It's very simple - boycott those who are asking whatever you regard as too much for their software. If enough people do this, their sales will collapse, and they will have to reduce prices. With no turnover, or very little turnover, they won't be able to continue as a business, unless they increase turnover, and we all know the best way to do that is to reduce prices.
Right now, (April 2025), Synthmaster 3 is available for $39.20, if you use the SatyaTunes coupon, third post down on this thread on KVRAudio:
https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9066917&hilit=synthmaster#p9066917
Bulent (the creator of Synthmaster 3) said on KVR that sales had been disappointing, and that was why he had been bringing the price down since releasing Synthmaster 3 last year. It's now a no brainer for me, I've been putting off buying it for a month or so, but now the price is so tempting I think I'll have to buy it.
The same goes for all other software - if enough people stop buying it, the developers will have to reduce their prices.
I would love to post this on KVR, but you can imagine the hate I would receive for daring to suggest such a thing. Apparently, we should all be 'supporting the developers' no matter how much they are charging for their VSTs...

 

So you believe that you are entitled to cheap and/or free software even though some, if not most, software can take years to develop?

I am sorry M8 but you are what is wrong in the Audio community.

The WHOLE ethos of warez IS to SUPPORT the developers.
The WHOLE point of warez IS to try before you BUY.

Use your very small tiny brain and think on this, if the developers do not make a profit and go bust then there will be no more software.

If you can not afford things then go get a job or just do without.

 

When did I mention "free" software? You made that up. You couldn't even understand what I wrote, and are arguing against a strawman you hallucinated.
When did I mention warez? WTF?
LOL at "there will be no more software"? Really? So all the FREE software will cease to exist? OsTirus will cease to exist? Nodal Red will cease to exist? All the already existing commercial VSTs will cease to exist?
This is almost like being on KVR! LOL! Your reaction if typical of the "you must buy software no matter how rubbish/expensive it is, and never suggest to any developers that they are charging too much" nonsense that KVR is full of.

 

And by the way, there is loads of 'cheap' software available on Android and iPhone that took "years to develop". You can watch a film for $10 which took "years to make" and cost hundreds of millions of dollars - surely film companies should charge $500 to watch one of their films? Aren't they being 'undervalued'? LOL.
Did you even read all of my post?

 

The whole point of Try Before Buy is so we can adequately test products before purchasing them. Why is this important? Because for 30+ years "bad developers" have been ripping people off in numerous ways. It doesn't really have much to do with the prices.

Example: Recently someone posted some plugins, selling for well over $300 for the bundle, made in Synth Edit. In 2025.

Dan Worrall proving Harrison Mixbus people using "stock" code which they claim is modeled accurately upon expensive hardware.

 

I understand the feeling of thinking something is too expensive for you right now, but I think your mind is a bit in the wrong place.

Supporting the devs doesn't mean you should just fork over $200 just because you want to keep them going. You fork over $200 because you want the product and can pay for it. If you can't pay for it, you wait for a sale. It's really that simple.

 

Alternatively, you could kidnap their family and hold them as ransom.

(sarcastic, for people that may take things to literally)