I always understood the risk in buying a lifetime membership. I had no illusions that this was only of value for as long as Cakewalk was a living business - and the end could come without warning, as it sometimes does (especially in the software industry). But I figured it was inexpensive enough that the risk was worth it if the software continued on for a year or two -- and it would be the deal of the century if it lasted another 30.
 
I feel I got my money's worth out of it, and while it is impossible to know for sure, I honestly don't think the deal was offered in bad faith. I think it was an attempt to keep Cakewalk afloat by taking a risk with the revenue model. Other companies offer lifetime memberships (as illustrated above), and it works. Whatever Cakewalk had been doing before was clearly not working, so something new was needed, and I think the subscription based revenue stream combined with lifetime memberships for the devoted (and presumably, charging for accessory add-ons later) was a perfectly valid approach. 
 
 

AdamGrossmanLG
someone offering you a lifetime product for a few hundred dollars, and we don't stop to think (how can they pay developers for the rest of your life with this amount of money.  I smelt a fish back when they offered this garbage.
 
Disgusting.  Truly disgusting.

I can assure you that Andrew Rossa had a well-thought-out plan that took into account Platinum renewal revenue that would be lost (remember, Platinum owners were only part of Cakmewalk's clientele). When he left the company a little over a year ago, his plan was jettisoned. My personal opinion is that was a big mistake.
 
Lifetime updates are not that uncommon, and they don't have to be a problem. When was the last time you paid anything for Windows 10? Companies make their money from add-ons designed to appeal to their base, like Image-Line has done. The add-ons either never materialized, or were given away instead of made available for sale.  
 
It wasn't Lifetime Updates that killed Cakewalk.

Anderton
 
It wasn't Lifetime Updates that killed Cakewalk.

Then what did ?
(I ask this in a respectful way)

It worked, until it didn't. Btw, was I the ONLY one who thought 'lifetime' strictly meant the USERS lifetime and NOT the softwares lifetime? lol

AdamGrossmanLG
how can any company implement such a model?  lifetime updates for so cheap?

I would say buying Sonar monthly was the downfall.  To outsiders it was labeled as a subscription.  Some of the high end apps are often subscriptions like Avid Media Composer, Magix was the first to offer their expensive high end DAW as a subscription.  Sonar wasn't in that league. 
 
 As for Image Line they do a lot of things right.  They are a small staff.  Cakewalk had lots of people.
 
 Maybe they should have taken the staff view more seriously.  You can real all over the web where people went to Cubase for a better staff view.

The lifetime offer was good value and I'm certainly glad that I signed up for it. Right now, it would have been disappointing not to have all the final versions of the software available.

The current situation sucks big time for several reasons. But the lifetime offer is not one of them.

I don't know about the lifetime updates being a good value. Most companies charge $99 at most for an annual upgrade and I think the lifetime updates only lasted about 18 months or so. So at $199 you paid a premium over this unless you were one of the lucky few the got it for $99. What ticked me off most about the campaign was that I was expecting new add ons that I would be willing to pay money for. Instead it was just the lifetime updates to fuel the mac development and keep the company afloat. Should of kept the existing model and worked on offering new products. I knew this would be the death knell when it was revealed.

bsantini99
I don't know about the lifetime updates being a good value. Most companies charge $99 at most for an annual upgrade and I think the lifetime updates only lasted about 18 months or so. So at $199 you paid a premium over this unless you were one of the lucky few the got it for $99...I knew this would be the death knell when it was revealed.

 
I paid $229 (Aus$) and I considered this to be worth it, despite being aware at the time that the future of Sonar may be in doubt. I don't regret it. Had I not gone for it I would be kicking myself right now.

chuckebaby

Anderton
It wasn't Lifetime Updates that killed Cakewalk.

Then what did ?
(I ask this in a respectful way)

Obviously I can't say with any authority but my guess is, just the misfortune of having come under Gibson's control at a time when they are themselves on the rocks. Nothing more, nothing less. As much as Sonar has been hugely important for us, the users, and the Cakewalk staff, it was never more than a blip on the radar for Gibson, and since they are in full freakout mode it makes more sense for them to drop it and focus on whatever it is they think is going to pull them out of the tailspin they're in. To us it's a disaster and a senseless waste, to them it's just dropping something that isn't going to make much of a difference to their situation one way or another, and the suits have decided it's easier/better to 'focus' the business, trim fat where it's not going to hurt them much in the grand scheme of things, cut losses (if indeed CW has been operating at a loss, which it may or may not have been, we're all just speculating here) and move on. The waste, impact on users and collateral damage to reputation are likely just calculated risks and unlikely to impact them much. Sad but true. But man, what a waste. I'll live, it's not the end of the world or my ability to make music, but it's just an enormous drag. 

subtlearts

chuckebaby

Anderton
It wasn't Lifetime Updates that killed Cakewalk.

Then what did ?
(I ask this in a respectful way)

Obviously I can't say with any authority but my guess is, just the misfortune of having come under Gibson's control at a time when they are themselves on the rocks. Nothing more, nothing less. As much as Sonar has been hugely important for us, the users, and the Cakewalk staff, it was never more than a blip on the radar for Gibson, and since they are in full freakout mode it makes more sense for them to drop it and focus on whatever it is they think is going to pull them out of the tailspin they're in. To us it's a disaster and a senseless waste, to them it's just dropping something that isn't going to make much of a difference to their situation one way or another, and the suits have decided it's easier/better to 'focus' the business, trim fat where it's not going to hurt them much in the grand scheme of things, cut losses (if indeed CW has been operating at a loss, which it may or may not have been, we're all just speculating here) and move on. The waste, impact on users and collateral damage to reputation are likely just calculated risks and unlikely to impact them much. Sad but true. But man, what a waste. I'll live, it's not the end of the world or my ability to make music, but it's just an enormous drag. 

Nicely said Sub.
I don't feel people lost any money on the lifetime updates because they paid for around a years worth of updates and that's what they got. However I do feel this was a bad move. Aimed at generating quick cash for a company that is deep in dept. I also really like Andrew Rosa but how does he leave cakewalk merely weeks after he pushing lifetime updates on that very large thread started in may 2016.
 
I think we can all see things a bit clearer now like Support being very slow to get back to its users (in some cases didn't get back to users at all) we could see it here on the forums with users complaining. which in my opinion meant Cakewalk was down to a skeleton crew. The writing was on the wall.