Slate Digital about to start with monthly subscription .

 
http://www.slatedigital.com/mixmaster.php

BUt unlike CW, you do NOT own the software after a year or set time limit, apparently, the plugs only stay active as long as you "subscribe" 

I see this as a good deal for those who work on mixing projects only occasionally.  Helps Slate's cash flow, too. 
 
Another interesting announcement was the availability of the Relab LX480 reverb plugin in the upgraded Slate subscription.  I'm assuming that means you'll go to Slate for support now, instead of the resource-limited shop that is Relab.  That'll be a good thing, I'm sure. 
 
Subscriptions will only become more common in the future, as developers look for ways to reduce piracy and improve cash flow. 
 
Cheers,
Eddie
 

JohnKenn
Eddie got his crystal ball tuned in right.
 
Have experienced multiple criminal crash and burns in my digital life. Extortion on the part of an immoral company changing the rules after you have paid hard earned money to use the license "in perpetuity".
 
John

Is this even legal or possible? I don't think so. If i've already paid in full for a product and now own the license to use it, how can a company then say you no longer own the product and now you have to pay an on-going fee to keep using it? Doesn't make sense; that's seems to me like the original purchase has been negated and they've stolen your money. Is this legal for them to do that? Slate doesn't have an issue with piracy because he has iLok connected to his products, so no issue there i would have thought.
 

Drone,
 
The rejection scenario is real if you have someone else controlling your license.
 
Have lost a couple hundred dollars, bait and switch. Doesn't drive me into bankruptcy, but leaves a bad taste after you are screwed by the fine print.
 
Beating a dead horse, but real time examples.
 
Voyetra, still in business. Paid full price for Midi Orchestrator and the full DAW version.
 
Website claim that the bastards are protecting me from data loss, so no new activations will be authorized. Authorization center is shut down for my wellbeing.
 
Waves shut down my GTO authorization. Said they won't invade and disable my existing version, but they decided to cut any further activations. They feel your pain and are ready to fix the problem if your credit card is ready to pay for the extortion.
 
Fuk' em. This is why I have everything requiring a convoluted online call response backed up with a solid warez crack.
 
John

JohnKenn
Drone,
 
The rejection scenario is real if you have someone else controlling your license.
 
Have lost a couple hundred dollars, bait and switch. Doesn't drive me into bankruptcy, but leaves a bad taste after you are screwed by the fine print.
 
Beating a dead horse, but real time examples.
 
Voyetra, still in business. Paid full price for Midi Orchestrator and the full DAW version.
 
Website claim that the bastards are protecting me from data loss, so no new activations will be authorized. Authorization center is shut down for my wellbeing.
 
Waves shut down my GTO authorization. Said they won't invade and disable my existing version, but they decided to cut any further activations. They feel your pain and are ready to fix the problem if your credit card is ready to pay for the extortion.
 
Fuk' em. This is why I have everything requiring a convoluted online call response backed up with a solid warez crack.
 
John

 Pace does this with iLok. 

I have a few Slate products. I have also read through the long, long Gearslutz discussion and I think that, depending on personal circumstances, his new subscription plan would be beneficial to both pro's and amateurs. The attraction of the value for money is based around Slate's math and the requirement for people wanting to "rent" 5-10 plugins per year. I'm not sure that is realistic, although he does seem to indicate that he may branch out into other types of plugins and not just dynamics etc. Many people such as myself already have too many plugins, and like others I have reached saturation point. (How many plugins does a person need?) My purchases are now based around workflow improvements.
These latest subscription/membership model announcements in the audio world certainly have created a lot of emotion and it does appear as if this is how the industry is now tracking. As always it will come back to the consumer purchasing what they think is the best product/service at the best price. It will be interesting to see how other companies react to Slate and Cakewalk, and I think the competition will be fierce. Regretfully, some smaller companies may not survive.
As Cakewalk has stated, they will need to produce the goods for consumers to continue to subscribe or purchase. And if they don't, there are plenty of alternatives. Sonar is my only DAW, so I'm hoping Cakewalk can bring home the bacon.