchers after 1 year of subscribing...or grant reward points for subscribing. But then most importantly, also include the Reason upgrade in the Rewards shop.

How do you get users who prefer perpetual licenses to join the subscription program? Make the incentive to continue subscribing a reward that can then be exchanged for a perpetual license later. Seems very logical to me and I'm confused why they haven't done it already.

Most likely in that scenario, a user exchanges reward points for the Reason upgrade, but then stays subscribed to continue using the REs. They then decide next year if they use their reward points for one or some of those REs, or they use them to get the next version of Reason... Those users continue to be interested in subscribing each year for the rewards and feel less anxious about being left with nothing after subscribing for so long.

[StephenHutchinson]

You're not wrong

And if the currency conversion was better that $20 would be £15

Then put that out with a 50% off and enable it on a per month indefinitely then I would almost certainly have continued the subscription. £7.99

But £20 a month for R12 and bassline generator is a bit expensive and the sound packs would have to be less well random / made up genres for them to start being an enticement although I haven't checked out any for months but I think that speaks for itself

Thanks for the validation. I wish things were different but it is what it is.

[ScuzzyEye]

How do you get users who prefer perpetual licenses to join the subscription program? Make the incentive to continue subscribing a reward that can then be exchanged for a perpetual license later. Seems very logical to me and I'm confused why they haven't done it already.

The only time I've ever done any kind of software subscription is when the company has offered some sort of reward after a period of time. I was using some 3D texturing software that allowed a purchase of a perpetual license for a decreasing amount for each month you remained subscribed. After 18 months you could request a free license. You only got the license for the current version when you bought it. Every time you got a version the discount timer would reset.

That allayed my biggest complaint(s) about subscribing to software: Being stuck without access to the program you need to be able to make money to pay for another month. And/or being left with nothing to show for years of payments, if you ever stop paying.

All I can figure is when companies don't offer any sort of long-term benefits, it's not because they didn't think of it. It's because they absolutely have, and figured locking customers into perpetual payment is more in the company's interest than keeping a small number of vocal malcontents quiet.

[joeyluck]

How do you get users who prefer perpetual licenses to join the subscription program? Make the incentive to continue subscribing a reward that can then be exchanged for a perpetual license later. Seems very logical to me and I'm confused why they haven't done it already.

The only time I've ever done any kind of software subscription is when the company has offered some sort of reward after a period of time. I was using some 3D texturing software that allowed a purchase of a perpetual license for a decreasing amount for each month you remained subscribed. After 18 months you could request a free license. You only got the license for the current version when you bought it. Every time you got a version the discount timer would reset.

That allayed my biggest complaint(s) about subscribing to software: Being stuck without access to the program you need to be able to make money to pay for another month. And/or being left with nothing to show for years of payments, if you ever stop paying.

All I can figure is when companies don't offer any sort of long-term benefits, it's not because they didn't think of it. It's because they absolutely have, and figured locking customers into perpetual payment is more in the company's interest than keeping a small number of vocal malcontents quiet.

Yeah I agree. And in those cases, what they overlook and forget is that the subscription they offer includes more than just what can be exchanged for the amount of rewards earned each year.

So what will often happen is someone subscribes, gets a benefit, exchanges it for a perpetual license to something, but then continues subscribing after revamping their personal safety net. They feel less anxious. Now they want to earn points for a different plugin or the next version down the road, etc. And they want to keep using the entire library of plugins in the meantime.

It's all about raising buyer confidence. When people feel less anxious they are more likely to keep paying and stay on board. They feel more appreciated too, which is incredibly important.

I would often make the same point about RE license transfers. The mindset for many people is they want an out for what seems like a good amount of money. They want options. And a developer might think that license transfers would eat into their sales, but in actuality, users make more purchases as they feel more confident and very few of those customers ever actually sell or trade any of their software.

The products and the price tags aren't bad, but the approach and model need to be reworked.

[Billy+]

I still think that if they modeled the subscription after the Kilohearts subscription plan, it would be a big win. I think many more users would get on board and appreciate the subscription.

So they could either offer vouchers after 1 year of subscribing...or grant reward points for subscribing. But then most importantly, also include the Reason upgrade in the Rewards shop.

Im not sure how the kilohearts sub works but I definitely like the idea of getting an actual license for the main daw so you have the option to use it even if you cancel the subscription and then buy the RE's you want at a later date.

As things stand the only RS device I don't own is bassline generator so £20 a month for the daw and a device just seems over priced and it's that transition from licensing to rental service that is lopsided, as someone who has been spending money year on year for devices and upgrades to pay the same as a "new" customer is difficult to justify.

But we've already discussed a tired system and it's just not something that looks to be on the cards although I definitely think if RS wanted to they could.

[joeyluck]

I still think that if they modeled the subscription after the Kilohearts subscription plan, it would be a big win. I think many more users would get on board and appreciate the subscription.

So they could either offer vouchers after 1 year of subscribing...or grant reward points for subscribing. But then most importantly, also include the Reason upgrade in the Rewards shop.

Im not sure how the kilohearts sub works but I definitely like the idea of getting an actual license for the main daw so you have the option to use it even if you cancel the subscription and then buy the RE's you want at a later date.

As things stand the only RS device I don't own is bassline generator so £20 a month for the daw and a device just seems over priced and it's that transition from licensing to rental service that is lopsided, as someone who has been spending money year on year for devices and upgrades to pay the same as a "new" customer is difficult to justify.

But we've already discussed a tired system and it's just not something that looks to be on the cards although I definitely think if RS wanted to they could.

The kilohearts subscription is $9.99/month and you get $100 voucher after 12 months of subscribing. And the months don't have to be consecutive.

So you pay about $120 into the subscription and you get $100 to spend to buy perpetual licenses.

And just as I was mentioning, with a subscription model where the content keeps growing, the incentive to keep subscribing is there. Kilohearts gets it.

https://kilohearts.com/products/kilohea ... on#rewards

Definitely check it out!

[guitfnky]

I’d subscribe for a year if the CEO would step down.

[ohmygoff]

Finding out I HAD to sign up with a subscripction plan (Roland cloud) just to get my hands on the JD-800 VST (and buy it permanently after a year) and then realizing they only provide a VST3 version which I won't be able to use in Reason for at least the first half of 2022... boy, that was fun.

Hello Cubase, you have slept on my machine far too long. Unfortunately, I don't see myself returning to Reason after feeling comfortable enough with Cubase. Reason has always been my all-in-the-box go-to software from v1, but if I have to go the VST route now anyway, there's no more reason to stay faithful to Reason anymore.

All those funky players - I don't need them, as I don't need anything that makes my music FOR me. All those funky soundpacks - yeah, keep on releasing them to the player users. Insulting long-time customers... yeah, go on, and so will I... pretty much a preview of 2022...

[npinero1]

Any CEOs job is basic on the surface, and their report card is visible to almost all in the industry as it follows them from job to job. As stewards of any brand, product or service, their job is to build a product that drives higher revenue so that they can pay their team while also providing adequate customer service so that the brand does not die on their watch.

If the Reason+ users are keeping the Reason Studios going, that is concerning because it essentially dismisses the sequencer and mixer page and it only prioritizes the rack. The Rack was always what set them apart anyway and the CEO is simply doubling down on that.

As a perpetual user since Reason 3, I appreciate the Reason infrastructure more than any other DAW and Ive had or still have almost all of the DAWs except FL Studio (i.e. Digital Performer, Ableton Live, ProTools, Bitwig, Cubase, Tracktion, Studio One, Reaper). Ive used a lot of them and the Reason DAW still matters to me the most and I will still support it and I hope they do too.

[Creativemind]

CEO posted https://www.reasonstudios.com/blog/2021-review

I'm too sensitive here, or does this part of his post is a bit harsh with perpetual license owners (like me)?

No, it is a bit tonedeaf.
You could as well turn his argumentation around and ask him what customer group has made it possible to even develop Reason+ ?

Fair point actually.

[BRIGGS]

I’d subscribe for a year if the CEO would step down.

[boosto23]

a CEO shouldn’t be denigrating their consumers, even in jest, period.

I will quote this too. This was a bad move for a CEO, and very tone-deaf to my ears as someone who upgraded to R12 and purchased a good amount of RE's. You guys need money? Who doesn't in this economy? Don't be speaking down on us perpetual users who chose to invest in your product, past or present.

[integerpoet]

I'm pretty sure this forum represents a minuscule fraction of the Reason user base.

He'd be paying attention to sales figures, not a tiny bunch of bedwetters on the internet.

Hear hear!

[Pepin]

If the Reason+ users are keeping the Reason Studios going, that is concerning because it essentially dismisses the sequencer and mixer page and it only prioritizes the rack. The Rack was always what set them apart anyway and the CEO is simply doubling down on that.

Not necessarily, because we don't know how many R+ users are using standalone. A lot of posts lately have linked perpetual vs subscription to standalone vs RRP, but they're separate questions.

The only data point we have is an earlier blog post saying half of users are using RRP, but it didn't say they were using it exclusively or even primarily over standalone.

So for all we know, there could be plenty of R+ users who are using the standalone product and would potentially unsubscribe if it stagnates for too long. That would serve as incentive to improve these features.

[Iapetus 9]

I couldn't care less about what the RS CEO said, because they won't get my upgrade coin until they sort their collective shit out and make perpetual 12 worthy of the money. This hasn't been their best performance. At all.

[EnochLight]

Why would he bother? I'm pretty sure this forum represents a minuscule fraction of the Reason user base. He'd be paying attention to sales figures, not a tiny bunch of bedwetters on the internet

You’re not wrong, though I’m sure someone’s opinion will be you’re being a “dismissive apologist”. He should probably change his sheets.

[guitfnky]

Why would he bother? I'm pretty sure this forum represents a minuscule fraction of the Reason user base. He'd be paying attention to sales figures, not a tiny bunch of bedwetters on the internet

You’re not wrong, though I’m sure someone’s opinion will be you’re being a “dismissive apologist”. He should probably change his sheets.

man, how much rent do I owe you? I feel bad for living in your mind like this.

[avasopht]

How many of those who subscribed will ditch it in a year?

Bearing in mind the glitches, the incompletion, the failed promises, and for the most part a massive lacking of what was promised and expected.

Especially if they will need to spend $20/mo the following year.

That's why I didn't even do the 1 year discounted subscription. It's not even a money thing. I just don't feel it's worth it, and I don't like to say that.

I love working in Reason. It's an insanely powerful tool that I just cannot find any equal to. But for the last few months, I've been working mostly exclusively in Maschine (using Reason only for recording).

[cymek74]

You’re not wrong, though I’m sure someone’s opinion will be you’re being a “dismissive apologist”. He should probably change his sheets.

man, how much rent do I owe you? I feel bad for living in your mind like this.

Anyone voicing a complaint or concern about Reason is a whiner, salty or a bedwetter, nothing gets said, there's no apparent problem with that.
But if someone who does have issues is forced to defend their point of view and gets a bit loose with the language out of frustration, because that's what it always is, it's always AFTER having to defend what are considered legitimate points and being called a bedwetter, etc., they're terrible people.

[dvdrtldg]

man, how much rent do I owe you? I feel bad for living in your mind like this.

Anyone voicing a complaint or concern about Reason is a whiner, salty or a bedwetter

Nope. Voicing complaints & concerns about Reason is fine. Bedwetting is when someone decides to get personally offended by a dumb throwaway joke made by the CEO of the company

[rootwheel]

Anyone voicing a complaint or concern about Reason is a whiner, salty or a bedwetter

Nope. Voicing complaints & concerns about Reason is fine. Bedwetting is when someone decides to get personally offended by a dumb throwaway joke made by the CEO of the company

I think it's fair to get annoyed about the CEO making such remarks given 2021 has been marked by 'dumb throwaway code' from Reason Studios which does not work as advertised and has resulted in perpetual owners being considerably more out of pocket for what is tantamount to faulty goods. For perpetuals to be talked about in that way as opposed to the easy-come-easy-go subscription customers is pretty insulting.

The CEO should be thanking perpetual customers for putting up with RS's garbage code with empty wallets; instead of joking about how irrelevant he now thinks they are to the company's new financial model.

[cymek74]

Anyone voicing a complaint or concern about Reason is a whiner, salty or a bedwetter

Nope. Voicing complaints & concerns about Reason is fine. Bedwetting is when someone decides to get personally offended by a dumb throwaway joke made by the CEO of the company

It may be your opinion and perception that it's a dumb throwaway joke, and that's YOUR prerogative, and you are entitled to that without ridicule, but that doesn't make it a fact, therefore others may disagree with your take on it.
He's the CEO of Reason, he is heavily associated with Reason and influential in its present and future direction, and this is a Reason forum.

[guitfnky]

Anyone voicing a complaint or concern about Reason is a whiner, salty or a bedwetter

Nope. Voicing complaints & concerns about Reason is fine. Bedwetting is when someone decides to get personally offended by a dumb throwaway joke made by the CEO of the company

so, please explain how taking time out of your life to ‘bedwet’ about the complaints of someone you don’t know isn’t worse?

[MrFigg]

Stop fighting fellows. That’s exactly what the CEO wants.