ProTool 12 pricing

[nigelpry]

Originally Posted by Eric Lambert

But we wouldn't NEED to renew, isn't that correct? That was my question: what's the cost for the upgrade and then perpetual use, without requiring additional $$ money?

If ProTools would somehow expire after all this money then it would make no sense to invest further.

There is no longer a NEED to renew each year to avoid being forever frozen. Originally, if you didn't join a plan by end of 2015, or subsequently didn't renew it, your license would no longer be upgradable, it would work but be forever frozen at its current version. With the latest change in policy, it is now possible to get back up to date years later.

So, if you don't join a plan, or later on don't renew, your license will continue to function forever, able to unlock every version between the earliest version it unlocks, which in the case of a 10/11/12 bundle would be 10.0, 11.0 and 12.0, and the latest versions released before end of 2015 if you don't join a plan, or the renewal date if you join but don't then renew.

You could choose not to join or renew for a number of years, and then if you decided to get current you could join or renew again, with the first year you (re)join incurring a higher price .... after end of 2015 it is $999 for HD, $299 for vanilla, and subsequent years at the standard renewal price of $399/$99.

Of course this all depends on whether Avid, at some point in the future, changes the rules again. And that may well depend on just what percentage of the current ownership joins/doesn't join and renews/doesn't renew when the time comes.

[Eric Lambert]

I'm beginning to feel that the Avid board room is just 12 seats occupied by algorithms which constantly monitor focus groups, and policies are updated daily and based upon a cocktail consisting of 1 part profitability and 1 part "will our shareholders continue to love us?"

I find it crazy that I've checked in on the upgrade situation no fewer than 10 times, and each of those 10 times has been confusing, and none of those 10 times has been quite the same. So I guess I'll just continue to wait until the landscape feels more appealing.

[NipL]

Originally Posted by brianjanthony

Everyone says it's simple. HAH! In the past few days, Sweetwater reps had no inkling about the 399, and said they can only sell the 599. Fair enough I guess. But when I talked to Avid, they had not heard of the 399 price, and initially said I had to pay 599 every year. Until I showed them their own site, then I got the "oh it must be a bug on our end, of course you meant THAT 399 plan." Then it was "Since you bought from Sweetwater, you can't buy the renewal so its 599." After more wrangling, I got the "oh there's a glitch in our site of course you can renew for 399." crazy to me.

Yes, it seems that Avid personnel have a hard time keeping up with the pace of changes.

[brianjanthony]

If they ARE monitoring.... We want it free forever with no bugs. And it will have an auto client awesome-alyzer button on each track. . We'll wait...

[nigelpry]

Originally Posted by NipL

Yes, it seems that Avid personnel have a hard time keeping up with the pace of changes.

I'm only able to keep my finger on the pulse because I'm semi-retired and between Blackadder marathons ;-)