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It says something about the software industry when it isn't just penniless students that are pirating music programs, but multi-millionaire DJs as well. Quite a few of them in-fact, as footage from recent interviews with several of them has shown a good number utilising pirated and cracked copies of the world's most popular mixing software.
The latest one to be caught out is Avicii, who has an estimated net worth of around $60 million (£39 million). In an interview with Future Music Magazine, he was shown to be using a a cracked version of the Lennar Digital Sylneth1 plugin. In the video, highlighted by TorrentFreak, Avicii's version of the plugin is registered to the cracking group “Team VTX 2011.”
Previously, 19 year old Martin Garrix – who has a net worth of around $16 million – was also found to be using a pirated version of the plugin, cracked by “Team AIR,” and Steve Aoki, worth a purported $45 million, was also caught out doing something similar, though he blamed it on his road crew for not using his previously purchased license.
Then again, it probably shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that those with money pirate software. Stephen Fry previously stated that he had pirated software in the past and that it doesn't make you a bad person to do so – perhaps highlighted best in Dan Bull's seminal track, “Bye Bye BPI.” [yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZUSn7I-zNo']
What this does suggest however is something that's been painfully obvious with the movie industry for a long time: it's often easier to pirate than buy content legitimately.
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KitGuru Says: What do you guys think of the rich pirating software? A bit of a mick take, or is it a sign that the software industry needs to make it easier to buy things legitimately?
I think that you should be able to invest in any sort of product however you like, as long as that when you can afford to pay for it, you. If you can’t afford it, we shouldn’t be forced into putting ourselves into debt just so that we can then get out of debt by using the product that we just received.
But that is just my opinion.
The musical equipment industry is already phenomenally expensive if you want good kit, that you should have to pay exorbitant amounts for the software to use that kit as well is a bit much IMO. The software makers could very easily _sell_ more software if they lowered the price because the costs of distribution and replication are next to nothing, once development and marketing costs are covered the rest is gravy.
I use Reason and Ableton, both pirated, and I would happily pay for both if I could afford them, they’re great tools.
To be honest I know of people that have bought the full thing then got royally screwed over by DRM. Pirated software doesn’t have DRM….So the folks that are pirating have an easier time of it than the people paying out the £££ to stay above board and legal. kinda backwards dontcha think?
The problem is two fold with this sort of software. Firstly some of the cost prices are far too high for anyone who isn’t using it to earn cash. If you want to learn to produce electronic music you want to try all sorts of applications running into thousands of pounds, this is an unreal cost of entry compared with something like learning the guitar. Secondly even if you can afford the software, you want to try the full version for an extended period before investing. Say you install and set up a cracked version to decide whether you like the software, where is the encouragement going to come from to then reinstall and setup so you can use a paid version.
Ableton would argue that the Intro edition at 79eur is a fairly priced product. The problem is once you use the fully featured 599eur version you are not going to want to pay out to go backwards. Likewise Reason offers an Essentials version for £83.99 and a full version for £249.99.
Especially when you start looking at Kontakt libraries and plugins. FL Studio alone isn’t too steep and can do some simple stuff itself, add the plugins needed to make yourself noticed then yeah it costs too much. No record company would provide an upcoming artist with the software without first seeing what they are capable of. They can’t show what they are capable of without getting the correct plugins etc
I think when you’re worth millions you can afford £350 for a software licence.
The problem is this:
Method 1:…..Google the required website, navigate to ‘downloads’ page, click ‘buy’, click ‘create account’ , enter my personal info, select my product, add to cart, click ‘check out’ enter my credit card info, check my email inbox, click the download link… (and part with my money)
Method 2: open xxx torrent search webpage, click link, download (for free)
the 140 euro for this plugin (from the article) is not that much if you really want to do want a break in music. Its called investing in yourself. Because if you want to make money with music, pirating software, make you hypocrite when you complain about pirates of your music.
Lets be honest though – “It’s easier to setup torrented plugins – there’s so much work with licenses” yadda yadda yadaa lets be real here. You use torrents because you’re cheap or broke. Don’t beat around the argument by trying to justify doing something illegal.
I torrent because I can get away with it. And until that stops happening torrenting will keep on happening.
If you are using the software to make money or to support making money then you should be supporting the creators of the software by buying a license. Simple as that. Doesn’t matter if you are making billions or enough to pay the bills and support the family…
Fair… unless you have to buy five of them, you’re a college student, you have a midterm coming up, and your monthly income is about $500 dollars which is mostly used up in luxuries like gas, food, textbooks, insurance, etc…
It’d be better if some of the software was freeware, like creative commons, you can use it if you’re not making money but the license has to be purchased for monetization purposes; they could even make the freeware ad supported with banner ads at the bottom of the plugins unless you buy the full version. I bet the ad revenue alone would be more than what they currently make on full licenses since everybody and their brother would now be downloading and seeing ads… and they could put some limits on the free version, unlocking more in depth configuration/etc in the licensed version.
EVERYBODY WINS!
Which, however you look at it, are insane prices for software.
I’d say around £80 isn’t too bad for a very advanced piece of professional software. Loads of people have no issue spending £40-£50 on a game, they will get much more out of Ableton or Reason if they spend time with them.