I’m on it form June 2016. Annual pay. 120$ for something what I use every day is totally fair. You know, now software is the key, and this is not Netlix. HBO, Prime and so on, because music is - I think - very different content than video in everyday use. You have your own collection, you have millions of your favourite tracks on streaming services (+ integration all of it) and You… you know, you love music, you hear everyday, many of us 24/7 (me 3-4 hours per day). So, when I decided to support Roon devs I know, that is good to be part of it - pay money for key part of my music system. Because it is crucial for music lover today - lots of streams, files and management this with the best UI/UX on market = Roon. I think that 500$ for lifetime isn’t a lot for this. I think it could be more - 700 or even 1000$.
Month sub? Maybe for beginners. More sub plans? Definitely good idea (i.e 3 months/6months). Just my 2 grosze (polish cents )
If you had taken the time to look around, you may have found a thread where Roon discusses how they don’t really want to sell any more lifetime subs. That is the main reason they increased the price. They also said they would have eliminated the option already except they had some contractual obligations that require the option still exist. Elsewhere in that thread, Roon said that annual subscription prices would not be going up and may, at some point, go down.
So fear not. Roon is not increasing prices in a recession. But they may make it more clear that they do not want customers to buy the lifetime subscription the only way they can…
Since I’m certain we’d all rather minimise the mopey threads by the leaders of the tomorrow who were just about to buy lifetime, but were waiting for tomorrow, I’d like to remind those of you on the fence that months not used in your yearly can, unless that policy has changed, be credited towards your purchase of lifetime. So remember folks: if you’re set on using Roon, there’ll be no cheaper time to buy it than today.
Policy changed last fall. You can only make that switch in the first month of Roon use, as I understand. Perhaps, we can call upon the fantastic @beka to provide clear guidance on this point!
You can choose to switch to lifetime billing at any time. Just visit your account page and select the lifetime billing option. If you switch during your trial, you will be billed $699.99 when your trial ends. If you switch during the first 30 days after a charge for a yearly subscription, you will only pay the difference, $580.11. At any other time, you will pay the full $699.99 and no full or partial refunds will be granted for prior payments.
And, if you’re outside the 30 day time frame, it doesn’t really matter when you switch to lifetime. Your last annual payment is sunk cost regardless. Just do it if you want lifetime while it’s still available (for $700).
After my trial I took a couple of weeks break to collect my thoughts. I have just signed back in and was given the choice of yearly or lifetime. I signed up for lifetime
According to xe.com I was charged US$718.10 for conversion by my bank in Thailand.
I think this is almost exactly my reasoning, word by word. If I find a service I like then I’d rather pay for it regularly than paying upfront to a discount. The model is more sustainable for all parties.
I’m now coming up to my 4th or 5th year and I don’t regret one second never going lifetime.
I hear ya but when I bought my lifetime 4 years back its was clear Roon was still early days having only just gone to V1.3 and I felt Lifetime was better to inject some funding for something I fell in love with at first try. Now I just give back with helping others here in the Community
Based on todays features in V1.7 and what is on the road map (soon I hope) - I can see the need for lifetime as an option being closed before very long.
My Roon cost from 2015 (2 years of Annual before taking a Lifetime in 2017) has cost $663.30 (presently equ. to $132.66 per year)
However, I have been seen great improvements not only to the UI, but also the addition of Chromecast streaming, for full multi-room support of non-high end products for Bathrooms, Bedrooms etc., support for MQA unfolding (to 24/96) irrespective of end-point processing and the availability of ROCK - all under that subscription cost.
For many other companies, these would have been additional licencing add-ons.
Being magnanimous is great, but for me, this would be some kind of bizarre rationalization. If I wanted to contribute/donate, I’d still have that option.
Hedging my bets paying annually might feel nice for a while, but come year five or seven or 10 or whatever, I know that I’d feel bitter if I didn’t lock in my rate. (I bought in at $499, so maybe I feel that much happier for doing so.)
Once I used Roon, I knew it was a life-changing piece of software (and service) that I had to have. (And maybe I’ve been sucked into so many bloody subscriptions that I couldn’t stomach having yet one more. )
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