DRM is not a solution to any real problem.
Renoise, as much as we all want to believe the opposite, doesn’t have the same amount of users as other platforms. We can use Twitter as an example. As I type:
Renoise followers: 1217
Ableton Live followers: 11045
Propellerhead (Reason) followers: 15909
Now you’re probably thinking: That’s stupid. I don’t even have a Twitter account! To which I reply: Exactly! Renoise has more than 1217 users, but so does Propellerheads and Ableton. If we use these numbers as a benchmark then Renoise doesn’t even have ~10% of the users as these other guys. Ableton costs 349, Renoise cost 58. Renoise users don’t upgrade for years, the other guys you pay every release.
It has very little to do with “if people only knew what Renoise was capable of” and a lot more to do with the dynamic of our community, Taktik’s business model, and trackers in general.
To have a go at publishing for money on the Renoise platform you have to:
- Be respected in the community
- Ask people to pay for your bi-weekly newsletter where you publish XRNS to these subscribers only
- Have a positive relationship with these subscribers in that they don’t break the ethics code and hack your shit
Or:
- Publish videos and webpages with ads
Or:
- Teach a Renoise class in person
- Do speaking engagements at something like Linux Audio Conference 2012 or artist residencies
I restate, Renoise has less than 10% of the other platforms with an insanely different profit motive and userbase. So, even if you do go for it, you will probably be disappointed. Recent examples? Puremagnetik silently dropping support for Renoise less than a year after starting. (In case you’re wondering, the Logic samples in the monthly sample packs are not protected either.)
You can delude yourself and say “but not me!” and to this I say, awesome, go for it! But common, look at the numbers and do simple market research first.
Here’s a simple idea:
Profit
90% of businesses fail. It’s not because you think you’re awesome that things will go your way. You have to hustle. Find creative ways to make it work. The hardest part is always step 3.
Better yet, find a balance between fun, “commercial,” and enjoy the ride. The tracker scene is rooted in open formats. Renoise exports to WAV. DRM the WAV however you see fit?
Finally, I’m not saying that people want copy protection for money. Maybe they just want their name out there. Still not a real problem IMHO. People will know your name if you figure out “Step 3) ???” - It’s the same principle. Song protection will only protect you inside the community and the community will already know you because of the way we are (i.e. “the scene”). Once it’s cracked, what’s your YouTube plagiarism plan? It’s not on the onus of Renoise to figure this out for you.