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Can we consider adjusting the pricing model?

PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2017 4:06 pm
by cocodapuf
So as far as I can tell, the way that subsonic currently works, you can use it in 2 different ways and with 3 different pricing models.

    1. You can use subsonic as a 'product' for free. The trial version gives you enough access to get it up and running and test it in a browser, but with no API access, it's basically unusable for the primary use case (listening on mobile).
    2. You can pay a monthly fee to use subsonic as a service. This gives you access to some additional features, including a readable web address, video streaming, dlna/casting to devices, and API access.
    3. You can buy a lifetime subscription for $99. This gives you the same premium access, but lets you pay for it upfront. (Although let's be honest, $99 is a lot.)

Basically, I think it would be worth having a middle tier. There should be some viable way to use subsonic for a nominal one time fee. Really, a one time price makes more sense than a subscription fee anyway, I mean, what service are users actually receiving? The web address I guess? - Well I can do without that feature for a lower price. So what would be a reasonable price be for access to everything the free version gets you + API access? Personally, I'd wager somewhere from $15-$40, certainly I'd probably be willing to pay somewhere in that range.

Or is there another reason for using the subscription model that I'm not aware of?

Re: Can we consider adjusting the pricing model?

PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2017 7:56 pm
by Michael Bech Hansen
Hi,

cocodapuf wrote:what service are users actually receiving?

- Continued development and availability of new features and bugfixes.
- Keeping the project interesting and hopefully economically viable for the author / preventing abandonment.

As users of Subsonic med and my family is streaming several hours of music every day, for $1/month or $99/lifetime.
The cost of Subsonic is dwarfed by what else goes into our music consumption: server hardware, phones, headphones, music...
I'm OK with $1/month, to keep my streaming-solution alive and receiving occasional updates.

As a developer of a Subsonic client-app (play:Sub for iOS), I can also say that continued development is not very well supported by a one-time fee for lifetime updates etc.

My 0.02€...

Cheers,
Michael.

Re: Can we consider adjusting the pricing model?

PostPosted: Wed May 24, 2017 8:22 am
by Tak-MK
I'd prefer to pay every month/year, it's not expensive and I help more than paying one time; Subsonic is a one-man-project, I'd be glad to pay even more if that can make him to update subsonic and not abandon it.

Re: Can we consider adjusting the pricing model?

PostPosted: Sun May 28, 2017 3:36 pm
by Vic333
I find the current pricing models to be very reasonable, and I don't even use all of Subsonic's features. Without some kind of income, the developers simply cannot keep the service alive.

Re: Can we consider adjusting the pricing model?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 9:42 pm
by FlyingPersian
I disagree as well, I think 1$/month is very fair. One year of subsonic is as expensive as one month of Spotify etc., not counting in special offers such as for students.

Re: Can we consider adjusting the pricing model?

PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2017 11:35 pm
by wavesound
I used to subscribe to Subsonic many years ago and I stopped around the time the at 6.0 came out. I really don't see the value in the product anymore...its very buggy and there is no support. Most of my questions/problems with Subsonic have gone unresolved. I'm happy to continue to support the development of this product, if pace of development and responsiveness to user concerns improves. Otherwise, it think I'm better served by another product. :cry:

Re: Can we consider adjusting the pricing model?

PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 1:54 pm
by Tak-MK
wavesound wrote:I used to subscribe to Subsonic many years ago and I stopped around the time the at 6.0 came out. I really don't see the value in the product anymore...its very buggy and there is no support. Most of my questions/problems with Subsonic have gone unresolved. I'm happy to continue to support the development of this product, if pace of development and responsiveness to user concerns improves. Otherwise, it think I'm better served by another product. :cry:

Personally I didn't encounter any bugs (except from the 6.1beta1 with the hsqldb upgraded), maybe to improve the support Sindre needs one more developer?

Re: Can we consider adjusting the pricing model?

PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:27 pm
by daneren2005
There were people who offered help but he rarely accepted patches and then went closed course so now no one can help.

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