Many of us use Adobe tools regularly. I’ve used them since 1995, and I still do. But there was a time, a few years ago, when I was very frustrated with Adobe, and that I moved away from the Creative Cloud ecosystem. In the video coming up, Jazza explains why Adobe is so widely used in the creative industry, and why clients – both businesses and individuals – are currently quite upset with the way Adobe has treated them. Is Adobe in Decline?
Here’s the video:
I myself have a love-hate relationship with Adobe and their tools at the moment. There are a few reasons for this:
- As a small business owner, I love the fact that I do not have to put down a large amount upfront to be able to use their tools. However, it means that I spend a lot more over a course of a few years, if I do use them. In the past, I could just buy a single version of Photoshop or Lightroom and use it for many years … as long as my hardware was compatible, and my requirements were met. That is no longer possible. We must pay Adobe even if we don’t use their tools for a month.
- As a photographer, Adobe has used the millions of photographs uploaded to Adobe stock to be used as the raw materials for their Firefly Generative AI tool. Adobe does pay something for the use of these images, and has stayed away from using copyrighted material off the net; all good stuff. But there is little clarity about how much they pay per use of an image, and no idea about how remunerative it will be in the long term.
- Adobe’s campaign to promote firefly, has actually put down some of their oldest and most loyal customers – photographers. The campaign urged users to “Skip the Photoshoot”. This, of course, was not taken well by many users.
- Their monopolistic behaviour when it comes to allowing users to close their subscriptions, and not accept their AI policies, have been very off-putting.
Check out this video by YouTuber Jazza, where he does a deep dive into how Adobe became a household name and why their client base is right now quite upset with them – and looking for alternative solutions.
What do you think about this topic? Adobe is still making huge profits off their SAAS business, but do you think they’re in decline? Leave a comment and tell us what you think.
