I just finished a cakewalk sponsored survey and the first questions concerned subscription based software and updates...
 
they are testing the waters?

musicman100

subscription based sonar may be on the way?

It's not in my way. They can travel that road without me and I'm sure either of us will not care a bit.

There is a lot of serious talk that the next version of Windows will be subscription based. Microsoft is in a unique position to do that, since its customers have no alternative but to accept whatever MS decrees if they want to have access to most of the useful software in the world.
 
The advantage to the developer is a steady income stream. He can predict how many employees he will be able to afford without waiting to see how many customers will buy the new version. If business is slow he can fire some support staff and slow down the bug fixes...er I mean additional features. If people stop paying the rent, he can decide he needs to make a change quickly before everything is lost.
 
The purported advantage to the user is that he can get instantly released feature updates. That can be done without the subscription model, the developer just has to release updates as soon as they are ready regardless of how the user is being billed.
 
The disadvantage to the user is that it will almost certainly cost him more on a prorated per month basis than the current purchase model--especially since software typically has a long useful life if you are not interested in new features. Word 2000 still works very well and does everything that most users use as well as anything newer, and I did not retire my last Windows 2000 computer until last year. And of course, it presupposes that the user will also have a regular income, and be willing and able to spend a cost effective amount of time using the software on a regular basis.
 
For a professional shop making a good profit using Sonar, a regular debit from the credit card would be nothing to worry about. For a hobbyist who does not touch the DAW for weeks at a time, it is unlikely that the model could be made to work, unless some kind of micropayment for a couple of hours of authorized use could be worked out. For a small number of casual users the lower cost of entry in a short rental period could be appealing (think of a paid full featured demo version), but how many of them will be around in a year?
 
 

slartabartfast
There is a lot of serious talk that the next version of Windows will be subscription based. Microsoft is in a unique position to do that, since its customers have no alternative but to accept whatever MS decrees if they want to have access to most of the useful software in the world. 

Now that is the thing isn't it?  "alternatives" and "usefulness".
 
Bill Gates saved me thousands of dollars and headaches with Wn 8.
In no time at all my wife hated it, hated the hassles with PC's so I chunked it all in the trash and got her a Kindle that does everything she wanted to do...and more. (she can take the Kindle with her) She's happy so I'm happy. Not one complaint from her since. Not one call for support. Nada. Perfect.
 
Some folks do have alternatives and maybe Bill will find out just how many do.

musicman100
 
they are testing the waters?

That's certainly the impression I got.

When they go the subscription route I'm not upgrading anymore.
 
I don't know why but I was quite excited when Roland bought Cakewalk. Now with Gibson, I don't know anymore. 

Put me in the lifeboat with Spacey...
 
I have zero interest whatsoever in a subscription model... as a hobbyist that on occasion attempts to make a beer by doing recordings for other, my usage is both erratic and seasonal.. 

When I completed the survey I took every opportunity to dump on the subscription model. Don't we all have enough hands to fill every month. All I need is for my Sonar use to become the monkey on my back when trying to decide what bill gets paid every month.

Avid recently re-worked Pro Tools pricing, at least for the upgrades. 
 
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2014/10/13/avid-updates-pro-tools-licensing-pricing/
 
$199 a year isn't a bad deal if the bugs get fixed and the software is well maintained, I personally have no issue with it, as long you can skip a year and keep using the software. In this particular case, that's the unexpected opportunity which will have me upgrading.
 
That's less expensive than upgrading Cubase, about the same as a Digital Performer upgrade.
 
 

I got $25 that I can put toward a subscription to Cake Magazine, which I sold to a girl scout, and she recorded a mega-hit, and won a Grammy! go figure