Pricing

Why I don't do intro discounts or sales.

37 'Last Chance to Save!' emails, hurry up, get discount, buy now, buy now, OMG LAST CHANCE, BUYYYYYYY!
I don't appreciate this approach and I don't want to be part of it.

I put a massive amount of care and work into my preset and sample packs, I want you to buy them because you appreciate that and love the sounds and presets you buy and are inspired to create music with them.
I don't want you to buy because of some psychological 'bargain' trigger and then never use what you bought.
I don't want to contribute to the ridiculous expectation that 'everything should be $5 if you wait long enough' because this is devaluing the creative work that plugin developers and sound designers are doing. It's also crippling to small indie developers who can't afford to essentially give away the results of months/years of hard work.
There's also the fun of buying something at full price then discovering it at some ridiculous sale price days later...

I feel like I don't want to be a part of this rabid feeding frenzy around the need for constant bargains and I do not want to force people into buying things they don't want. I'd like to build meaningful long-term relationships with composers, manufacturers and musicians who know they can trust my products to make their lives easier and to help inspire their creativity.

My packs currently range from ~€10-€40, they're on a scale from weeks work, to many months in the case of the larger packs. Individual sounds are often hours work, genuinaly. I feel like the level I price things at is a balance between affordability and fair pricing while reflecting the considerable work and attention to detail that goes into creating each and every sample and preset.
At this level it is very hard to absorb discounts, along with high paypal fees and online store costs this can leave per pack income at a level too low to be sustainable long term. I love what I do and I do not seek great riches (luckily) but this, in the end, is a business. My outgoings are pretty modest and I live a pretty minimal lifestyle but if it's not possible to earn a fair, if modest income from what I create then I simply must seek other means of income and stop creating sounds.

So, very much as Sean at Valhalla stated in his recent video reaction to the ever more bloated Black Friday (Dark Grey November/December?): I will keep making my products with great care, attention and love. I will price those products fairly and those prices will remain the same so you can plan and budget and when you decide to buy you know what to expect. When you buy, you know that you do so, safe in the knowledge that I won't suddenly slash 50% off the price days later in a surprise sale.
There will be no sales and no intro discounts, just reasonable prices all the time. I know this is a switch from how things have been the past few years and I hope that's ok, this is something that's been on my mind for a year or two. I'm sure Finnegan will still appreciate your emails on his birthday even if that doesn't also bring discounts as it previously has. I'll also think of some other ways to say thanks for ongoing support and loyalty, which is very much appreciated.

Finally, I am well aware that peoples' circumstances vary and finances are tough from time to time. I'm not averse to having conversations around individual discounts, if justified, on a case by case basis so do get in touch. Please bear in mind though that this is my only job, while I live an extremely modest (but very happy) life on an income most people would think unsustainable I still have basic needs like mortgage, food, treats for Finnegan etc. Whilst I have no expectation or desire to be rich I think it's fair to expect reasonable compensation for the work I do. Please think before you ask for a discount which amounts to a saving of the price of a cheap takeaway coffee to you but may add up over hundreds of packs sales for me to be a very significant loss of income.

I have built a very loyal following of customers, many of whom have become friends, and for that I'm very thankful and I'm grateful for your continued support.

To my colleagues, friends and peers who continue to feel that discounts and sales are an important part of their business, I mean no disrespect and point no finger of disapproval in your direction. We must all run our businesses the way we see fit. But, please consider whether this is, long-term, a sustainable way to operate for us all and for the perception of value in what we create.

Peace.
Greg & Finnegan.

Black Friday reaction video from Valhalla
Similar thoughts from Accsone, makers of the excellent Crusher-X granular plugin