UVI - Sonicpass

[Despondo]

UVI now offers a subscription option.

https://www.uvi.net/sonicpass

[Noise]

The world is going crazy with subscriptions.

[adfielding]

The world is going crazy with subscriptions.

Yeah. I understand that there are plenty of people out there who like subscriptions, but they are absolutely not for me - I'm a "purchase once, use forever" kind of guy. I like to keep my recurring bills to a minimum wherever possible because I don't think it's (personally) fiscally responsible to have a ton of subscriptions going that I'd struggle to keep track of.

The only real exception to the rule that I can think of is "rent to own" type deals, which - although I don't tend to use them myself - I think is a great way to provide extra choice for those who want it.

[avasopht]

The world is going crazy with subscriptions.

Subscriptions are great for getting people on board who don't want to invest.

A couple of years ago I signed up for EWQL Creative Cloud. I enjoyed using it for the year, but once I was done I bounced all separates and went about with my business.

It also doubles up as a paid trial.

Plus it spreads out the cost while allowing you to exit early. Of the software I'm subscribed to, I'm paying no more than I would have if I was paying for full versions (since I'd always be upgrading anyway).

I'd be down for this if I didn't have something already. I have one of their libraries and it's solid and sometimes preferable to modelled versions from the original manufacturers.

I like that the UVI factory soundbank is only 1GB

[joeyluck]

Yeah I used Composer Cloud as well and would probably use it more if it worked properly in Reason.

I think the subscriptions that offer a massive amount of content and access to everything are worth it. When composing, there are countless instruments you may want that change from project to project. And no way would I be buying all of their entire collection. The ones like the NI Komplete Now subscription, which is nowhere close to being "complete" is a waste.

If Spitfire offers a subscription to have access to all of their content, I'd definitely consider it.

[QVprod]

I'm fine with it as long as it remains optional. The idea where I might need something for just a limited amount of time and not have to pay full price for it to use it only once is nice. Not common, but nice. The price of some of these ongoing subscriptions though really only work if you're only using that company's products exclusively. $24/month is a lot for an ongoing subscription expense. I would have to really want near all of their products.

[danc]

My issue with this subscription is the fact that I already own quite a lot of UVI products and there isn't a reduced price for loyal customers. It kind of sucks that I would have to pay the same as someone that owned not a single UVI product.

Whereas when Plugin Alliance started the subs they sent out a rather nice offer to me, which is quite a bit less than the published price because I was already a loyal customer of theirs. The only caveat with the PA offer was that, if I decided to stop the subscription, and then decided to come back I would lose the offer price.

Back to UVI. I've been tempted to try out Falcon, but not been pushed into it yet. I've got so many synths under the sun and am a bit of a mad scientist in always wanting to create sounds from scratch and Falcon does look rather tasty. But does it bring anything to the table that say... Serum, Phase Plant, Diva, VPS Avenger, Massive X, Eventide Generate etc doesn't offer? Because that could make the subscription worth considering. And the Toy Suite looks interesting.

[DaveyG]

My issue with this subscription is the fact that I already own quite a lot of UVI products and there isn't a reduced price for loyal customers. It kind of sucks that I would have to pay the same as someone that owned not a single UVI product.

Just like Reason+.

For most people, subscriptions turn into a pair of handcuffs after a couple of years. That's why companies like UVi and RS love 'em. Not so much a loyal user base as a captive one.

[StephenHutchinson]

After having tried the Reason+ subscription for one year, I had a look at other offerings which seem to be much more invested in lots of instruments and effects... in the end though, I want to own what I buy. The only subscription I maintain year after year is the Adobe Creative Cloud Lightroom & Photoshop Bundle. It's $175 Canadian a year and I can justify it because I make money using it.

In addition to making music, I'm a photographer, and just one headshot session more than pays me for the year's subscription. I think unless you're making money with your musical pursuits, it's better to buy and own the stuff than subscribe.

[Heater]

The UVI sub is definitely on the higher end. Too much for a lot of folks I suspect.