Totally and utterly confused by licensing

[TornadoTed]

I just bought a 2nd hand 10-11-12 perpetual license with 51 days on the updates and support plan left.

I guess I can run anything up to 2019.6 at the moment as it shows it in my account. I am not the sort of guy who upgrades often, I just want 2018.7 or above, for the next 5-10 years maybe. The new MIDI key shortcuts are my only reason for upgrading. I don't really want monthly subscriptions or any modern, fangled nonsense like that if possible!

What happens after 51 days if I don't renew anything will 2018 or 2019 just stop working? Will I be forced to go back to Pro Tools 12 as that is what is on my iLok?

What are my options, what do I need to purchase if anything?

This new (to me) Avid model has me totally confused. I don't get why the license on my iLok is different to the license in my account. Can I upgrade the license on the iLok itself?

[abc1mce2]

If 2019.6 is in your Avid account, the license is activated on your iLok and you installed 2019.6 and were able to run it on your computer, you will have that last PT version (that's in your Avid account when your support plan runs out) and license for life.

The support plan when purchased gives you a years worth of PT updates and the last version you have when it runs out is your for life. You have to remember that the support plan gives you all of Avids plug ins and a few 3rd party plug ins and when it runs out those plug ins that you don't own and are only a part of the support plan will stop working (not be active). So if you use alot of Avid plugins that you dont own a license for it's best to commit those tracks in every session their used in before your support plan ends.

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[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by abc1mce2

You have to remember that the support plan gives you all of Avids plug ins ..

No the support/upgrade plan for a perpetual license, what is being asked about by the OP, does *not* give you all of Avid's plugins. A subscription (not a perpetual license) currently includes the "Avid Complete Plugin Bundle". ... and even if it did that is also not strictly "all of Avids plugins".. it's almost all of them.

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To the OP: How did you just purchase this? Hopefully the seller did a transfer of ownership though Avid support and not just say give you an iLok and access to their existing Avid account.

If the transfer was done correctly you have the rights to upgrades until the upgrade/support plan ends, and they last forever. If Pro Tools does not activate properly or you do not get a license you believe you should you can contact Avid support no or in the future by opening out a Licensing related case on the Avid Support web site, they are no cost support requests.

Why do you mention 2018.7, I would not want to be stuck on 2018.7 for many years, would never go back, 2019.x was a spectacularity better release that greatly reduced chronic CPU error issues.

[TornadoTed]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

No the support/upgrade plan for a perpetual license, what is being asked about by the OP, does *not* give you all of Avid's plugins. A subscription (not a perpetual license) currently includes the "Avid Complete Plugin Bundle". ... and even if it did that is also not strictly "all of Avids plugins".. it's almost all of them.

---

To the OP: How did you just purchase this? Hopefully the seller did a transfer of ownership though Avid support and not just say give you an iLok and access to their existing Avid account.

If the transfer was done correctly you have the rights to upgrades until the upgrade/support plan ends, and they last forever. If Pro Tools does not activate properly or you do not get a license you believe you should you can contact Avid support no or in the future by opening out a Licensing related case on the Avid Support web site, they are no cost support requests.

Why do you mention 2018.7, I would not want to be stuck on 2018.7 for many years, would never go back, 2019.x was a spectacularity better release that greatly reduced chronic CPU error issues.

The seller gave me the login to his Avid account and has posted the iLok, what is wrong with that? I already have an Avid account with Pro Tools HD for the commercial studio I run, this is for my home studio, I contacted support and requested to merge accounts. Is that way of doing it OK? I guess now as I have control of the sellers account I could do a transfer of ownership if that is the proper way to do it.

I only say 2018.7 as that introduced the MIDI key command shortcuts, the only reason I want to upgrade from Pro Tools 10 where I have happily been for years! I am not wedded to that version if 2019 is better.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by TornadoTed

The seller gave me the login to his Avid account and has posted the iLok, what is wrong with that? I already have an Avid account with Pro Tools HD for the commercial studio I run, this is for my home studio, I contacted support and requested to merge accounts. Is that way of doing it OK? I guess now as I have control of the sellers account I could do a transfer of ownership if that is the proper way to do it.

I only say 2018.7 as that introduced the MIDI key command shortcuts, the only reason I want to upgrade from Pro Tools 10 where I have happily been for years! I am not wedded to that version if 2019 is better.

I would go straight to 2019.6 if your OS etc. supports that... where CPU issues the plagued 11/12/2018 were largely addressed.

Transfer of ownership (in different flavors) been around for years and is the proper way of doing this. One problem with backdoor just handing over accounts is when you don't have access to the email accounts they are tied to. The other reason is is just the "right way" and vendors are under no obligation and may not want jump through hoops for you when something goes wrong. What if you lose the iLok? Do you have ZDT/TLC on it? With what email/contact info? etc. Things might work... but if they need to contact you via email... what happens. Do you have access to their iLok account? How do you install any license update Avid delivers? I't not clear to me you can just change iLok account settings, you certainly cannot pair that iLok with another iLok account you create.

[TornadoTed]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I would go straight to 2019.6 if your OS etc. supports that... where CPU issues the plagued 11/12/2018 were largely addressed.

Transfer of ownership (in different flavors) been around for years and is the proper way of doing this. One problem with backdoor just handing over accounts is when you don't have access to the email accounts they are tied to. The other reason is is just the "right way" and vendors are under no obligation and may not want jump through hoops for you when something goes wrong. What if you lose the iLok? Do you have ZDT/TLC on it? With what email/contact info? etc. Things might work... but if they need to contact you via email... what happens. Do you have access to their iLok account? How do you install any license update Avid delivers? I't not clear to me you can just change iLok account settings, you certainly cannot pair that iLok with another iLok account you create.

That is awesome information, thank you. Yes he gave me his iLok account login details too. The plan was to merge his account with mine and then transfer the iLok license from his account to mine. The seller seems a straight up guy and I said that Avid might contact him regarding the merging of accounts and he said he would keep an eye out for any email, fingers crossed it all goes OK.

[JFreak]

I smell many fees here so in case you got total control of the Avid Account and the iLok Account (as in changed passwords already and all email goes to you already) then just leave it as it is. You will have access to all PT updates released while your support plan is active, even though you need to download later. Just not getting any more updates.

[TornadoTed]

Hats off to Avid customer support who were extremely helpful and merged the accounts and transferred the licenses to my iLok without any fuss or fees which I wasn't expecting. I have had some pretty bad experiences with Avid support in the past and been very critical but I am happy to give credit when I have a good experience.

I am still a little confused though. I have 4 licenses on my iLok,

Pro Tools 10
Pro Tools 11
Pro Tools 12
Pro Tools Perpetual

Edit - I got 2019.6 installed and working. I guess if I don't renew I will be frozen in time at the newest version of Pro Tools at the time of expiring, is that correct?