I will be becoming a lifer as soon as humanely possible.  (it IS humanly possible, but it would be inhumane to have to skip feeding the cat for two weeks to get the lifetime deal today, versus a couple of weeks from now).
 
Cakewalk has ALWAYS been very fair minded, INCLUDING them trusting US to honor the agreement not to populate Sonar on all kinds of different computers - for all our friends - selling it out there on the web, whatever, so MY trust will be as it has ALWAYS been - to side with the notion that they will do what is right, under any and all circumstances, period.
 
Bob Bone
 

Bob - if it's the cat in your Avatar, it looks like he/she has some DJ skills. Put her to work earning the upgrade and you'll be a lifer before you can say "Deadmau5 Rulezzzz...."

It can be very confusing. And all the chatter back and forth on this topic only adds to the confusion.
 
This simple explanation by scook is how I understand it to be:

scook
There are 2 payment options, a single payment in full and a 12 month payment plan. Upon completing 12 consecutive payments, those on the 12 month payment plan receive the same license as the users who purchased with the single payment option.
 
The only change to those options today is through Aug 31, the single payment plan now includes free updates for life. The monthly payment plan still available and the terms have not changed.

 
However, the "free updates for life" is only for Platinum.

jb101
If Cakewalk had a history of skulduggery, I could maybe understand, but they have always been straight with their customers.

Well I notice there is no footnote on the order page saying you need not pay for MP3 if you have paid for it back in the days of pro audio. It is listed as an extra line item only. While that is not skulduggery, it is economical with the truth.
Luckily is very easy to activate without having to pay twice.
Or may be its lifetime payment has run out.

I eventually found the monthly paid option which I could not get to by clicking the link in the email. I logged off and waited for the payment section before logging on to the site.

Some people seem to be wondering why not pay for the lifetime update, well for me it is a question of managing all the other subscriptions to other software - some there is no option to purchase (like Adobe ransom ware), and others there is a choice. Financially I find monthly payments suit my budget.

Given that I work full time as a composer and the current project is an electroacoustic work which is based on a person and has to be both viable as music only and to also work with modern art imagery on DVD or high quality by download.
 
So far my co-composer and I have worked on the project for 18 months plus and live mainly off royalties so lump sum payments are not as attractive to us who work full time in the field of the arts and not spend 5 days a week working in a job not related to their music and only work on weekends as a hobby.

vmw

jb101
If Cakewalk had a history of skulduggery, I could maybe understand, but they have always been straight with their customers.

Well I notice there is no footnote on the order page saying you need not pay for MP3 if you have paid for it back in the days of pro audio. It is listed as an extra line item only. While that is not skulduggery, it is economical with the truth.
Luckily is very easy to activate without having to pay twice.
Or may be its lifetime payment has run out.

 
Paying twice ??? it wasn't an add on in pro audio. it was included free with that software.
so you didn't pay for it then.
 

RD9
With no direct revenue stream the Core may indeed be a vehicle for sales of their own extensions or third party extensions.

 
To say there is "no direct revenue stream" is simply wrong. There are always new users coming into the SONAR fold and paying for Platinum. Furthermore, there is still a revenue stream for Artist and Professional, which is another source of income for updating the program (remember, some updates benefit all versions). So Platinum users get a really good deal...well, that's a benefit of Platinum membership. 
 

In the past year I have been asked to pay $150 in 2015 and $199 in 2016 for Sonar.  I decided to opt for a DAW that uses the old fashion pay-for-updates which are in the range of  $50 to $100 annually.

 
It seems to me that paying $50 - $100 annually for, say, 10 years ($500 - $1,000) is less expensive than updating Platinum for 10 years ($199).
 

Anderton
It seems to me that paying $50 - $100 annually for, say, 10 years ($500 - $1,000) is less expensive than updating Platinum for 10 years ($199).

 
But you don't have the most powerful statement towards a vendor - your annual payment saying you are happy with how things are.
 
If it happends to 10 000 users not renewing - vendor start asking themselves, what did we do wrong?
There is potential risk a vendor never do that - if all is lifetime updates anyway.
 
ImageLine was about 6 years after Sonar with 64-bit version - was this due to their lifetime policy?
 
I'm not saying that is Cakewalk policy - probably people I trust more than many others with my money.
But unless there is something of need for my own use - I do not open wallet - and that is a statement lost, if signing up for life.
 
I hope Mac version turns out really well in all venues of audio industry. Probably very smart move.
 

Mystic38
With all regards, this is a bit like looking the gift horse in the mouth.. after all, currently for the price of an annual update you get a lifetime of updates... why bother wanting to know anything else?
 
IF and or when the lifetime update window closes, even assuming that annual updates are then available, the one thing that you can make a cast iron guarantee about is.. That there is zero chance that updates can ever be cheaper than they are right now, today.
 
If someone is so hard up for cash that they can only afford a monthly update, then I suspect that any financial advisor on the planet (and i include wives/significant others) would say "put the lifetime update on a credit card"..
 
Sometimes a good deal is simply a good deal. :)
 

mettelus

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]
 
[...] While we are selling lifetime updates the annual option is not available (for platinum). [...]

The wording of this comment is ambiguous. After the life time update period expires, will the annual update option be re-instantiated, or will the monthly payment be the only option left?

YES!!!!
 

robert_e_bone
I will be becoming a lifer as soon as humanely possible.  (it IS humanly possible, but it would be inhumane to have to skip feeding the cat for two weeks to get the lifetime deal today, versus a couple of weeks from now).
 
Cakewalk has ALWAYS been very fair minded, INCLUDING them trusting US to honor the agreement not to populate Sonar on all kinds of different computers - for all our friends - selling it out there on the web, whatever, so MY trust will be as it has ALWAYS been - to side with the notion that they will do what is right, under any and all circumstances, period.
 
Bob Bone
 

AND YES!!!
 
Come on folks!!  CW has always been an honest and reputable company that has tried to deliver a great product at a fair price.  Let's just start with that as a premise . . . .

Let's see if I got this right.  I was paying 199 a year for annual updates.  Cw offered lifetime if I did it b4 cutoff date at 99.  I saved 99 1st year and seeing as how I wil be saving at least 100 py untill...   I plan on going anothe 30 years (at least!) thats 3000.  hmm.  lets see......  Now understand I am polish.....(self defacing joke)