# I realised how much I spend on libraries



## Lord Daknight (Aug 27, 2022)

19 year old me does composing for fun, I really like super over the top epic symphonic music with tons of instruments so that's what I make, so I decided to get all the different kinds of instruments from violin to duduk to hecklephones to octobass.

I realise for the past year since I first started composing I've spent at least 15 grand which is almost my entire disposable income on just sample libraries. Is this normal? Honestly I don't think I even regret it, I love my libraries. I don't need a car or a house do I? Is sample library purchase addiction a thing?


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## Marcus Millfield (Aug 27, 2022)

You should really think about your priorities, especially if you're 19 years old and are just dipping your toe into life. You will want that house and car for yourself within a few years and will probably beat yourself for spending that amount of money on something as unnecessary as sample libraries.

On a side note: 41 year old me wonders how a 19 year old you got $15000 to spend. 19 year old me was glad he could afford some new clothes and his books for the next school year. Different times I guess.


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 27, 2022)

Marcus Millfield said:


> On a side note: 41 year old me wonders how a 19 year old you got $15000 to spend. 19 year old me was glad he could afford some new clothes and his books for the next school year. Different times I guess.


I got $15000 with my minimum wage job actually, I just live with my family so I have almost no expenses, lucky me I guess.

I do find it interesting that everyone else into this kind of music and in the VI community is so much older than me


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## Marcus Millfield (Aug 27, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> I do find it interesting that everyone else into this kind of music is so much older than me


Look around you, most people your age are fed a whole different kind of music by the mainstream media. That's fine, but it probably explains a lot


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## liquidlino (Aug 27, 2022)

Not here to judge your choices, you are free to do whatever you want and learn as you do so. But personally, and I speak from a position of financial security at 44 years old, but I don't spend more than 5k a year on my hobbies. I actually have a weekly auto debit setup that puts 100 dollars in a hobbies fund that I allow myself to spend on whatever like with zero feeling bad. Covers everything from music to mountain biking and whatever else. 

When it comes to music, I don't think it's necessary to spend too much to have an incredible set of libraries. I'm currently eyeing up vsl strings bundle, orchestral tools Berlin and arks bundles, and combined that'd be under 3k, and an insane amount of additional sounds to play with. 

But, we are each on a life journey, and it's a journey uniquely ours. You can't and shouldn't judge yourself against others choices. But it does sound like maybe you've reached your personal comfort limit on spending, otherwise you wouldn't be asking... Self awareness is good.


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## AceAudioHQ (Aug 27, 2022)

I've spent around $20k in the last two years, but now I have pretty much everything I need, I don't have GAS and mostly buy stuff I actually have a need for, so depends, if you just buy everything that is being released (like many people), you might have a problem, if most things you've bought go to good use, there's nothing wrong with that, they're tools for the trade, even if it's just a hobby.


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## Technostica (Aug 27, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> Is sample library purchase addiction a thing?


Absolutely and this place is generally the opposite of a 12 step programme for people who have GAS (Gear acquisition syndrome).
This is the place where you turn up to brag about drinking half a bottle of whisky for lunch and get applauded. 

Are you planning to continue buying a lot more libraries soon?
If you can stop, then it's not a problem so put it down to youthful exuberance.
If you carry on as you are, then it may suggest an underlying issue.
But if you are using them a lot and enjoying them, I'm happy for you.


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 27, 2022)

Marcus Millfield said:


> Look around you, most people your age are fed a whole different kind of music by the mainstream media. That's fine, but it probably explains a lot


Yeah I can't stand popular music, or really anything with lyrics unless it is;
1. A choir
2. Not in english
3. A heavy foreign accented english strangely enough


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 27, 2022)

Technostica said:


> Are you planning to continue buying a lot more libraries soon?
> If you can stop, then it's not a problem so put it down to youthful exuberance.
> If you carry on as you are, then it may suggest an underlying issue.
> But if you are using them a lot and enjoying them, I'm happy for you.


I have a few more libraries on my checklist but I think then it'll cover everything I can imagine.


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## Jdiggity1 (Aug 27, 2022)

You can spend as much as you like, but to answer your question - spending $15k on libraries in a year is not 'normal', and certainly not necessary.


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 27, 2022)

AceAudioHQ said:


> I've spent around $20k in the last two years, but now I have pretty much everything I need, I don't have GAS and mostly buy stuff I actually have a need for, so depends, if you just buy everything that is being released (like many people), you might have a problem, if most things you've bought go to good use, there's nothing wrong with that, they're tools for the trade, even if it's just a hobby.


With GAS, it's only really libraries. I have a tiny little 2 octave midi keyboard and a PC with 16gb ram and I have no real intention of upgrading yet. And I make sure that whatever cool new library is not something I already have, I got a checklist


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## GtrString (Aug 27, 2022)

You should think more ahead, your life won't always be as easy as it is now. A good ground rule in economics is to save and invest half of your disposable income. And divide the other half into need-to and want-to. If you can't do that, you should start by figuring out how to make more money. You should think of money as a ressource to make good things happen in your life, basically your future depends on the stuff.

Of course, you could categorize libraries as investments, but not if you just do it "for fun", so that won't apply here. If you had a paying project, where a library was a good investment in terms of being able to achieve some targets or goals, fine, but you don't. As education, maybe, but actual education would be a much better investment plan for you at this point, rather than sweating your money out on sound experiments. it would also be much better investment for you to invest in getting out of the house, meet likeminded people, building relationships and contacts for the future. Or learn an instrument, invest in a good one (often those are for life), and invest in the learning and find someone to play with.

Most of these libraries will isolate you in front of the computer, and have a life span of around a decade, and by that time something new or more exciting has come up. And when that time comes, you won't be able to get these new items, nor have any projects to use them on, due to this poor money plan.

So basically, you are blowing your money on short time entertainment that will isolate you, and not develop much skill/ competence for you = bad economic disposition.

You could get much better value from your money at this point, by being honest. Start consider your goals, plot what will be needed to get you there, and prioritize spending on the most important things first / least important later - and still keep the save half, other half need-to/ want-to frame.

Use money as a ressource, not as a throw'away. 15k on software libraries at this point is a dead end. Don't get fooled by the online influencer sales-force - Most pro's you see online either get copies of these libraries for free, get artist discounts, or have them financed by the paying projects they already have in place. But YOU, pay out of your own pocket, with your own future at stake.

So sorry, no bragging points to you.


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## SoftSynthLover99 (Aug 27, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> 19 year old me does composing for fun, I really like super over the top epic symphonic music with tons of instruments so that's what I make, so I decided to get all the different kinds of instruments from violin to duduk to hecklephones to octobass.
> 
> I realise for the past year since I first started composing I've spent at least 15 grand which is almost my entire disposable income on just sample libraries. Is this normal? Honestly I don't think I even regret it, I love my libraries. I don't need a car or a house do I? Is sample library purchase addiction a thing?


If it makes you feel any better, I just spent around $10k in less than a week upgrading a lot of my gear in my studio (outboard gear, new mic and mic pres etc). Maybe $300-$500 on software as I have pretty much all I need in that regard. So mostly analogue gear and hardware. Zero regrets.

However I’m an artist, songwriter and producer and it’s my full time career and not just a hobby. Maybe you should consider doing this as a full time career path?

I remember when I got my first major song placement when I was around 18-19 (I’m 30 now) and the song got me $16K upfront. If you take it serious enough those libraries will pay for themselves.

Or if it’s just gonna stay a hobby, enjoy it as well! Spending $15K on music software libraries is what I would consider an investment into either a meaningful hobby you enjoy, or a potential career path you could take. Either way don’t beat yourself up and don’t look at it as if you have a problem, but just an investment in yourself.

Who knows, that $15K you spend on those libraries, may turn you into a millionaire down the line


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## Markrs (Aug 27, 2022)

It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of new releases and sales. I think quite a few of us have done that as well. Initially it is really exciting with the potential of what you buy, but then you realise you have replaced things that you haven't really used. 

The other issue is that you have limited time to learn everything that have bought along side actually composing. These factors really reduced down what I spent after my crazy couple of years, after discovering this hobby.


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## Roger Newton (Aug 27, 2022)

Sample library expenditure is going to seem like a luxury if it already doesn't. Everyone is going to be spending a whole lot more. Very soon. And not necessarily on what the want to.


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## Gerbil (Aug 27, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> 19 year old me does composing for fun, I really like super over the top epic symphonic music with tons of instruments so that's what I make, so I decided to get all the different kinds of instruments from violin to duduk to hecklephones to octobass.
> 
> I realise for the past year since I first started composing I've spent at least 15 grand which is almost my entire disposable income on just sample libraries. Is this normal? Honestly I don't think I even regret it, I love my libraries. I don't need a car or a house do I? Is sample library purchase addiction a thing?


You're 19. If you've got a roof over your head, do what you want for a couple of years.


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## Vik (Aug 27, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> I have a few more libraries on my checklist but I think then it'll cover everything I can imagine.


Don't forget that after you have spent a lot of cash on some library, others (or the same company) most likely will come up with something which is better, less expensive and is sold for an intro price.
$15K is waaaaaaay more than I have used on libraries the last 20 years, and music has pretty much been my only income my entire life. Why the rush? 


Lord Daknight said:


> I don't need a car or a house do I?


At some point, you'll want or need to pay for your own food, place to live etc? Seeing what one gets for, say, $500 today is a lot more than what you got for the same amount 10 years ago. I'f you can't make the music you want to make with what you have now – check again. a few very interesting libraries has been announced and may be available later this year or next year – but that's the truth will be the truth every year from now, and again: things get better!


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## portego (Aug 27, 2022)

I really believe there is something as a shopping addiction. From my point of view, $15,000 is way too much. In total, I have spent about $2000 in the area of music. Actually this is already too much. Music is just a hobby for me and will always remain just that. I tried it out and liked it. Decided it was something I can see myself do for the foreseeable future. My thought was then simply, it gives me joy, it is a good and relaxing pastime (like a meditation^^) and therefore I decided last year to invest in this hobby. Just as i would with every hobby.

This forum was a great help. I don't remember who wrote it and in which forum section, but luckily I read this at the beginning of my journey: "Never buy without discount". So I delayed virtually all my purchases to the Black Friday time. There were some amazing deals among them. Could cover my basic needs of things relatively "cheap". Again, actually it's not cheap. It's an expensive hobby. My basebone consists of 8Dio (Black Friday Deals and strange Glitch), Native Instrument Komplete 13 (a discount phase for around 280) and IK Multimedia Group Buy last Year (mostly TRacks stuff for mixing). Then just supplemented with stuff I liked or didn't have yet. Are they the best things? No, they are not, but I definitely wouldn't call them bad either. They're more than good enough. Honestly, I'm not even good enough to truly utilize and master those "older" things. I'm simply not at that point. I'm just an amateur. The stuff I allready have, is probably enough to make music for the rest of my life. I don't need more. With those $2000 I'm already at the point where I'm practically saturated. There are still a few things I'm interested in, but I definitely don't need them. But it's a hobby and as long as it's fun, I'm theoretically willing to spend money on it.

But why the long text? My hobby last year was not making music. It was for a few months definitely just the preparation and effective bargain-hunting. I didn't make music at all, I just kept my list of things I was interested in. Decided for myself what I "need" or want. Informed myself about the possibilities/alternatives, read reviews and opinions, watched videos, compared the different possibilities and so on. But it was fun and that's the beauty of a hobby. Actually, it does not have to make sense. It only has to be fun. Nevertheless, I'm glad that I now actually have nearly everything I wanted to have, because I'm now in the phase where I effectively make music. My hobby is now making music and not bargain-hunting. I can get better at making music and no library and no plugin will actually make me better at it. Only practice will...


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## NekujaK (Aug 27, 2022)

I'm impressed by all the level-headed responsible replies in this thread - because that's usually not the kind of vibe that emerges around here when sample library purchases are in question 

But I digress... In addition to all the sensible advice given so far, if you enjoy buying sample libraries to feed your hobby or passion (and who doesn't?), I would recommend setting a reasonable budget for how much you allow yourself to spend each month, and use the remaining balance to shore up for the future.

Throughout my life, I've found that regardless of what my financial status was at any given point in time, I stll managed to spend some reasonable portion of my money on whatever hobby or interest I was currently into, and never ended up regretting it.

It's okay to spend disposable income, but always keep an eye on what may lie ahead in the future, and try to be prepared for the worst.


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## d4vec4rter (Aug 27, 2022)

Since I started delving into the art of audio engineering and music production a little more deeply around 4 years ago, mainly due to being given the responsibility of producing a CD album in collaboration with a singer/songwriter friend, I have most probably spent in the region of £20K - £30K on music software. It could be more but that's a rough estimate. For example, over the last month I've purchased;

Spitfire Audio Heirloom & Mercury (Sale and Intro prices)
Heavyocity Vocalise 3
Amplesound China Erhu

That's around £450 but it's been quite a while since I spent that much in a month. Heirloom had been on my wishlist for some time and I'm a sucker for cinematic pads, drones and FX. Most of the Heavyocity stuff is great and Amplesound just make some of the best VIs on the market.

Although I can pretty much control my GAS now, there was a time within the past 4 years where I certainly had an addiction and that was mainly focused on Strings libraries. I spent a huge amount on purchasing a load of Spitfire libraries, CSS, Afflatus, Orchestral Tools Ark Series, LASS 3 to mention a few but I'm quite satisfied with what I have now and there is no desire to add to the collection in any significant way.

So, yes, I would say it's very easy to get addicted to purchasing the latest and greatest and, because stuff is coming out all the time, it could become a very dangerously expensive "hobby". Probably OK for those professional composers who make a living out of it but not for the likes of me and many others who simply do it for pleasure. 

There comes a time when you have to take a step back and ask yourself, "do I really need another strings library?" or whatever library you may have a number of to make good music? In my case, no I don't so the GAS has diminished. There will be the occasional product that takes my fancy as has been this month but, in general, the expenditure has been dramatically cut because I simply have a very good collection in my arsenal of music production resources.


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## tc9000 (Aug 27, 2022)

Some of these are from myself to myself as much as anyone else...

Tip #1: Start a savings account when you have expendable income. Put a small amount in every month. If you want to go wild with this stuff, consider opening up a pension.

Tip #2: When you successfully restrain yourself from an impulse purchase, put that money in a seperate savings account (I've just started doing this one!).

Tip #3: It can't hurt to look at stuff like https://www.reddit.com/r/financialindependence/


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## Crowe (Aug 27, 2022)

I'm going to try and give you some advice, though I'm not going to preach "don't spend". Instead, I'll advise you to invest wisely.

'Disposable Income' is a misnomer. It suggests you throw away your money. Most people don't, even if they are fueling an addiction, which is a complicated thing in itself.

I've been collecting sound vsts and libraries for a few years now, and I have spent about 4000 in total. I have everything I need to do my self-appointed job. About 30% of that investment can be resold if needs be. This is important, because *all software devalues*.

15.000,- in unsellable software is a little pointless if they are not tools for your business. For that money, you could've bought everything sold by spitfire. Invested in music education, taken a year off to fully spend immersed in composing, the list goes on. Was this the best way you could've spent your money?

I generally preach buying physical goods because even if they devalue, they can be resold. The world's economies are fragile things at best.

But I suppose the most important thing is this. Did you have to spend everything you did to get where you are? Could you have gotten stuff more cheaply? Could you have done the same thing you can do now with something you already had?

*Have you been spending just because you have the cash? *If the answer to that question is yes, you may be setting yourself up for a very harsh reality check later down the line.

Invest wisely.


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 27, 2022)

GtrString said:


> Of course, you could categorize libraries as investments, but not if you just do it "for fun", so that won't apply here. If you had a paying project, where a library was a good investment in terms of being able to achieve some targets or goals, fine, but you don't. As education, maybe, but actual education would be a much better investment plan for you at this point, rather than sweating your money out on sound experiments. it would also be much better investment for you to invest in getting out of the house, meet likeminded people, building relationships and contacts for the future. Or learn an instrument, invest in a good one (often those are for life), and invest in the learning and find someone to play with.
> 
> Most of these libraries will isolate you in front of the computer, and have a life span of around a decade, and by that time something new or more exciting has come up. And when that time comes, you won't be able to get these new items, nor have any projects to use them on, due to this poor money plan.
> 
> ...


I would disagree with it only lasting 10 years, these libraries are already enough to sound convincing and have all the instruments that I want. When I complete my checklist I don't think I'll get any more libraries unless they're from Aaron Venture. I'll have this faithful bunch to study intimately and they'll be my secret weapons for all time.

I genuinely have emotional attachments to these libraries at this point, I put on my mask that I wore back in mandatory mask days and the smell instantly reminded me of going to work at 4AM saving up for Metropolis Ark. It fills me with so much nostalgia, I literally listened to the walkthroughs on my way to work. Yeah, my obsession goes beyond just buying new ones, I love every single one of them from Talos to Requiem to the Mega Man X soundfont. Each of them has a story, I feel about them the same way that those obsessive guitar collectors that have 30 different guitars feel about their guitars. Honestly I don't even need to make music with them, just playing chords with Oceania is enough to get me high.

I really mean this; I am satisfied with my life so far and I could die right now and be at peace

Also real instruments aren't something I do unless it's my midi keyboard. It just sounds like more money I'll spend for something I already have five libraries for to cover all the articulations. I'll just study how it's played and imagine it on my keyboard, my style won't be the most realistic either as I intend to do many ridiculously hard or impossible things with my instruments


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## mybadmemory (Aug 27, 2022)

Just as an alternative: Putting 15k a year into global index funds instead, would generate around 1m dollars in just 26 years assuming an average 7% interest. Out of that around 400k would be the actual savings, and 600k would be just pure interest. You could be a millionaire by the time you’re 45.


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## Laurin Lenschow (Aug 27, 2022)

I'm 20 and since I started composing orchestral music ~3.5 years ago (I've written bad piano pieces before - didn't record them, just memorized them and luckily I don't remember them now ) I've spent about 6k€ on libraries an music software.
I have set budgets for different areas of my life and I stick to these budgets religiously (I will literally refuse to buy a new pair of shoes claiming I'm broke when there are 400€ in the "music" box but only 10€ in the "normal life expenses" box, despite not owning another pair). As you can probably tell by the example in brackets, I tend to put a little too much into the music box and a little too less into the other ones, but what can I say... 

However, I do realize that I have hit a point where my skills the limiting factor rather than the tools I own. This is why I'm considering to take a break from buying any music production software from the beginning of next year until Black Friday 2023. I want to use that time to spend more time with the tools I already have and get better at writing, orchestrating an mixing. 

I hope these thoughts are helpful to you because we're of similar age and seem to be interested in similar music


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## MartinH. (Aug 27, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> I would disagree with it only lasting 10 years, these libraries are already enough to sound convincing and have all the instruments that I want. When I complete my checklist I don't think I'll get any more libraries unless they're from Aaron Venture. I'll have this faithful bunch to study intimately and they'll be my secret weapons for all time.
> 
> I genuinely have emotional attachments to these libraries at this point, I put on my mask that I wore back in mandatory mask days and the smell instantly reminded me of going to work at 4AM saving up for Metropolis Ark. It fills me with so much nostalgia, I literally listened to the walkthroughs on my way to work. Yeah, my obsession goes beyond just buying new ones, I love every single one of them from Talos to Requiem to the Mega Man X soundfont. Each of them has a story, I feel about them the same way that those obsessive guitar collectors that have 30 different guitars feel about their guitars. Honestly I don't even need to make music with them, just playing chords with Oceania is enough to get me high.
> 
> ...



You've received lots of good advice already, but I don't think it was acknowledged enough that it's quite impressive that at your young age you had so much determination and willpower to work so long and hard for things you didn't "need". It's something to be proud of that you could do that and I hope it will set you up for success later in life when you put that same determination behind getting an education and a career. It sounds like you've made lots of positive memories that you will look back on fondly for the rest of your life, and that is something you can't put a pricetag on. We don't know your situation and future at all, in 10 years you may very well be earning so much money that these 15k seem totally inconsequential, who knows? The reason everyone is telling you to take it easy with the spending is that this isn't long term sustainable. But I think you already know that and that's why you started this thread.


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## b_elliott (Aug 27, 2022)

For reference [how 15Gs in not that much once compared]: some years back I read an article mentioning some US college kids were racking up $30Gs for their daily Starbucks coffee fix. 
Until I tagged along with a tennie-bopper did I realize how they managed that:
1 normal coffee @ $4 vs
1 double-fudge-moka-smarties-cotton-candy grande (w/sprinkles) @ $15 -- ya baby!
And that was 20 years ago!


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## Crowe (Aug 27, 2022)

I'm finding myself a little jealous of the idea of experiencing such a feeling from a sample-library purchase. I guess I felt it when I first bought Metropolis Ark I, for a few minutes or so. After that it was all just data and .wav files again. Cool, fun, but nothing magic or happiness-inducing. The high from purchases never lasts longer than an hour or so. Nihilism sucks, I suppose.

Whatever makes you happy and doesn't ruin your (or anyone else's) life is fine.


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## Taron (Aug 27, 2022)

I haven't checked your music, yet... (couldn't see a link on a glance)... but I think you're doing the perfect thing, @Lord Daknight !
Don't let people scare you into the wrong kind of life out of fear that shouldn't get to you at that age at all!
If you follow your heart like that while you can literally still afford to, you're perfectly on track!
When I was even younger than you, I've started working as digital artist (around 1987) and all the money I earned I was spending on my music equipment (Korg M1, Fostex 480 (I think), amp, effects, later more synths). I was still living at home then and I simply invested my money into what I loved. Never regretted it ever and it gave me plenty of strength later on.
Funny enough, I didn't pursue a carrier in music, though I did have the chance a few times, but it helped me stay on course with what I truly wanted. I started a pretty powerful carrier in later visual effects and music always stayed with me.
This confidence and lack of fear gave me also the strength to end my carrier in vfx again when I began to understand truly what it was for and didn't approve, hahaha... (terrible world)...and instead focused entirely on developing creative software, but music is still with me and gives me tremendous strength.

In other words, whether or not you plan on pursuing a life in music, this readiness to invest all that you've earned into what you really love will give you great strength and sets you on a brilliant path!

Rock on! And share some of your music, man!


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## liquidlino (Aug 27, 2022)

Taron said:


> This confidence and lack of fear gave me also the strength to end my carrier in vfx again when I began to understand truly what it was for and didn't approve, hahaha... (terrible world)...


Spill the beans then... what's the terrible truth about VFX?


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## MartinH. (Aug 27, 2022)

Crowe said:


> I'm finding myself a little jealous of the idea of experiencing such a feeling from a sample-library purchase. I guess I felt it when I first bought Metropolis Ark I, for a few minutes or so. After that it was all just data and .wav files again. Cool, fun, but nothing magic or happiness-inducing. The high from purchases never lasts longer than an hour or so. Nihilism sucks, I suppose.


This! I too am jealous of people who can still experience such a pure form of joy. I don't even get that briefly from a big library purchase. It's a lot of anxiety beforehand, and after I buy one it's usually varying degrees of disappointment. At best it's about what I expected. 
Most happy I'm probably with free stuff, because it is less burdened with expectations.


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## Awoo Composer (Aug 27, 2022)

MartinH. said:


> This! I too am jealous of people who can still experience such a pure form of joy. I don't even get that briefly from a big library purchase. It's a lot of anxiety beforehand, and after I buy one it's usually varying degrees of disappointment. At best it's about what I expected.
> Most happy I'm probably with free stuff, because it is less burdened with expectations.


The dopamine effect is real, but I think after a while (unless you *really* wanted something) it starts getting blunted and that "ooh new shiny thing" feeling wears off a lot faster.


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 27, 2022)

Crowe said:


> I'm finding myself a little jealous of the idea of experiencing such a feeling from a sample-library purchase. I guess I felt it when I first bought Metropolis Ark I, for a few minutes or so. After that it was all just data and .wav files again. Cool, fun, but nothing magic or happiness-inducing. The high from purchases never lasts longer than an hour or so. Nihilism sucks, I suppose.
> 
> Whatever makes you happy and doesn't ruin your (or anyone else's) life is fine.


I think my secret is a combination of being a VERY nostalgic person and me when I first started, I watched Alex Moukala's tutorial comparing free to paid libraries and if you know him you know how much he simps for Metropolis Ark, that got me hyped so much. I think it took me 6 months of saving to get the opportunity to get it on sale. I wonder why Metropolis Ark is so exciting to everyone here?

I certainly hope I'm not ruining someone else's life buy buying libraries, maybe I'm suffocating Troels Folmann to death with my cash I'm giving him


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 27, 2022)

MartinH. said:


> This! I too am jealous of people who can still experience such a pure form of joy. I don't even get that briefly from a big library purchase. It's a lot of anxiety beforehand, and after I buy one it's usually varying degrees of disappointment. At best it's about what I expected.
> Most happy I'm probably with free stuff, because it is less burdened with expectations.


I'm never disappointed with my libraries because I make sure to research if it's actually good, usually for months before I get it. Most of that money was spent quite recently when a lot of my checklist went on sale. I get to look forward for so long and if I notice it's something I already have or isn't that good then I remove it from my list


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## Reid Rosefelt (Aug 27, 2022)

I agree that $15,000 is a lot to spend quickly. But a lot of amateurs on this forum have spent much more. They just bought it slowly. (They would probably freak out if they added it up--I know I would.) Virtual instruments is a very expensive hobby. 

But people spend money on all kinds of things that give them joy: expensive trips, concerts and shows, restaurants, clubs, clothes, fancy cars. Where I live (New York City) spending can add up very quickly. A lot of money can just go up in experiences, but musical instruments and VIs can potentially stick around to provide years of enjoyment. If you really use this stuff over many decades, I don't think it's so bad. Metropolis Ark will still work just fine. The same with Omnisphere and other classics.

What I have found is that over many years I have gotten pretty much all the big things I want, and so I spend much, much less. 

Anybody who put a lot of money (or worse, already had a lot of money) in index funds in the last year would have lost a lot of it. I know I did. Even the most conservative investments always involve risk.

You're young. Have fun, and look to the future to be more practical. You have time to build a nest egg. Maybe next year only spend $14,000!


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## Rudianos (Aug 27, 2022)

You would know your emotional state more than others. If you feen drunk and compulsive buying libraries you may be addicted. Excited is okay - having a clear purpose. Like I am buying this socket wrench to make fixing my car more efficient. Music does not always have to be practical though - in fact screw that analogy. 

All forms of addiction are bad. Even if it is an addiction - it is much better than cocaine or cigarettes. Debt sucks though, so watch that. Do not let that happen.

If this is you pleasure ... then consider it your entertainment. Never buy full prices 

These libraries will last decades. As long as computers exist. Just archive them and your software.

They already produce extremely awesome sounding music. In many ways superior to real ensembles. All without having to deal with people! For a composer and many levels of everything else - just a wonderful companion.

Retirement? Get good at trading stocks. Make your next 15k go towards funding an account. Every day stocks shift plus or minus 10% on predictable patterns. Best place for extra money to go is here. Always money to be made.


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## jbuhler (Aug 27, 2022)

Reid Rosefelt said:


> They would probably freak out if they added it up--I know I would.) Virtual instruments is a very expensive hobby


The only reason to count your purchases is to cry or to take a tax write off.


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## zwhita (Aug 27, 2022)

Rudianos said:


> If you feel drunk and compulsive buying libraries you may be addicted.


I was addicted. I spent $14,568 in 22 months, then decided to delete about $6k worth. The remainder still makes me very happy, but this is primarily because musically, I am blissfully ignorant. Figure I'll stretch the process of rediscovery slowly over 6 years or so to maximize my enjoyment. I might even finish something. 😝

I don't buy sample libraries anymore though. Not much point in getting them, now that I understand their role in terms of musical enjoyment just for myself. I did recently start buying hardware again though. GAS is a pretty harsh mistress.


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## liquidlino (Aug 27, 2022)

zwhita said:


> I was addicted. I spent $14,568 in 22 months, then decided to delete about $6k worth. The remainder still makes me very happy, but this is primarily because musically, I am blissfully ignorant. Figure I'll stretch the process of rediscovery slowly over 6 years or so to maximize my enjoyment. I might even finish something. 😝
> 
> I don't buy sample libraries anymore though. Not much point in getting them, now that I understand their role in terms of musical enjoyment just for myself. I did recently start buying hardware again though. GAS is a pretty harsh mistress.


What did you delete and why?


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## zwhita (Aug 27, 2022)

liquidlino said:


> What did you delete and why?


Reasons overall vary, but keep in mind I'm just doing this for my own amusement and can't even properly use a DAW. Chiefly among them would be:

The quality and/or usability of the product I felt was not what I expected or anticipated
Something deemed no longer useful due to the purchase of a superior product later, when a sale opportunity presented itself. The first two orchestral libraries I bought(Jaeger & Fluffy Audio Solo Woodwinds) are a good example. You learn more about your goals and interests as you gain more experience with them
It sounds and operates superbly, but I have no fucking clue what to do with it. Lots of stuff from bundles ended up here

I deleted a bunch of orchestral stuff because, as it turns out, I just don't have a knack for composing and there are too many other technical things I still need to learn first. In fact beyond noodling and sketching, it's been nothing but frustration and boredom with those in particular, thus far. (Chalk it up to my ignorance, I have the highest admiration and respect for those who can expertly wield them) I kept some of them I felt would be useful as starting points for sound design, and others that just plain sound great, and that are easy and fun to play.


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## Alex Niedt (Aug 27, 2022)

mybadmemory said:


> Just as an alternative: Putting 15k a year into global index funds instead, would generate around 1m dollars in just 26 years assuming an average 7% interest. Out of that around 400k would be the actual savings, and 600k would be just pure interest. You could be a millionaire by the time you’re 45.


_Please_ consider this advice, OP. If I'd invested all the money I spent unnecessarily since your age, I'd probably be retired by 40. You're in the best possible position to create a financially stress-free future for yourself (including the ability to buy whatever music stuff you'd like), so definitely consider taking advantage of that.


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## DoubleTap (Aug 28, 2022)

Just wait till you discover plugins.


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 28, 2022)

Taron said:


> Rock on! And share some of your music, man!


Alright, this is a remaster of the Pokemon Black and White credits theme I did a bit back. This is when I got the Ark series the first time so I that's almost everything and the strings are TSS


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## cedricm (Aug 28, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> 19 year old me does composing for fun, I really like super over the top epic symphonic music with tons of instruments so that's what I make, so I decided to get all the different kinds of instruments from violin to duduk to hecklephones to octobass.
> 
> I realise for the past year since I first started composing I've spent at least 15 grand which is almost my entire disposable income on just sample libraries. Is this normal? Honestly I don't think I even regret it, I love my libraries. I don't need a car or a house do I? Is sample library purchase addiction a thing?


Unless you're aiming to make a career of it you may want to seriously consider re-evaluating your financial choices.


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 28, 2022)

DoubleTap said:


> Just wait till you discover plugins.


I got enough o' those from Komplete and FL stock thank you very much! I mean honestly I just don't get paying for EQ


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 28, 2022)

cedricm said:


> Unless you're aiming to make a career of it you may want to seriously consider re-evaluating your financial choices.


I wanna compose for works eventually, just gotta get gud first and in the meanwhile I'm happy with my minimum wage job


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## jules (Aug 28, 2022)

Hope you saved $299 for Pacific Strings !


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 28, 2022)

jules said:


> Hope you saved $299 for Pacific Strings !


That is actually something on my list haha, I got con moto basses so I could qualify for the loyalty intro and save more money than the basses cost


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## TomislavEP (Aug 28, 2022)

Making ends meet with music, I often have a limited budget to spend on new equipment, especially software. I used to feel frustrated while browsing these boards and reading about how easily some people decide to buy something that just got released. Comments like: "great library - insta-buy"; "I don't really need it, but I've bought it anyway", "my wife's going to kill me, but hey".

I admit that I also made quite some mistakes in the past by buying something that I liked rather than really needed. Also, by succumbing to that hope of a possible influx of inspiration by buying yet another library. Nowadays, I'm past this. These are just tools after all, and most of them are not really necessary in order to produce quality work.

Fortunately, things have changed quite a bit since I started building my sound collection. Today, there are affordable titles and quality freebies abound that can often rival commercial titles, at least in my book. That being said, I now regret not investing a good part of the money I've put into software over the years into more tangible things. But what's done is done...


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## Taron (Aug 28, 2022)

liquidlino said:


> Spill the beans then... what's the terrible truth about VFX?


I don't want to hijack the thread, but it's the same truth that goes for anything and anyone serving the entertainment industries. If you want to know personally, just send me a pm.


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## Taron (Aug 28, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> Alright, this is a remaster of the Pokemon Black and White credits theme I did a bit back. This is when I got the Ark series the first time so I that's almost everything and the strings are TSS


HEY, THANKS! Great that you've jumped right on it to share where you're at. Considering you're only doing this for a year, this is a great start! Still loads to learn, but then again learning never stops anyway.

What you should probably jump on is mixing in general. That's a big journey ahead. You've got a great set of tools already, obviously, and instead of adding to your pool of instruments you should rather now focus on arranging, orchestration, spatial arrangement, balance, tame and direct your use of effects, consider the nature of instrument sections, all that stuff.

Did you work with a score or did you recreate it by ear? 

Whatever the case, you certainly have a wonderful intuition already. I'm excited to hear your music grow and hope to find a lot more from you in the future!


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 28, 2022)

Taron said:


> HEY, THANKS! Great that you've jumped right on it to share where you're at. Considering you're only doing this for a year, this is a great start! Still loads to learn, but then again learning never stops anyway.
> 
> What you should probably jump on is mixing in general. That's a big journey ahead. You've got a great set of tools already, obviously, and instead of adding to your pool of instruments you should rather now focus on arranging, orchestration, spatial arrangement, balance, tame and direct your use of effects, consider the nature of instrument sections, all that stuff.
> 
> ...


Thanks 
I worked with the original midi information from the game ROM and optimised it to work with my instruments. I did do an ear recreation one from Mega Man X2 which I'll link here.

Man I really don't get this mixing thing, I can't hear the difference between a good and bad mix yet and I didn't even have processing for most of the tracks in the one you heard. But maybe I'll get an ear for it soon


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## Roger Newton (Aug 28, 2022)

Crowe said:


> 'Disposable Income' is a misnomer. It suggests you throw away your money.


Warning: you may need to go to your safe space before reading this. Next time I will sound a warning siren first.


Or - you could say disposable income is extremely variable based economic climate change. Disposable income based on median income streams may well cease to exist very shortly.


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## Roger Newton (Aug 28, 2022)

Reid Rosefelt said:


> fancy cars


Yes.


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## DoubleTap (Aug 28, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> I got enough o' those from Komplete and FL stock thank you very much! I mean honestly I just don't get paying for EQ


Much more sensible than me!


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## MarcusD (Aug 28, 2022)

Would of spent far less over the years, If there were ways to demo libraries for a limited period of time.


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## Markrs (Aug 28, 2022)

Reid Rosefelt said:


> Anybody who put a lot of money (or worse, already had a lot of money) in index funds in the last year would have lost a lot of it. I know I did.


Yes 😢 

Though I am in for the long game, so as long as you don't need the money soon it will be better than keeping the money in cash


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## Taron (Aug 28, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> Thanks
> I worked with the original midi information from the game ROM and optimised it to work with my instruments. I did do an ear recreation one from Mega Man X2 which I'll link here.
> 
> Man I really don't get this mixing thing, I can't hear the difference between a good and bad mix yet and I didn't even have processing for most of the tracks in the one you heard. But maybe I'll get an ear for it soon


There are different "dimensions" when it comes to a mix. I wasn't talking about the mastering, which is the final important step, but in your pokemon case I meant the arrangement, effects and balance of the individual instruments.
If that part isn't quite worked out, mastering can't save it anyway. But to learn how to handle these things is great fun and very enlightening for all other aspects of the process of composing and arranging.
This could lead to yet another way to "hijack" your thread, but it is your thread anyway, so..... why not?!

Considerations:
• the stage - how do you want the instruments be staged for the listener? Realistic, fantastical, flat, deep, narrow, wide. Do you want the listener to have an easy orientation or should it be more abstract?
When you consider the stage, you should try to stay as consistent as possible. Maybe you wish a certain instrument or element to be outside of it, but it's never nice to have each instrument suggest a different stage or world in front of a listener. If they did, they must not devalue each other. Like one is 5m ahead of you in a giant hall, while the others are 5m ahead of you in a tiny space. If these things don't make sense to the listener, it becomes unsettling.

• the arrangement - to get a full and complete sensation, you want to have a wide range of frequencies being used and instruments places so they don't hide each other or clutter each others space. You may help things along with EQ settings, but before that you should use the kind of instruments and where they play as your initial, natural frequency balance. That's particularly awesome and fun with orchestral arrangements, because each instrument group serves certain frequency bands.

• the nature of instruments/sounds/sections - it's wise to consider the nature of the instruments you use or consider what the sounds may simulate in terms of instruments. An example for that are sampled violins. Try to avoid playing more than one note at the same time (let alone chords) with one section unless you had them in divisi, but that's like 100 miles ahead. If you have one section of players play a chord it would feel wrong, because each note has all players playing it, you know. That's something to avoid as one example of considering the nature of your sound/instrument. But there are more and it's inspiring to get your head into that, believe me! Fascinating and guiding.

• As for the master...pffff...well, what might be a blanket-statement for that? Strong understanding for limiters is probably most valuable. It just helps you to control the peaks and push everything up to where it wants to be and not beyond it. While you may want to use multiband compression carefully, this is already stepping into the finer details. But a great master allows to maintain the dynamics your genre suggests and fills both spectrum and stage while keeping great clarity at this final stage.

Just some thoughts. I'm sure you're familiar with much of the above already, but to study these things is a never ending process. Experience is something you will have to rack up over time and there's no skipping ahead. No rush! Allow yourself to need whatever time it takes and however many tracks...


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## szczaw (Aug 28, 2022)

Unfortunately the only way to have financial security with sample library purchases, is to buy only or mostly VSL when it's discounted. You can resell and recoup most, maybe even all of the money.


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 28, 2022)

szczaw said:


> Unfortunately the only way to have financial security with sample library purchases, is to buy only or mostly VSL when it's discounted (the string bundle is now more than %55 off). You can resell and recoup most, maybe even all of the money.


I think I can work in the reverse of that, like I'm guaranteeing that I continue composing because I'm past the point of no return, these libraries are with me for good, they're an extension of me now. They're only for my use, if I become a Wolf of Wall Street myself like many posts here suggest, the government can't repossess my libraries


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## liquidlino (Aug 28, 2022)

szczaw said:


> Unfortunately the only way to have financial security with sample library purchases, is to buy only or mostly VSL when it's discounted. You can resell and recoup most, maybe even all of the money.


Here's some maths on just that - with added flavour of AUD. I've assumed sale discount of 30%, except for SSP which seems to get a deeper discount. Also assumed a 10% lower than sale price resale price. Ultimately, max loss looks to be about AUD$570 on a AUD$1,960 purchase (i.e. get $1,390 back). That's really good. Not that I plan to ever resell, but it's just very nice knowing that's possible.


Best Service $Best Service DiscountedAUDDiscount %EUR RRP10% of RRPAUDSSP$ 423.00$ 265.25$ 384.610.7​$ 445.00$ 44.50$ 64.53Brass$ 546.00$ 382.20$ 554.19$ 575.00$ 57.50$ 83.38Winds$ 565.00$ 395.50$ 573.48$ 595.00$ 59.50$ 86.28Perc 1$ 442.00$ 309.40$ 448.63$ 465.00$ 46.50$ 67.43$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ 1,976.00$ 1,352.35$ 1,960.91$ 2,080.00$ 208.00$ 301.60VSL feeCost of Buying$ 72.50ilok fee$ 374.10Cost of selling$ 1,764.82Sale price$ 1,390.72Net sale$ 570.19Lost if sold.


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## LatinXCombo (Aug 28, 2022)

Dear @Lord Daknight,

As a 40 year old man, I'd like to write another post from a 40 year old man agreeing with the other 40 year old men in this thread that managing your money wisely from an early age is important, and it might not be the case that you're acting wisely if you have spent $15,000 on music libraries. (ETA: That said, it may be true that I and the others in this thread are wrong. Everything I say may be wrong in the right context.)


Here are my basic assumptions. If you find them acceptable you may find my advice useful. If you don't, you probably won't.

1. It is always better to have more money than less, because it gives you more options. Money is just stored work; as Homer Simpson rightly put it: "Money can be exchanged for goods and services."

2. It is better to have more money earlier in life than later, because it opens up more choices for you now. A good choice made when you're 19 can have positive impacts for the next, oh let's be optimistic and say 80 years for you. A good choice made at 50 might only play out for 30. Still good, but the 19 year old's good choices reverberate longer.

3. Once paying for the minimal necessary shelter and food for your children and yourself (in that order), anything you do with your money is an investment.

Once #3 is achieved, you have to choose what to do with your money. You have four choices:

A. Your own business/assets. This is broader than you think. It could be paying and spending time (time is money!) to learn some vital skill (note I said _learn_, not get a degree.) It could be getting a degree or other certificate even though you didn't learn much in the process because other people won't or can't hire you without it. It could be buying a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood expecting it will hold value, in addition to the pleasure that comes from this. It couid even be (ahem) investing in a burgeoning music career you expect to pay off by spending $15k on music assets. If you expect all of these to pay off in the next, oh say 10-15 years, these could be wise investments.

B. Someone else's business (buying stock in Apple or Tesla, investing in a mutual fund, putting money in the bank)

C. Luxuries (things you get that make life worth living - buying coffee from Starbucks; or investing $15k in music assets for a hobby that just gives you pleasure but will never really pay off.) It's okay to do sparingly (and perhaps splurge, Thanksgiving style, on something in the fat years,) but throwing all of your money into Luxuries is a bad idea.

D. Stick it in a safe in your basement, like Scrooge McDuck does. This is risky. It could get stolen, burned up in a fire, lost in a flood, and given that we are living in the worst period of inflation I've seen, it means you will have less purchasing power with that money next year than now even if you save all of it. It is better, however, to do this than blow all of your money on luxuries based on the whim of the moment. (And it does afford you the luxury of swimming in it, once you get enough of it, Scrooge McDuck-style. _Whoo-oo-ooh_!)

The real question at hand is: are the music assets you're buying an investment in your own business in category A? Or are they in category C?

If it turns out you become the next big pop star to sweep the world because you had the time and ability to mess around with $15k worth of libraries now, it will turn out to have been an insanely great investment.

It might even be a good investment if it turns out that you manage to make bank by doing your music you want to do in a just-making-ends-meet way for the rest of your life because you screwed around with $15k worth of music libraries now...that also might not be a bad thing, but know that you're passing up other things that might pay off better.

Just remember, though, the quantity and quality of music equipment for sale at any given pawn shop in a major city is astonishing.

If that concerns you, well.... I went to a lecture about 20 years ago where a girl who was a talented singer asked Billy Joel what she should do with her life--she was afraid of not making ends meet in music. He replied to the effect of: "If you can't look back on a life as an old woman where you got to do your own music in your own way, but you had to live in poverty the whole time to do it, _and still call it a successful life,_ then you've already answered your own question."

Tough love, Billy! But I heard the message, too, and went to law school... And now all of my music is firmly in category C. But I have the cash to proceed at my own pace and I'm having fun. So there's that.

Last point, though.... the good thing about being young is that you still have time to recover from failure. So don't throw your money away, but calculated risks? Take them. You're not even 20 yet.

Peace.


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## muk (Aug 28, 2022)

A lot of pertinent advice in this thread. You spent 15'000$ on sample libraries. No find a way to earn 16'000 $ back with them.


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## Taron (Aug 28, 2022)

Fascinating and sad to read what some people are writing here.

As a 50 year old man I can tell you only once again, let your passion guide you as early as possible and don't fear a future at all. The future should fear you for the force you will allow yourself to become, but it will love you for what you will bring into it.

Money soon will change its meaning and therefore its nature, which can go incredibly well or horrible wrong, but anything you've made your own in terms of tools, it will stay with you and will allow you to evolve in the shape of your choosing.

Thankfully this thread is quite eclectic and offers quite a spectrum of views. At the end you will do what you have to and all will be as it has to.


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## Technostica (Aug 28, 2022)

Some of the posts appear to be from people who have completely forgotten what it's like to be young. 
Or are from people that acted like accountants even when they were teenagers.
Maybe the exuberance of this youth has triggered them!
A more balanced response might make your valid points more digestible.


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## DoubleTap (Aug 28, 2022)

I don’t want to come across as a candidate for an entry in Pseuds’ Corner, but while all the advice about prudence is very fine and useful and entirely sensible, it pre-supposes a philosophy of life which is quite mainstream and middle class and comes through the lens of a group of people who are mostly trying to remind themselves what it feels like to be young (like me). You can’t answer the question “what is money for?” until you answer the question “what is life for?”

Which is why that answer from Billy Joel was so good. If you want to do something, give it a good go, but be clear-eyed about the potential cost and your motivations. All my regrets are about things I’ve not truly tried, opportunities not taken, chances passed up. All my successes and satisfactions are in things I’ve gone for wholeheartedly. 

At the age of 19 I was still working out who I was let alone what I wanted, but judging by my kids, people are working that out a lot quicker these days. So just what is it that you want to do?

(Apart from getting laid that is, and I assume that you’re not using pick up lines like “wanna come up and see my Albions?” (But, y’know - I’m sure a lot of us would like to know if that works))

If spending your money helps you fulfill your passion, don’t let anyone tell you not to. But try to make sure you understand what it is you really want, which usually boils down to power, recognition or affection.


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## Reid Rosefelt (Aug 28, 2022)

szczaw said:


> Unfortunately the only way to have financial security with sample library purchases, is to buy only or mostly VSL when it's discounted. You can resell and recoup most, maybe even all of the money.


There are many companies that offer easier resale than VSL, which costs 10% of the price of the library, with a minimum of 50 euros.

For example, reselling Native Instruments libraries is fast and completely free. A good practice is to familiarize yourself with this post:






Resale/License transfer LIST


------------------------------------------ Collected so far (sorted alphabetically): Reselling friendly - Addictive drums (free, easy) - Ample Sound - Arturia (seems to be free) - AudioEase (?) - Best Service (one time reselling, €25 fee, BS own products only) - Camel Audio (slight fee) -...




vi-control.net





and just pay attention to EULAs when you are considering buying some things. And it never hurts to just ask for a refund when you are completely dissatisfied. Sometimes a developer will actually give one or offer a discount on future purchases.


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## Crowe (Aug 28, 2022)

I don't quite know why the sensible advice provided here is so frowned upon, primarily because the opening post *literally states:*

"_I realise for the past year since I first started composing I've spent at least 15 grand which is almost my entire disposable income on just sample libraries. Is this normal? _Honestly I don't think I even regret it, I love my libraries._ I don't need a car or a house do I? Is sample library purchase addiction a thing?_"

The answers that have been given are 'not really', 'yes you do' and 'Yes, absolutely'. These answers are then summarily ignored or answered with a 'it makes me happy so whatever' response, so I no longer really feel advice was really asked for. It feels more like showing off now.

While also acting like, because we're older, we 'don't know what it's like'. But we do. I'm not that old. When I was 19 my money went to vices. Those made me happy. *It was a bad move anyway.*

I mean, you should still do it. I know I would. YOLO and all that. Just don't ask for advice and input and then act like everyone else is wrong. Although, thinking about it, I was like that at 19 too. Still am, honestly.


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## Lord Daknight (Aug 28, 2022)

Crowe said:


> I don't quite know why the sensible advice provided here is so frowned upon, primarily because the opening post *literally states:*
> 
> "_I realise for the past year since I first started composing I've spent at least 15 grand which is almost my entire disposable income on just sample libraries. Is this normal? _Honestly I don't think I even regret it, I love my libraries._ I don't need a car or a house do I? Is sample library purchase addiction a thing?_"
> 
> ...


I'd say it's more like I'm putting myself on trial and I'm representing myself and I'm also the judge, jury and executioner. (Just how my ego likes it)
I'm not ignoring the advice, I just don't have anything more to add to it


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## vitocorleone123 (Sep 6, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> I'd say it's more like I'm putting myself on trial and I'm representing myself and I'm also the judge, jury and executioner. (Just how my ego likes it)
> I'm not ignoring the advice, I just don't have anything more to add to it


If it's making you happy to spend whatever you want/can on something, then... go for it. The world has proven, again, that life is unpredictable.

But don't lose site that there's other expenses in life, some of which could be made easier if you invested an equal amount going forward in an equal timeframe (esp when the stock market is down). At your age, have fun first. But 19 doesn't last forever, even if it sorta feels like it. Aim for having fun for your whole life.

It doesn't always take much - I put a few thousand dollars into Tesla when the stock was low and it's gone up 2,000% in a couple years. That's a lot of libraries!! 😅


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## Mistro (Sep 13, 2022)

Stuck on one thing I read in here. I just have one question and I know the answer is subjective...$15,000 in VI and only 2 octaves with a mini? May I ask why not a 49, 61, or 88 keyboard for those awesome instruments so you can play more range?


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## glyster (Sep 13, 2022)

I feel a bit guilty about the amount of money I spent on the music stuff too. I just started to put everything in a spreadsheet to track. Definitely more than I expected. Good thing is most of what I bought can be resold. They are less than one month of my salary in total.


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## Chris Schmidt (Sep 13, 2022)

I realize this thread is getting old and I haven't read every post, but:

Between guitars, amplifiers, keyboards, computers, sample libraries, and hiring the occasional live player, I honestly don't think I've spent 10k in nearly 20 years; let alone 15k.

One thing that you may want to consider, which may seem unfathomable right now: Will you still be as invested in music in even 10 years from now as you are at 19?

When I was 19, I lived and breathed for nothing but music. I was also really up my own ass because while my other friends were flipping burgers and getting rekt by college debt, I could brag that I actually was making money writing music as I had always dreamed of.

But once you get older, you really come to value time more. Fast forward to my 30s and I'm pretty much tapped out of the "Industry" and the only full-length piece I've done all year was started in like november of 2021 and released in January 2022. So it's basically been a year. I started a new piece of music that was supposed to be summer-themed back in May, and I'm still not done with it.

Part of this is just taking my time to ensure quality, but I'd be lying if I said the other part of it wasn't that once you've been at this for officially "decades" and you realize there is more to life than MIDI, you may find it increasingly-difficult to stay focused on a screen and a keyboard for hours and hours it takes to make (quality) music in the modern day.

There's places to go, money to make, friends and family to see, adventures to be had, beaches to relax on, skills to learn and at some point — girls to talk to and children to have.

My biggest gripe about music technology is that unlike most other technologies, it actually puts a greater workload on one person rather than lightening it. Unless you're being funded by someone, the days where you can basically just wear the "composer" hat are long-gone if you want anyone to actually hear your music, including yourself. It's why I'm strongly considering getting back into playing in bands — won't have to spend so much time dicking around with MIDI and stuff.

Moral of the story: "When I was your age™" I would get really defensive and scoff at the totally-absurd notion that I'd ever feel like I had anything better to do than play with sample libraries and MIDI blocks for 16 hours a day, but in hindsight, I'm pretty glad I didn't spend 15k on samples which wasn't necessary anyway.

My most recent big purchases in the last few years have been some livestock, and they've provided a much better ROI than music typically has, so...


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## Lord Daknight (Sep 13, 2022)

Mistro said:


> Stuck on one thing I read in here. I just have one question and I know the answer is subjective...$15,000 in VI and only 2 octaves with a mini? May I ask why not a 49, 61, or 88 keyboard for those awesome instruments so you can play more range?


Maybe I'll get a bigger keyboard but I usually program instead of perform


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## Lord Daknight (Sep 13, 2022)

Chris Schmidt said:


> I realize this thread is getting old and I haven't read every post, but:
> 
> Between guitars, amplifiers, keyboards, computers, sample libraries, and hiring the occasional live player, I honestly don't think I've spent 10k in nearly 20 years; let alone 15k.
> 
> ...


Oh I absolutely intend to spend the rest of my life doing this, composing is actually only one of my interests. And I don't think the talking to girls and having children part applies to me at ALL, I'm a mega introvert who doesn't do much human interaction so I think this will fill mind up sufficiently


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## PaulieDC (Sep 14, 2022)

Marcus Millfield said:


> You should really think about your priorities, especially if you're 19 years old and are just dipping your toe into life. You will want that house and car for yourself within a few years and will probably beat yourself for spending that amount of money on something as unnecessary as sample libraries.
> 
> On a side note: 41 year old me wonders how a 19 year old you got $15000 to spend. 19 year old me was glad he could afford some new clothes and his books for the next school year. Different times I guess.


LOL, oh I don't know... at 19 he can spend it all on the libraries, so go bonkers and get it out of the way NOW while you don't have a family to support. Eventually you hit the wall (took me 5 years) where I really don't want too much more library-wise. If I could have done that when living with my folks at 19, I'd be a bit happier! 

I know, I know... I'm a big help.


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## Marcus Millfield (Sep 14, 2022)

PaulieDC said:


> LOL, oh I don't know... at 19 he can spend it all on the libraries, so go bonkers and get it out of the way NOW while you don't have a family to support. Eventually you hit the wall (took me 5 years) where I really don't want too much more. If I could have done that when living with my folks at 19, I'd be a bit happier!
> 
> I know, I know... I'm a big help.


Well okay, maybe I was a bit too strict and condescending. I just know how it went for me and how I feel about it in hindsight. Oh well, the joys of youth... now get off my lawn!


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## Chris Schmidt (Sep 14, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> Oh I absolutely intend to spend the rest of my life doing this, composing is actually only one of my interests. And I don't think the talking to girls and having children part applies to me at ALL, I'm a mega introvert who doesn't do much human interaction so I think this will fill mind up sufficiently


That's what I said too


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## Mistro (Sep 14, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> Maybe I'll get a bigger keyboard but I usually program instead of perform


No pressure and no judgement if you like to program only. But I just want to suggest with all that musical potential you have there and the passion you share for it, if you just learn some basic ABCs of the keyboard, how to make chords and understand the circle of fifths being able to create your own chart (which you can do in one night once you get the patterns) you will turn yourself into the greatest plugin you ever had. You will be playing faster into your DAW with expression and freedom.

The fact you worked and saved up for what brings you joy is actually a good thing. You know what you wanted and focused and got it. It's not about the money, don't lose that quality.


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## Robo Rivard (Sep 14, 2022)

I'm 58. I probably spent way more than 20 000 $ in this hobby since I bought my DX7II-FD at age 27.

Absolutely ZERO regret. I would do the same again.

Edit: Actually, I started with synths at age 27 because I was living in an apartment, and I had to play with headphones... In fact, I started making music at 16 with a real drumkit in my parent's basement. I paid everything with my own money, working for $4 an hour at McDonald's...
Guess what? I just sold my drumkit last week to a 17 years old girl!... This is sooooo cool! 100% Girl empowerment! Passion transmitted!


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## PaulieDC (Sep 14, 2022)

Marcus Millfield said:


> Oh well, the joys of youth... now get off my lawn!


 Love it! The good ol' days!


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## Chris Schmidt (Sep 14, 2022)

Robo Rivard said:


> I paid everything with my own money, working for $4 an hour at McDonald's


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