Live 9 Pricing

[Szuumm]

So I just bought a used copy of Live 8 Suite (boxed) on eBay last month for $256 and my upgrade path to Live 9 Suite costs $249. Ableton Live 8 Suite is selling for $524 with free upgrade to Live 9 Suite.

So that means:
Live 8 Suite (used) $256 + Live 9 Suite upgrade (release special) $249 = $505

Live 8 Suite (new) $524 + FREE upgrade to Live 9 Suite = $524

$524
-505
$19 savings

So buying a used copy of Live 8 Suite offers little to no savings, unless you can find it for like $100? I must say that in comparison to recent Propellerhead upgrade paths, this upgrade pricing is HUGELY disappointing, unless I'm missing something here. Would I have been better off waiting for Live 9 Suite to come out and using a coupon at a retailer to get a better price?

Are you blaming Ableton for you getting a bad deal on a 2nd hand purchase?

[agent314]

Gotta blame someone

[mCKENIC]

My confusion is in the fact that on my upgrade page €249 is crossed out and €169 is my current price.

The email said there was a €100 discount as I already have Live 8 Suite and M4L. If its €69 I will upgrade indeed.

If it is €169 ($225) I dont see enough value in it for me ATM so I wont bother...

[sampla]

Are you blaming Ableton for you getting a bad deal on a 2nd hand purchase?

No. And relatively speaking, $249 is not a bad deal for Ableton Live 8 Suite. What isn't a good deal is upgrade pricing. If I'd purchased Ableton Live 8 Suite for full price, near its release, I'd be really steamed at the upgrade pricing. As it is, I am disappointed that the deal I hoped I would get, is not really any deal at all. Notice, I'm not flaming all over the discussion board over the pricing, but simply trying to understand if I'm reading the upgrade path pricing correctly. If I am reading everything correctly, then I've saved next to nothing in buying secondhand. Hopefully, others who might have the same idea will be aware that there is no real deal in buying secondhand, unless you are getting Live 8 Suite at well under $250. I was under the impression that Ableton Live 8 Suite users were getting a free upgrade to Live Suite 9, similar to the Propellerhead offer. In my defense, the upgrade path and pricing has been extremely confusing to many, if not most, Ableton users over the past few months. I guess I rolled the dice and came up short.

And for what it's worth, I was able to buy a secondhand copy of Reason 4 for dirt cheap on eBay and offered "pay what you want" pricing to upgrade to Reason 6.0. I paid the going rate for the upgrade ($169 I believe, upgradable from ANY previous versions of Reason, which is VERY reasonable), by the way, because Reason is fantastic!

And my question still wasn't answered... Would I have been better off waiting for Live 9 Suite to come out and using a coupon at a retailer to get a better price?

Gotta blame someone

Thank you for your valuable input.

[DJ_Zombot]

My only complaint remains the same, no other DAW I own is as expensive to upgrade as Live Suite is.
This is the inherent problem with relying on third party manufacturers for add ons. AAS, Cycling 74, Cytomic, whoever makes Amp, all those people will want a cut at some point when they recode for OS changes etc.

They need the extra money to hire a better web developer.

[Breaks Dude]

On March 5th we will be releasing Ableton Live 9 with many new features, innovations, and improvements. To show our appreciation to you as a user of Suite 8 and Max for Live, we are offering a special upgrade discount. Save USD 100 / EUR 80 off the regular price when you upgrade to Live 9 Suite within one week of its release - until Tuesday, March 12th, 2013.

Price is $199 USD for me and that's with $100 off.

Wow NO NO NO and NO!

This "upgrade" is the same price as the full version of Logic. Live 8 still works pretty well, and I already own M4L and The Glue. Seems as if the improvements here are incremental at best, not really worth two C notes and I say this having been a very vocal supporter of Live for a long time (I bought version 1.0 way back 2001). $99 USD yes. $199, uh no.

Just wait for a sale to come around during the holidays.

[mCKENIC]

Just wait for a sale to come around during the holidays.

Im afraid that is what I will have to do too (already have the Glue also)!

[DIgiDennis]

€169 as an suite/mfl owner, i dont want to be ungrateful but this is too much at present time, so i will pass this one, i can downgrade to 9 standard for just €129

Live 8 is still good enough + plus i got a reaper license ( €60 ! opps sorry $60 even )

[sampla]

This "upgrade" is the same price as the full version of Logic.

I bought Logic Studio 8 secondhand within a year of its release for roughly $200 less than the new price and recently upgraded to Logic Studio 9 (open box) for $75. Even if I'd paid "full price" for my Logic Studio 9 upgrade or simply purchased Logic Studio 9 new, I'd be getting a great deal.

My only complaint, . . . no other DAW I own is as expensive to upgrade as Live Suite is.

My thoughts exactly! I feel real bad for people who bought Live 8 Suite near release.

Just wait for a sale to come around during the holidays.

I suppose this is what I'll have to do.

[ezelkow1]

Have they ever done a 50% off upgrades sale though? The most I thought I've seen is 33% off, and now that suite+m4l upgrade price is 300$, that puts it at the release discount price even during a sale time

[sampla]

The most I thought I've seen is 33% off, and now that suite+m4l upgrade price is 300$, that puts it at the release discount price even during a sale time

Interesting. Have you seen retailers offering discounts on Ableton Live upgrades?

[login]

Stop comparing to Logic studio, it's subsidized by apple a big corp sitting in billions of cash that use that daw as added value on their systems.

Compare it to things like FL Studio, Cubase, Sonar, etc.

Avid Protools 10 599
Reason 399
Studio One Pro 399
Ableton Suite 599
Ableton Standard 399
Cubase 7 499
Sonar X2 PRO 499
Digital performer 495
FL Studio Producer 299
Logic 199


Logic is clearly out of the market economics, Ableton is expensive but at that price point it comes with a lot more content and intruments.

[ezelkow1]

The most I thought I've seen is 33% off, and now that suite+m4l upgrade price is 300$, that puts it at the release discount price even during a sale time

Interesting. Have you seen retailers offering discounts on Ableton Live upgrades?

never paid much attention to retailers so dont know about that one

[sampla]

Compare it to things like FL Studio, Cubase, Sonar, etc.

Avid Protools 10 599
Reason 399
Studio One Pro 399
Ableton Suite 599
Ableton Standard 399
Cubase 7 499
Sonar X2 PRO 499
Digital performer 495
FL Studio Producer 299
Logic 199

Just curious, what are the upgrade costs of those other DAWs, since that is what we're primarily discussing?
I don't own most of those, so I don't know how they compare.

[stringtapper]

Logic is clearly out of the market economics, Ableton is expensive but at that price point it comes with a lot more content and intruments.

I disagree. Logic's content including instruments and effects at least rivals that of Live Suite.