Why isn't Avid listening?

[Quickdraw]

I am one of the many here who purchased an upgrade and support plan months ago and am still waiting for the new release. (and any real support)
After seeing the many posts ripping this new system I have started to wonder Why isn't Avid listening? The people here are not just customers but customers who have taken the time to participate in this forum giving feedback on products and even helping other customers. I would like to think that Avid would be most interested in not only listening to the feedback from those here but in keeping them as customers, but it seems they are not only ignoring them but doing the opposite of what they ask. So here is the question: Why is Avid ignoring what should be considered their most valuable customers? I am curios what you guys think, Avid should be thanking you for the time you have devoted to helping improve their products not poking you with a sharp stick. Speaking as one who has benefited greatly from the information and knowledge shared on this forum I hope Avid comes back to its senses and begs those leaving here to stay and continue to contribute to this community.

[Justin1524]

It's a great question. Publicly, like many companies, Avid likely believes customer's will always post ridiculous rants on forums, it's the nature of the internet age and best to just ignore it. Privately, I think they're afraid. Afraid they have no answers for the truly legitimate questions raised here. Companies do have to be careful about what they say too. I wouldn't take it too hard that Avid isn't commenting here but I would hold them accountable for what they promise and when they deliver. It's likely that while they may not comment much, someone is reading the customer feedback so resist the urge to rant and be sincere and thoughtful - come to think of it - most on here do just that! I think the post titled "Please Avid we all want you to be successful" speaks volumes that customers want Avid and Pro Tools to thrive, not the opposite. We may disagree with Avid's policies and pricing, that's ok, so long as we can engage in civil discourse. Who knows, maybe they'll reply once and a while.

[JCBigler]

Because Avid is a publicly traded company, and their ONLY responsibility is to maintain and increase their shareholders equity in the company stock. The products that they produce and services that they offer to customers are just a means to and end, that of producing a profit for their shareholders.

Although no one seems able to answer the question of what happens to the shareholders stock when no one buys their products and the company goes bust. As long as no one admits that the emperor is naked, and the stock price keeps going up; no one in Avid Management cares about you, me, or the biggest recording studios and audio post facilities in the world.

[Wall2Wall]

It's possible that they feel they are doing what's correct for them. Here is an interesting article on Avid and the CEO. The main thing people will focus on is how the Avid CEO got a raise, the amount of his raise, and that revenue fell. But I find the two excerpts below more telling of Avid's direction. Right or Wrong.

Article http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/...cYM/story.html

Two telling excerpts from the article that gets lost while just concentrating on the money:

In 2004 and 2005, Avid spent about $635 million to buy businesses that offered low-cost video and audio software for consumers, but the venture failed and Avid ended up abandoning its consumer operation in 2012.

Playing in the low end spectrum led to the damage they are slowly digging out from. From what I can decipher, if you are not generating profit from your Pro Tools system you will be ignored by Avid. LE users can forget getting any HD features...ever

■ Bookings stabilized in 2014 after falling the two previous years.

■ Last year’s free cash flow of $12.7 million was more than double that of 2013.

■ The company had signed up more than 20,000 users of its MediaCentral software by the end of 2014.

And an analyst who follows the company said that Hernandez’s team appears to have improved Avid’s financial outlook.

“They’re in an industry that’s not grown very much, but they’ve been able to maintain and grow their customer base,” said Steven Frankel, from the investment firm Dougherty & Co.

They seem to be on the right path now in an industry not ripe for growth. Media Composer using were complaining and whining as much as PT users are when they first introduced the subscription model. The first MC sub release had nothing in it, just like like the initial 12. But Avid updated MC regularly throughout the year and the whining stopped.

[thewiz]

I'm sure this will happen with PT users also..

[junkerde]

listen to investors, not users

thus the cloud-less release of the CLOUD boasting pro tools 12 marketing

[JCBigler]

Originally Posted by Wall2Wall

...if you are not generating profit from your Pro Tools system you will be ignored by Avid.

This it totally and completely wrong.

If you are not generating working equity for Avid, i.e. you are paying them for an ownership share in the company; you will be ignored by Avid.

Despite the fact that Avid spent a bunch of money buying consumer level audio and video companies (M-Audio and Pinnicle?) and lost their shirt on the consumer level business...what remains to be said is that in the process they also destroyed two companies that were offering a product and service to a particular segment of the industry.

[JFreak]

Avid is listening for sure, but they just cannot make public announcements they cannot deliver witihin a quarter

[Wall2Wall]

Originally Posted by JCBigler

This it totally and completely wrong.

If you are not generating working equity for Avid, i.e. you are paying them for an ownership share in the company; you will be ignored by Avid.

Despite the fact that Avid spent a bunch of money buying consumer level audio and video companies (M-Audio and Pinnicle?) and lost their shirt on the consumer level business...what remains to be said is that in the process they also destroyed two companies that were offering a product and service to a particular segment of the industry.

That's a very simple and narrow view. Avid knows they have to satisfy customers to stay in business. Every corp knows that. But they failed at trying to appeal to the lower spectrum. It put them in bad shape and the fallout affected all involved. That's the reality of failed business choices and market shifts. Now they have to dig out of the hole or die. And they have decided to dig out in their own way. We'll see if it works.

It's not popular to a certain segment. That segment has the right to move on to another product if they are unhappy or continue to whine and moan. As long as those unhappy care enough to whine and moan but still stick around and use the product, it won't affect Avid's decision making. A more forceful and bigger statement would be for those upset with avid to boycott the DUC. If this place became a ghost town it would be a much bigger show of user unhappiness. But that's not as fun.

[Justin1524]

Hey Avid's not even responding to Russ Hughes at Pro Tools Expert. In yesterday's PTE podcast 160 Russ says at 3min:18sec >>

"We've had no response from Avid on our other concerns about the store experience or the lack of features in the new Pro Tools."

and goes on to say at around minute 26 answering the question why not do a video interview with Avid and ask them why they are not doing their best to make the software customer's want and need...

Russ: "I don't think that's probably going to happen, we don't get Christmas cards from Avid anymore. Any other brand in the industry to have that conversation, but sadly not Avid." Mike Thornton: "We got not even a press release about Pro Tools being sold in the Avid store."

Pretty bad if you ask me when prominent and respected music tech journalists gives a bad review and receive no follow up.

Listen here:
https://app.box.com/shared/static/ur...v3qyod9pgt.mp3