QVprod wrote: ↑12 Apr 2018
Actually it comes down to people just happening to like it. And of course the popularity depends on who we're talking about. Audio engineers aren't using Live for their needs. Live doesn't have limited copy protection. It's account based. Just happens to be easy to crack, but it's not less easy to crack than most other software. By that argument everything would be equally popular. For that matter, Reaper can indefinitely be used for "free" without being cracked and it's not nearly as popular as Live.
I don't think anyone is saying that just having it cracked means it will be popular by that alone. It also has to actually be good. Virality (how much a product is shared) is a huge growth factor. It's no different to the influence a good demo could have (particularly a shareable one).
I know it worked on me. Had I not been given a copy of Reason I'd have happily continued using Computer Muzys. I'm not a fan of limited product demos, because having 10 patches out of 5,000 gives me no indication it covers what I will actually need. And seeing that it gives me 8 tracks and only 70% of the devices is a put off as well. Maybe those are the only devices worth using. Either way I just switch off.
It's why I purchased Steinberg's Absolute bundle instead of IK's Sampletank. I already have the Sonic Reality Gold Bundle, so I need to listen to and play a number of patches on its soundbank to know whether it's actually worth it.
Steinberg gave me a 30 day full featured demo of Halion Sonic. I was able to really play the sounds. Now I've bought Halion Sonic and not Sampletank 3.
We all have a different buying process (marketing 101). Some consumers just need to sit down and try it out first (even if it's in a shop) otherwise they will never buy your product if it's a high involvement purchase. Especially when it's difficult to differentiate between alternatives.
I did preorder Melodyne DNA though, but I used it for about 5 minutes and sold it a few years later