I find it funny that everyone here thinks everything is going towards subscriptions.

Is it though? Subscriptions in audio world are a very old thing, started probably by Avid. Most companies do not utilize subscriptions to any capacity what-so-ever and some companies that do, often still provide non-subscription -based solutions where the subscription model is meant as a simple alternative. And we can't forget about "rent to own" plugins in Splice, which is a popular model too.

Is Native Instruments going towards that direction? It's very possible. Together with Izotope? Very, very possible.

But that should not be surprising news if you have been keeping yourself up with how Native Instruments works. They have been specifically focusing on a strategy that stagnating companies often adopt once they run out of juice: keep doing the things you know you can do with minimal amount of effort (the layoffs & restructuring) and start developing a "platform" (or "ecosystem") which aims to hook people who buy your products into other integrated products of this platform.

Subscription-based service makes sense once you literally have nothing new to offer.

But here's the other question: do you really see a company like u-he going for a subscription-based service anytime soon? There's tons of these specialized but rather small companies that would really have to undergo through massive changes if they wanted to reel in people with some subscription-based service when you don't even have products that really cover every base.

Native Instruments can do that, because they have shit for almost every need. All the mixing toys, various synths and other shit. They can bundle that all into a single subscription service which would be highly valuable compared to something like U-he could do despite the fact that, product-by-product basis, u-he is miles ahead.

I wouldn't ever in my life worry about this subscription stuff. It's just what stagnating companies do, kind of like how a dying star might collapse eventually into a black hole that persists even when everything else is dead. Hell, check what Waves does: when they stagnated and stopped from developing new shit, they figured that they would focus 100% on bundling their existing DSP into signature plugins, one-knob plugins et cetera. And on top of that, there's the infamous and extremely persistent "90% off sale" for almost every plugin they got. At least subscription model does provide something to newcomers who might not want to spend outright a literal ton into a NI package assuming they want to stay on legit plugins. It's much less bothersome than the Waves shit. And yes, Waves does develop sometimes something new, but all in all, this is the spaghetti & meatballs of their strategy. Rest is just sprinkles of sauce.

 

After seeing the other day that iZotope is implementing the worst subscription model in the game, overpriced and holding updates ransom unless you subscribe, and now they're partnering with NI? Why would they do that? NI beats even Waves for the worst rep in the digital audio industry. I gotta say I'm not surprised, seeing how iZotope has been acting the past few years, releasing yearly updates with almost nothing added, but I am disappointed. Luckily I always thought iZ was over hyped anyways. I like the Ozone Limiter but was never that impressed by anything else. So fortunately I'm not reliant on iZ, but I feel bad for anyone who is.

 

well,i guess it is time for me to sell my ozone 9 (which i never used anyway) .. BYE iZOTOPE

 

you bet your sweet a$$ it doe$

 

the scene is *dead* - defeated by "internet log in"

 

To quote Dr. Bones McCoy from the original Star Trek: "Dammit Jim! This is is about Kontakt, not some third rate audio plugins!
I'm a musician not a bank, Jim!"

 

If you think NI is lame then that just shows how naive you are. Reaktor is still by far the most powerful piece of software on the market

 

why is NI lame? lol they make awesome plugins and stuff which pros still use. have you heard of Kontakt? that plugin is the go-to for pros who need realistic sounding natural instruments in plugin form. have you heard of Traktor? a lot of high profile DJs use it. i don't get why you'd call them lame.

 

for real, imo i feel Kontakt RX would be a cool combo

 

Yeah - but i think iZotope believe they have shot their load.
They have reached a creative block...
So now ... it's gone to mashups.

 

No need for bullying, pals.
If you think NI's stuff is that great, just keep using it, like I used it for years. Yeah, I know Kontakt all too well, and Reaktor, Traktor, Maschine and all the rest of the shit, lol. If NI is (and remains) really that valuable, it will hold its own, regardless of whether someone like you fights for it. If not, like other big names, it will sooner or later die out or be absorbed by more innovative developers, which will happen in my opinion.
Let's just wait and see...

 

But i think, just from my anecdotal collecting of comments, that Kontakt is a dinosaur waiting for the asteroid...
Of course the analogy fails after the first step, because it will not go extinct, unless someone else gets ability to use the libraries.

 

Best outcome: iZotope teaches Native how to make VST3 plugins.

 

A recent joint-roadmap leak says the VST3 is planned for 2029. With a question mark with Kontakt...

 

New interview with Mark Ethier, CEO of iZotope, about iZotope-NI collaboration.

https://www.kvraudio.com/interviews/native-instruments-and-izotope-a-meeting-of-the-minds-51492