Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Comments
Dear Doug,
Please don't take this in the wrong way. I appreciate the work you do and sincerely want to help.
As I am concerned about your situation, back in June I thought about it and decided that while you may not be able to take a conventional job, you certainly can create great videos. You choose to make videos on iOS apps, but it seemed to me there is no reason you couldn't consider doing other kinds of music technology videos that are more lucrative.
I did not want to write to you about this on a thread like this, because the last thing I wanted to do was make it seem anything like a critique. I wanted to keep it private and between us.
So I wrote you directly back in June.
I asked you if you would consider doing videos for VSTs, Kontakt instruments, plugins, You had done that at least once before, with Exhale. (Recently you did Synthmaster One, but that was because it is going to come out on iOS.)
There is a massive, massive, massive desire for videos like this because the prices are high and there are usually limited windows of time for when there is an introductory price or a sale.
I made a very specific recommendation for you to try to set up an affiliate relationship with just two sites. Something that wouldn't involve a lot of extra work. 3 videos every two weeks.
VSTBUZZ - 2 deals running every two weeks. http://vstbuzz.com/
AUDIOPLUGIN DEALS one deal running every two weeks. https://audioplugin.deals/
They do amazing sales usually for $99, although sometimes they are as low as 10 euros.
These are products that might normally sell for $600. Huge discounts.
I wrote that you might get 15% of this, but I think was being a bit optimistic. Maybe it's only 5% or 10%, something like that. But whatever it is, it's money you're not getting today. In your economic situation it could be real money for three videos every two weeks.
Plus you would get views from people who would never watch an iOS video. You can post links on the many forums where people want to see them. I would be happy to give you information about that world if you don't know it already.
After some time you did respond and say that you have an affiliate deal with Apple. but I knew that. But my whole point was to for you to set up affiliate relationships that give you a percentage of the price of more expensive products.
But you never responded.
I realize that you would need to get a demo of the VSTs in the deal in order to promote them, but I think that would be something that would make sense for them to do. You already have a very large YouTube audience. If they wouldn't do that, then I understand it would not be a possibility for you. Did you explore it?
I'm not judging you. I have been in a very similar situation several times in my life due to the many mistakes I've made. Once I didn't have money for food, and I wasn't playing music because I sold all my instruments to pay my monthly bills. I was always hungry and I spent my nights awake thinking very dark thoughts. It's hard to think about doing new things when you are in a state of mind like that. I get it. So I think I understand a bit of what you're going through, even though today I am lucky enough to be comfortable.
But I was up against it, and I had to pull myself out. Somehow I did.
Is there ANYBODY on here who reads Doug’s reviews and who is not donating at least $1 per month via Patreon? There certainly shouldn’t be.
GO DOUG!
You are right, Doug ....you do need some help. In theory anyone who is totally unfit to work, not working on the side and have earnings/assets less than £16,000 is entitled to long term welfare. But you need proof. I am sure you have researched all this eg Doctor’s testimonial, Citizens Advice etc and there are many charities who will help you gather credible evidence and how to play the system. But I dont think you can claim welfare while so overtly earning small amounts from your video work. That is why you need to get proper advice on how to apply etc., rather than just be fobbed off at the first try at a local level. Perhaps your immediate family can help with this research. If you can work, you work. If not, you get assessed (as you have) and this is backed by your doctor evidence.
If you want to make a living out of this then look at local start up business help locally.
The problem is that it is your choice really - carry on like this hoping to make it financially viable or take steps to get long term welfare. I dont think you can have it both ways.
I dont mean to be unsympathetic because i am with you, honest, but i think you need a bit of realistic advice really from someone who in near to you.
One of the problems of the benefit system is that by the time you are able to get the monies available, you are likely to be in trouble financially anyway. I know because it took me over 2 years to sort mine out and by that time much more damage had been done. Yes, I enjoyed my day in court though when even the DWP representative turned around and told the judge, that after hearing the evidence, they now agree that I should have been awarded full points instead of 3!!! As I say, that took over two years of fighting and living on the charity of others to eat. All my resources were eaten up in that time. I even lost the medication I needed for over a month when they assessed me as ineligible for benefit and hence could not afford my medication.
Trust me, the system does not work and in all likelihood if Doug went that route, he most likely would lose his house before his day in court. The system is designed to make people give up.
I don’t want to be on welfare, and I would be homeless before I even got another assessment date, it’s really that simple, this is working albeit at a slow pace, but it is working, the iTunes Affiliate is working, Patreon is working, and the overall responce is very positive, it’s great that lots of people are becoming Patreon supporters, that’s really important for me, giving value for money.
I hope you all continue to watch and hopefully enjoy the demos.
Is there any way to buy IAP or sound packs that would also give you the small percentage?
I don't understand why this video is presented as something to feel sorry about. You provide a service that people use... kind of like shareware is with software, you give it for free but ask users to "donate" money if they'd like. You remind users that you need some income from it in order to survive and continue. I'm sure most people watch the videos, and it would never even cross their mind that this is an important source of income for the person behind them. You need to continue to make periodic videos that spell out what your business is and how you attempt to get paid for it.
It's called a donation, but it's really an optional payment for services provided. If everyone who gets value from the videos paid for that value, I think you'd be making some good money. It's not charity unless someone gives more than they think it's worth... and of course nothing wrong with charity either.
Yes, I think that if the app was originally purchased through one of my links then any IAPs are also credited to my Affiliate, also if you enter the App Store through one on my links any app you buy while you are in there is also credited too, that’s why I sometimes see things like music and books show up in the sales page.
+1, well said!
That's good to know!
I have this app called workflow, never thought of a use for it but I will try to setup a macro for this instead of hitting the AppStore on autopilot in the future and will share it here if I can manage it.
Thank you, that’s great, I don’t like to post my links here because this is Sebastian and Michaels place and they have there own Affiliate link for the forum, which is of course understandable
The uk government are pure evil and it looks like they will get ousted soon
I’ve had my own bad experiences similar and as such cannot hell Doug..sorry
Yet I managed to get married to a wonderful lady today
One thing though... I think it’s a given now that most devs will agree that your videos help sell many apps.. perhaps they could employ you on an app to app basis to do these tutorials? After all, you do them anyway and just get a few quid on patreon and PayPal donations
Why can’t your services simply be centralised within the iOS music community?
I do hope things improve for you mate
wait. congrats first of all, but are you posting to the forum on your wedding day? don’t do that. no no no!
Yes, many many congratulations on your big day, that made me smile
Good to hear that things are going in the right direction! I also want to echo @Reid in the sentiment that any freelance should logically branch out and develop an ever expanding portfolio of revenue streams as a staple part of their business activity.
When I was working as a session bassist (10 year span) at times I wouldn’t have enough regular clients to keep my income stable against life expenses. During these times I’d take on a few students and occasional function band work. As time went by, rather than being an intermittent (and stressful) ‘emergency measure’, these parts of my portfolio became a small and regular part of my larger business as a session player. Through branching out into these other areas, I became active through a larger network and started getting asked to perform or compose for academic or cross practise events, or speak in educational settings, bits of of music analysis work, to perform on instruments which were not my primary focus or even play obscure interesting instrument that aren’t common to find, but I had some experience in. I was usually living on the edge of my means, but even when I had a sustained period without any ‘real’ session gigs then there’d be something else there to pick up the slack. Sometimes I’d lean more heavily on one thing or another thing at different times.
This is just my personal example, but I believe that every ‘Sole Trader’ who is working as a freelance in some vaguely similarly structured manner (IE. doing whatever the fuck we like and getting paid for it) should branch out and spread their income over an ever expanding portfolio of revenue streams. It’s the only way to live in a comfortable, reliable and secure lifestyle as this kind of freelance, on a long time basis. What happens when the Audiobus Forum well runs dry? You’ll want to have half a dosen other revenue streams ready to pick up the slack! The natural ebb and flow of life means that income remains vaguely steady on a long term basis.
You probably (hopefully) have a couple more revenue streams that aren’t promoted here - regardless though, @Reid made some very specific, appropriate and viable suggestions that fit perfectly with your core business activity. I’d definitely investigate further! I have a couple of producer friends who make decent supplement to their production work with this kind of activity.
I’m just sorry I didn’t pledge sooner. Your videos have been immensely valuable to me in my journey to learn iOS music production;
Thank you!
Yep, you need a lot of strings to your bow, and keep exploring new ideas for revenue options.
I used to run a load of my own websites as a hobby, and income from these complimented client web and design work. At one point they were making as much as 'proper' work - via ad clicks, affiliate commissions and paid advertising. I decided to expand these, and seriously thought about them as a full time job when a series of changes - hosting issues, ad blockers, dodgy affiliates and a whole load of other stuff decimated the income. I went from earning a grand per month, to about a fiver, which went nowhere near supporting my hosting and other costs of £100 per month. So I had to close them down. I've kept a few for old times sake, but they make nothing. It's a shame, as the sites provided free content and services for visitors.
And now my 'real' work has been hit - I've had almost no new work for over a year. Not the end of the world as Monzo Jnr has been off school (excluded, they don't like autistic kids) for most of it, so I've looked after him, while the missus has worked, and been looking after her mum (terminal cancer). But another string to my bow - web hosting and maintenance, has kept a few quid coming in.
I guess though like all self-employed people, sometimes the work dries up, and you have to put your thinking cap on and see what else you can do to bring the pennies in.
Tough times.
I would say Doug has a definite 'brand', and what he does is popular and very influential. Maybe we could all put our thinking caps on and come up with a few options he could pursue. For now though, I'll keep clicking those app links on his vids.
Expanding into other music devices and apps sounds great, but only if it can be done without compromising the brand, which has been primarily iOS. The devotion to iOS creates a devoted audience.
It depends on time and energy. Not everyone is at an age or level of health where they can be the most dynamic entrepreneur. Maybe try to be a little more intuitive of the situation here.
I think everyone is trying their best to help, in whatever way they can.
I agree. Just adding a perspective.
Everybody is being incredible, caring, helpful and very constructive, I do do a few VST videos and Reason, I do the albums with Colin Powell, which is great for the creative bits, I have produced a few albums of my own too, my main priority is iOS and the videos, that’s what I work at constantly, today, thanks to everybody that has dramatically increased on Patreon, and donations and support has also been amazing too
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Sure, but the other lot would do nothing to improve things, especially for guys like Doug. All politicians today are scum, and lie constantly. Changing government is pointless when the system is broken by design, as Fruitbat says.
Nasty as the Tories have always been, I recall a Labour government policy which meant my terminally ill mum definitely qualified for a grant to make her bathroom safe for her use. Trouble was, the committee to approve such grants met once a year, then took 6 months to release grants. I asked if I paid in the mean time - via bank loan, had little cash at the time - could I claim it back. No sir, they said, because if I paid the bill I was deemed able to afford it, and my mum’s claim would be tossed. So, we have an example of a ‘caring Labour’ policy clearly designed to stall the claimant, with the intention of as many people as possible dying before they could get a payout.
The same bastards, on both sides, are even more creative these days, unless you are from an approved minority, etc. Doug, as a white man of a certain age, is fucked by the system whatever he tries to do.
@lovadamusic it’s a bit of a cold fact — but that’s that’s the difference between a profitable hobby and a viable profession. Nothing to do with entrepreneurship or the ‘start up culture’. It’s a business model that is timeless and is simply the lifestyle of anyone who wants to make a stable and comfortable living as a freelance professional.
This is very true, the way it’s set up will make you worse
Congratulations. Now WTH are you doing on here?
I wish I could help you too, Doug. I remember when a few Developpers decided to share/donate their app income when you faced serious health problems. I wish people would gladly help that way again... with black Friday sales coming its way... maybe if devs could accept this deal for a day or two- even though it might not resolve the situation, it could bring you relief and a little bit of peace of mind.
Please, Do not feel sorry for asking the community. we all understand it. The time you have involved promoting iOS music is massive and we all benefited from it, from your expertise and your sense of humour. I really wish your situation will improve and bring you more peaceful moments. Take lots of care,
Johnba
I'm sorry to hear that he is going through that, MP. I am the last person to engage in anything smacking of jingoism, but most school districts that I have been involved with in the states have very good programs and supports for kids with autism. Don't give up on hope (or him)
My friend here in the states, a former social worker and now social work professor, says that the world would be better off if we eliminated the entire social work bureaucracy and just gave the money we spend on it directly to poor people.
I recommend the Clinton Foundation. Heard they did a great job in Haiti!