Just to clear up any confusion:
 
The update content will be the same whether you are on monthly/annual or lifetime updates.

Hey - so if I go the lifetime route, cool, core enhancements...... and the other add on (royalties stuff) will be optional cost (at some point in my life).
 
Which got me thinking....
 
If I do the annual thing, do add ons like AD stop functioning after a year? i.e. License expires and I have to renew?
 
Just trying to figure the best path....

Bristol_Jonesey
 
What I don't get is people reacting as though Cakewalk has a gun pointed at their heads saying "YOU MUST PAY THIS OR ELSE"
 
For a one-off fee we now have the CHOICE to receive lifetime membership & updates. How can this be anything other than a great deal for existing members?
 
If you think it's too much then your decision is simple - DON'T PAY IT!
 
And you have until August 31st to make your decision.

+GOOGOL
 
Walt

Sounds good in general. let's hope this model works because there is no going back. But then again the fact that this is a limited time offer should contain the "damage" if it turns out to not work out well.
 
It makes sense... Give the core program away for free (many more will try it out), but have in-app payments for the shiny things. Many mobile apps make a lot of money this way so I guess it could work.
 
The thing I hope this doesn't turn into... I hate how Amplitube has so many presets that don't actually work because you first need to buy some extra stuff (the dreaded "Preset Warning" dialog that pops up). So it becomes hard to use and it's an endless in-your-face promotion all the time. There has to be a better way to separate the functional parts from the promotional stuff.
 
For instance, I'd like to be able to completely turn off all stuff that I don't own so that I can work with what I actually have right now. Then if I really want to see what options I have for a certain type of add-on, I can choose to then search for useful stuff.
 
Ideally, there should be an option to "Show Only My Stuff" in the plugin menus etc. But also an option to "Show Stuff I Can Buy". Once that option is selected, you can see plugins etc that can be paid for (highlighted in a different color in the menus), and hopefully has a demo version to first try it out.

I was wondering, is 'lifetime' pricing based on the age of the purchaser?
Will we need to complete a medical to receive our price?
 
 
 

I know what you mean and we would not implement extras that way for sure.

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]
I know what you mean and we would not implement extras that way for sure.

Glad to hear that

Sorted out. Got the email stuff coming and got the lifetime thing at a good price.
 
Andrew is da man.

jpetersen
Once the funds from the initial life-model applicants dry up, where will the money come from to continue fixing the bugs?
 
Aren't we in danger of a kind of Ponzi scheme effect? More "investors" must be found to pay for those no longer contributing?

 
Only if Cakewalk's entire customer base consists solely of existing users, which is not the case. The more attractive SONAR becomes, the more new users will buy it. Artist proved that. There are also plans afoot for later this year which I think/hope will bring in yet another wave of new users. But here's the outline:
 
New SONAR users = more resources = improvements to flagship program to make existing customers happy = trickle-down technology from flagship product allows creating other new products that draw in more users = these users get hooked on Cakewalk and eventually become new SONAR users = more resources = improvements to flagship program to make existing customers happy = trickle-down technology from flagship product allows creating other new products that draw in more users = these users get hooked on Cakewalk and eventually become new SONAR users = more resources [rinse, lather, repeat].
 
 

I'm not getting the email's either and did subscribe.  Can you fix me as well.