Something that might not come as a complete surprise, but I am totally confused.  My "membership" expired 2/15/17, so to "renew" Cakewalk I need to fork out 250?  And that $250 will give me ONE year of updates?
 
I think somebody needs to rethink this process.  I've paid for all the years of Platinum since Platinum came out, and all the versions prior to that when it was Pro Audio.  Someone now thinks I will pay half the price of a whole new boxed set at the music shop just to get a few updates to what I already have over the next year?
 
I'm not grasping this at all.

GregGraves
Something that might not come as a complete surprise, but I am totally confused.  My "membership" expired 2/15/17, so to "renew" Cakewalk I need to fork out 250?  And that $250 will give me ONE year of updates?
 
I think somebody needs to rethink this process.  I've paid for all the years of Platinum since Platinum came out, and all the versions prior to that when it was Pro Audio.  Someone now thinks I will pay half the price of a whole new boxed set at the music shop just to get a few updates to what I already have over the next year?
 
I'm not grasping this at all.

I am on a lifetime, so this does not affect me.
But I completely understand this sentiment.
Unless I completely misunderstand, this is worse than what Avid is doing.

I still don't understand the logic. Sonar is good for a year and then not so much. Keeping what you paid for is not such a bargain if a windows update makes your paid for version useless. There's a serious flaw in this system. Bug fixes could end up costing you $250 per year. I would hate to run into a problem in the last month of the warranty only to be told that developers expect to have it fixed in the next patch or two. That would seriously fry my grits.
 
How about this. IF I file a bug report and it eventually gets fixed, I get the patch. Not my problem if Cake takes 5 years to fix it. If that's too much, then let's say if Cake introduces new bugs during your warranty period, you stay current until the problem is fixed.
 
I'm lifetime, so for a while I'm not worried, until somebody comes up with another, better plan. And let's never think that price increases can be spun as making things simpler for the customer. 

The reality is for me, sad to say after all these years of loyalty, that I am done with Cakewalk.
 
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night
[Marta:]
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight
 
[Children:]
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
[Friedrich:]
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu!
 
[Children:]
So long, farewell, au revoir, auf wiedersehen
[Liesl:]
I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne
 
[Children:]
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
[Kurt:]
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye -- Goodbye!

Right around Christmas 2016 I started looking to the. Omputer daw as a way to record music. I had been using the Roland VS recorders for many years but felt it was time to put the beast to sleep.
Pro tools. .just the purchasing alone, so many models to choose from. The monthly or yearly payments confused me even more. So no to that. I had tried MOTU'S digital producer and it was ok, but nothing special.
My son's band used studio one, and I was almost gonna bite that burger, until my son said that he used cakewalk x (something) and was very pleased.
Partly from the idea that he could help me along the way...AND at the time cake was running a lifetime updates...that appealed to me. Never paying again to update any fixes or whatever comes my way. Done and done, well that was, until I read the final print after the fact. Of course cake will bring out new 'things' as they did those two most recent items, the eq and...well I can't remember...but these two add-ons could easily been seen as a separate sake item and I wilde understood that. Just because I own waves horizon bundle doesn't mean I should get any new plug in they come up with. Howevee, if they happen to add one to the horizon bundle, I'll receive that free...but then again, only if I'm up to date with my yearly update program.
Back to cakewalk. Not only did you get lifetime updates, but the entry level Melodyne ($99) and three free addictive drum kits ($89ea.×3=267)+($99 melodyne)=$356. I purchased cakewalk at guitar center which is obligated to match Internet pricing. I located an authorized dealer that was selling the same lifetime update package a bit less than g.c. and walked out a happy customer. So I didn't pay much for cakewalk and updates itself if you consider the pricing for melodyne and addictive drums.
It just so happens that Waves was running a killer sale at Christmas on the Horizon bundle (regular $3,999 on sale $999. The last day of the year dec. 31, they dropped the prife by another 10% so i got the Horizon bundle for $901. The Abbey Road Collection was on sale $1,199 which I grabbed for $450.
Again, back to cakewalk. It was mentioned that 'it's highly unlikely' that cake will ever have a lifetime sale again.
My question is;
How did that turn out for Cakewalk? How many customers do they have now under that umbrella. It's certainly a finite-exact number. How many of us are there who belong to this 'once in a life time-frame a lifetime' deal? I'd really be curious to know. And is cakewalk satisfied with the turnout?
I myself feel I was in the right place at the right time. I haven't spent the last 'x' amount of years forking out endless update payments.
However, those who have owned the program for so long, really know their way around the software. I envy you.
I feel that cake should honor these longtime customers who have carried cakewalk on their backs for so long, who have helped to jeep cake alive...they deserve some sort of recognition, some sort of thanks...for making cakewalk what it is today. Its not the engineers, the code writers, the visionaries. It's the faithful customers who have year by year, paid their endless dues, who have preached the cakewalk dream to others who took the dive as well. These lifetime updaters are the true heroes. It is they who enabled cakewalk to come up with the lifetime offer. Cakewalk should look at the user's histories and just pop them an updated version...or something as a thank you.

Just my two synths

HARDDRlVER
How did that turn out for Cakewalk? How many customers do they have now under that umbrella. It's certainly a finite-exact number. How many of us are there who belong to this 'once in a life time-frame a lifetime' deal? I'd really be curious to know. And is cakewalk satisfied with the turnout?
 
I feel that cake should honor these longtime customers who have carried cakewalk on their backs for so long, who have helped to jeep cake alive...they deserve some sort of recognition, some sort of thanks...for making cakewalk what it is today. Its not the engineers, the code writers, the visionaries. It's the faithful customers who have year by year, paid their endless dues, who have preached the cakewalk dream to others who took the dive as well. These lifetime updaters are the true heroes. It is they who enabled cakewalk to come up with the lifetime offer. Cakewalk should look at the user's histories and just pop them an updated version...or something as a thank you.

Just my two synths

Platinum users, that also signed up for a new period once - got a killer deal for lifetime update, if it was $99 or so.
 
Always felt lifetime updates were not fully thought through - what about just announced Mac version users etc?
Were they to get any -  or were you to buy windows verison then and you get lifetime on Mac too, later?
 
I never understood the greatness of lifetime updates. For me being a customer is a dialog between provider and userbase. Strongest statement/weapon you have is paying again - or not - why give that up?
 
Imageline had lifetime updates(forever I think). Why were they 6 years later with a 64-bit version than Sonar?????
Anything to do with not enough resources or will or incentive to do that?
I mean you don't get any more money from current userbase, just new ones.
 
So communicating with userbase is the most important aspect of being a provider, like for a daw. Be predictable, kind of - so you as user can plan ahead. That daw is growing to your needs.
 
Cakewalk has some work to do on that. I, for one, dare not have Sonar as main daw - I have no idea where they are going - and I have no headroom for what I want to do. Cubase give me that. No matter what project I start from an idea - I know I can finish it in Cubase - all the way to notation stuff.
 
But Steinberg is not failsafe, I have been waiting now at least 6 months for new video engine - not having to install quicktime of any sort(started doing video last fall). And they were about to drop Windows 7 support on new Halion, but had to back off that with reaction from userbase. But am afraid they might drop the bomb on Cubase too, I have not been able to get assurance when Windows 7 will be dropped. A lot of fuzz to upgrade or get new computer and stuff.
 
So Sonar is my backup - and might jump on the payment roll if necessary....

I for one do not believe it's helpful to keep bringing up that there was a window for lifetime updates since that window has now closed. Other windows have opened.
 
It isn't helpful to anyone who is looking at the software right now, so why discuss it unless you see it as some kind of bragging rights which I think isn't very considerate to those who won't get into it? If you were one of those who decided to sign up for lifetime updates, great! Now lets help those who have other choices.
 
The general impression I get from some users of Platinum is that this is killing them. Why? All loyal users payed yearly before all of the new pricing structure went down. We all wanted the updates and new features.We liked the new versions rolling out.
 
Cakewalk runs periodic specials on their upgrade pricing, so you probably can get around paying the full yearly amount on a sale. Right now they have a 10% off sale. Strapped for cash? How many of the others let you pay monthly? If you make 12 payments and can't continue, stop. If you run a more recent OS I seriously doubt there will be any serious conflicts for a long time to come. Jump back into it later on. 
 
Most of us probably don't use 50% of the features in Sonar Platinum. If this is you, save some money and use Professional or Home Studio instead. They are both very competent programs. I have heard some very pro sounding recordings done on those versions.
 
This is not as complicated as it seems. You can get Pro Tools pimped for less than Pro Tools. How cool is that?

GregGraves
Something that might not come as a complete surprise, but I am totally confused.  My "membership" expired 2/15/17, so to "renew" Cakewalk I need to fork out 250?  And that $250 will give me ONE year of updates?
 
I think somebody needs to rethink this process.  I've paid for all the years of Platinum since Platinum came out, and all the versions prior to that when it was Pro Audio.  Someone now thinks I will pay half the price of a whole new boxed set at the music shop just to get a few updates to what I already have over the next year?
 
I'm not grasping this at all.

If you are a Platinum customer and you renew now before the end of this month, you'll probably pay about $199 for another 12 months of updates. You'll have to login to your Cakewalk account to see your price. You see, depending on what products you own, we use a ridiculously complicated table to figure out your upgrade price. This is why we're changing our system to be simple for everyone to understand.
 
Starting May 1st, renewal prices are half off the regular price. For Artist and Professional, there is typically no change. For Platinum, this amounts to a $50 increase in the renewal price. However we do hope and expect to run promotions from time-to-time to provide discounts.
 
You're not buying a whole new boxed set at the music shop, and you're not just getting a few updates. We've been consistently delivering monthly updates with small features, big features, and bug fixes. Renewing for another 12 months gives you access to that.
 
If you choose not to renew however, that's totally fine - you keep the app you have and continue to use it as you have been. You just won't get anymore updates.
 
At the end of the day, it's on us to deliver enough value to you so that you want to continue to invest in SONAR.

Alex Westner [Cakewalk] You'll have to login to your Cakewalk account to see your price.

just to add that (unless it's changed recently) you actually have to click "buy now" to see your discounted price in the basket
/hth

I need to clarify a phrase I mentioned earlier. I said 'it is the lifetime updaters who have carried cakewalk'...what I meant by that was that it's been the people who have been paying for updates their whole lives...they are truly the 'lifetime' updaters. And it's not so much bragging rights for buying lifetime updates as it is...I almost feel guilty..walking in on the show, and learning what's taken place for so long. Especially hearing current upgrade pricing is half the full price of a new product. That means you're paying the full price every two years, unless I'm missing something