Share one iLok license between both cloud and dongle

[Noemie]

Hi all, my problem is :

I have one MacPro with my iLok dongle attached, and one MacBookPro on which I use iLok cloud.

Every time I switch from one computer to another, I have to move the activated licenses in the iLok license manager, from the dongle to the cloud, or from the cloud to the dongle.

The problem if I leave home with my MacBookPro and I have forgotten to move the licenses before leaving, then I just can't open Pro Tools.

My question is :

Isn't there a way to keep my license forever on both my dongle and my cloud ? (as it is already the case for all the Avid plugins, but not for my Pro Tools subscription, which I don't understand)

Thanks for any suggestion, have a nice day

[Will Russell]

I believe you are only allowed 1 activation per subscription, so I think your solution would be to just use the iLok cloud for both machines.

[Darryl Ramm]

Nope. If you want to do this you would need to purchase two separate licenses/subscriptions. Given how flakey cloud licensing can be I would personally rely on physically moving the iLok key.

[Noemie]

Thanks Will and Darryl for your answers!

These politics are unbelievable, it makes no sense. Yes Darryl, the cloud isn't very reliable, in many situations (country, gigs...).

In case I buy a second dongle, shall I use both without buying a second license ? Not at the same time but alternatively, only for convenience.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience

[Will Russell]

Yeah, I do agree with Darryl that iLok Cloud can be flaky. I am in a similar situation and I simply bring my iLok back-and-forth. And yes, sometimes I forget…

I know people actually put the physical iLok on their key ring to make sure that they don't forget it. That would make me crazy, but I've seen it work for some other people.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Noemie

These politics are unbelievable, it makes no sense. Yes Darryl, the cloud isn't very reliable, in many situations (country, gigs...).

In case I buy a second dongle, shall I use both without buying a second license ? Not at the same time but alternatively, only for convenience.

I never said buy a second dongle, I said you would need to purchase a second license. What good would an empty dongle do for you? The license you own *is* the single encrypted digital asset on the iLok or in the cloud. You only have one to use at any time and that one license can only be in one place at any time, it cannot be both in the cloud and on a physical iLok. How would Pace/iLok know then if you are using an iLok offline while also using the license in the cloud?

Lots of us might not like licensing enforcement mechanisms, but I do not follow why you think anything here is "unbelievable politics and makes no sense", this is just a licensing enforcement mechanism. It makes perfect sense. You might not like it, but it is working exactly as expected/promised by Avid. If cloud licensing was added after you first purchased Pro Tools then you have more flexibility than before, but your rights and the behavior are as described by Avid.

[Ben Jenssen]

I'm not shure about this, but I'll throw it out there.

I thought that if your license was on ilok cloud, that you would be able to log in to your License manager from any machine and select 'close all cloud sessions', and then move the license to an ilok.

I never tried it, even though I used ilok cloud for some time, because the need never came up.

It would be only half a solution though - if you left the license on a physical ilok, you would need physical access to it to move it anywhere.

[Darryl Ramm]

Yes you are correct Ben, but as you say the moment the license is in an iLok you need physical access to the iLok to move to the cloud. So to me all too cumbersome and flakey so better off just using a physical iLok.

And if you are using a Physical iLok then having access to a spare blank iLok can be a good idea to recover licenses to with ZDT if the iLok with licenses on it is stolen/lost/damaged,

And more than just a key ring... put a name/address tag on the keyring and maybe a Tile tracker or Apple Air Tag.

[albee1952]

Things to consider:
1-my opinion only, but I can't trust ilok cloud. Give me a physical iLok any time.
2-how big are your sessions? Could Pro Tools Artist cover your portable needs?

[its2loud]

It’s interesting to me when people say ilok cloud isn’t reliable. I’ve used it hundreds of times and have never had an issue with Pro Tools finding the cloud license. The only time it’s an issue is if you don’t have internet on the computer you’re working on.

The bigger issue for me is that some licenses are not cloud compatible.