Over the past year, Jordan and I have dug deep to talk with you all. We’ve had many conversations with Backtrackers from all over the world, to understand how and why you’re using the product so how we can make it better. It’s been a long time coming, but we’re here. And we’re going to do right by all of you.There are now over 2,000 people (that we know of) using Backtrack to recover moments that would otherwise be lost forever. And we appreciate every single one of you!Turns out most people had tried a handful of solutions only to find them expensive, bloated, hard to configure, or unsupported. Backtrack was uniquely positioned to be fast, quick, simple to setup, and an affordable way to recall meetings, special moments in time, brainstorming sessions, and more.
We’ve read through hundreds of reviews, talked with hundreds of users, and built a (long) closed beta with 70 customers — leading us to this exciting moment, unveiling Backtrack 2.0.
The app will always remain simple and we'll also make sure we are hyper clear the day it's coming out so you all can be prepared.
Backtrack will retain all the functionality you know and love (for free), but will now include the option to capture what you’ve heard or seen, upload to the cloud, start a workflow, integrate with your favorite apps, and share with a teammate in seconds.We also want to be hyper clear in that: All recording is completely local and private to your machine still. Nothing touches the internet until you hit “Upload to Backtrack”.
So let’s get into it:
Pricing:
This is the big one many have asked about leading us to think long and hard about how to price this new product in a way that’s fair to the thousands of people who have already paid for the app, while aligning the business to be able to support ongoing efforts to make the product better each week.
Before we dive into what you get when you get on a “Pro Plan”, we want to make it clear: the experience you’re familiar with in Backtrack will forever be solidified as the free version of the app.By default, every user will be on the Pro Plan trial for the duration of their first 10 cloud recordings, to see what all the new features are like. We found this gives about a full 1-2 weeks to experience the magic of Backtrack 2.0 without forcing anyone to pay. If you like it, cool, you can upgrade. If you don’t like it, also cool, you’ll be put on the “Free Plan” and can record audio to your desktop as much as you want.Note: You’ll notice in Backtrack 2.0 there’s a “List View” on the Home Screen to see all your Backtracks. Only your uploaded-to-the-cloud Backtracks will show up here. Not ones you save directly to your desktop).
What do you get on the Free Plan?
- Unlimited Direct Downloads
- 10 Cloud Recordings
What do you get on the paid Pro Plan?
- More Cloud Storage
- Shareable Links
- Integrations
- Backward Screen Recording
Why is this happening?
In order to better serve you and keep Backtrack alive we have to make some changes. We want to continue to improve the product which means adding in features, improving performance, and squashing bugs — the previous model of a one-time payment was not sustainable and something we have to move away from. This new approach allows previous users to keep what they’ve come to love in those life-saving Backtrack moments, all without having to pay more for the functionality they already have. Likewise, this allows the opportunity, for the folks who want to, to squeeze more out of the app. In both cases we appreciate everyone who wants to support Backtrack!
How will it impact previous users from the App Store?
If you’ve already downloaded Backtrack before you will not need to do anything, but simply update to get onto Backtrack 2.0. You will still have the same functionality as to what you’re used to! You’ll get a taste of Pro features immediately for the duration of your first 10 Cloud Recordings — if you wish to keep the Pro experience, you’ll be eligible for more recordings without upgrading right away by simply emailing [email protected] and asking. If you don’t want to upgrade and are satisfied with only recording audio, you can ignore the prompt to upgrade and simply continue to use Backtrack like you are used to experiencing it. Likewise, you can always upgrade later if you want.
How will it impact previous users from SetApp?
Folks who have downloaded through SetApp don’t need to do a thing. As part of your SetApp subscription, you’ll automatically be put on the Pro Plan forever. Likewise you’ll retain the same exact functionality, but have the option to upload to the cloud if you so want to.Any questions? Happy to chat at [email protected]
P.S. Oh and lastly… the branding. We’re a small small team who loves space and so many of you call Backtrack a Time Machine, say “It’s a super power”, “a second brain”, or liken it to time traveling. The new Icon in your menu bar is a UFO and when you drag you’ll notice is a tractor beam with a cow. We leaned in all the way on it and we like it. The branding is staying.
P.S.S If you're new here - welcome! If you haven't already seen it, here's a quick video on how the Legacy Backtrack app works. Jordan gives a quick 1 minute video explaining how to Backtrack, where it saves, and other details in between.
For those who can't watch, the app automatically will run from your menu bar [the UFO icon]. To Backtrack, or specifically capture past audio, click the icon, drag down, and let go. How far down you drag is the relative amount of time it'll capture from the past. After letting go, it'll bring up the native save menu and you can choose where to save it. All capture and saving is 100% completely local and private to your machine.
