New Pricing for Reason 12 - Upgrades now 199 from 129

[Oper-8]

@avasopht : Thanks for the info. I'm following them on Twitter only and I rarely follow the forums, so I didn't know.
Now, on Twitter at least, they never communicate except for publishing promo videos and replying only to "Wow, that's great !" tweets.
Anyway, it's quite a weird choice to release an unfinished product and charging full price for it, instead of waiting a little more. Hopefully the $199 upgrades will be at least more than halkf-baked...

@dvdrtldg : Yep, wise solution indeed. I think I'll do the same from now on.

[fieldframe]

As for DAWs - there's only so many groundbreaking features they can introduce before it becomes routine maintenance.

I would have to disagree with this. I can understand how it might feel this way right now, especially given the lackluster updates of other major DAWs this year (Ableton Live 11, Bitwig Studio 4), but there's a whole world of new ideas that are waiting to be discovered.

Most of these won't be splashy, buzzword social AI-powered revolutionary game-changers; they'll be simple features that add up to new and better workflows. The best example in recent years is Ableton's capture feature: It's stupefyingly simple in concept, yet for decades, no one thought to build it into a DAW. I never thought I'd need it before they added it, and now I use it all the time.

As you say, there are tons of feature requests floating around, for Reason and for every other DAW on the market. The challenge of a product manager is to take these in aggregate and understand what it is people really want to do with their tools: Sometimes, the solution really is to build the exact feature, while other times it's to build a different feature that meets that need in a more holistic way. The solution space for DAWs to improve right now is as big as it's ever been – yes, most of the low-hanging fruit has been picked, but the opportunities are huge for the right innovations.

[Mistro17]

I had the same hesitant reaction when Reason 11 was dropped but at least there was some functional features in the sequencer and cool RE devices to look forward too and the RRP. It took me a few months but I finally caved and felt really good about it. This time though? I been on the fence thinking I might upgrade sometime early next year when all the bugs are fixed and I see a reason to jump from Reason 11 suite. I checked the rewards shop page and discovered because i have the suite, and bought a couple REs there's nothing left on the list I want to buy atm. Reason 11 suite was the best purchase I made and I'm saying again I dodged a bullet. The old graphics?, I'm used to them. Don't need the HD. Mimmic? I have Kontakt 6 (a sampler) and Cubase 11 pro (with an awesome sampler in it and i got Cubase on sale for the same price they will now charge for upgrades). The new combinator looks awesome but I'm not paying $200 for it. It's gonna take a hell of an upgraded version to get me to move from 11 so looking with interest to what will come next year. Hopefully it will be good. This seems like such a strange move though.

With that said, this is no reason to jump ship and say f#@k Reason and swear it off. As long as they honor all versions, I will be using Reason 11 suite for the foreseeable future and take it with me when in Cubase. I never looked at buying a product as some kind of investment in a company, but an investment in what I have to work with. Reason 11 works just fine.

[Creativemind]

I have a lot of sympathy for RS. They're a small business, and at a human level I bet they're pushing themselves incredibly hard right now.

How in terms or a software company are they small? I think I heard they have around 50 staff?

[Creativemind]

I hate when they want to rush me to buy something telling me that if I don't buy it today tomorrow it will be more expensive ... let them do what they want, I'm not going to buy a program that fails everywhere at whatever price ... fix it first the ship's holes ...
Example Reason 11 never finished fixing it ...

What needed to be fixed incidentally?

[EdGrip]

I think R11 might be the last version for me. I think maybe I'm an Ableton Live person now.

[ab459]

For me all not so bad, and it's still magic for me, the only thing i can't accept ruined looking of Subtractor and Malmstrom. (As well of some other old devices). But there is hope that it will be bringed back. Then i will upgrade with high probability, regardless price.

[WOO]

As I said elsewhere in the thread, the new pricing is within the range I had once anticipated for a Reason 11 Suite to Reason 12 Suite upgrade. It's a real disappointment that Suite was discontinued so soon after it was introduced! It would have been the perfect way to introduce a new upgrade tier.


Hey! Thanks both of you for the input re: Suite. Whilst we agree it was a great product, it also caused a tonne of confusion. It was never really clear whether Suite was a "one time bundle" or a "always get the latest stuff" product. So, when Friktion came out a year after Suite, some expected it to be included, even if others understood that Suite was a "get all our REs at the time of release" product. Then, I mean, of course, we could have had a Reason 12 Suite that bundled the rest in (Friktion, Algoritm, Pattern Mutator etc), but we made a decision to have Reason+ be the option if you want everything, always. Thanks though for your input, do appreciate it.

That's nonsense James! The confusion came about not because of the release of 11 suite but what followed. The announcement that 11 suite was to be a one off and all sales were to be discontinued. Then you announce a subscription service. Now a rushed bug laden release of 12. And now a significant price increase on a product that the company not more than a month before said was set at $129.00 for the update but wait for it.... that price is only applicable if you get it in the next 2 weeks! I for one was waiting to upgrade after the dust settles as were others on this forum. I've been racking my brain trying to remember any software company listing the price of a product at x amount of dollars and then a month later raising it significantly maybe some of you out there do but I do not. While I'm at it if Reason is so committed to the perpetual license crowd as you say in public you are then why not sell the suite, the regular version and the subscription with the sound packs and perhaps a few other goodies added for subscriber's only. Everybody happy! Well maybe not everybody! Enough with the complaining time to get back to making music with Reason. Have a great weekend James.

[Creativemind]

The point updates are coming to R12, regardless of how you bought (sub or perp).

It's good to know these are in 12 but as a point of transparency why is it just perpetual owners getting a price hike?

Cause Subscribers don't actual own the latest products, they're hiring it, so it's just for people upgrading or buying as in owning it.

[andyhsong]

I understand bringing the price for the full version from 399 to 499, but I think upgrading from previous versions shouldn't be 199. I think this puts reason among the most expensive to upgrade from previous versions, along with ableton.

This puts them at a higher price point in the competitive landscape. I think they know the diehard users who buy outright will buy even at these prices (I know I will ), and this also makes their subscription model more valuable and thus more appealing. smart business moves but unfortunately at the expense of users like me. I'm so invested into Reason (with RE's and everything) that they know they have me by the balls.

[sonicbyte]

I will stay on Reason 10.... At least until they fix performance and add dime new sequencer features.

[sublunar]

First they release a half baked product for v12 and now they're charging more for the upgrade? Hoo boy.

Yeah that's it. I'm gonna dive into Studio One and see how much work it'd really be to switch DAW's. I was working on re-recording most live recordings anyway. I just can't support this kind of disappointment on every single version that's come out since I bought Reason 6.5. I skipped v7, 9, 11 and now definitely skipping 12. I was really looking forward to the version I was expecting to buy but v12 is IMO just a cruel joke at this point.

[Proboscis]

First they release a half baked product for v12 and now they're charging more for the upgrade? Hoo boy.

Yeah that's it. I'm gonna dive into Studio One and see how much work it'd really be to switch DAW's.

From next month, Reason upgrade increases by 54%, to $199

To compare -

This month, Bitwig offered a DAW-crossgrade license for $239. A few extra dollars for a WHOLE NEW DAW, with dozens of new FX and instruments, plus a sequencer that's not living in the stone-age.

13 core instruments (including a sampler!),
41 Audio FX,
37 Modulators and 5 sound libraries.

[gullum]

First they release a half baked product for v12 and now they're charging more for the upgrade? Hoo boy.

Yeah that's it. I'm gonna dive into Studio One and see how much work it'd really be to switch DAW's. I was working on re-recording most live recordings anyway. I just can't support this kind of disappointment on every single version that's come out since I bought Reason 6.5. I skipped v7, 9, 11 and now definitely skipping 12. I was really looking forward to the version I was expecting to buy but v12 is IMO just a cruel joke at this point.

with you skipping ever 2. version you only payed $65 pr. upgrade or 50% maybe you are part of the reason we now have a 50% price increase

[guitfnky]

First they release a half baked product for v12 and now they're charging more for the upgrade? Hoo boy.

Yeah that's it. I'm gonna dive into Studio One and see how much work it'd really be to switch DAW's. I was working on re-recording most live recordings anyway. I just can't support this kind of disappointment on every single version that's come out since I bought Reason 6.5. I skipped v7, 9, 11 and now definitely skipping 12. I was really looking forward to the version I was expecting to buy but v12 is IMO just a cruel joke at this point.

with you skipping ever 2. version you only payed $65 pr. upgrade or 50% maybe you are part of the reason we now have a 50% price increase

holy shit this is a bad take. the price hike is on Reason, not users. blaming people making smart financial decisions for a company raising their prices is bonkers.

[gullum]

with you skipping ever 2. version you only payed $65 pr. upgrade or 50% maybe you are part of the reason we now have a 50% price increase

holy shit this is a bad take. the price hike is on Reason, not users. blaming people making smart financial decisions for a company raising their prices is bonkers.

I know sarcasm don't translate in writing

[kbard]

edit

[MrFigg]

holy shit this is a bad take. the price hike is on Reason, not users. blaming people making smart financial decisions for a company raising their prices is bonkers.

I know sarcasm don't translate in writing

Noooooooooooo. Of course it doesn’t. You’re really, really right about that.

[guitfnky]

holy shit this is a bad take. the price hike is on Reason, not users. blaming people making smart financial decisions for a company raising their prices is bonkers.

I know sarcasm don't translate in writing

ah, my bad, then...the sarcasm definitely flew over my head. apologies.

[guitfnky]

I know sarcasm don't translate in writing

Noooooooooooo. Of course it doesn’t

I see what you did there.

[avasopht]

with you skipping ever 2. version you only payed $65 pr. upgrade or 50% maybe you are part of the reason we now have a 50% price increase

Nah, it's payback for whoever made that thread about Bitwig's $200 crossgrade.

Should've seen this coming.

I blame it on VST

[Mattvank]

[Melody303]

So 199,- is high, but I hope that they now start a new optimistic mood. Some really good short fired shots of even just small updates for the optimistic mood like:

Video
Markers
Clip Launcher

Just for the start, its not that much.

And:

BOOOOOM

There would be a great optimistic mood again and in general people would look forward, together with the company.

Lets go Reason, create an optimistic mood

None of those are on the road map.

[Yonatan]

I voted that it is a too high of a price, but that is because of what hitherto been delivered. If this jump up is what will make RS really work very hard to deliver Reason platform to the next level, I rather pay €199 (or less on a sale) than to get it less and the dedication is lacking. So yeah, it is mixed.
But putting it to €199 is a way to push the demands up and if RS are convinced that they have this in their hand on what they will make Reason to become, by all means...

[Eprom]

So as the poll stands now about 12% of users are (sort of) OK with the new price, but 88% (!!!) is NOT.
The CEO and board of directors might be wise to have another think about this move.