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
Before going subscription I prefer to go hardware and it’s what I’m doing.
I’ve just grabbed that and used it in a band dispute we’re currently having. Wise words Boss
Like "30 day 'free' trials" & other guarantees, a company using subscriptions sees that fact as a good customer retention device. Especially since as @jwmmakerofmusic points out, if you're okay with one subscription service you are probably okay with many others. So "forgetting" to cancel and having month after month go by is a very real benefit to a sub business model.
Here's how I see it being born and raised in Las Vegas, NV with a Dad who was a casino executive: A man walks up to a gaming table with $20 in his pocket, hoping to win more money with it gambling. He has the "I have $20" in one hand and the "I could have imagined $200" already in the other before a card is dealt.
That's how I see subscription for iOS music apps. You can sell an app (like @GospelMusicians Neo-Soul Keys Studio for instance) for $19.99 outright OR you can sell it for $2.99 a month via subscription; to me the $19.99 is like the gamblers I do have and the $2.99 sub is like the I could have. There's no guarantee the person is going to renew the subscription even if they like the app, things happen. When someone buys a license from you the transaction is finished, you got the desired dough for it. Not some "well if they sub for 4 months the true value of the app will be collected" possibility.
Now, of course this all goes without saying you need to sell an app at full price but come on... this forum is full of guys (& gals) who have spent $20 on a synth they've used 3 times since purchasing. I believe if you have a good product, like Neo-Soul is undeniably, then you will sell some apps.
I do know this, if all those so-so synths I bought for $5, $10, $15.... were subscription based, after I realized the synth really wasn't my bag I wouldn't renew the subscription! Of course there's the return factor, but for me even if an app doesn't blow me away I confess I like having a lot of choices when creating sounds or overdubbing something. I always figure I will eventually have a spot that the so-so synth would be perfect for. I personally dig having 5 folders of synths to choose from, all with the knowledge that I de facto "own" them and they aren't going anywhere.
Worrying about when this apps sub fee is due & when that apps sub fee is due is too much of a hassle. Just my opinions....hope some of this made sense.
+1 this.
As I’ve said before last time this subject came up, if subscription were the norm, I’d subscribe to one item of software to make music with. Doubtful I’d go so far as to do two. I don’t receive electricity bills from more than one electricity company, I just have the one. Same with my phone and internet. Same with my water supply. Just the one.
If I only subscribed to one music software it’d have to be something all-encompassing, such as Gadget, which will do everything I require. No point in subscribing to a recording app and not having any synths. No point in having a synth and nothing to record it on.
This was discussed at length in another thread, recently. The consensus was - developing niche "music" apps cannot be full time gig for devs without making it subscription based - unless your app is kick-ass out of the box that sells itself like a hot cake like Cubasis, Gadget, Auria, BM3, GB (free), etc. Periodic IAPs offer a better option to users to buy just what they need and also monetize the app for the devs. Or the AppStore could have a store-wide subscription to use any app similar to Netflix - as suggested by @Samu.
However, most devs just want to code and are not cut out for managing business matters - they don't even want to manage their website or the email newsletter - leave alone conversion-optimization, customer-retention, attrition and such. No business is worth its salt without a cool product, website, mailing list and interesting newsletter to keep customers engaged so they do not forget the product. Unless the dev has a lot of compelling content lined up to provide continuously, users may shy away from the subscription model. So, niche music apps remain as part-time gigs to satisfy dev's passion and make some side income. This is analogous to having a music channel on YouTube - you get barely any subscribers or views compared to food channels, health/beauty channels, tech channels, sports channels, comedy channels, etc. where people would flock in millions - just like that - without much effort.
In another thread, it was discussed that barely 0.5% of the population is inclined towards learning/producing music
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/27871/how-much-of-the-population-is-music-oriented
As though all of that is not enough, adding insult to injury is Apple discontinuing affiliate program for apps that would make it harder for bloggers, devs and users!
Go to trade shows, social media, utilize SEM, take it into Shark Tank, KickStarter (like Syntorial did successfully), get an investment and PR. However, the dev needs to "Do the work!" instead of expecting an investor to come along and do dev's work. Your business should be like a well-oiled machine ready to make $$ for an investor to show interest. If the dev has to pick up the phone and make sales calls - just do it. No one is as passionate as the dev about his product, knows it inside-out, can do a better job of selling it by himself and gets a better response when the call is from the founder himself - unlike a sales rep can.
Above all, a high-quality app with a great UI and features is so much MORE important than anything else. Fortunately, AppStore takes care of most of the stuff like hosting, marketing, ratings, reviews, eCommerce, etc. and if the app is cool, it would show up in searches and users usually go by ratings/reviews before they make a purchase decision. If the app is cool and succeeds this far, it doesn't even need a subscription model.
Hehe! In other words, yeah. You sound like my therapist
I hope you saw the Pythonesque irony.
I had a nervous breakdown over the mentioning of subscribing to a synth. I like ownership over serfdom. It’s why I’m still stuck in Pro Tools 10, because I own it & it is a workhorse. I don’t need to subscribe to version 12.
However, this is of course my opinion, in my own anarchistic selfishness.
Subscription can be the thing for others. I don’t mind. Cheers 🍻
It would have to be an app I really want. I'd be willing to pay a price I can justify by the use I get out of it. If there's a non-subscription one available of similar function, I'd probably go for that.
Bring 'em on. Any app that can profit using the subscription model has to be good enough to attract and retain buyers, must remain functional, and will more likely keep up with demand for features. I look at the subscription model as a real commitment by the developer to stick with and maintain the product. If they can deliver the goods, they're earning their money. For app purchasing in general, less quantity, more quality, though I don't see iOS losing what it has---still plenty of good stuff at low cost.
Link was clickbait
Clickbait alert. This is not happening at all.
@brambos thx - I’ve edited mine if you want to delete the link!
I think more people may come across that article and get concerned. Might be good for them to know which article we were talking about. Either way: I have not seen anything from Apple urging me or other devs to go subscription
I use around 100 apps per month (music and graphic apps most), and, you all can count on that what the cost would be...
The problem is that Apple already charge me 1000-1500 bucks every year when they introduce a new shiny iPad...
I always wants the best
But, some really really good app like Beatmaker 3/Auria Pro (w. Fabfilter plugins) and Affinity Photo/Designer/Publisher could be intresting...
One more important thing, if we together bring in more people into the world of iOS music making, the devs can find new customers to their apps...
In my country (Sweden) I take every opportunity to convince people that I meet in my everyday job that iPad and many Pro apps is enough powerful to use in a more Pro or semi-pro situations...
What can be more delightful then play around with sounds and graphics, in a device easily hold in our hands?
This. Yeah, no thanks.
Ok - just didn’t want to be spreading misinformation 👍
I appreciate that.
(a bit OT, sorry)
Me too, I haven't been particularly resentful of the monthly Adobe tax as my living really does depends on that suite of software, and you do get a lot of very useful apps in the suite, however.... Well I think in the end Affinity are going to eat Adobe's lunch.
Affinity Photo is as good as Photoshop, in fact in my workflow it's actually better, more flexible, able to do more at higher bit depths etc... I think they still have some catching up to do with stitching panoramas but otherwise they are really close to Photoshop already, in a more modern shell.
Then there is Black Magic, who offer free versions of Da Vinci Resolve and Fusion (which can replace Premiere and After Effects), so couple that with Affinity Designer, Photo and the soon to be released Publisher and it just doesn't look like the Adobe proposition is that good anymore. The only app I would struggle to replace is Audition, which is amazing at fixing damaged audio.
https://www.cultofmac.com/569993/ios-subscription-fees-apple-urges-iphone-developers/
Just bloody *ell if more apps get 'converted' or 'adopt' the subscription model.
It will take out all the fun out of 'New App Exploration' and make Apple even more cash since they take 20% off the subscription fee. I smell GREED big time...
I can accept and somehow swallow 'subscription fee' to the entire Appstore catalogue but I have a really hard time to motivate 'per app subscription' since there's no guarantee that the apps will get updated anyway and there will always be 'free' alternatives. I may even go back to using Sunvox and Renoise and full time
Or maybe we will be motivated to be more selective about the apps we subscribe to and actually get round to using them rather than greedily hoovering up every cheap morsel that comes along..
Once app subscriptions become the norm - IOS is stuffed, other platforms will seed a whole new ball game.
It has to happen
I would not buy a subscription app myself for the reasons given above, but if you are looking at regular income, why dont you try and monetize your playing and other skills to users of the app, along a patreon model, for example?
You could teach using the app sounds, offer midi files for the lessons, so that your customers can get a lot more out of the apps. I was thinking of that great Phillinganes desktop keyboard library demo. I know it is extra work, but I think there is plenty of scope to use all the other amazing tools on this platform to build a business.
There are a ton of free lessons on youtube I know, but if you had tools for learning and other resources that were closely integrated with your apps I’m sure you would have interest. Good luck, and thanks for the wonderful sounding apps!
That could and would actually lead to less apps being purchased/rented from the AppStore...
...I don't think that is something Apple want's to happen. Nooo they want to turn all our 'purchased' apps into 'subscription apps' and expect us to keep subscribing to them all and that IS what sparks the $ $ sings in Mr C(r)ooks eyes
So I do think my 'planned' iOS12 app cleanup might be healthy as I'm not prepared to pay $200-$300 per month on subscribed apps just to have en effect or synth on my device that I may end up using during the month, no way...
Take this with a grain of salt as no one really knows what Apple is planning but I'm starting to feel at 'un ease' with more and more apps becoming rental crap. What happens If we don't pay the rent, we can't even access what we've already created if say a DAW was rented and stopped working if the rent was not paid...
One for me somewhat acceptable solution is that we get to 'keep' the app as is and the 'rent/subscription' allows us to get the updates when we need them. For example we could do a 1 week rent to 'trial' the app, keep it in it's current state after rental period is over and if we then wanted to get updates for it we could 'pay' for the updates, just like buying single issues of magazines? Sure it will not create a steady income stream for anyone but I don't buy every issues of the magazines either...(I browse the magazine(s) at the store and if it sparks interest i buy the issues).
I’ve been getting> @GospelMusicians said:
The only app I might pay a subscription for is Auria; although, I would certainly re-evaluate my entire workflow and seriously consider another option. $50 per year might be something I’d consider, but I’d really have to do some research; sometimes I go for a month or two without using my music apps, so $50 per year may not be worth it. I couldn’t see myself paying more than $50 per year for any music making app. I also don’t like the idea of renting or leasing anything. I also don’t like the idea of taking money out of my new guitar fund.
I´m also personally not a friend of subscriptions beside something like Netflix where i know it has a big future and lots of new content all the time.
While i´m a serious hobbyist willing to pay a good amount of my income for my beloved hobby i still prefer to buy tools for even a grand before i go to subscription when it come to music production tools.
I guess in some years we have not much choice or we don´t use the new tools.
I would have no problem with things like Bitwig does. You pay for a specific time and if you consider to cancel the subscription you still can use all the things you got and can decide later if you want to subscribe again to get new content and features.
When i lost features, content etc. i already have and might need to load within projects some time later and read "could not find the content" i´m going crazy
So far i´m still not ready for subscription for music production tools.
Well I finally caved and got the Auxy subscription and I have to say it’s been worth it. Since subscription, Auxy has gained a selection of acoustic guitars, orchestral strings, brass, some choir sounds, more percussion than I’ll ever have time to go through, etc, making it less of an electronic music machine and more of a solid workstation period. All that in that great audio engine has been a lot of fun. And of course I just cancel and renew as necessary. That’s the only subscription app I use though. I’d imagine I would feel differently if all of my apps required a subscription
I think the thing with Photoshop is it will always be key for things like large film and game pipelines where lots of scripting, complex actions and even embedded data layers may be required. To me it is super overkill now for most people nowadays and is riding on the fact that is a verb to the average person.
It's one of the few things music related I'd subscribe to, it's just not doing it for me though control wise currently. Since coming to grips with Gadget's sequencer and being able to automate every knob it's real hard to look back
The workflow is ace. The sound is real good. I'll admit, as far as subs go, I do think they're doing it the right way. Just hope it finances additional FEATURES.
I think the verdict is clear about subscriptions. I have a bunch of friends in the industry and it seems everyone is pushing for this. You can see this with the Slate stuff. I think it's coming, weather people like it or not.
Personally, I'm fine with IAP. It feels like subscriptions to me, but as a developer I love the idea and as a customer myself, I understand as well. No new monthly bills.
The way subscriptions would look like for me, MAY be the ability to get the Desktop and iOS app with a ton of expansions, new sounds, new samples, new FX on a monthly basis. If I really liked the dev, I would consider that as a customer...
Hehe, I am getting to a point where I don’t want the fun of new app exploration anymore and just want the fun of making music. At least now I am distracted more by updates now than apps in development so...getting close...?
Same here. Cubasis, Gadget (with IAPs and companion apps) & BM3 and a whole bunch of AUv3's cover a lot of ground and I do have Renoise & Logic Pro X to 'fall back on' when needed...
Even with it's limitations and quirks I do like Garageband and I do hope we'll see an update to it once iOS12 is out.