Tell it brother! 

I have also posted a comment asking for a correction and apology to Cakewalk, thanks for spotting this.

It's semantics guys...I have not signed up by the way but the subscription model which Cakewalk is offering is rent to own.  It's still a subscription, it still means you are shelling out a monthly instalment-the difference between Adobe, Microsoft and Cakewalk is you own the software at the end-and kudos for Cakewalk for doing this. 
 
But come on fan boy's to think you have some higher moral ground because your digital serfdom package is better than Microsoft's or Adobe, means you really have to think about history and the line "your still ****en peasants as far as I can see" John Lennon for all of you aged between 10 and 30.
 
We are all slowly but surely-yes even me-becoming digital serfs (please sir, can I port the software I have rented to another machine I own...no not unless you sign this in triplicate and uninstall it off your original machine and then use a digital tether to check this has been done) lol.
 
I don't know what the solution is...I understand the Cakewalk need to make money Cakewalk obviously had a cash flow problem...every 12 months a new Sonar would come out, most of the fans would shell out, then that money would dry up.  This makes sense for Cakewalk and for some of you, you too and again....although I call it digital serfdom, at least Cakewalk seem to be the benevolent Lord of their digital lands, although I'm not sure of the new authorization system and what I have been hearing.  After getting a new laptop last week, and having lost a couple of keys, and not being able to authorize Notion 3...via digital tethering, I am concerned.
 
For the record, even though I can be a **** and I have complained vehemently (ADHD/Asperger's-Oh lord please don't let me be understood)-Sonar is by far the most compressive DAW on the market for what I do and to whoever will listen (digital exile lol) and there ain't many these days I trumpet the virtues of Sonar.  The pro Channel is a real boon and used properly can teach proper mixing techniques-allowing you to use "better" console and tape emulators latter, when you figure out how to use these baby steps plugs-same with most of the stuff that Cakewalk bundles with Sonar these days-although some it is starting to look like bloatware, and backdoor advertising.  Ah middle age, that time in life when you would prefer a whole Lamborghini, rather than a carbon fibre one brought as a kit for 10,000 grand...yes it still drives but it's not a whole Lamborghini.
 
For what it is doubly worth...I brought Sonar 2 back in 2002-upgraded to Sonar-6, upgraded to 8, X1-X2-X3, I brought Pyro 1 and 1.5, and Project 5, which I subsequently upgraded to 2.  And I've shelled out for a few Pro effects too.  So I'm a fan, and I have spent my money...perhaps I should be traded up to serf master, I'm intrigued by a couple of the new Sonar things-recallable mixes-now that is neat.  But as always I will wait, and see what transpire...I prefer my upgrades to be cheaper and done at the end of the cycle-It's not the bells and whistles Santa-its how you ride the bike.
 
Sorry, musing as always-ADHD/Asperger's never anyone really to discuss this stuff with but just remember folks, it's still a subscription-semantics and digital serfs!!
 
Ben

But remember you can still buy software the way you always have. With Adobe, if I just want to buy Audition so I can use its noise reduction tools from time to time, I can't. With SONAR, if I just want to buy the software and/or updates outright, I can. Whether to buy upfront or monthly is the choice of the individual, not Cakewalk.
 
If you elect to pay monthly, the terms are that you are buying the software over a 12-month period. You can consider that as functionally equivalent to rent to own, but it is not a traditional rental agreement.

Marcus Curtis
However when I began to dig further I discovered some things that to me were just wrong. The biggest deal breaker for me was that anything you record using the free version of Pro Tools can only be stored to their cloud service. You can't store projects on your computer. Second you can only store 3 projects.
 
So if you have any more recording to do other then those 3 projects you got to buy cloud space. How is that free? What good is a software app that I can only use three times then I got to delete my work in order to use it again? To me this is nothing more than a glorified demo version with the purpose of selling storage space on the internet. By the time you are done paying for all your cloud space you could probably own Sonar platinum outright!

^^^THIS is the reason that when people hear new marketing words (even if the meaning is made clear) that they get the feeling that they are getting tricked.
 
This is obviously a way to trick you into using the software "for free", then getting dependent on the "cloud", then paying a fee per month or who knows.
 
CW's plan of course it not the same and is fine.  But I get when peoples radar goes off on "membership" or "subscription" or ??  It's because they think there may be a catch or some future plan that they don't like.
 
 

Anderton
The next section is about payment plans and explains very clearly that you can pay upfront as before, or pay monthly. They're separate blocks of text, the monthly one has a "new" banner, and it says if you pay for 12 months you get permanent activation.
 

 
IMHO the only way to make it clearer would be to inject the info directly into the brains of people who clicked on the "Membership" tab so they wouldn't have to read anything.

I would suggest you make the PAY MONTHLY section a little clearer.

You say:

" After 12 consecutive monthly payments, SONAR will be permanently activated and you’re under no obligation to continue being a member."
 
A better way of saying this would be:

" After 12 consecutive monthly payments, SONAR will be permanently activated AND YOU WILL OWN IT OUTRIGHT FOREVER. You are under no obligation to continue being a member. However remaining as a member will entitle you to perpetual updates & new features"
 
In other wise state the obvious in very simple terms and with no ambiguity or room for misinterpretation. Dont assume people understand you :D
 
Oh and put the "AND YOU WILL OWN IT OUTRIGHT FOREVER" in BOLD and CAPITALS ..
 

Well they may find it hard to say "you own it outright". I don't think their legal department would let them say that.  We have a right to use the product we do not own it, though. 
 
Its a fine line but a huge one.

John
Well they may find it hard to say "you own it outright". I don't think their legal department would let them say that.  We have a right to use the product we do not own it, though. 
 
Its a fine line but a huge one.

Point taken John. But my point is get across the point in as simple a way as possible, no ambiguity - in what ever way the legal department are happy with. If thats possible of course .. Legal, simple, no ambiguity .. mmm :D
 
 

aidanodr
Legal, simple, no ambiguity .. mmm :D

 
If you ever figure out that one, please become the Attorney General. Thank you.

Anderton

aidanodr
Legal, simple, no ambiguity .. mmm :D

 
If you ever figure out that one, please become the Attorney General. Thank you.

Totally agree! LOL Nothing legal is simple.