So I came across this website and completed the survey and I had an Revelation to make recording / sequence software available, affordable, and with easy to use drm. I'm not sure if any one is familiar with a program called steam, It's a program used to launch, purchase, and demo video game software. Well if this was implemented in a new program for recoding software where you could purchase, demo, watch tutorials, access files on other computers with the same software, and access some sort of community message boards. Any way it would be pretty sweet if there was some thing like this. What's nice about steam is it's impossible to crack software, by using online verification but at the same time making it easy to access. And I really liked the idea of a "hardware dongle" which would allow you to use the program when the Internet is down. As well as being allowed to have unlimited machine installs and downloads over the Internet but your restricted to 1 machine use at a time.

Now the price is one thing that bugs me, I'm in college and I do not have a lot of money. I just want to mess around with the software for non commercial purposes. I really think there is a huge difference between some one who would use a program as a hobby vs some one who might own a recording studio "music for money". I personally could not justify spending $299.99 on some software I would just be playing around with. $119.99-$149.99 is the magic number for anyone who would be using a product for non-commercial purposes. I would probably classify my self as some one who would be at " high risk " for cracking software so I hope you listen to what I have to say. I'm very glad that you have an open form of communication unlike the evil RIAA and good luck coming up with a solution to this problem.

THANKS

I had another idea I would throw out quickly, If there was some sort of usb controller that was thrown in with the software It might add more "value" for the software and maybe the dongle code could be included in the device too. It would be like a usb device with 8 assignable knobs and mabe some sort of pitch pad like a laptop mouse pad. It should be included with the software. I just think there is somthing good about actual hardware other than midi linked to software.

Hi MGSOLID,

Thanks for your post. Yes I do think your ideas are great and I will refer that to our partners...

I hope others will add comments to this useful post and let us know how they feel about such good ideas.

Thanks and al the best - Eric

MGSOLID: you've triggered my hobby: playing the cynical devil's advocate! I'll thus be giving answers from a warezfreak "W" point of view.

"new software will use some Steam engine for online checks"

W: fine, you do that, I'm happy enough with my cracked Cubase SX3 (or insert any other) and my plugins which have more than enough functionality for me. Have fun with your new release no-one's going to use.

"let them add an USB controller with their software"

W: it'll drive the prize up, besides I already have a nice Mackie controller here, so the added controller has no value to me whatsoever.


The devil's advocate does exist, I guarantee. You can't solve the problem of warez (and CD/DVD downloading for that matter) using traditional solutions. Do yourself a favor, and read "Permission Marketing", by Seth Godin.
http://www.sethgodin.com/permission/

I believe he actually is right. I also believe that the musictech-industry probably has never heard of him.