This thread tells.
It offers me a chance to provide criticism that should have already appeared on this forum.
I could have purchased a new violin this winter, which I have not owned in over 15 years (today is my 35th birthday), but lucky a gentleman invested in S.E. "Essential Orchestra" & Strings (+Plus), Strings II and Epic Horns for my use. The goal is to work with the system and look to develop quality work and help color my life while I work in academic research.
A few days ago, my Pro instrument demos are complete (I am not seeking any sympathy. I was in the middle of designing arpeggios for string crossings to offer to the community based on the real playing of a violin (perhaps great and useful or perhaps ok and can be re-worked by another). We are in an era where Kickstarter and crowd sourcing are booming and talented graphic artists now have access to ALL of Adobe's products via a simple $50 or student $30/month fee... I pay for it, which is $30 dollars the company is getting versus the $0 it would be getting from me otherwise. If I stopped paying, the software would stop working as well.
Consequently, excellent work is produced. New musicians, film makers, directors, actors, game designers and most of the arts are experiencing unprecendented level of tools for the every day musician. I purchased Animoog for $1.00 for my iOS device. I tweeted about it and could count at least 1 very influential (the co-author of Wordpress) individual purchasing the product and recommending it based on my "find" and recommendation.
Game Development Engines are often available for free (Unity 3D, Unreal, etc.), to allow new users to practice the coding and modelling work until they are ready to publish a product and then commit to $1500 to remove the "Made with X program" screen. However, this opens up the market to many young developers with powerful equipment and out of this comes innovation and fresh ideas. The game market is booming much more than novel quartet arrangements or a big increase in students reading about orcestration to get the most real sound for a song their high school or college orchestra will eventually play. There is a lot of dubstep, loops and some great musicians pulling good music out of Garageband (which, for 5-15 dollars is quite exceptional for the student/layperson).
I am working on a project for no cost, my first with VSL, and as my Pro versions ran out the loss of work I now have to pay to return to developing (or borrow a mac/etc) is leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
The discounts are helpful, but the barrier to entry for new developers/composers for music in the "classical" genre (game music, film scores, entertainment, tinkering and serious composition), is unlike any other industry. If pre-professionals had access to "rent" licenses to download Dimension Strings, The Vienna Instrument Suite and hell, access the entire library for $50.00 a month the number of new users, and some with tremendous talent and connections to generate more users, would not cost the company, but 5,000 users worldwide results in 250,000 monthly and in the event of larger projects (users with current licenses provided a benefit/ for specific licenses based on a profit limits then pro-versions will be purchased).
I am famous (why not!), but you do not know my name unless you are in psychopharmacological research circles. I am the verified Google+ account if you searched my name. My sound libraries are devalued and I am unable to afford the Pro version of even the Instrument... These arpeggios well have to wait.
I have hit the financial barrier, and I will continue my work and play around. However, I wonder how many musicians, all who listen to the demos and that have the same "awe" feeling about VSL (Wow, only "open" strings in passages!) and the excitement that will never touch the library. This is a chance to open up a huge market. Dimensions cost the same price as three months rent or a used car (even at the discount price). This is not about devaluing the cost of recording/development for the Library, but opening up revenue to users who would normally not enter into the market. You will have my $50/month forever if this was the model, but at this point I have reached the amount reasonable for the way I will use the music (which will have no damage or cost to the library). When I receive my clinical degree, I will return the favor. Just as I have for other products I respect.
Consider a monthly fee to access samples, and you will gain so much money from amateurs making their own dreams come true and it will promote the mission of improving the appreciation of "The Symphony" to students who may just may be the next "true" celebrity (whatever that means).
David S. Kozin