It takes time to adapt to change, and because of my involvement in other music communities facing the possibilities of going with subscription model I was wondering how this community feels about it after nearly a year.  From my standpoint, I like the Cakewalk model, especially as compared to the Adobe model if you're familiar with that.  In Adobe's world, you basically "rent" software, and when you give up your subscription, you lose complete access to the programs you were using.  To me, this seems crazy for people to like because let's face it, no one can predict the future.  Just because I can afford $9.95 a month (present pricing) for the Photographer package (which includes LightRoom and PhotoShop) doesn't mean I will always be able to afford it and after many years of using a proprietary format for photos and whatnot, leaving it behind might be a painful affair.

Contrasted with the Cakewalk model where you OWN the software after your year's subscription, and it's a clear win.  Even if you opt out for 2-3 years, if a new feature comes along you simply MUST have, you can opt back in and get everything that was added since your departure PLUS all the newest updates for a year's time.  What's not to like here, aside from the idea of perpetual costs?  But really, if you bought the latest SONAR every single year anyway, what's the difference?  And this doesn't even include the fact that (so far) we have gotten cool new toys every month or so instead of having to wait for them in a yearly mega release.

So how about you?  I hope this won't turn into a huge argument by asking, but how does everyone feel about the changes Cakewalk made now that you've had some some to digest the new model and all it brings to bear?

I am very happy with SPLAT and I think you pretty well summarized all the good points of the new subscription model. I will be resubscribing when my present one runs out.
 
Walt

I feel good with it and love the monthly updates.
I rent also the full East West Library, the full Adobe products, and commercial accounting Software, also online Storage.
So I like the rental model.
 

There is no Cakewalk subscription!
 
2015 was a GREAT year for S-Plat, IMO.

For me, it was all upside.  I made a single payment for a years worth of upgrades and have seen more positive changes with the product than I can ever remember in the past.  Craig Anderton also continues to make excellent contributions here on the forum and with the product itself.  I will definitely renew when the time comes.

I couldn't be happier with this model. It is the only way I could have afforded Plat....and the goodies are  the cherry on top.

For me, my worries expressed back in the summer still stand. The positives are that the upgrade price that I paid has been worthwhile for the bug fixes, and the small selection of updates from X3 Producer to Sonar Platinum. The negatives are that I also got inconvenienced with new bugs introduced as changes happened (mostly in the early months, to be fair), and neither the new features nor the new content has been of much interest to me*. (Aux tracks would have been an exception, although currently my workflow makes them essentially unusable, which is a real shame.) Meanwhile, other things I care about were apparently not on the agenda - step sequencer and matrix view fixes/improvements, MIDI chase, split-with-auto-crossfade, cleaning up or clarifying lasso and area selection (especially when take lanes and folders are involved), some sort of arranger view or equivalent functionality, a usable drum map manager dialog, ProChannel being integrated into the main Track View pane, etc.
 
Looking forward, seeing what was delivered over the last year, and with the 'up next' part of the Rolling Updates page appearing sadly quiet and certainly devoid of anything I want, it's hard for me to justify paying the same price again to take that gamble.
 
But, since the model is one where I basically own the software after paying for a year, it's not really a problem. I'll probably just sit back and see what happens, and jump back in if I see a future upgrade worth paying for.
 
(*I think I use one of Anderton's guitar amp sim presets somewhere, and 3 MIDI clips from Addictive Drums 2... that's about all.)

I consider it a splurge since I can't really justify it from a financial standpoint. I see nothing wrong with a splurge. I'm not a studio bringing in revenue so anything I spend on it is the expense of the hobby. I'm happy that I am getting what I feel is a real value in that I get updates and additions that would cost more seperately. I think the model is helping the software to get better and better, although it probably puts a ton of responsibility on the bakers to deliver a different improved quality product every month.
 
I think the motivation for the model was partly financially motivated to keep the bakers afloat.
 
When a person can get into something like Reaper for $60.00 for life it's tough to convince anyone who hasn't used the software. I actually came off looking like a DAW snob in another forum because I said I thought Reaper wasn't as good as Sonar Platinum.I think the future will hinge on this very thing.....Sonar is more expensive than some of the others in the end. Is the extra expense worth it to you? If the regular income stream helps to make better software the expense can be justified. So far I believe this is the case. It isn't about expense as much as value for the money in my thinking.
 
At some point we should see a really large gap between something like Reaper and Sonar. The next closest competitors are Cubase, Pro Tools and Studio One 3...only one of those offers anything similar. The other two are great DAWS. If they make it appear like they throw in "free" updates some will think Sonar looks like less of a bargain. In reality there are no free updates. Somebody pays...only we pay up front for it. Presonus has a large hardware sector to lean on for income, Cakewalk has Tascam, Gibson and KRK. It looks like a pretty level playing field. Selling software also helps to sell hardware...so there's a lot at stake. Studio One hasn't yet opted for a monthy model but they might. Reaper will likely still be around but will be a lot more utilitarian.
 
.....sorry didn't intend to sound like I'm pontificating :) Just thinking out loud. I won't be leaving the Sonar camp any time soon....sorry guys :)  It'll be interesting to see how this all pans out.
 
 

tagruvto
For me, it was all upside.  I made a single payment for a years worth of upgrades and have seen more positive changes with the product than I can ever remember in the past.  Craig Anderton also continues to make excellent contributions here on the forum and with the product itself.  I will definitely renew when the time comes.

+1

Starise
Presonus has a large hardware sector to lean on for income, Cakewalk has Tascam, Gibson and KRK. It looks like a pretty level playing field.

 
FWIW all Gibson Brands are separate divisions that are accountable for their own profits and losses.