Magix Buys Sony Creative Software

http://www.prosoundnetwor...reative-software/46134
 
Berlin, Germany (May 24, 2016)—Magix Software is purchasing Sony Creative Software, acquiring a majority stake in the company and netting nearly all of Sony Creative Software’s products in the process.
 
Based in Berlin with branches in Germany, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Italy, and the Netherlands, Magix traditionally has focused on consumer and pro-sumer software solutions for video, photo and audio editing. The acquisition will bring Sony’s Vegas Pro, Movie Studio, Sound Forge Pro, and ACID Pro product lines under the Magix name, though Sony will retain its SCS Catalyst Browse and Catalyst Production Suite for professional broadcast and production applications.
 
"These products from Sony Creative Software are the perfect addition to our portfolio," said Magix CEO Klaus Schmidt in a statement. “We have already strengthened our presence in the United States in order to propel development and sales. This autumn, we plan to release new versions of the video-editing programs Vegas Pro and Movie Studio, which are heavily oriented toward the customer requirements of today.”

No word was given when the transaction will be completed or whether Sony Creative Software, currently based in Middleton, WI, will move to Berlin or another existing Magix location. Magix will continue to support all current SCS customers who purchased products from Sony. 

Magix Software GmbH
www.magix.com

well that is disappointing.  I do not like Magix as a company. oh well.  For what I use Sound Forge for I guess I don't need any upgrades as it works now.

Okay so we got the music equivalent of the "Great Value" brand buying out one of the most respected PC video editing software...
 
Looks like I'm going back to Adobe instead of buying Vegas Pro. :(

 Magix has their own professional video editing software, Magix Video Pro X,  so I wonder if it makes any sense for them to develop Vegas Pro any further. I'm hoping they make Vegas their top tier video editor and the others prosumer and consumer versions.

Soundwise
I like Magix' products. Wonder why does the company get so many dislikes?

 Clumsy authorization that is still in the mind of those who tried their freebie daw.  They acquired Yellow Tools, crappy authorization and have done nothing to really improve it.
 So the same will happen with Sony products.
 
 That's their dislikes.  Their Samplitude is not a dislike.  Their Music Maker software got one of the lowest scores on CM Magazine.  You won't find many dislikes for the Samplitude products.
 
 When most companies acquire software, improving upon it is a rarity for me.  If Apple acquires it they move it to Mac only.
 

TheSteven

kitekrazy1
 
 Clumsy authorization that is still in the mind of those who tried their freebie daw.  They acquired Yellow Tools, crappy authorization and have done nothing to really improve it.
 
 

Actually this did a lot to improve the authorization - the current process is pretty painless (unless you have Windows 10).  The problem is that the never did any thing else except make it increasingly harder to find on their web site.
 
Looks like Independence Pro company is going to have some company in the orphan wing of Magix' software vault.
 

Yep. They did change the GUI on the Independence stuff and made it 64bit. I think the whole library is included with Samplitude.  The odd thing is the sampling engine was developed by Best Service and you can still authorize it through them.   Yellow Tools was promising but I believe they were more interested in locking down their product than support and development.
 I had a big rant on NorthernSoundSource about them and there was also a 30 plus page rant on KVR about their quality. That pretty much did them in.

TheSteven

kitekrazy1
 
 Clumsy authorization that is still in the mind of those who tried their freebie daw.  They acquired Yellow Tools, crappy authorization and have done nothing to really improve it.
 
 

Actually they did a lot to improve the authorization - the current process is pretty painless (unless you have Windows 10 - which they have no plans to add support for).  The problem is that the never did any thing else,  except make it increasingly harder to find on their web site.
 
Looks like Independence Pro company is going to have some company in the orphan wing of Magix' software vault.
 

What's the problem with Independence Pro and Win 10?
I still have Win 7 and Independence Pro works very well, but I am thinking upgrading to Win 10 soon !

I'm worried about this too. I don't like the sound of this at all. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't expect much further development now.

JonD

kennywtelejazz

Soundwise
I like Magix' products. Wonder why does the company get so many dislikes?

+1 , Over the years I've purchased and used a lot of Magix products from the low end too the high end ....
I have been very happy with the performance and functionality of the products ...many of them I still use
 
Kenny 

+1 here as well.  I think this acquisition is a good fit.  Honestly, I don't think Sony knew what to do with the audio stuff.  While Wavelab has continued to develop over the years, Sound Forge still looks/feels like a relic from the 90s. 
 
Also, it's not like Magix doesn't already know a thing or two about audio-editing/mastering software.  Samplitude and Sequoia have always excelled in that regard.

I hope it is a good fit Sony getting bought by Magix .
In the land of my wishes ,  It would be real nice to have my Sony Acid Pro 7 get bumped up to a 64 bit version , or in the very least have it put towards an upgrade path for a similar product if Magix decides to do a complete overhaul for that type of app and market . 
 
I also hope Magix decides to get a lot tighter with Win 10 product integration and do some optimizations for the OS.
Samplitude Pro X2 ran absolutely fantastic in Win 8 64 .
 
Once I bumped up both my Win machines to Win 10 , I have noticed there is a performance hit in Samplitude  and I'm not happy about it .
Cakewalk definitely beat Magix to the punch regarding optimizing Splat for Win 10 .
 
As far as what Magix has offered as a product line over the years , I have most of it w the exception of Sequoia ...
They kept sending me offers . I kept buying their products  
 
all the best,
 
Kenny

http://www.redsharknews.com/business/item/3513-update-on-the-sale-of-sony-vegas-and-its-other-media-products-to-magix
 
Here's a quick update on the sale of Sony Vegas to Magix, including Magix's response to the sale, and Sony's own statement. 

OK, nothing much new to see here, but confirmation that Vegas, Sound Forge etc. seem to be in good hands. We emailed Magix this morning and the company gave us the following information:
"We purchased the Sony Creative Software products, including the full Vegas Pro, Movie Studio, Sound Forge Pro, and ACID Pro product lines. We'll continue to innovate and support all SCS customers who purchased products from Sony. We already plan new versions of Vegas Pro and Movie Studio this autumn. The SCS Catalyst Browse and Catalyst Production Suite will continue to be developed by Sony for professional broadcast and production applications."
I get the impression that this is a very important purchase for Magix and that the Berlin-based company will continue to develop the former Sony products.
A lot depends on whether Magix takes on the Sony developers - at least to some extent. I have a feeling that Magix will.
More answers soon. I’m sending some specific questions to the company. So far, I’ve found them approachable and open. This bodes well for the future of this much-liked suite of software.

Further update

We've just received a statement from Sony which sheds more light on the sale of the Sony Creative Software (SCS) products to Magix.
Sony seems to want to reassure Vegas customers that they'll be in good hands:
"The MAGIX team has a unique expertise in software and will breathe new life into these storied media titles for professionals and consumers".
Crucially for the wellbeing of Vegas under its new owner, Sony says that Magix has hired some former SCS employees:
"MAGIX will continue to support all current SCS customers to ensure a seamless end user experience. The company has also hired several former SCS employees."
And Sony itself will continue to employ developers for what remains of SCS in Middleton/Maddison Wisconsin.
Here's their statement in full:
 
Catalyst Production Suite Remains with Sony for 
Professional Broadcast and Production Applications
Sony Creative Software (SCS) has sold the majority of its products to MAGIX Software GmbH.
SCS will remain a part of Sony Electronics and will continue to own and distribute its Catalyst Browse and Catalyst Production Suites. These products will continue to be developed by Sony for professional broadcast and production applications.
By purchasing the full Vegas Pro, Movie Studio, Sound Forge Pro, and ACID Pro product lines from SCS, MAGIX is further cementing its position in the market and accelerating its international growth as a leading creator of video, music, and photo-editing software and apps in Europe and the U.S.
“The MAGIX team has a unique expertise in software and will breathe new life into these storied media titles for professionals and consumers,” said Alec Shapiro, president, Sony’s Professional Solutions Americas. “Our suite of Catalyst products has carved a unique niche in the production community. We will focus on developing these technologies and making them even more powerful workflow solutions for our professional broadcast and production customers.”
MAGIX will continue to support all current SCS customers to ensure a seamless end user experience. The company has also hired several former SCS employees.
“These products from Sony Creative Software are the perfect addition to our portfolio,” said MAGIX CEO Klaus Schmidt. “We have already strengthened our presence in the United States in order to propel development and sales. This autumn, we plan to release new versions of the video-editing programs Vegas Pro and Movie Studio, which are heavily oriented toward the customer requirements of today.”
The Sony Creative Software team will continue to maintain a presence in the Middleton/Madison, Wis., area. These will be working on Sony's Catalyst software suite.
 

 

https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/24/998767
    Greetings, From the Vegas Team 
by Eric Dettman on May 26, 2016 at 3:56:28 pmMany of you in the community are already aware of the news regarding the acquisition of Sony Creative Software products by MAGIX. The press release can be found here. http://www.magix.com/us/press/detail/?tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=612&cHash=e5c07...

I am here to chime in and provide some more details specifically regarding Vegas Pro and future product development.

MAGIX has assembled an experienced, dedicated Vegas Pro development team here in the Madison Wisconsin area, under product owner Gary Rebholz. The new Vegas team consists of people from SCS, and a number of them date back to when that group was part of Sonic Foundry. They have worked diligently and passionately for almost two decades to make Vegas what it is today. We are a team already experienced with development and support of Vegas, working for a software company who is already experienced in Multimedia NLE development. 

Our intent is to have a release of Vegas available in the fall of this year, and continue developing and supporting Vegas into the future. We would like to hear from you, the members of the Vegas Pro community, regarding your favorite features, specific things you would like to see addressed, and questions you may have. 

Here are some answers to questions we already see in the community. 

We have no intention of moving Vegas to a classic subscription model.
Current plan is to release Vegas Pro in the fall of this year. 
MAGIX will develop Vegas and Movie Studio into the future.
MAGIX will continue to support all current SCS customers who purchased acquired products from Sony to ensure a seamless end user experience.

Thank you for your continued support. Your feedback is valuable and will help us enhance Vegas and return it to the level of tool we want it to be and something that will excite even new users.

-Eric Dettman
MAGIX Software GmbH

MAGIX see.feel.hear.create
 

Just got this:

Sony Creative Software Inc. ("SCS") is pleased to announce that MAGIX Software GmbH (“MAGIX”) has purchased substantially all of the software products and other assets of SCS (“SCS Assets”). As part of this sale, and in accordance with our Privacy Policy, MAGIX will acquire our customer database, including your personally identifiable information, previously collected through our website or otherwise (“Customer Database”). This information was included in the sale to assist MAGIX in providing you with products and services, including those that are no longer offered by SCS.

MAGIX has agreed that it will treat the personal information in the Customer Database in compliance with the law and in accordance with the terms of the existing SCS Privacy Policy. If you have any questions regarding MAGIX’s privacy practices or its treatment of personal information, please contact MAGIX at:privacy@magix.net.

Please note that SCS will continue to own and distribute its Suite of Catalyst-branded products and services, and we will continue to communicate with you regarding those and other Sony products and services. The personal information and other information about you that we retain will continue to be governed by, and treated consistent with, the terms of our Privacy Policy. If you wish to adjust your SCS communication preferences, please follow the process set forth in ourPrivacy Policy. In addition, you can opt-out from marketing emails sent from SCS or another Sony entity at any time by following the link contained within such marketing emails.

We appreciate the opportunity to have served you and hope to have the opportunity to do so in the future. For further information, including a detailed product list, please visit the Sony Creative Software website.

Sincerely,
Sony Creative Software Inc.

kitekrazy1
 I wonder what song and dance will be needed for the end user to access their Sony licenses at Magix.
 
If you have any of the left over Yellow Tools crap everything is quite hidden where to find it.

 
You got a point there... Current SCS products phone home for initial product authorization. Wonder how that's going to work...
 

Well Sony Vegas was a fun way for me to not cave and buy Premiere while it lasted haha. Guess I'll have to look into taking the plunge at some point. Wish there was a crossgrade offer or something.

Zero talk about sound forge form this deal.  only talk is Vegas talk and that Vegas was going to live on etc.