2025 Industry Report
Pricing, growth, and operational realities among independent audio software companies. A segment analysis.
95 respondents5 continents24 pages
Executive Summary
95 independent audio software companies, broken down by company size, revenue tier, and experience level. The data tells a more specific story than any headline number.
of $100K+ companies believe prices are falling. Pessimism scales with market exposure.
of veterans (5+ years) avoid discounting entirely. 64% of newcomers do.
of support mentions are about licensing and installation. Not bugs. Not payments. Infrastructure friction.
of sub-$20K companies feel insecure about their business, somewhat or very. The highest combined insecurity of any tier.
cite pricing or monetization changes as a growth initiative, despite widespread anxiety about falling prices.
say new products are their primary growth initiative. The industry is product-led at every tier.
Section 02
"Independent audio software company" is not a single category. The data shows three segments with distinct revenue, team-size, and operating profiles.
Side-Project (under $20K annual revenue)
Independent ($20K–$100K)
Established ($100K+)
Section 03
49% of all respondents say prices are falling. But who feels it, and why, tells a more specific story than the headline number.
of $100K+ companies say prices are falling.
of sub-$20K companies say the same.
Section 04
84% say "new products" is their top growth initiative. But the deeper patterns reveal why the industry stays product-led, and what shifts as companies scale.
cite new products as their top growth initiative.
cite pricing changes, despite widespread anxiety about falling prices.
Section 05
The single biggest source of support friction is not bugs or feature requests. It is getting software installed and activated.
of support mentions are about licensing.
are about installation.
combined: the largest single source of support load.
Section 06
Veterans report lower growth expectations and higher concern about discount-driven price erosion than newer cohorts. Newcomers report the highest expected growth rates.
of veterans expect growth above 50% in the next 12 months.
of newcomers do.
Section 07
A summary of what the data shows, what it does not show, and three signals worth tracking in future surveys.
"The respondents in this sample do not describe a market in crisis. They describe one that is segmenting: a large bottom tier of new entrants, a small middle tier under pressure, and a top tier dealing with falling perceived prices and modest growth expectations."
Methodology
Distributed through Moonbase's network and to independent audio software communities. Self-selected sample. Sample sizes per individual segment range from roughly 15 to 72 — smaller segments are read as directional signals, not precise measurements. Sample sizes are cited on every chart.
About Moonbase
Moonbase is the operating system for audio software companies — licensing, subscriptions, rent-to-own, affiliates, e-commerce, and global tax handling in one system, built specifically for this industry. Founded in 2023 after years of building licensing and commerce systems for audio companies and solving the same problems over and over for different clients. Founder-led, small by design, and working with independent audio software companies around the world.
Built for audio software companies
Replace your patchwork of licensing, payments, and storefront tools with one system purpose-built for the realities this report describes.