Hi, and thanks for the question. Happy to answer. 

For a long time now, the Sibelius, ScriptSync, PhraseFind, and Newscutter "options" have actually been subscriptions. This took hold permanently back in 2014 when Media Composer 8 was released, and the activation process moved inside of Avid Appication Manager (now Avid Link).

So, on dongle systems or on "node locked" perpetuals, the activation of these options is triggered in Link. They're handled internally on our servers as subsctiptions. This means that these can be attached to either a perpetual, or to a Media Composer "standard" subscription... and the only thing that really "attaches" them is just the common System ID they are activated under.  

I know that January 1st, 2026 is a ways away, but the current plan is to have the following available for you:

Scenario 1: Keep your perpetual. Use Link to activate your existing options (subscriptions)... but since the perpetual will be stuck into a specific macOS/Windows "version environment", this will mean that the computer it is running on will eventually need to stop getting OS updates in order to keep that perpetual running forever.

Scenario 2: Crossgrade your perpetual to a subscription. Use Link to activate your existing options (subscriptions). This will allow the perpetual to "get current" as a subscription, eliminating the problem with antiquated OS versions. 

Scenario 3: Do scenario #1 and keep the old computer running forever, but also buy Media Composer Ultimate in order to get a new computer and operate it as the main business computer which can kep getting new versions constantly.

Thanks for your detailed answer, just to be clear, my options are perpetual ones, I bought them once a few years ago at a higher price then yearly subscriptions to the same options. Phrasefind and Symphony are also proposed as yearly subscriptions with MC standard and that's confusing.. The ones I bought kept working year after year attached to my perpetual license at no additional cost. If I go the MC standard subscription route will they really be able to attach and work perpetually?

If that's the case I will happily go the standard subscription route as I will pay half what I was paying to renew my perpetual support and updates each year and still be able to keep the options I need and own. My perpetual support is ending soon and I need to make the right decision. I'm aware I'll loose project and bin sharing with MC standard vs perpetual but have access to ultimate license with posts houses I work with on collaborrative projects so that's not an issue. Thanks for your help.

A perpetual license is only the core app of Media Composer. All options are subscriptions, activated by Avid Link. 

Note that perpetual licenses will last as long as you can keep your computer running. I have a WindowsXP computer still running Media COmposer 2.6.3 from many years ago. Of course I cannot put it on the internet for safety reasons, but it'll keep running perpetually, as long as I keep that computer healthy. 

Same goes for a Media Composer 7 license I have. Perpetual, on a Mac Pro 2012 tower. It'll keep running perpetually, despite not being on the internet.

However, know that new perpetual licenses are no longer sold. You can only buy new subscriptions, not perpetuals. Also, perpetual licenses will continue to work, offline, for as long as you can keep them going, that does not entitnel users to newer versions of the app that get released. Beginning on January 1st, 2026, perpetual licenses will continue to wiork, but will no longer be supported. That means they will not have access to new versions. Only subscriptions will be entitled to new versions. 

More info here, in a blog we released last year: https://www.avid.com/resource-center/avid-media-composer-in-2022-lets-talk-licensing

So, I'm advising subscriptions, simply because of these facts.

Hello Chris,

I'm well aware of all that, what I'm asking is a precise point about options bought as perpetual and not subscriptions. Phrase find for example I bought as perpetual and attached to my perpetual MC. Here is the link to the discontinued product sold by videoguys.

https://videoguys.com/products/avid-media-composer-perpetual-phrasefind-option-1

That is not the same as the subscription and it was sold at a higher price at the time I bought it. My question is quite simple, will I be able to attach phrase find and symphony (pertpetual options I own and not subscriptions) to an avid media composer standard subscription? I don't need the rest that Ultimate offers so will I be able to pay 239 per year for a standard subscription and use it with the perpetual options I own anddon't have to pay for each year.

Thanks for answering, it's the only point that is not clear for me in this transition.

bump..

Can I get a definitive answer on that?  And if you are not able to answer who can I ask?

Thanks

Yes I can definitely assist, but not here, because in order to answer, I'll need to get our specific System IDs for the licenses, so that I can see them on our systems. Please email me at chris.bove@avid.com and let me know. Thanks! 

Also - please reference this thread. I get a LOT of emails, and will need context. 

Would be so nice if you could activate / deactivate the symphony option the same way as the media composer license & phrase find option. Why isn't that the case? Right now, I have to do it "the old way" - deactivate on one computer to be able to activate that on the other one. 

Marty;

Have you tried leaving your Symphony license activated on machine #1 and activating on machine #2?

j

Marty:

Would be so nice if you could activate / deactivate the symphony option the same way as the media composer license & phrase find option. Why isn't that the case? Right now, I have to do it "the old way" - deactivate on one computer to be able to activate that on the other one. 

 

Marty, let me try to investigate this... which versions of Media Composer and Link are you running? 

Hey Chris, I'm using MC 2023.3 & Avid Link 2023.3. 

Thanks Marty. Email me your license's System ID to chris.bove@avid.com

I think the reason you can't activate it the way you want to is because you have a specific old type of Symphony license.  I might be able to help with that... but I won't be sure until I see which license you have.