Pricing for Isadora 3

mark

Dear Community,

First, I want to thank all of you who contributed to the discussion we initiated about Isadora pricing. The entire team read every word your wrote, and your input led to many thoughtful discussions and debates among us. Your input helped us come up with a pricing structure that allows us to continue to improve Isadora, to offer you the excellent and friendly technical support you rely on, and to ensure the well being of TroikaTronix into the future.

One thing not covered here: we will also start charging fixed rates in EUR in our online store. In the past, the prices fluctuated due to the exchange rate, and it will be better for all concerned if we set fixed prices for the currency most often used when users purchase Isadora.

The trickiest issue was figuring out a way to allow low-income artists get their hands on Isadora while ensuring we can generate sufficient income to grow into the future. (I especially appreciated @bonemap's response to this particular topic in the community pricing discussion.) We've come up with a solution we're excited about: the TroikaTronix Digital Sponsorship Program. You can read details about this new initiative below.

I hope that you'll see some of the ideas you voiced reflected in the plan below. Again, thank you so much for your input.

Sincerely,

Mark Coniglio + the TroikaTronix Team

ISADORA 3 PRICES

[EDIT] The prices originally shown here have been moved into a Knowledge Base article. Please jump there for Isadora pricing.

TroikaTronix Digital Sponsorship:

When we release an update to Isadora 3 at the Werkstatt in Berlin over the summer we will begin the TroikaTronix Digital Sponsorship program. Artists who need Isadora but cannot afford to pay full price can request a year long subscription to Isadora on a sliding price scale. We're still working out the exact details, but in general terms, it will work like this:

Artists who wish to apply for the sponsorship will have the following questions:

1) What do you plan to do with Isadora?
2) How will Isadora affect your artistic practice in the coming year?
3) When people pay for Isadora, we use the income to make the software better. If no one paid, we'd eventually have to close our doors. With this in mind, why do you feel that we should give you a discount?
4) How much can you afford to pay? (Here, there will be a pop-up menu showing prices ranging from 10% to 90% of normal price.)

We will select our sponsored artists based on their need as well as the sincerity and passion with which they answer the questions above. We will require those who benefit from this program to share their discoveries and experiments with Isadora users on social media, and to give credit to the sponsorship program if their work is exhibited publicly.

Videosmith

This looks great, especially for students. Well done all. Is there a confirmation on the release date of V3 and the new pricing system?

MABO

That's great ! I'll talk around about this new monthly solution !! I know many people, especially students that would be interested by that.

That is a great idea, thinking of these "first and cheap" project we've all already done, Isadora can be more popular to do it now...

Thanx Troika Team

pandigital

Hi Mark

Just wondering with the USB key upgrades - do you send out a new physical key or can we upgrade the one we have?

If you send out a new one is there an interim license available while its on order / in transit?

Thanks!

timeg

Congratulations Mark and the team. This is a terrific, fair and balanced outcome. I was just talking with some students this very day, prompting my login. Bravo. Fairness and community is just one of the many things we love about Isadora. A rare commodity in this day and age. Bring on V3

Woland

@pandigital said:

Just wondering with the USB key upgrades - do you send out a new physical key or can we upgrade the one we have?If you send out a new one is there an interim license available while its on order / in transit?

If you are upgrading from an Isadora 2 Standard Edition license (tied to a computer) to an Isadora 2 USB Key Edition license (tied to a physical USB Key) you will be sent an interim code immediately upon purchase so that you can still work while the USB Key is in the mail.

If you have no pre-existing Isadora license and are buying an Isadora 2 USB Key Edition license you will also be sent an interim code immediately upon purchase so that you can still work while the USB Key is in the mail.

If your question is whether people upgrading from an Isadora 2 USB Key Edition license to an Isadora 3 USB Key license will need to buy or receive a new USB Key, the answer is no; you do not need to get a new USB Key in order to upgrade from an Isadora 2 USB Key Edition license to an Isadora 3 USB Key license.

Please note that Isadora 3 USB Key licenses will only available for Isadora 3 Perpetual (buy-to-own) licenses; i.e., one can not have an Isadora 3 USB Key license that uses the yearly, monthly, or weekly subscription model. (This may change in the future if we look into a new licensing system, but currently the USB Key licensing software is an entirely separate system from the Subscription licensing system.)

Best wishes,

Woland

Woland

@videosmith said:

Is there a confirmation on the release date of V3 and the new pricing system?

Mark asked me to tell you all that the officially-planned release is in Fall 2018 with October 15th being our target date, though there is the possibility that this may get pushed back slightly to ensure that we can deliver the best product possible to the community.

Best wishes,

Woland

Videosmith

@woland cheers mr Woland. I was just trying to advise a friend on purchasing Isadora. If he prefers subscription model, I'll see if I can find an interim solution for him in the meantime by lending him my usb key.

CraigAlfredson

@mark

I have a question about USB key licenses. If I am buying a brand new USB key License, do I pay $650 and that includes the physical key, or do I pay $650 plus $100 for a new key fob?

Thanks,

Craig

Woland

@craigalfredson

The $650 price for the USB Key license includes the cost of the physical USB key, so if you are buying a new one, you only pay $650.

If you were upgrading an existing Standard Edition license (price $550) to an USB Key license, you would pay $100 for the USB Key Upgrade in order to get the physical USB Key.

Please note that the Subscription licenses for Isadora 3 cannot be USB Key licenses. (They use two different licensing systems that are not, as of yet, compatible.)

GertjanB

Hi,

I would like to ask a question to other people who teach on this forum about the price of the student licence for a year.

I teach in a high school in Belgium (students around 18y). When I tell them a year licence for the students is ±€70/75 (incl VAT) I get this answer:
"That is to expensive, they only have to pay €60 a year for the full adobe suit."

I try to explain that Isadora needs this support and a whole other array of reasons but still I am not allowed to ask that amount unless I don't ask anything else of them. (So that is what i did, no adobe in my class contrary to the other classes).

Are there teachers here with the same problem or is it just me?

Michel

@gertjanb

I am not a teacher but work at the University of the Arts in Zurich and we have a similar problem.

About a year ago they had to pay around € 90.- for the complete suite. Now for the full creative cloud suite they get it for free. But how can any small company compete with that.
In 2017 analysts estimate the total number of Creative Cloud customers to be approximately 12 millions. So if each of them paid € 60.- per year this would be 720 millions. I guess its more and yes there are thousands working for Adobe compared to a handful for Troikatronix.

But ask them if they ever launch a small company them selfs would they give there work away for very little money? Or do they want to get payed properly for the work? I made the experience that those who complained the loudest because of high prices are the ones that are not cheap if they start working when they finish university.

Best Michel

bonemap

@gertjanb said:

with the same problem

One issue for me is the difficulty in being able to build a value proposition around Isadora that translates into industry settings. I have been introducing the software to students for years and specifically within the context of students developing projection projects and interactive installations in public spaces. However, as the the market for original work of this nature is weak in my community it is difficult to transform these integrated learning experiences into the uptake of licenses. Even students who start to achieve some autonomy in the sector are unmoved to invest in the software. In many cases it is because these students go on to work with other artists and technicians who provide different standards of software integration for specific sites of production i.e. Watchout for projection mapping, QLab for live show control, Touch Designer for interactive projects. From my perspective Isadora can cover many of the features of these individual products, but it does not have a significant buy-in from the sector. Perhaps this can be addressed somehow with a targeted campaign to educate the sector about the amazing flexibility and capacity of Isadora? Might need an Isadora world tour?

Best Wishes

bonemap

RIL

@bonemap I agree with many of the things you are saying. And that is why I create last year the Isadora Latin Network -RIL- the only art network authorized by troikatronix in Latin America, to give workshop, artistic project developments and share different experiences about Isadora and its great potential

Best,

Maxi

Salimelo

Dear Mark,

Thank you for incorporating so many social concerns. What about a leasing model? I 'd love to be given the opportunity to rent Isadora, but after a given period of time, to own it! Not a good Idea? Kindly, JK

Woland

@salimelo said:

What about a leasing model? I 'd love to be given the opportunity to rent Isadora, but after a given period of time, to own it!

We may look into this at some point in the future, but for now we do not have the infrastructure to support a leasing model. We believe that the subscription models are affordable enough for now.

eight

@mark I got my Isadora 1 at an academic discount and not associated with Harvard any more. Since then I've upgraded to v 2 at full price. Now I am teaching at a theatre school. How should approach the 2 to 3 upgrade? I don't see a discount option on the Get It page.

Thanks.

Woland

@eight

https://support.troikatronix.com/support/solutions/articles/5000692111-is-there-a-discount-for-students-faculty-or-staff-at-a-school-or-university-

eight

@woland Thanks, submitted a ticket.