I was wrong about our pricing. Here's what we changed.

I'm just going to come out and say it.

I was wrong.

And honestly? I'm glad I figured it out, because fixing it means AMS is about to get more affordable for a lot of artists.

How AMS got started

Artist Management Studios started as a way to help my wife, Margaret, run her jewelry business.

Like most solo artists, Margaret wears a lot of hats. She's the designer and the maker. She's also the marketer, the salesperson, the bookkeeper, and the shipping department. Some days she's all of those before lunch.

I help where I can. After retiring as a data analytics engineer, one of the first things I did was go looking for software to take some of that load off her plate. I couldn't find anything that fit. Most tools were built for bigger companies, cost too much, or needed a week of setup before they did anything useful.

So we built one. I'll admit I had an ulterior motive. I wanted to make life easier for the artist I live with.

Why we started with one price

Early on we made a decision I felt really good about. AMS would have one price. One plan, everything included.

No comparing plans. No wondering if you picked the wrong one. No surprise upgrade screens.

It felt like the simple choice. And simple is kind of our whole thing.

What I learned at the festivals

Then Margaret and I started traveling to festivals and shows. While she was busy at the booth, I got to talk with a lot of other artists. I asked almost everyone the same question:

"How do you sell?"

The answers surprised me. A lot of artists aren't selling to shops at all. No wholesale. No consignment. They sell online and at festivals, they like it that way, and they're doing great.

That stuck with me.

Those artists were paying for about half an app they'd never open. Wholesale tracking, consignment, the portal their stockists would order from. All of it sitting there unused, and all of it baked into the price.

That didn't sit well with me. One price wasn't simpler for them. It was just more expensive.

Two plans: Maker and Retail

So we restructured. The new pricing launches today, and AMS now has two plans.

In true AMS style, picking one should take you about ten seconds. The question is the same one I asked at all those festivals: how do you sell?

Maker — $15 a month

Maker is for artists who sell straight to their own customers, online and in person. It has what you need to run that side of the business:

• Inventory, and the materials that go into each piece
• The pricing calculator, so you're not guessing at a number
• Shows and markets — dates, costs, sales, and what you actually made
• Two-way Shopify sync
• Expenses, goals, and reports

Retail — $39 a month

Retail is for artists whose work is also carried by shops, or who have help running the business. You get everything in Maker, plus:

• Wholesale accounts and orders
• Consignment tracking
• A portal where your stockists browse and order on their own
• Leads, and a history of every bit of outreach
• Team members with their own logins

Pay yearly on either plan and get two months free — $150 a year for Maker, $390 for Retail.

Lower prices, too

While we were rethinking the structure, we took a hard look at the price itself.

The old single plan cost more over time than either of these does. Maker is now $15 a month. And Retail, with every feature AMS has, is $39.

We want AMS to fit the budget of a working artist. Not a company with a finance department.

Which plan is right for you?

Here's a side-by-side look at what's in each one.

What you get	Maker	Retail
Inventory and materials	✓	✓
Pricing calculator	✓	✓
Shows, markets, and event sales	✓	✓
Profit on each show, after costs	✓	✓
Two-way Shopify sync	✓	✓
Expenses, goals, and reports	✓	✓
Wholesale accounts and orders	—	✓
Consignment tracking	—	✓
Portal for your stockists	—	✓
Leads and outreach history	—	✓
Team members with their own logins	—	✓
Monthly	$15	$39
Yearly (two months free)	$150	$390

Maker is probably your fit if:

• You sell at festivals, markets, and shows
• You sell online through your own store
• You run the business on your own
• You're not selling to shops right now

Retail is probably your fit if:

• You sell wholesale to shops or boutiques
• You have pieces out on consignment
• You're reaching out to new stores, podcasts, or collaborators
• Someone helps you and needs their own login

Still not sure? That's okay. You don't have to decide yet.

Try everything free for a month

Every new account gets the whole app free for the first month. No credit card needed.

Use all of it. Poke around the wholesale and consignment tools and see if they fit how you work. You pick a plan at the end, so you'll be choosing from real experience instead of a guess.

Change your mind anytime

Your business is going to change. Your plan should be able to change with it.

Moving up to Retail? The switch happens right away, so if a shop reaches out about carrying your work, you can say yes that same day. You pay the difference for the time you've already paid for, and your renewal date stays where it is.

Moving down to Maker? Nothing changes today. You keep your Retail tools right up to your next renewal date, and Maker starts from there — you're never paying for something you've already lost. Change your mind before that date and you simply stay on Retail.

Your retailers, leads, and team records are hidden while you're on Maker. They are never deleted, and they're waiting if you come back.

Already using AMS?

Thank you. Seriously. You helped shape this app.

Nothing changes unless you want it to — you keep your current plan and price for as long as you stay subscribed. You can move to either new plan any time you like. If you're not using the wholesale or consignment tools, it's worth taking a look at Maker.

One thing to know first: moving is a one-way door. Your original price doesn't come back, so compare it against the new plans before you switch.

Why "I was wrong" is good news

AMS was built by listening to artists. That's not changing.

Every artist who took a minute to answer my question at a festival helped make this happen. So thank you. I'm going to keep asking, and we're going to keep making AMS fit the way you actually work.

Because running a creative business is already a lot. Your software shouldn't add to it.

You can see the new pricing or start free — no credit card, no pressure, just a month to see if AMS makes your life a little easier.

— Fred, co-founder