Avid Announces Pro Tools 12 – Flexible Licensing, Cloud Collaboration, Avid Marketplace, Free Version

Avid gave NAMM a kick in the pants today with the announcement of Pro Tools 12, and the sizzle behind their new DAW – which will be available in February – is as much about how you pay for it as how you play with it.

That’s because Avid is launching it with flexible licensing, a plan which will allow customers to subscribe to Pro Tools starting at $29.99 per month — buying it outright is always an option of course. The arrangement brings Pro Tools in line with other software-as-a-subscription models, allowing audio pros to stay 100% current with future software updates and fresh features the moment they’re released via the cloud, with no additional charges.

Alongside arrives Avid Cloud Collaboration, wherein the cloud will enable all things audio for Pro Tools users (and eventually other platforms as well). This makes good on their announcement back at NAB 2014 that it was coming. Not entirely clear is if Cloud Collaboration will launch simultaneously with Pro Tools 12, but it’s definitely coming closer (see details below).

The same can be said of the Avid Marketplace, which has come into focus as the previously announced “monetization” initiative. If you like the convenience of Avid helping you to manage, and possibly elevate, your career this will be a boon (again, more official details follow). read more...