an obvious idea: steam for VSTs

[avaris]

I think you should reread what I said, you might've misunderstood.

You need Steam to run Steam games because they (the actual games) are configured a bit differently.

For VSTeam, it would have to be similar. In other words, you'd need to run this application at the same time as running your DAW in order the authorize these VST's, and in order to authorize them, like you said, is a pain in the rear,.

If they wanted to run VSTeam in conjunction with a DAW, it would either be a background service feeding an authorization code for when the DAW opens the VST, or it would have to be an integrated service in the DAW. Thus what I said a few posts ago: a vst that opens vst's.

The authorization system you describe for VST's already exists. Authorization systems that check online like that are used by companies such as Waves and East West Quantum Leap. For example if a Waves plugin sees there is no authorization when sending out a message to their web server it comes back with and error message. Waves requires a dongle. There are other companies like Korg that use a system that works exactly the same except it does not require a dongle. What's the point of designing an ideal system if it going to be restricted in functionality based upon the working of another system(STEAM). A vst that opens a vst is unneeded. Just have a normal program do it without the need to integrate the ridiculous code needed to write a wrapper and vst functionality.

Rozo IMO I think some of the big players like Native Instruments would jump on the idea. Some of my reservations come from the issue that in the audio software industry what distribution type sites take in their cut. It is a 50% cut. The prop shop for propellerhead's charges this. If the STEAM VST service only took a small cut say 5-15% I think its chances to attract developers would increase dramatically.

[Modus]

Are you kidding? Distributors have a 50% cut in the audio industry? Where do they get off doing that?

Maybe I misread. That would be insanity.

[Arcana]

The closest thing you can probably do for this is register some form of cloud storage and go from there. Making a dedicated service for VSTs would be way too much work, considering that they come from all over the world, some just randomly disappear off the internet, and there are so many versions on so many different sites that finding the current version is a total headache.

That would be the exact benefit of a Steam like system - as a small developer you wouldn't have to maintain a web site and an e-store, you'd just sell distribution rights to the Online VST store.

As far as "too much work" goes, no reward without risk. If this is going to be a business venture then there's going to be some work involved in making initial business deals, building infrastructure, and so forth.

As has been mentioned, two distribution hubs are doing well right now: Steam, and the (Mac) App Store. Neither of them handle music plugins well, even if the App Store does do music applications to some extent. Right now Apple takes a 30% cut, I'm willing to guess that Steam takes a similar amount or a little less.

[zircon]

Plus so many small 3rd party developers are on tight budgets they probably wouldn"t be able afford any type of profit sharing.

Well, any platform like this would potentially offer way more sales, so the slight revenue hit wouldn't matter much. That's the idea of a distribution platform.

[Nabeel Ansari]

The authorization system you describe for VST's already exists. Authorization systems that check online like that are used by companies such as Waves and East West Quantum Leap. For example if a Waves plugin sees there is no authorization when sending out a message to their web server it comes back with and error message. Waves requires a dongle. There are other companies like Korg that use a system that works exactly the same except it does not require a dongle. What's the point of designing an ideal system if it going to be restricted in functionality based upon the working of another system(STEAM). A vst that opens a vst is unneeded. Just have a normal program do it without the need to integrate the ridiculous code needed to write a wrapper and vst functionality.

Rozo IMO I think some of the big players like Native Instruments would jump on the idea. Some of my reservations come from the issue that in the audio software industry what distribution type sites take in their cut. It is a 50% cut. The prop shop for propellerhead's charges this. If the STEAM VST service only took a small cut say 5-15% I think its chances to attract developers would increase dramatically.

You misread AGAIN.

You said it YOURSELF, each VST authorizes differently.

I'm not gonna keep trying to reword what I say because you don't seem to be able to take my post the right way.

Also, you're saying "What's the point?". That's exactly what I'm trying to say. I'm describing the only way it would work right, and just like you said, yes it's pointless.

[PROTO·DOME]

This is a terrible idea. It makes it harder to pirate VSTs.

[prophetik music]

You misread AGAIN.

You said it YOURSELF, each VST authorizes differently.

I'm not gonna keep trying to reword what I say because you don't seem to be able to take my post the right way.

Also, you're saying "What's the point?". That's exactly what I'm trying to say. I'm describing the only way it would work right, and just like you said, yes it's pointless.

yeah, that kind of response gets your idea across really well. particularly considering that, by your own commentary, your argument is pointless. thanks for wasting our time here.

i think what shaun is saying - that stuff is just too different, and the minimal profit generated from most plugins not named Omnisphere or equivalent wouldn't lend itself to the reduced market size of a VST distribution service - is right on. this would be cool, but it'd also be fundamentally unusable for most big manufacturers. now, tailoring this to smaller developers would be a great idea. but most of those smaller devs don't have crazy dongle security and all that other crap. so, while it'd be awesome to have a service to do all this, it really comes down to the fact that the best way to reinstall loads of plugins is to use a program like Norton Ghost and just backup/restore your system partition regularly.

[Nabeel Ansari]

yeah, that kind of response gets your idea across really well. particularly considering that, by your own commentary, your argument is pointless. thanks for wasting our time here.

Not pointless, just misunderstood. And I've already said I'm not going to try and reword, because I can't figure out how to get my posts to be clearer.

In other words, I'm done here.

[avaris]

Well, any platform like this would potentially offer way more sales, so the slight revenue hit wouldn't matter much. That's the idea of a distribution platform.

Of course it would offer more sales. My argument was that if the profit sharing rate was too high (50% hypothetically given some current rates) would the increased sales be able to cover those losses and hopefully provide profits.

It's along the same lines of a company gambling wether or not paying for a dongle is going to cause users who would otherwise pirate the software to buy the software. That would in hopes turn a profit.

In general it is kind of difficult to judge any business schemes like this for audio software because there aren't barely any public financial numbers out there since the mass majority of the companies are privately owned.

Not pointless, just misunderstood. And I've already said I'm not going to try and reword, because I can't figure out how to get my posts to be clearer.

In other words, I'm done here.

Neblix dude thing that will help tremendously is to try and not take everything so personal. God forbid someone misinterprets someone's else's thoughts. We're not trying to argue against people here we are trying to argue against different ideas and thoughts. Notice how some people just talk about the ideas and thoughts and not what "YOU" or "HE" or "SHE" or "SHIM" said. It just makes for a friendlier and more open discussion about something.

Also thanks for the rewording on some of the ideas in the earlier post Brad.