Logical fallacy, but anyway...if Ableton goes to the Adobe CC pay-per-month-per-module model, I will go back to using Sonar full-time or switch to Cubase (even with the stupid dongle, now that I have one).re:dream wrote:Anyway, it's a real popular idea, so Ableton is sure to implement it.
If users can't afford to pay the full price up front, then stick with the version they have and budget an appropriate amount over a reasonable amount of time to save (an almost archaic notion it seems) until they do have the amount needed.
The argument some make that the monthly subscription model flattens the business cycle and creates a predictable revenue stream is a non-starter. There are higher costs of administration and support for the billing and tracking/licensing system, there is no guarantee of a given number of subscribers every month, etc. Also, I can't speak for anyone else, but if I'm paying by the month for something it better have five nines uptime and zero flaws because, psychologically, the monthly cost is easier for me to cut my losses on than a one time, large chunk of sunk cost.
Subscription based models are designed to benefit the publisher, not the user. Adobe gets away with it because they have a veritable monopoly on graphic design software (Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator and maybe Premiere) and a significant, dedicated core base of designers who earn a living that would be impacted if they had to learn a new work flow. I'd wager very few professional musicians are that locked in to Ableton. Pro Tools, perhaps, being more common in commercial studios, could manage the change in model.
In my opinion, hobbyists and hopefuls who want their cake (don't want to or can't save) and to eat it too (full access to Ableton Live right now) are the only ones excited about this possibility and actively campaign for it. I am a hobbyist, btw, not a professional; nothing has locked me in to Live (nor Sonar X3 Producer, which I also own and upgrade regularly) and I'll bail. Also, I own Adobe CS6 Master Collection and will not switch to CC. CS6 does far more than I will ever use so Adobe has effectively convinced me I don't need to "upgrade" for the foreseeable future.
