Reason updates (11.3.7 / 11.3.8) and Reason+

[anDre]

I really don't get the point with the new users. If Reason is not attracting enough new users, how should a subscription model change that? It's not that killer feature everyone has been waiting for to jump on the Reason train.

If a software doesn't attract new users, then it neither will just because it now has a subscription model.

Btw no Redrum bugfix in 11.3.8 and so far not even an answer to the bug report.
Man, they have completely lost their focus.

[fieldframe]

Average Reason user: "Hmm, a subscription service. Might look into it."

Average Reason forum poster: "I can't BELIEVE Reason studios would BETRAY its loyal customers this is UNACCEPTABLE and I'm LEAVING also please add TRACK FOLDERS"

[EnochLight]

Reason+ only supports online login to Reason. Once logged in you can continue to use Reason offline until you close the program. Note, though, that opening a previously saved song again will also require you to be online.

Right, but as I said - eventually. I can't see RS keeping R+ as online-auth only.

[jamespember]

Also it seems Reason 11 can not be trialed anymore. Whenever anyone click on 30 day trial - redirection to subscription page.

This seems to be a correct conclusion. I found the Reason product page on their (now hidden) shop and we'll...

https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/product/reason-11/

... As you can see there are 2 options: buy the product or give Reason+ a try. Ergo, the one month free subscription period has become the official trial. I didn't bother to try and provide an email address but I guess you do need a valid payment method before you can trial it.

No you can try R+ without entering a credit card!

[jamespember]

The answer is YES. If you purchase a traditional "forever license" upgrade for $129 USD, or the full-version of Reason 11 for $399 USD, then you can authorize for offline use just like always. That said, if every other subscription model is to be used as an example, even Reason+ subscribers will eventually be able to authorize for offline use.

Reason+ only supports online login to Reason. Once logged in you can continue to use Reason offline until you close the program. Note, though, that opening a previously saved song again will also require you to be online.

Correct. That said, we are looking into how we can build an even better, more robust and modern offline system. One of things we will start looking at now that the launch is here.

[jamespember]

Are we now forced to install the Reason+ app when loggin in online? When I try to loggin online I get the message that don't have the Reason+ companion app installed and reason will only start without all my Rack Extension that I own. That can't be true.

Hey there. No, you should be able to launch Reason and use your REs without having the Companion installed, even if you are on the R+ trial. When Reason complains about lack of Companion, just press cancel and your Reason should open with all your REs and everything. And you can still use the web and Authoriser.

But I recommend giving Companion a go. It's a much smoother experience for handling REs and you might find something you like in there

[jamespember]

From the FAQ: "Currently Reason+ subscribers cannot purchase Rack Extension licenses"

So does it mean that if you even try Reason+, you can't use RE anymore?

No it's a bug in the Shop that blocks R+ subscribers that don't have Reason licenses from buying REs. In other words, it should affect 0 of you in here given you all have Reason perpetual licenses. We'll fix it up over the coming weeks.

[EnochLight]

Average Reason user: "Hmm, a subscription service. Might look into it."

Average Reason forum poster: "I can't BELIEVE Reason studios would BETRAY its loyal customers this is UNACCEPTABLE and I'm LEAVING also please add TRACK FOLDERS"

LOL! Yes, this pretty much sums things up. Also, don't forget the "corporate protectionists" that are all living in a general malaise ignoring reality, apparently.

[Loque]

Average Reason user: "Hmm, a subscription service. Might look into it."

Average Reason forum poster: "I can't BELIEVE Reason studios would BETRAY its loyal customers this is UNACCEPTABLE and I'm LEAVING also please add TRACK FOLDERS"

LOL! Yes, this pretty much sums things up. Also, don't forget the "corporate protectionists" that are all living in a general malaise ignoring reality, apparently.

PERFECT!

[fieldframe]

But I recommend giving Companion a go. It's a much smoother experience for handling REs and you might find something you like in there

So is Companion a replacement for Authorizer? Is it intended to be used by standard-license customers as well as subscribers?

[moneykube]

I have reason 11 suite authorized on my main computer... and reason 10 authorized with ignition key on my portable computer... does this mean my second authorized computer with literally most of the racks you have sold will no longer function with ignition key?
I sincerely hope this is not the case!
I paid for the use on two computers !

[miscend]

See I tend to feel differently. When I buy hardware, I am responsible for keeping it working. And can do so for 20 years if I am careful. Can't do that with software updates, especially when companies purposely stop supporting. Or when annoying Apple decides to drop support on a whim. Software is a scam.

Software is different from hardware. Software companies can go out of business quite suddenly and you're left without support. The hope of subscriptions services is that they can offer software vendors a more consistent and sustainable income. Look at Bitwig they pretty much have a subscription model -> it doesn't work for everyone but their users are quite happy.

By the way you can use software for twenty years. If you keep your machine offline & don't upgrade your operating system, drivers, hardware or software. They're still people sequencing with old Ataris out there.

[jamespember]

But I recommend giving Companion a go. It's a much smoother experience for handling REs and you might find something you like in there

So is Companion a replacement for Authorizer? Is it intended to be used by standard-license customers as well as subscribers?

I mean, currently it's Reason+ only. But yes. Reason+ subs don't need to use Authorizer. It's really a nice product, albeit with a few small quirks still in it.

Screenshot 2021-01-27 at 16.45.00.png (307.71 KiB) Viewed 16518 times

Screenshot 2021-01-27 at 16.44.49.png (305.94 KiB) Viewed 16518 times

There is discussion about whether at some point we set it free and replace Authorizer completely, but that is still not decided yet. Mattias can probably chime in on this. It needs some more heavy testing which it is getting now.

[MattiasHG]

But I recommend giving Companion a go. It's a much smoother experience for handling REs and you might find something you like in there

So is Companion a replacement for Authorizer? Is it intended to be used by standard-license customers as well as subscribers?

It's not unlikely it'll become the replacement for standard licenses too, but not at launch. It's really nice at handling REs, but we'd also need to let it handle Reason licenses and some additional things to make that great.

If you do try it, I'd definitely love some feedback if you think it'd be a nice replacement for Authorizer and what other features you'd like to see in such a replacement! I'll show it at the stream tonight, too.

EDIT: quick with the chime in!

[Billy+]

Sounds like they've spent the last year / year and a half convincing them selves that subscription service is the way forward to get new money only in the real world we've all spent the last year getting locked down and less money.

The user base might increase to some extent but I'm guessing the stream will not be as consistent when the novelty of packs wears off and missing features start being talked about by new users especially when they are just going to click cancel and wait till it happens.

I'm very disappointed with this update, I do think the companion add on could be a good thing but there are better ways of doing it.

Setting up a rent to own system for the daw would be handy, especially if you can pause payments like splice but still own it outright once completed.

And a content companion that has various subscription levels would definitely be nice.

But handing over £20 a month and owning nothing at the end is just wrong.

[moneykube]

once again... I have reason 11 suite authorized on my main computer... and reason 10 authorized with ignition key on my portable computer... does this mean my second authorized computer with literally most of the racks you have sold will no longer function with ignition key?
I sincerely hope this is not the case!
I paid for the use on two computers !
I own a separate reason 9 licence as well !
invested heavily on racks for both computers

[obscured08]

I haven't been able to find a definitive answer on this yet on the FAQ...

I am a current Reason 11 license owner. If I subscribe to Reason+ and receive a version update, say the Reason 12 update, but have to cancel my subscription at a later date, will my investment dollars into Reason+ allow me to continue using Reason 12, or do I revert to my last purchased Reason 11 perpetual licenses? Thanks!

[Loque]

A quick reminder....in 2h the live stream will be on:

[graeme75]

Algoritm - has everyone noticed this

[helmutson]

Another very bitter pill : All A-List Players are gone ... I spend so much money for them and now they are gone... vaporized . I use them alot. Whats happen when I wanna migrate to a new computer ? Can't install them again, right ? Same sh.. as with the Line6 RE's back in the days ... really guys, what are you doin' here ? This is unbelievable ...

PS : PM7 and more are gone too

[KGB]

Average Reason user: "Hmm, a subscription service. Might look into it."

Average Reason forum poster: "I can't BELIEVE Reason studios would BETRAY its loyal customers this is UNACCEPTABLE and I'm LEAVING also please add TRACK FOLDERS"

They'll be back they always come back...

[Shadoww]

Again, to the people who reply with corporate protectionist tones of positivity. Really re-think about the free PR work you do for a company that is now only interested in separating us from our money now. The burying of the shop is the most hostile thing to come of this whole ordeal. The venture capital investment was always a hostile take over.

If you all want to live in corporate feudalism, be my guests. I haven't decided yet, myself. I for one believe all software should run in perpetuity. That was the whole benefit of computers in the first place, that something could theoretically run forever.

Reason Studios should have made the subscription for entire RE bundle and sound bank access and kept software as a separate license or at least rent to own. They still do for the moment, but for how long? This model is purposely predatory because they will yank the perpetual license option when they wedge us with a scalable UI offering in R12. I hope I am dead wrong, of course!

It is actually disrespectful to the people who sank money, time and effort into building and investing in their proprietary RE platform. Only to get shafted when they implemented VST because they decided they needed the market access. I being one of them.

This is the most poignant post so far. All I can add is, Reason Studios sold me with their product as they seemed to be creative thinkers, developing software that relished in being forward thinking and leftfield..now they seem to have sold out and are following the herd to the bottom of the pile with their sinister subscription Splice model. The developers should be ashamed.

[jamespember]

I haven't been able to find a definitive answer on this yet on the FAQ...

I am a current Reason 11 license owner. If I subscribe to Reason+ and receive a version update, say the Reason 12 update, but have to cancel my subscription at a later date, will my investment dollars into Reason+ allow me to continue using Reason 12, or do I revert to my last purchased Reason 11 perpetual licenses? Thanks!

In your example, yes you would revert to the last owned license you had. Everything you get via the subscription (Reason and REs) is yours as long as you subscribe. Everything you own today, you will own tomorrow and every other day despite what you do with Reason+. To be 100% clear - Reason+ does not touch your existing licenses at all. They don't change, they aren't removed etc. Reason+ doesn't even use a license. It's account based.

[earwig83]

See I tend to feel differently. When I buy hardware, I am responsible for keeping it working. And can do so for 20 years if I am careful. Can't do that with software updates, especially when companies purposely stop supporting. Or when annoying Apple decides to drop support on a whim. Software is a scam.

Software is different from hardware. Software companies can go out of business quite suddenly and you're left without support. The hope of subscriptions services is that they can offer software vendors a more consistent and sustainable income. Look at Bitwig they pretty much have a subscription model -> it doesn't work for everyone but their users are quite happy.

By the way you can use software for twenty years. If you keep your machine offline & don't upgrade your operating system, drivers, hardware or software. They're still people sequencing with old Ataris out there.

Definitely all fair points. Still leaves me feeling forced into a crossroads.

[EnochLight]

But handing over £20 a month and owning nothing at the end is just wrong.

Ignoring the fact that current Reason owners get it for 50% off (£10 a month) for the first year, even at the regular price that's $240 USD / £240 a year for Reason. This is like buying a $129 "upgrade" and one or two new RE's (or plugins) each year.

Assuming a subscription model increases the frequency that we get new features added (and R+ will get them first), actually the economics work out better. You could sub for 1 year, or even 2 - and then cancel if you're not making music or life takes you elsewhere. A few years down the line you decide to start making music again, and you subscribe - and instantly get access to everything (including all updates since the last time you subscribed, as well as all new RE's that RS released since then).

I guess if you're the sort of user that never buys plugins, never buys sound pack content, and rarely upgrades to the new version of Reason, then I can certainly see that it likely will hold little value to you. But if you are the sort of user that does even one of those things regularly, then the subscription being offered may actually save you money.

#not_a_corporate_protectionist_but_just_thinking_things_through