Plugin subscription plans can seem like a dream, you get a ton of stuff for one small monthly payment. However, that dream can turn into a nightmare - here’s how to avoid it.
Price Per Plugin
A common comment you see when plans are discussed is that some bundles offer tens of plugins, while others offer hundreds for a similar monthly payment.
There’s a basic mistake with this thinking, that’s thinking of a plan on a price per plugin basis. If the plan is $30 a month and there’s a hundred plugins in one bundle and thirty in the other, that feels like you’re getting either three times the value or paying three times the price.
Bottom line, in audio, quality always trumps quantity. Don’t judge a plugin subscription solely on quantity. Some plans are padded with stuff that’s either not that good, or simply not useful for you. Have you ever gone to a DIY store for a screwdriver and then seen a huge tool set for about twice the price? It includes all sorts of stuff, some stuff you don’t even know what it’s for. Plugin bundles can be the same. It’s often better to get a good screwdriver than a ton of cheap tools you’ll never use.
All For One
All plugin bundles have some stars, like the Avengers, there’s always one hero you really love. However, is that enough of a reason to sign up for an entire plugin bundle?
There’s two options. One, if there’s a perpetual option to buy a single plugin (and any developer who doesn’t offer the perpetual option should be avoided), then it may be smarter to buy the single plugin. Two, try out alternatives, it’s rare that there’s one plugin on the market, especially in bundles, that can’t be replaced by another.
We’ve done countless shootouts between different plugins over the years and there’s never been an example where people can 100% spot the difference. Furthermore, once that plugin is in a mix, we’d defy anyone to spot the difference.
Don’t get into a subscription for a plugin that neither you or the listener can spot from an alternative.
I Want It All
One subscription plan can be a significant outlay each month, but several really start to mount up.
For many, we’re already paying for a DAW subscription, add others like plugin plans, storage plans and you could be spending north of $100 a month, which is $1200 a year. That’s a lot of money, especially in a time of cost of living crisis.
Our advice, is choose the plan that best suits you and then stick with it. It’s unlikely there’s something in another plan you don’t already have in your plan. Don’t forget there’s also a lot of free plugins that ship with your DAW, and we have a list of 300 free plugins here.
Added together, if you can’t mix with all those plugins, then your plugin selection isn’t the problem.
Forget Me Not
If you forget everything else in this article, then don’t forget this last point.
Any plan you have is an overhead, an ongoing cost and as we’ve already mentioned, they soon mount up.
Our advice is to go through your financial statements every month and review your monthly outgoings. It’s a good habit to get into and over a year you can save a small fortune cancelling, pausing or downgrading subscription plans. Go on, do it now.
Summary
As we’ve already said, for some, plugin subscriptions can be a great way to get what you need to record and mix your tracks. However, make sure you don’t end up spending money on stuff you don’t need.