meng
New features will absolutely be developed, not just fixes. As I said in my very first post, at BandLab we prefer to under-promise and over-deliver, so I hope we'll continue to bring positive surprises in the future.

The way we operate our group is not like many others, and Cakewalk, like all of our brands, are not isolated projects but integrated ones, which is why our approach is even financially feasible. Our commitment to the world of music as BandLab Technologies extends beyond software and those of you who start to research a little will understand we have many traditional revenue streams within our group and don't just give everything away for free :-)

For those of you who use Cakewalk in a professional context and are looking to whether you should put your time and effort into a platform - you should know that we are committed to all our products and the immense responsibility towards not just the Cakewalk community but the millions who are part of the BandLab community too - we would not dare to take on a project of this nature unless we were confident we would be a good home for it.

Now it sounds a little hard sell, so I'll shut up and get back to working on the product :-)

 
...

meng
As I said above, if you google a little or check our NAMM photos and announcements, you'll see we aren't just a software company.

We don't believe in chasing rainbow startup dreams but building solid sustainable businesses. They take longer, but they last longer too :-)

 
Thank you, Meng, for your response! I appreciate you taking the time to read this and share your thoughts! This really does sound like a very different business model indeed -- this integrated and almost holistic approach you have mentioned seems very rare in general and from what I can tell is totally unique within the music software market. I've done a little more homework, and I can see some of the other business avenues you appear to have, and I have to say, it's extremely bold of you to operate like this. You have an intriguing vision -- and it's definitely not a typical Western mentality to business IMO. If you are successful long-term (and I do hope that you are!) you have the potential to really change the landscape of music software. Bravo for your guts to do this.
 
It does seem almost miraculous that you'd back a project/brand in such a manner, with a cross-project revenue model, and I hope your approach works. PLEASE don't go down the path of invasive profile building and selling ad space inside the tools, though! :-) Let the tools you release be refuges of creativity and trust as a clean baseline app, and let us pay for unique plugins/modules/sounds or additional services without constantly being bombarded with marketing. Just crossing fingers that you'll remain classy in the years to come! 
 
I REALLY like that you are cultivating an attitude of "immense responsibility" towards your communities, and that you wouldn't "dare to take on a project of this nature" without due care. This is definitely confidence-building, and my hope is that when it comes time to write Noel and his team their paychecks you'll have that kind of commitment and passion for many years to come. Because as you know, great developers are not cheap. And great software takes time and resources before it bears fruit. I personally wish you the best. 
 
I do want to emphasize that there are many former (and current) Cakewalk users (and DAW users in general) that take that kind of commitment and attitude very seriously, and if you are going to make the world a better place with your ambitious and good-hearted plans, you'll need their added passion and trust to combine with your own. A lot of older-gen folks (some of us are long-time pros) rank trust, stability, reliability (and how that translates into bugfixes, professional features, consistent quality control), as very, very important. You're out on the cutting edge of business models for DAWs, so it's unknown territory where you'll be taking our beloved music-making tools. Just because Cakewalk is now "free" I hope you never sacrifice the core values of trust, stability and reliability.
 
Again, giant kudos to you for your guts to literally forge a new path in this overall DAW market/community. If you maintain this genuine passion, I believe you can make a lot of good things happen.
 
Regards,
ionecake

ionecake
 
 
Why is this important for some of us to know? Well, IMO, if someone installs a DAW, they may or may not realize this, but they are installing a product that is a long-term commitment. The musician/producer is forming a long-term relationship with his toolset. When you start writing or recording something so personal as music in a DAW, those projects can go on for years and years, and the tools we use are the creative extension of our minds and hearts. 
 .............
 
 Congrats to Meng and his team, and warmest well-wishes to Noel as he starts this new journey!

This is so true, it's a longterm relationship between the user and his DAW. The one who has found the right tool to  reach his creative flow is a happy musician. Besides the capability to handle different tasks.
 
Special thanks to Meng for clarifying his perspective on his business and for patience and engagement for transparency and a smooth transition for an doubtful user like me 
 
Cheers 
 

Doesn't matter. Anything that happens now is a bonus.
Go make sounds.

Small minds think profit. Big minds think benefit. Takes big mind to understand the way BandLab choose to do.

meng
Cakewalk, like all of our brands, are not isolated projects but integrated ones, which is why our approach is even financially feasible.

ionecake, I believe the answer to your question lies somewhere inside the rather cryptic line I quoted above.  How can Twitter, Snapchat, or Facebook be free?  Their business models depend on ancillary revenue, much of which is to raise the visibility of items within their ecosystem -- iow, advertising.
 
The financial feasibility Meng refers to will come from ancillary revenues.  There could be add-on products and services that are fee-based.  There can be fees (advertising charges) to promote the music published through the system.  There can be hardware sales associated with their software.
 
This only works if the numbers are big enough, and taking a critical mass of the market.  There was no way SONAR was ever going to get numbers like that.  The idea, therefore, is to promote the "free DAW"as part of the overall value proposition to reach the critical mass of users.  If Cakewalk had tens of thousands of active users, Bandlab could aspire to millions of users.  They won't all use the full DAW, but it is part of the package for those who want to use it.
 
We can debate whether it is practical to reach millions of users (and that is my number, not Meng's).  But I think that is the concept.  And it helps that there is an existing business and funding to sustain this effort over several years as Bandlab tries to build that critical mass.
 
Personally, I think it is something of a long shot, but I am very impressed by the ambition and the effort so far.  I hope it pays off bigly for Bandlab and Meng.

bitman
Doesn't matter. Anything that happens now is a bonus.
Go make sounds.

 
Hi Bitman, as for it being a "bonus" I agree with you on that, especially for people who hit the end of the line with Gibson when it looked like Cakewalk was dead. And I also think it's great advice for folks to "go make sounds." :-) But also, going forward, I think it does matter. At least to some of us. HOW Meng proceeds, and WHAT he turns Cakewalk into is important, because the direction and longevity of the toolset (i.e. Cakewalk) matters to the artists who use it. Again, to some of us. He's definitely clarified the direction, and I appreciate his candor and response. It's a great first step.
 

cparmerlee

meng
Cakewalk, like all of our brands, are not isolated projects but integrated ones, which is why our approach is even financially feasible.

ionecake, I believe the answer to your question lies somewhere inside the rather cryptic line I quoted above. 
 

 
Agreed completely, that's the key, his "integrated" approach. Also agree it will likely depend on large numbers of people who use the platform. How that evolves and pans out in the years to come, we'll see, but I also agree it seems most likely that revenue will come with add-on products and services. I just hope that he doesn't get tempted to go the pathway of invasive profile model and ad revenue model like the the social media companies you mentioned. 
 

Hey, you can always tip them.  I would do a big one! ;)

meng
New features will absolutely be developed, not just fixes. As I said in my very first post, at BandLab we prefer to under-promise and over-deliver, so I hope we'll continue to bring positive surprises in the future.

The way we operate our group is not like many others, and Cakewalk, like all of our brands, are not isolated projects but integrated ones, which is why our approach is even financially feasible. Our commitment to the world of music as BandLab Technologies extends beyond software and those of you who start to research a little will understand we have many traditional revenue streams within our group and don't just give everything away for free :-)

For those of you who use Cakewalk in a professional context and are looking to whether you should put your time and effort into a platform - you should know that we are committed to all our products and the immense responsibility towards not just the Cakewalk community but the millions who are part of the BandLab community too - we would not dare to take on a project of this nature unless we were confident we would be a good home for it.

Now it sounds a little hard sell, so I'll shut up and get back to working on the product :-)

Will you ever sell stocks? I don't have much money, but I would seriously love to invest in Bandlab! :)
Your vision, creativity and hard work I believe, God willing, will achieve great things.
I've never bought stocks before, but I'd sign up to buy Bandlab stocks! :)

meng
As I said above, if you google a little or check our NAMM photos and announcements, you'll see we aren't just a software company.

We don't believe in chasing rainbow startup dreams but building solid sustainable businesses. They take longer, but they last longer too :-)

In the states, we say "You da man" if you are an admirable person. I would like to pass that on to you sir by saying,
You da Meng!
 
Cheers!