I'm feeling much better now. Just stuffed a baby seal full of Styrofoam and kicked it through that big hole in the ozone layer. (If PITA is watching, I kid)

Contact support and explain the situation.

ampfixer 
Regardless of the outcome, I feel that Cakewalk has dropped the ball for not setting up a renewal process. I liked what happened in 2015, but Craig has missed the mark on his comments because it's not the same at all. Last year I upgraded from X3 to Platinum and bought in to subscription path for $149. This year I paid more for much less.

But here's what you're missing. When you paid the $149 last year, you paid for the upgrade to Platinum. As part of the deal, and because people didn't know what to expect from the membership program (and frankly neither did Cakewalk), Cakewalk added a free year's membership and the right to keep what you received during the membership program, whether you renewed or not. The goal was to convince people that what they got during the membership program for 2015 would be worth $149, and so they would renew.
 
Loyal Cakewalk users ended up getting a super-duper, one-time-only deal to kick off the membership program (and I can't believe some people [not you] grouse about Cakewalk not taking care of their loyal customers). No software company could stay in business if going forward, they kept offering two updates for the price of one, especially considering the degree to which software and intellectual property have been devalued. (In large part, I think we can thank Apple for that because they sell software for next to nothing so they can the make big margins on their hardware. Their $800,000,000,000 in the bank didn't come from selling Logic Pro for $199...trust me on that...before Apple bought emagic, Logic sold for $999.)
 
I honestly don't think anyone who understands the expense and effort involved in creating, supporting, and marketing software on the same level as SONAR can look at what was received during the membership program and not think it was worth $149. Whether it's worth it to you or not is a different subject.

Fair enough Craig. I'm a Cakewalk guy till the end and thought last year was amazing. It was not advertised as a one time only super duper deal, it was advertised as the new way forward that would benefit producer and consumer alike. I feel that they have delivered in spades.
 
My years in quality management and business process development have made me a bit of a hard-liner when it comes to general business practices. The management of the renewal process should have been sorted last year when they started putting together the 2016 business plan and calculating projected income streams going forward. Don't let customers wonder what to do with their money. If they were prepared, there would be no discussion because the way forward would have been clearly communicated in advance.
 
I have contacted support about my mistaken purchase and I'm sure it will get sorted out.

ampfixer
The management of the renewal process should have been sorted last year when they started putting together the 2016 business plan and calculating projected income streams going forward. Don't let customers wonder what to do with their money. If they were prepared, there would be no discussion because the way forward would have been clearly communicated in advance.

Ideally, yes. But look at the responses in this forum, which vary from "I love it and I'm signing up immediately for another year" to "I find all these updates confusing" to "My internet sucks, I want physical media" to "I'm not being rewarded for my loyalty, it should cost next to nothing" to "I'm just going to wait and see if there's a better deal" to "I just want to buy fixes and not new features, I'm fine with what I have" and all the variants in between.
 
If SONAR users were forced into a single option, like Adobe does, then it would be easy to figure out a single policy. Making a sincere attempt to accommodate a group of diverse people whose desires are all over the map is far more difficult. Look how much trouble Cakewalk got into last January because many people asked for a monthly payment option, and when CW did it, immediately there were cries of "That's it!!! I will NEVER buy subscription software where I can't use what I've bought!" from people who didn't read past the first sentence...
 
[sigh]

Sir William

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

Sir William
Here is Cleverbridge's explanation - 
 
 
Thank you for contacting cleverbridge.
We did recheck our records, and we can confirm that you have one last payment due on January 22, 2016 in the amount of £39.90.
Your subscription started on January 22, 2015, and it is a 12-month subscription; therefore, the last payment is due on January 22, 2016.
After payment is received on January 22, 2016, you will own the product. Please see below for a graphic with the item intervals:
0) 1/22/2015 8:47 AM 69510948 1 £39.90
1) 2/22/2015 8:47 AM 70913919 1 £39.90
2) 3/22/2015 9:47 AM 72203660 1 £39.90
3) 4/22/2015 9:47 AM 73686627 1 £39.90
4) 5/22/2015 9:47 AM 75033646 1 £39.90
5) 6/22/2015 9:47 AM 76238314 1 £39.90
6) 7/22/2015 9:47 AM 77397697 1 £39.90
7) 8/22/2015 9:47 AM 78706316 1 £39.90
8) 9/22/2015 9:47 AM 80144737 1 £39.90
9) 10/22/2015 9:47 AM81621539 1 £39.90
10) 11/22/2015 8:47 AM83138748 1 £39.90
11) 12/22/2015 8:47 AM84764661 1 £39.90
12) 1/22/2016 8:47 AM
Should you have any other questions, please let us know.
 
 
Count my total payments. Do you get 12? Why start the counter at 0?
Since when has a 12 month subscription comprised of 13 payments?

So Cleverbridge counts payment 1 as "0" in their schedule. At this point you have made 12 payments therefore you own the product. It won't revert to demo mode. 
 
Also, in the schedule posted above, your 12th payment will be charged at a new lower price of £11.90 VAT Inclusive. And that's the price you will be charged at moving forward. So basically they are just starting on a different scale but that changes nothing for you. If it's easier to understand in the Cleverbridge scheme, then:
 
0) 1/22/2015 8:47 AM 69510948 1 £39.90
1) 2/22/2015 8:47 AM 70913919 1 £39.90
2) 3/22/2015 9:47 AM 72203660 1 £39.90
3) 4/22/2015 9:47 AM 73686627 1 £39.90
4) 5/22/2015 9:47 AM 75033646 1 £39.90
5) 6/22/2015 9:47 AM 76238314 1 £39.90
6) 7/22/2015 9:47 AM 77397697 1 £39.90
7) 8/22/2015 9:47 AM 78706316 1 £39.90
8) 9/22/2015 9:47 AM 80144737 1 £39.90
9) 10/22/2015 9:47 AM81621539 1 £39.90
10) 11/22/2015 8:47 AM83138748 1 £39.90
11) 12/22/2015 8:47 AM84764661 1 £39.90  (Product is now Unlocked)
12) 1/22/2016 8:47 AMXXXXXXXX   £11.90

Thank you Andrew, but check the top of Cleverbridge's response -
 
One last payment due on 22nd January 2016 in the amount of £39.90
 
That's not what you are telling me will happen. 

the idiots at cleverbridge clearly can't do maths... and that's not a 12th payment, it's the 13th, the list is zero-based (ask one of your devs to explain)
 
so glad i held off, this is a mess

Notice to everyone.
 
There is no need to purchase any renewal before your existing subscription runs out.
The actual price for the renewal (this is the first year) has not been published yet.
It is not yet a year (365 days) since the first early adopters started their subscription.
The actual price (and any special offers) WILL be published before any renewal needs to be made.
If/when your subscription runs out, Sonar WILL keep working.
Lookout for an announcement in the very near future...
 
PLEASE post further questions to one of the many threads in the Store forum.
 
Thank you.

Karyn
If/when your subscription runs out, Sonar WILL keep working.
 

Whattha?
 
Blasphemer!!!

ok,  you got me. I will wash out my mouth with boiling acid. 

Membership Karyn, membership. 
It goes down better. ;-)