Re: [linux-audio-user] Commercial audio software on Linux

On Sat August 19 2006 05:16, Davy Wentzler wrote:
> Now comes the big question: since this is commercial software
> (with a price between 35 and 45 euro), would it be worth the
> effort to release it on Linux? I think most Linux users are
> used to open-source and free programs and I saw some already
> nice looking programs like Ardour and MuSe. I would like to
> hear from you if there would be any interest?

Though I left the Amiga world over 12 years ago, I'm glad to see
developers with Amiga roots still around.

I think you would see more interest in a Linux version of your
app than the reactions of people on this list (who are already
using free softare) might lead you to believe. For example,
MainConcept has been publishing a Linux version of their
proprietary video editor for almost a decade, which they
wouldn't be doing if it were a money loser. Here is what I
would do if I were in your position:

1. Develop your app to be as user-friendly and well-documented as
possible.

2. Test and test and test until it's stable as anything, since
your users won't be able to debug it themselves (and users who
can debug code aren't your target market anyway.) People
posting in Linux forums for help on proprietary software are
seldom given a lot of help, and will more often hear "Dump that
crap and switch to _________". In this case, that would be
Ardour.

3. Make a deal with Linspire to be featured prominently in their
"click-n-run warehouse". This will require making a clean .deb
package, though I guess it's possible Linspire might handle that
for you... I've never tried to sell prepackaged Linux software.

If your program is as stable as Ardour but more user friendly,
yet has the same pro-level features, some Linspire users will
buy it for $39.99. Not many of them, but I'm guessing enough to
make back your time investment and give you a bullet point
("crossplatform") on your list of features. Then there will be a
ton of shrieking on this list and others about how Linspire is
pitching some proprietary software instead of Ardour and "why
don't these users know any better?" But you'll have users and a
business relationship by then.

I personally can't see myself using it, but again, I'm not your
target market. That would be (a) non-technical users, (b)
people who dislike Ardour's rather unique interface, (c) people
who want easy crossplatform HDR, and (d) musicians buying on
impulse, as many of us do. The only way to reach them with
proprietary software under Linux is through Linspire, since I've
never been in any retail store that sold shrinkwrapped Linux DAW
software of any kind and any software sold electronically to
non-technical users that requires them to open a console to
install it is probably doomed to fail. (Linspire plans on
offering their "warehouse" to Ubuntu users in the future as
well, though I can barely imagine the screaming that will
entail.)

I would encourage you to target OS X since there are more audio
users on there by far, but due to GarageBand you'd be like
Netscape trying to sell a browser to people used to getting IE
preinstalled on their computers. It doesn't matter if your
program is way more powerful, you're at a huge disadvantage
coming out of the gate.

Rob
Received on Sun Aug 20 00:15:03 2006