Reply To: Free Sonar Tier

[Peter DeLegge]

On SoulfulKeys said

I get what you’re saying, and I’m not disagreeing with how they’ve positioned Next and Sonar, but that still leaves some pretty big holes in the overall strategy. If Next is supposed to be the next step for BandLab users, where do they go once they outgrow it? If there’s no higher-tier option in the ecosystem, you’re basically forcing people to jump ship to another DAW. That doesn’t line up with how smart BandLab’s been about keeping creators in their system.

And honestly, if Sonar was never meant to be part of that long-term plan, then what was the point of keeping it alive all these years and investing resources into it? That would be an odd move for a company that’s made such calculated decisions with BandLab’s growth. If they just wanted a new DAW like Next that could handle BandLab files, they could’ve built that from day one without dragging Sonar along for the ride.

I’m far from a marketing expert, but even I know if you’re trying to grab DAW market share, you’d never limit yourself to just Windows. That would be a rookie mistake. So it’s hard for me to believe BandLab would make a move that short-sighted when everything else they’ve done has been so strategic.

Well have to agree to disagree. BandLab is a case study in bad strategy with the Cakewalk brand. It’s pure brand mismanagement from the get go. I’m not sure how you see it as “so strategic.” It’s been nothing but branding worst practices, poor communication, false starts and miscues.

I realize how you’re trying to see a fit for a high-end sophisticated DAW, looking at things in a very linear way, but it’s clearly failed. The investment in marketing — if Meng was seriously trying to capture the high end DAW market or if, like it was suggested he’s only trying to keeop people in the same ecosystem, the product clearly hasn’t succeeded based on what is easily observable.

Don’t get me wrong, I realize how someone can see it as — this covers all of the bases. But again, consider that if you’re a brand exec and you’re putting together a strategy for all of the pieces of the puzzle, how a DAW that has no connection in project files, in workflow — anything is connected to the BandLab ecosystem. It’s not. It’s an acquisition. It’s bolted on, and not otherwise connected into the BandLab ecosystem anymore than any other brand of DAW is. Developing a DAW that is actually more of an evolution of Next that accepts the same project files would have made much more sense.

Yes, Meng stated all of the typical billionaire BS that he was democratizing the DAW market. If anyone believes that, I have a bridge for sale. What he was doing was trying to bring users into the ecosystem to hook them into the various related products, services, and goods that BandLab sells. I’m not a fan of billionaires’ faux altruism. That’s pure BS. Apologies to anyone who believes in that. It’s not honest. It’s close to the same strategic reasoning as freemium software. You hook them into the software and get them to spend money later.

Meng made other lofty statements — which really wasn’t consistent with the same guy who decided to later remove his free DAW — before he became desperate with the new / old strategy of making a free DAW (once again), not motivated by altruism, but motivated by the failure of the earlier strategy. If it came out that the new subscription had less than 50,000 subscribers, even less than 25,000, I would not find it surprising. And we’re just going to have to agree to disagree if you think that targeting DAW users with the subscription-only model and then berating them and censoring them from discussing it at the company forum is the sign of a customer-focused company with smart strategy. Yes, Meng clearly knew how to build BandLab up — of course, with dad’s billions and connections — and make that community large.  But he has shown an arrogance, dishonesty in communications, poor strategy and a disregard for the voice of the customer with the high end DAW market that ensured failure, IMO.

Let’s stop there and pick this up in a year — or much earlier — when BandLab discontinues Cakewalk Sonar. I’ve already expressed every thought I have on this to the point where it’s more extensive than when I was writing for marketing, branding, and business strategy professionals. I’m sure not many people are into this anymore. Our points have been made.

LinkedMusicians Founder. Your friend who keeps the beat.

Check out my music. 

1