Your Thoughts on Subscription Software Models?

[Peter Batah]

Hi Peter,

Then I can only tell you that I've been using Cubase since the Atari days. What I can add about ProTools is that, yes, it was considered to be the industry standard, but it seems like more and more producers are moving away from Avid - especially because of the subscription scheme they use on their software. And I've heard of several professional studios who weren't too happy about being left in the cold with unusable Avid hardware as well.

I find Cubase Pro a fantastic piece of software - also, coming from the old 'MIDI-Only' days, Cubase is still very strong in the MIDI department, but also comes with great tools built in, like for instance spectral editing in the latest version (11). To compare: here the versions of Cubase: https://new.steinberg.net/cubase/compare-editions/

Good day @Arjan P A question if I may. What happens if an artist / client approaches you with a project that was created in PT. Are you able to import that project into Cubase with any drawbacks or negative artifacts. And, I am wondering if the same can be done in PT. Import a Cubase project. Thank you and have a wonderful day!

 

[Arjan P]

@Peter Batah I have no experience exchanging projects between DAWs, since pretty much all of my work here is recording from scratch. I do know there is a protocol to do this but I'm not sure how much of the project information is retained there. Just looked it up, it's called OMF files. BTW, I never considered PT myself since I kinda 'grew up' with Cubase - and I hate subscription schemes (for any software).

 

[Peter Batah]

@Arjan P I agree. I too am not a fan of subscription based licensing. But, I must say that I am seeing more and more of that model with the bigger companies. Microsoft, Kaspersky, Symantec. I just signed up a client to Adobe Acrobat Pro. 16.99 / month versus a perpetual license at 499.99. Sign 'O the times!

 

[-mjk-]

I deleted Lightroom off my computer after years of having the standalone version. Affinity Photo came out and destroyed Adobe Lightroom for $69 USD - plus it does pretty much what Photoshop does, all in a single perpetual program. I find that for every subscription model, there is a viable alternative out there.

My beef with those subscription models is that there is no exit strategy. You're left with files and software you cannot use, even though you've paid for it over and over for years.
In my case, I believed those Adobe evangelists and I converted all my Nikon RAW files over to DNG. Of course, Adobe pushed that as an "archival" strategy so all your RAW files would be in the same format and available forever. And of course, no other software can utilize the DNG format like Adobe can, so, if you change to another photo editing software, the DNG files do not work as well and you have less control over the parameters than with an Adobe product.

Every one of these schemes should have a "buyout" option, where you pay an exit fee and you freeze the program at that version with no more updates, but it keeps functioning. Future updates would all be paid for if desired.

I recall users on the Adobe forum saying that due to US laws, the non subscription model were "illegal". I called BS on that. That's what lawyers are for.

 

[BazzBass]

@Arjan P I agree. I too am not a fan of subscription based licensing. But, I must say that I am seeing more and more of that model with the bigger companies. Microsoft, Kaspersky, Symantec. I just signed up a client to Adobe Acrobat Pro. 16.99 / month versus a perpetual license at 499.99. Sign 'O the times!

get rid of Kaspersky immediately, it's rubbish.

 

[Peter Batah]

@BazzBass Recommendations? I used Symantec Endpoint Protect Small Business Edition for years on my clients machines. Until the day that Ransomware made it's way through to one of the machines. Oh, did I mention that it happened to be the bosses machine. Totally unrecoverable unless you were willing to provide a credit card to some clandestine entity.

Not to say that this couldn't / wouldn't have happened with any other A/V software out there. Glad to say that going into year two with Kaspersky I have been lucky so far. Don't count your chickens right?

 

[-mjk-]

I use TrendMicro, and have for more than a decade. It's a Taiwan company. I have a plan for 10 devices so all PC and mobiles are covered for 3 years at a time.

So I guess that is subscription software, but does that make me a hypocrite? lol

 

[Peter Batah]

@-mjk- Like that old saying goes: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em

 

[Arjan P]

I've been using F-Secure for years now, without issue. Very unintrusive, I don't think I ever noticed it being busy updating (and I'm always connected with the Studio PC). It's part of the package with my ISP, so yes - in that way it is a subscription scheme..

Though if it's anti virus software, you could say there is a difference with DAW software concerning subscription. I mean, a DAW is a finished product when you buy it, so the subscription is only a money-making scheme (and ofcourse they throw in 'free' updates to sell it to you), but A/V software is a constant work in progress. Also from the vendor's standpoint. So IMO a subscription in this area makes more sense..

 

[Peter Batah]

@Arjan P Call me a conspiracy theorist if you wish but there have been moments where I considered that perhaps some of these A/V software companies may actually have been behind some of these mean old viruses. Ahh, but what do I know.

Speaking of subscriptions! You spoke about the PT annual subscription model. Doesn't Steinberg have something along those lines? Or do you they give you the option of purchasing an upgrade if and when one is available.

 

[Arjan P]

No, Steinberg has no subscription model. You buy their software and you have it for as long as you want to use it - ofcourse it will become unsupported (losing free updates and personal support) but if you don't change the peripherals it will continue to work. You actually also can use previous versions when you bought a license for the current version. So, I'm on Cubase Pro 11, but still can use the still installed version 7.5 for example. Steinberg does use a physical USB license key, which can be positive or negative: if you take the key to another computer that has the same software installed, you can run it from there. On the other hand, if you forget the key you can't run the software.

I actually always skip a version. My previous version was 10, then last summer I bought the update to 10.5 on a discount for € 38. Then I didn't activate the license until 11 came out in December and it was automatically upgraded to 11..

 

[-mjk-]

Though if it's anti virus software, you could say there is a difference with DAW software concerning subscription. I mean, a DAW is a finished product when you buy it, so the subscription is only a money-making scheme (and ofcourse they throw in 'free' updates to sell it to you), but A/V software is a constant work in progress. Also from the vendor's standpoint. So IMO a subscription in this area makes more sense..

Thank you for saying what I was thinking.

 

[-mjk-]

Affinity Photo, which I previously mentioned, has upgraded many times since I bought it in 2016, all for free. I got Affinity Designer too. Both programs are $69 each. Can't beat that.

Besides the subscription model, Adobe broke touch screen editing with Lr 6. Using Lr 5, I was editing my photos on a 27" touch screen and it was very intuitive. In version 6 that went away. I started a thread on the forum about it, and while many people were upset by the loss of touch editing, Adobe wasn't interested in changing things back to support touch. I think they expected everyone to go get a Wacom tablet.

These days, I use my Surface Pro with those Affinity programs and I use the Surface pen for everything. I have even done some editing in Reaper on the Surface with the pen.