ck123:

I've had a few chats with a number of reps. And, here is what it has come down to, of course Marianna can correct me. :)

Media Composer Perpetual support plan goes up to $399/yr.

Media Composer Perpetual crossgrade to Media Composer Ultimate is $299 for first year.

Media Composer Ultimate renewal will be $499/yr thereafter.

Cross grading will be cheaper for 1 year only. After that Ultimate will be more expensive to continue with.

For those asking about the Media Composer subscription vs Media Composer Ultimate subscription. MC Perpetual and Media Composer Ultimate support shared storage environments. MC Subscription does not.

http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/FAQ/Media-Composer-2018-FAQ#Q2

Therefore, all three products are not directly comparable. Each is slightly different in offering. The pricing when put in this context starts to make a bit more sense.

Regular Media Composer Subscription (shared storage not supported): $239/yr

Media Composer Perpetual Support (shared storage supported and eternal use): $399/yr

Media Composer Ultimate Subscription (incl phrasefind, script sync, symphony, and shared storage support): $499/yr

Depending on your environment (one man shop) it would be cheaper to just let your support contract lapse and purchase a standard Media Composer Subscription. And, if you already purchased the perpetual Symphony option, I'm fairly sure you can activate Symphony on the $239 Media Composer subscription at no additional cost. If you are in a shared storage environment then you either pay the support increase ($399) or pay the even higher Ultimate price ($499) but also get all the options.

Here is what it has come down to, of course Marianna can correct me. :)    Ha!  Actually Kate corrected you.....

Media Composer Perpetual support plan goes up to $399/yr.

Media Composer Perpetual cross-grade to Media Composer Ultimate is $299 for first 2 years.

Media Composer | Ultimate renewal will be $499/yr thereafter.

Cross grading will be cheaper for 2 years only. After that MC | Ultimate will be more expensive to continue with.

For those asking about the Media Composer subscription vs Media Composer | Ultimate subscription. MC Perpetual and Media Composer | Ultimate support shared storage environments. MC Subscription does not. 

http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/FAQ/Media-Composer-2018-FAQ#Q2

Therefore, all three products are not directly comparable. Each is slightly different in offering.

The pricing when put in this context starts to make a bit more sense.

Regular Media Composer Subscription (shared storage not supported): $239/yr

Media Composer Perpetual Support (shared storage supported and external use): $399/yr

Media Composer | Ultimate Subscription (includes phrasefind, script sync, symphony, and shared storage support): $499/yr

Depending on your environment (one-man shop) it would be cheaper to just let your support contract lapse and purchase a standard Media Composer Subscription.  And, if you already purchased the perpetual Symphony option, I'm fairly sure you can activate Symphony on the $239 Media Composer subscription at no additional cost.  (Yes you can)

If you are in a shared storage environment then you either pay now before July 1 at $299 or renew support at the increase $ ($399) after July 1 or crossgrade to an Ultimate subscription and pay the same amount you have been paying for 2 more years and then pay the even higher Ultimate price ($499) the third year but also get all the options.

xoxoxo

Marianna for Kate

Marianna:

BarkinMadd:

Curious as to why this is so much cheaper than our perpetual upgrade. Anyway - I'll step out of this discussion for now and let others digest this news. I really didn't realize that I was paying more for the privilage of having paid so much in the past... Sort of the opposite of a loyalty discount.

barkin... when you break it down, subcription isnt cheaper.  Yes the first year seems that way but the renewals down the road add up. 

What crossgrade question...... i swear my mind is starting to turn to mush.

Respond here....

marianna

Sorry - I should have restated my question:

With regard to the Perpetual to Media Composer | Ultimate subscription cross-grade price of $299 (down 25%) - is this just for the first year and then it jumps back up to $499/year thereafter (assuming no other changes to fees)?

BarkinMadd:

Sorry - I should have restated my question:

With regard to the Perpetual to Media Composer | Ultimate subscription cross-grade price of $299 (down 25%) - is this just for the first year and then it jumps back up to $499/year thereafter (assuming no other changes to fees)?

No worries...

Media Composer Perpetual cross-grade to Media Composer | Ultimate is $299 for the first 2 years.

Media Composer | Ultimate renewal will be $499/yr thereafter.

Cross grading will be cheaper for 2 years only. After that MC | Ultimate will be more expensive to continue with however if you DO crossgrade to an Ultimate subscription and pay the same amount you have been paying for 2 more years and then pay the even higher Ultimate price ($499) the third year BUT you also get all the options.

Does that help?

Marianna

Yes - thanks Marianna.

Would you mind passing on to the higher-ups that I (and I'm not alone) feel that the perpetual renewal cost is too high relative to the subscription costs? Might as well let them know that they have annoyed a segment of their user community...

Existing owners of the perpetual software license, are paying a higher premium. I much perfer to use anytime. I think unless Media Composer has drastic changes to the software like blending modes, faster performance on lower hardware. As well as a smoother editing experience easy re-linking, not having to keep installing add on codecs to play fs7 etc. Without Avid fighting on ama linked footage to the generic plugin by Avid and Nablet.

I think faster development with rock solid reliable verisons will be key to Avid's success, and innovate new features which other editing software are not doing.

I do hope with in the next 2 releases by end of the summer we will have Blackmagic Raw support, blending modes, and proper effects stacking like Adobe do it where you can ove the stack and deete effects etc etc.

Good thing I just renewed my perpetual this week. Worth the extra hundred bucks next year to be able to keep ownership of the software IMO.

I just wish Avid would stick to a plan - it seems pricing changes every six months.

Also the timing is in sort of poor taste. Not giving many people alot of time to test the new version before commiting. 

As a perpetual license-holder, I'm not impressed with these pricing changes.

Under the new scheme, updating a perpetual license for a year will cost almost 70% more than a one-year subscription.  The cost to Avid for providing the software is identical, yet the price increase for a perpetual update will be more than double that of a subscription.  

This kind of manipulative pricing could easily erode the good will of the user base.

Taking Avid's press release at face value, the new pricing is intended to motivate users to switch to software by subscription.  Avid would rather I paid $239 for a year’s subscription instead of $399 to update my perpetual license for the year.  I do have to wonder -- what’s the business case for this loss of revenue?   

The only explanation I can imagine is that reducing perpetual licenses gives Avid more leverage to increase subscription prices in future.

Someone with a perpetual license has the option to sit out a price jump or other unwelcome change, and consider an orderly transition to a different editing platform.  Not the case with subscription: opting out means your work will be immediately disrupted.  

The suggestion that this change is being driven by customer preference is particularly irritating.  I don't doubt that many people like the subscription option.  But I'm very sure that not one customer has ever asked Avid to penalize them for choosing a perpetual license. 

It's good that Avid has started making money again.  Have they learned the wrong lessons from their return to profitability?

Edit: I realize that some of my comments were a bit harsh, and I rephrased or removed them.

Avid, you seem to forget that a lot of people actually care about perpetual licenses, and those people (including me) are now being treated unfairly. Apart from that, prices for MC were already relatively high compared to competitive products (Lightworks, Resolve), so I'm not too happy about these price changes.

Walter Johan:

Avid, you seem to forget that a lot of people actually care about perpetual licenses, and you'll be screwing those people (including me) over with these price changes. $399 for support and updates per year, in what universe do you live? No other company in the industry charges that kind of money.

I'm a freelance editor who barely uses Avid, because producers always ask me to work in Premiere. Let's be honest: outside of film and tv nobody uses Media Composer anymore. I use Media Composer mostly for my own short projects, but I'm not gonna take a subscription for that, nor am I gonna renew my support plan for this absurd price. You've just lost another paying customer here.

Yes, this is a significant increase over the $299/year that has been in place for a while. Now, I’m coming from the days when Avid support contracts were way more money per year. It was a different time and a different pricing model. But, it does give me perspective. If 2019 version of MC takes a huge leap and continues to develop at a steady pace, is reliable, and is competitive with other tools now available then $399/year to own it will be justifiable. And hopefully the combo of perpetual and subscription infuses enough cash flow for Avid to stay profitable and competitive. 

And just so no one has to guess at what is going on here, just have a look at Avid’s financial statement.

http://ir.avid.com/news-releases/news-release-details/avid-technology-announces-q4-and-full-year-2018-results

You’ll notice the uptick in revenue from subscriptions.

Robert Goodman :

Good thing I just renewed my perpetual this week. Worth the extra hundred bucks next year to be able to keep ownership of the software IMO.

I just wish Avid would stick to a plan - it seems pricing changes every six months.

Also the timing is in sort of poor taste. Not giving many people alot of time to test the new version before commiting. 

Robert....  Pricing has not changed in 5 years.....   * 5 * years.   Timing ... I completely agree..... 

Marianna

SSherrick:

Yes, this is a significant increase over the $299/year that has been in place for a while. Now, I’m coming from the days when Avid support contracts were way more money per year. It was a different time and a different pricing model. But, it does give me perspective. If 2019 version of MC takes a huge leap and continues to develop at a steady pace, is reliable, and is competitive with other tools now available then $399/year to own it will be justifiable. And hopefully the combo of perpetual and subscription infuses enough cash flow for Avid to stay profitable and competitive. 

It might be justifiable, depending on how much money someone makes by using it. For indie filmmakers/editors it's not cheap. Personally I'm not making any money with MC, my income comes from Premiere. I chose to buy MC for my own projects because I don't want to do those projects with subscription-based software.

Regardless, what I find hard to understand is why a yearly support plan should cost more than a yearly subscription. A subscription is $239 a year, support plan $399. That's a difference of $160. I already paid an extra fee for the right to keep the software, when I bought it.

Edit: rephrased some comments.

That’s what I tell clients, but budgets keep shrinking...

Walter Johan:

SSherrick:

Yes, this is a significant increase over the $299/year that has been in place for a while. Now, I’m coming from the days when Avid support contracts were way more money per year. It was a different time and a different pricing model. But, it does give me perspective. If 2019 version of MC takes a huge leap and continues to develop at a steady pace, is reliable, and is competitive with other tools now available then $399/year to own it will be justifiable. And hopefully the combo of perpetual and subscription infuses enough cash flow for Avid to stay profitable and competitive. 

It might be justifiable, depending on how much money someone makes by using it. For indie filmmakers/editors it's quite expensive. Personally I'm not making any money with MC, my income comes from Premiere. I chose to buy MC for my own projects specifically because I don't want to do those projects with subscription-based software.

Regardless, the problem I have is that I don't see why on earth a yearly support plan should cost more than a yearly subscription. Just to discourage people from getting it? Crazy way to treat your customers.

A subscription is $239 a year, support plan $399. That's a difference of $160, for zero added value. I already paid for the right to keep the software in the beginning, when I bought it. No need to keep charging me extra for that. (Apparently there was already a $100 difference before, never noticed that, pff.)

Avid, please reconsider this and be a bit more respectful to your loyal customers.

In fairness though, it’s not really Avid’s responsibility whether we make money or not. That’s our responsibility to choose the right tools for the type of work we do. There are free options such as Davinci Resolve if our work does not generate enough income to pay for premium software. Avid could look at it the other way too. Many professional editors make enough in one day to more than cover the expense of a support contract. Should they raise the price to account for that? We have to be careful that we don’t get too far down the road of entitlement. I like keeping money in my pocket as much as anyone but at some point, these companies are in business to make money. Where Avid might lose me is if they go over entirely to subscription. That’s a business model that just doesn’t work for me in this particular situation. But for now, assuming they improve MC, I can justify keeping support plan at the current numbers. I think most people who generate substantial income from it still see it as good value. Also, I would point out that if you don’t generate income from it but like using it over other tools, you can always just stay at a version and stop support. Yeah, you won’t have latest and greatest but maybe you don’t need it either.

SSherrick:

In fairness though, it’s not really Avid’s responsibility whether we make money or not. That’s our responsibility to choose the right tools for the type of work we do. There are free options such as Davinci Resolve if our work does not generate enough income to pay for premium software. Avid could look at it the other way too. Many professional editors make enough in one day to more than cover the expense of a support contract. Should they raise the price to account for that? We have to be careful that we don’t get too far down the road of entitlement. I like keeping money in my pocket as much as anyone but at some point, these companies are in business to make money. Where Avid might lose me is if they go over entirely to subscription. That’s a business model that just doesn’t work for me in this particular situation. But for now, assuming they improve MC, I can justify keeping support plan at the current numbers. I think most people who generate substantial income from it still see it as good value. Also, I would point out that if you don’t generate income from it but like using it over other tools, you can always just stay at a version and stop support. Yeah, you won’t have latest and greatest but maybe you don’t need it either.

I admit you have a point here. For a freelancer (or facility) who uses this software fulltime to earn their income, the price is more than fair. Indie filmmakers might not be Avid's intended audience, and it's not Avid's fault that the producers I work for ask me to use Premiere and Resolve instead of MC. A 33% price increase overnight is quite a lot to ask from your customers though.

However, regardless of the price in itself being fair or not, Avid seems to be fine selling MC for $239 per year. Why charge $160 extra for people who already payed extra for a perpetual license? Sure, at least we still have the option (where Adobe doesn't give you any choice), but it doesn't feel right.