The Real Reason I Chose a Subscription Model for Muser Studio

Jeff Ranasinghe
Jun 29
3 min read

Download Muser Studio for iOS on the Apple App Store

The idea of paying for something over and over is inherently unappealing. As someone who grew up before subscription model software was such a thing, I can assure you: I get it. Yet, after years of soul-searching, I chose a subscription model for Muser Studio – why? I'm glad you asked.

It comes down to how I want to work, what I want to offer, and the kind of relationship I hope to cultivate with the people who resonate with what Muser Studio is trying to do.

Dog waiting for... deliveries of software updates. Obviously.

From Homemade Guitars to Homegrown Software

As a kid with a guitar obsession and not much cash, I was typically awash with ideas. I built two guitars in high school – the first when I was 13, because I couldn’t afford a real Ibanez Jem. I was rubbish at football so it seemed a better use of my lunch break.

Home made Ibanez Jem copy with some modifications. — Home made Ibanez JEM copy with some modifications.

The spiritual precursory plans for Muser Studio

For a school Craft, Design & Technology project, I proposed building a cassette four-track facilitated by having two play/record heads: one for normal-style playback, and one offset essentially reverse recording/playing on the B-side. I was dissuaded from doing so but I regret listening to the dissenters, to be honest.

This drive never went away. Even in my visual effects career finding better solutions for doing things was a bigger motivator than just doing the thing. But I digress.

Specifically, the idea of a method to capture and share musical ideas quickly was one I could never shake.

Building Muser Studio

(On Planes, in Waiting Rooms, and at 3AM)

In a perfect world, I’d be working on Muser Studio every day from now on. And in many ways, I already am. Whether I’m on a flight or waiting for a meeting, I’ve usually got my bashed-up MacBook Air open, refactoring something, testing a new feature, or sketching ideas for what’s next.

The problem? The list of things I want to add is massive, and the time/resources I have are most definitely not. A one-time purchase model just doesn’t align with that. A subscription, however, offers the possibility of sustainable development. Not just to keep the lights on, but to keep growing.

Reasoning: Subscription Model as Patreon

So here’s the angle: I think of the subscription more like Patreon. Not just paying for what the app is today, but helping to shape what it becomes tomorrow.

My commitment? To ship a new version every 1–2 weeks, with fresh features and/or meaningful fixes. That’s a big promise – and I’m doing everything I can to keep it.

I love that people can use Muser Studio in its free mode. But if someone decides to subscribe, they’re not just unlocking features. They’re supporting the whole project. And that means a lot.

This Is Not a “Buy and Bye” situation

I don’t want to sell a product then shoo the purchaser out the door with a polite "kthxbi". I want to hear how you are using Muser Studio – what you love, what you hate, what confused you, and what you wish it could do.

A few weeks back, someone sent me a link to the M-Vave Chocolate Bluetooth MIDI footswitch.

I ordered one that day. Fast forward to 3am and I’m deep in a custom test harness, figuring out what data I can reliably extract and how to make it usable for real musicians. That’s how this grows.

TL;DR: Why Not a One-Time Purchase?

The reasoning behind subscription model as a choice, is how I think of Muser Studio: as an evolving, user-driven tool. I want to keep pushing it forward, fast and flexibly – and the subscription model makes that dream feasible.

If I were just shipping a static app and asking for recurring payments, I’d feel the ick too. But this isn’t that. This is an ongoing, collaborative process. And if you’ve read this far: thank you. You’re a part of it too. 🙏