Links:
www.babyaudio.com
www.deniseaudio.com
Announcement:
On September 1st, 2023 Baby Audio Inc. acquired all assets from the previous owners of Denise Audio. We’re dedicating this blog post to giving you all the facts, laid out in a simple FAQ style.
The questions below are answered by Baby Audio founder/CEO Caspar Bock.
I’m a Baby Audio user, what’s changed?
Nothing. We’re running Baby Audio in the exact same way as always and Denise Audio will remain its own separate brand.
I’m a Denise Audio user, what’s changed?
You will hopefully see some improvements already. We’ve recently launched a new website (deniseaudio.com) and rebuilt all Denise Audio plugins for full compatibility with the most recent operating systems. In the coming months, we’ll be releasing new products based on the existing Denise Audio catalog and DSP. We’ve also streamlined the price points for more consistency and transparency. If you’re an existing plugin owner, the updated plugin installers can be downloaded for free on Denise Audio’s website (deniseaudio.com/downloads), while the revamped products will be entirely new releases.
Will there be any consolidation of the two brands in the future?
Externally: No. The two brands have their own unique profile and user base and we have no intentions of mixing those things up. However, internally, we will explore mutual opportunities that benefit both brands. One example here is R&D. Having two outlets for our work will allow us to hire more specialized developers and release more experimental products. We will be able to treat Denise Audio as a playground for bringing out esoteric concepts, as this is aligned with the brand’s profile, while we can continue to increase the ambition level for Baby Audio with a bigger development team. Operating two brands will give us the bandwidth to do things with improved muscle and purpose.
What was Baby Audio’s motivation for acquiring Denise Audio?
Honestly, we were not looking to acquire other companies. Baby Audio is an entirely independent company, with no external investors or private equity influence – so any M&A activity was not in the cards. However, we were presented with the opportunity on some fair terms and quickly realized that the Denise Audio plugins were significantly more powerful on the inside than they’re sometimes perceived to be. We saw a clear opportunity to work with all the amazing DSP and improve on everything that was lacking. This, combined with being able to hire more developers once we had a second outlet for products, made us decide to do it.
Were there any links between Baby Audio and Denise Audio already?
Not directly. However, one of the original founders of Denise Audio was/is also working as a freelance developer for Baby Audio. This is how we became aware of the opportunity and how we were able to easily verify the quality of the Denise Audio DSP. I had also personally met with Denise CEO Rob Stegeman on a couple of occasions in the past. But other than that there were no links between our companies.
Will there be more acquisitions?
Not in the short term. But if our hypothesis works out and we’re able to improve the quality of our products and operations by adding more external bandwidth, we will consider doing more. We’re always interested in hearing from independent developers who are looking for an exit and who care about selling to a company that will take good care of their user base.
With this acquisition completed, what is the future vision for Baby Audio and Denise Audio?
It’s the same core vision for both brands: Longevity as a function of quality. I believe that the end-users in our industry are smart and demanding and that the only way to win their loyalty in the long term is by consistently making better products and exceeding expectations. There are no shortcuts to this and we see time and again that companies who don’t respect their users get punished. Neither Baby Audio nor Denise Audio have “perfect” product catalogs, but we’re motivated by incrementally making improvements to get there. As long as we can stay humble and focused on that goal, I believe we have a chance to be around forever.
Finally, here’s a statement from former Denise Audio CEO Rob Stegeman.
Why are you selling Denise Audio and what was your motivation for selling to Baby Audio specifically?
We started Denise Audio in 2018 and it’s been a great journey. But after 5 years in the plugin industry I wanted to pursue other passions (more on that to be announced soon). This meant we began looking for a new owner of Denise Audio who would carry on - and improve upon - our work with a respect for the user base and new ideas for the future. To me, Baby Audio was the perfect buyer as I’ve always admired their attention to detail and product quality. I’m sure they will continue the journey for Denise Audio and take the brand further. I’m very happy with the deal and excited to share what I have coming in the near future.
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For more info, contact Caspar Bock at caspar@babyaud.io