Anyone paying attention to the pro audio world probably knows that since April 2022, Avid has stopped offering new perpetual license purchases for its Pro Tools products and has moved into a fully subscription-based business model. But fear not! B&H still has perpetual licenses in stock, and now is the time to grab one if the perpetual model is a better fit for you. Get them while they’re hot, because stock will not last forever, and when they’re gone, they’ll be gone for good.
So, why buy a Pro Tools perpetual license? For some potential buyers, there may be a price advantage. If you are someone who plans on using Pro Tools for many years, and especially if you may not plan to renew the 1-year Software Update and Support contract that comes with the perpetual model, a perpetual license can be significantly more affordable over the long term. A perpetual license only requires a single upfront cost to enable use of the software forever, rather than the monthly or annual cost of renewing your subscription.
Another advantage is for environments in which you may be moving your iLok dongle from one machine to another. Since the subscription model requires you to connect to the Internet on a machine and register it with your license, you will be locked into using that computer for your production work, online or offline. With a dongle and perpetual license, however, you can move your Pro Tools license from one machine to another (if it has Pro Tools installed), providing a measure of flexibility.
Additionally, some users may not want to have to keep track of subscription renewals. With a perpetual license, you get your software for life and never have to worry about getting locked out of your Pro Tools projects for forgetting to renew. Since all perpetual licenses come with a 1-year Software Update and Support Plan, there is still a form of subscription you will have to engage in to have equivalent features to the subscription license, such as software updates, technical support, and extra plug-in access. But if you don’t mind losing those features or are willing to pay for them down the road when you really need them, the perpetual license can offer the peace of mind attainable only by owning your software.
It is worth noting that renewing the Software Update and Support Plan for your perpetual license will still cost money and if you fail to renew it before the 1-year period ends, you will be locked out of those features forever, requiring you to switch to a subscription model or find another perpetual license to have access to software updates and technical support again.
For more information about the Pro Tools perpetual license, including additional features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out the detailed product page. Or drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to answer all your comments and questions.
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