Presonus : "So we are targeting 3-4 "major" feature releases every year..."

[Trancit]

Did you just try to “well, actually” me?

No, I just made clear that your statements were wrong in that context (see below)

The facts are pretty clear here: PreSonus offers perpetual license plans, which are chosen by the vast majority of Studio One users. So the notion that a subscription model somehow untethers PreSonus from responsibility to their users doesn’t apply here, if it even holds true anywhere.

Ok, let´s take a step back for a second and remind us to what you have responded:

Ultimately, it comes down to this: once you're in a subscription process and paying regularly, you become dependent, because you often can't continue using the product long-term if you cancel the subscription.

In regards to what you have responded the facts are indeed pretty clear...
If someone tells you he is in subscription and paying regularly your response Presonus wouldn´t operate that way and licenses are perpetual is just wrong...
In this special situation ThomasLehmann described it´s not just a slight differentiation from how Presonus "normally" operates... it is plain fact:
Monthly subscription = no chance of a perpetual license after you stop subscription... period.

That they offer perpetual licenses as well in 2 different ways is something completely different and doesn´t apply to the case you responded to.

Your second “well, actually” argument revolves around a bold claim of “tons” of software titles with lifetime free updates, while naming the one DAW that does, as almost the entirety of your proof. Immediately grasping for an obscure video editor as your next and only other legitimate example just shows how weak your outlier list actually is, and that’s all it is: a very short list of outliers. See, I (or anyone) could list all of the DAWs that do have paid upgrades, but that would be a very long list of every DAW except for Fruity Loops.

First as already mentioned: You claimed this would be true for ALL SOFTWARE... not DAWs... ALL SOFTWARE!
And again... you are wrong... that´s not true for all software even if it´s perhaps just one DAW but a lot of other products in the software world...
And calling Davinci Resolve one of the biggest top tier in the video realm an "obscure video editor" tells already a lot...

Just to broaden your horizons a little... this is what you get if you make a search about how well known Resolve is:

DaVinci Resolve is very well-known in the video world, especially for its professional-grade color correction and grading capabilities, which are considered industry-leading. It has grown from a dedicated color tool into a full-featured editing suite and is used by professionals in Hollywood for films and television ...

But who cares... it´s just an obscure video editor from a no name company, right?

[jens]

And calling Davinci Resolve one of the biggest top tier in the video realm an "obscure video editor" tells already a lot...

Just to broaden your horizons a little... this is what you get if you make a search about how well known Resolve is:

DaVinci Resolve is very well-known in the video world, especially for its professional-grade color correction and grading capabilities, which are considered industry-leading. It has grown from a dedicated color tool into a full-featured editing suite and is used by professionals in Hollywood for films and television ...

But who cares... it´s just an obscure video editor from a no name company, right?

And let's not forget that it is also an extremely capable professional DAW/Audio Editor and audio-plugin host. It just lacks MIDI-sequencing.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/en/pro ... /fairlight

[Trancit]

And let's not forget that it is also an extremely capable professional DAW/Audio Editor and audio-plugin host. It just lacks MIDI-sequencing.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/en/pro ... /fairlight

Thx for the hint!
Hah... here you have it! FL Studio isn´t the only DAW with free upgrades... Jens is right... Fairlight is a very capable Digital Audio Workstation ...

[Vocalpoint Studios]

For all who want the latest on where Presonus is really at here in (almost Dec) 2025 - check this out:



Specifically the 59th minute (and beyond) or so...

VP

[audiojunkie]

It sounds like, according to that video, that they are moving back to perpetual licenses again. IMHO, subscriptions suck, and it sounds like they've had very few subscription purchases and will be changing their model back again....

[Vocalpoint Studios]

It sounds like, according to that video, that they are moving back to perpetual licenses again. IMHO, subscriptions suck, and it sounds like they've had very few subscription purchases and will be changing their model back again....

That is what I am taking from this...

VP

[Proteinshake]

Let's hope for the best, but expect the worst.

[koalaboy]

I'm not convinced of their intent (around 1:01:56):

Splice integration gets rid of the need for loop libraries entirely.

That sounds like they will remove customisation in favour of online service things. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see anyone giving up their finely honed loop (or other) libraries any time soon.

Everyone pushing Splice integration is just killing DAWs one bit quicker. With AI as well, what will be left ? "Hey Studio One, arrange these loops for me and add one of those AI mix plugins".

And yet, they then straight after say AI is 'too far'.. but drag/dropping loops isn't...

It's a confusing picture.

[jamcat]

It sounds like, according to that video, that they are moving back to perpetual licenses again. IMHO, subscriptions suck, and it sounds like they've had very few subscription purchases and will be changing their model back again....

Yeah, but if they do, what will that mean for those of us who upgraded to Studio One 7, and then saw our quasi-subscription run out with practically no updates?

If they're going to go back to saving up updates for "major overhaul" releases, then are we going to effectively pay $150 for every update in the future?

I hope they announce that everyone who bought version 7 gets to continue getting updates for the life of version 7, as it was for the previous 6 versions, but I'm not holding out much hope that Fender is going to fix their massive f'up of the Studio One ecosystem.

[I_Am_Become_KVR]

suddenly, after all those years, disabling all the hundreds of add ons (even very old ones) from the marketplace, and putting them into subscription-only, is hilarious

[greymattre98]

The silence from PreSonus has cost them at least one upgrade. I'm taking the money allocated to keep Studio One current (which usually occurs between Thanksgiving and Christmas) and spending it elsewhere. Cyber week sales are ending and I was hoping to hear SOMETHING - but only silence from PreSonus and mixed messaging from Gregor. I know they won't miss me BUT, I'm sure I'm not alone.

[Vocalpoint Studios]

Yeah, but if they do, what will that mean for those of us who upgraded to Studio One 7, and then saw our quasi-subscription run out with practically no updates?

If they're going to go back to saving up updates for "major overhaul" releases, then are we going to effectively pay $150 for every update in the future?

After watching this new vid a few times now - I will speculate that Presonus is (VERY reluctantly - with tail between their legs) going to roll back all programs (sub and Annual updates) and simply return to the pre-v7 model.

The subscription model (Pro+) is a total (and complete) bust. You cannot have a subscription model of any kind that does not provide at least monthly value. Pro+ (as it exists now) - hasn't given subscribers anything of value whatsoever for months and months now. This is like signing up for NetFlix and getting nothing new for a whole year.

Annual Updates plan will have to go as well - since there is literally no point to it if no one is willing to pay. And no one will be willing to pay if they cannot get some insight as to what's coming AND if all the so-called "promise" of "more updates - faster" has already clearly failed.

Presonus will never tell us what's coming AND after the unbelievably low quality, mundane output of 2025 - it is clear they cannot deliver "coolness" on demand - making this whole "update plan" concept pointless.

After my update plan (along with thousands of others) ran out on Oct 10, 2025 - I estimate it probably took about one week for Presonus to realize this was the crappiest pricing strategy anyone could have possibly tried to execute. Can't imagine why anyone would send Presonus 5 cents starting Oct 11 - if they had no idea what was coming while at the same time trying to eradicate the foul taste of what we ALL didn't get for our first round of $149 from Oct 10, 2024 to Oct 9, 2025.

Better for Presonus to accept the true reality (no user ever wants to subscribe to anything - no matter what it is called) - charge us all $149 for a fresh standard v8 cycle - and then take their time as they did in the old days - to update on their schedule.

However this ends up shaking down - I just hope they learn for this huge boondoggle and get back to being a vendor who generates some excitement and fires up the S1 base again.

VP

[jamcat]

Well it's not really PreSonus's fault, so much as it is Fender's fault, and specifically, Fender CEO Andy Mooney, who is the second worst MI CEO after ousted Gibson CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz.

Andy Mooney is the moron who essentially said "even though Studio One is literally the easiest DAW to use in the world, I'm still too dumb to use it, so let's dumb it down to my level." He also thought people would willingly hand over $150 a year as some kind of corporate charity program, because value for money is so over in the woke era of owning nothing.

[ffx]

I think DAW vendors should realize that their products have such a huge complexity that you can't really predict the effort of implementing core feature changes anymore. That's why any kind of time span based subscription or support will be unfair for the customers. Instead they should provide something like "You bought 7.4, free updates until 8.3 version" or similar, without any time limitation inside.

[koalaboy]

I think DAW vendors should realize that their products have such a huge complexity that you can't really predict the effort of implementing core feature changes anymore. That's why any kind of time span based subscription or support will be unfair for the customers. Instead they should provide something like "You bought 7.4, free updates until 8.3 version" or similar, without any time limitation inside.

That's how it used to be. Then subscriptions came along into the world, and businesses everywhere had their wallets light up with the potential for constant/regular income.

Software development, especially on older products, gets more expensive. It just does.
Businesses like to have more regular income to 'fund' the bigger features, and get more 'growth' so the investors see the numbers they want.

EBITDA go up. Machine go Brrr.

Sometimes a product makes so much, that with careful budgeting you can afford the next development without needing anything else. But that's extremely rare when investors are involved in any way whatsoever.