Hi @Daphnee I too want to upload to a public upload channel like YouTube. Unlike yourself though, l am not returning to the scene, l'm starting out.

I'm unsure what l even want to upload.

I have considered making a film but l was put off by it about a decade ago when l discovered a "free TV channels" disc on eBay which was just a document listing free movie channels. Most of it was dead URLs but one channel showed an indie film, l watched a bit of it until it got to a scene with a few people staring at a rope that was dangling down as if from the sky, and there was this long moment of silence. I shall never know how that moment resolved as l stopped watching. What l mean is, if l made a film l'm worried l'd lose objectivity and think everything l make is gold, packed with layers of meaning and it works on oh so many levels ... when to outsiders it's just boring and nobody even watches through to the end.

Alternatively l'm thinking of scenic drone footage but l've heard of drones abruptly nosediving etc.

I might try to interview people and l have a list of questions to ask, but nobody so far wants to be interviewed and they are a bit suspicious of me, l'm sure l would be suspicious too and l'd just say no to being interviewed for a vague YouTube production.

I might just make guided tours of my home town, no need to interview anybody.

I'm hoping Vegas Pro will be compatible with Acid Pro as they are in the same bundle, l have history with Acid Pro so l'd be quite happy laying down some beats to my own documentary.

P.S. Good luck @Daphnee !

Hi @Daphnee I too want to upload to a public upload channel like YouTube. Unlike yourself though, l am not returning to the scene, l'm starting out.

I'm unsure what l even want to upload.

I have considered making a film but l was put off by it about a decade ago when l discovered a "free TV channels" disc on eBay which was just a document listing free movie channels. Most of it was dead URLs but one channel showed an indie film, l watched a bit of it until it got to a scene with a few people staring at a rope that was dangling down as if from the sky, and there was this long moment of silence. I shall never know how that moment resolved as l stopped watching. What l mean is, if l made a film l'm worried l'd lose objectivity and think everything l make is gold, packed with layers of meaning and it works on oh so many levels ... when to outsiders it's just boring and nobody even watches through to the end.

Alternatively l'm thinking of scenic drone footage but l've heard of drones abruptly nosediving etc.

I might try to interview people and l have a list of questions to ask, but nobody so far wants to be interviewed and they are a bit suspicious of me, l'm sure l would be suspicious too and l'd just say no to being interviewed for a vague YouTube production.

I might just make guided tours of my home town, no need to interview anybody.

I'm hoping Vegas Pro will be compatible with Acid Pro as they are in the same bundle, l have history with Acid Pro so l'd be quite happy laying down some beats to my own documentary.

It's best to at least make something.

I went into a "thinking about making something phase" and it stretched into a few years. It's gotta stop!

It helps me a lot to be free of trying to make Resolve fit my style. I actually got stuff done with Vegas.

Thanks for the encouragement. I have a few ideas for indie film productions. Too much for one life time, l can briefly tell you one in private if you think you can take extra stuff on. Don't worry l'm not trying to be a pen-pal, l just don't want give the plot away in public.

I had in mind to buy the Vegas Pro Suite today but my eMail to HQ hasn't been answered (re: offline activation). I'm here to make one last thread about offline before committing.

Video editing is a whole new world and the knowledgbase will take me about 10 years to master. This is a Beginnings Story for me but l do hope to eventually make money from this malarkey.

My first run with the BlackMagic Production Camera 4K was a disaster, using a photography tripod - excellent range of movement but not made for filming - movements feel so smooth but the video footage is of course jerky as hell.

OK enough about me, this is your thread.

Not sure of the offline activation. The initial activation is online, and what it does is preclude from anyone passing on the serial number. After it is activated, you can unplug the computer from the network and edit away. But if you use any clips that require additional codecs, you will have to be online again for the activation. That is just how things are done basically everywhere.

Surprised you haven't taken advantage of Davinci Resolve Studio. since you have a BMD camera. Not that I am advocating Resolve over Vega, my go to editing software.

Hi @Reyfox I'm trying not to hijack @Daphnee 's thread but l recall Propellerheads Reason (as it was called about 10 years ago) allowed offline activation, as l think Ableton did, and the then-Sony Acid Pro, and FL Studio still does it for sure. These are all Digital Audio Workstations, but software is software right?

Offline activation seems to be able to prevent sharing of serial numbers. I don't know the particulars of how but essentially it revolves around a unique de-cryption key given to the user as a text file. I'm assuming they capture the computer IP at the same time (it's assumed that end user will have Windows machine and online machine in the same building, hence same internet connection, in fact possibly even same computer, on a different partition). I made a separate thread about it recently - feel free to chat about it.

I didn't take advantage of DaVinci Resolve Studio as l had no key given with my BMPC 4K purchased secondhand (it's an ancient model and few even know it existed; famed for its global shutter, no side to side wobble in the footage when panning).

Also the free version of Resolve is enough to last me years before l can legitimately want extra features.

It runs on Linux which is ace.

I also have Kdenlive on Linux which feels like a great intro to video editing, l doubt l could even grow out of that for a good few years.

However, l want a futureproof solution - not absorbing industry changes (that would require multiple one-time upgrade purchases), but one which l can grow into, to become pro - futureproof with regard to my development. One l can get into easily, and stay with for a decade, enough to produce stunning YT vids and stock footage, and perhaps promo material for my own manufactured physical products ... i.e. anything and everything that l can make money off or that can at least just entertain people.

I also want the pro suite as it includes probably the final ever upgrade of Acid Pro, which by the way is what l was really after. Video editing = me getting sidetracked from music making. Anyway this isn't my thread.

@CatMan a lot has changed in the world of video editing in 10 years. Now, everything seems to want to "phone home" for authentication.

With Vegas, there is no decryption files, just serial numbers. You can download a trial version, but you will still have to even activate the trial version online. And yes, with online activation, your computer ID is captured. Go to your Magix account and you will see what products are activated on what computers you have them on.

I don't understand how offline activation can prevent sharing of serial numbers in the case of Vegas Pro.

Well, you can wait a few months, there might be a sale on Black Friday for Vegas Suite. I had Acid many years ago and spent way too much time goofing around with it. It was fun, but with Vegas Pro, I have access to a lot of quality music and I also have Smartsound which I absolutely love because of its customization.

@Reyfox I've moved my response to a more fitting thread - thanks!

l recall Propellerheads Reason (as it was called about 10 years ago) allowed offline activation,

Reason actually required a USB dongle for much of it's life, to use offline. I still have one, still plugged in.

A dongle would be an alternative I would guess. I can't remember ever using one for any software that I've used.

Hi guys, l really think my thread on the matter is the place to be, for this. But basically: I have Reason 6.5 which l think was the last time they used the dongle (?). I haven't upgraded Reason as l can't legitimately require new features when l've barely scratched the surface even now (admittedly some of the sequencer enhancements and the VST support do make me wanna upgrade).

I have the dongle permanently in my PC like you, @Daphnee , even though l aint opened Reason in ages.

However, the dongle isn't quite what l meant. I think Reason requires the dongle for regular activation, and perhaps even for the initial activation, l forget. However, Reason also now (and possibly back then too) has an offline activation method other than the physical dongle. I guess dongles have been problematic, hence discontinued use of them.

I am only talking about the initial activation when l refer to offline activation. I don't feel the software should require activation every time it's opened - Reason was alone in this, but then: it is actually a good idea to prevent unauthorised multiple deployment of the software.

Offline activation is now an industry standard from what l can see, it's not an old way of doing things. Creatives don't want their work lost to malware plain and simple.

As for unauthorised use e.g. pirating, or multiple deployment - nobody in their right mind would touch cracked software these days, it's all, all, all malware. And unauthorised multiple deployment in my mind wouldn't cause loss of sales that otherwise would have happened. Also no matter how rigorous the initial activation, a hard drive can be imaged and thus shared between identical computer models. I guess that's one reason for a dongle which activates with each use, but that still doesn't prevent a room full of users sharing the dongle. But think of it: would that even realistically ever happen? A room full of people pirating some backwater software? Or even some celebrity software?

Also some people just have old Windows versions and don't want to expose them to the internet even if the old version is still supported by the software.

All these reasons are why offline one-time activation is good enough across the industry from what l'm seeing. Let's discuss it in my cool hangout.

Vegas does not require activation each time it is opened. As for malware, it has been "forever" for me not experiencing it. So nothing has ever been lost in decades going back to the 90's.

No one is mentioning cracked software. You wanted to activate offline. For Vegas and a lot of software today, that is not possible. Try it with Resolve Studio or any other editing software. You will have to be online, have an account, to activate. That is the way of the current world of software. Offline activation must not be good enough since almost no one software uses it today for their own specific reasons.

And unauthorised multiple deployment in my mind wouldn't cause loss of sales that otherwise would have happened.

Unauthorized multiple deployment violates the EULA and TOS of every commercial software out there. So it is wrong, and those benefiting from it are stealing. If you can't afford it, such is life. There many things I can't afford but would love to have. So either I save, or do without.

And because of this, we have online activation. I have no problem with it, and it seems the millions of other software users don't either. But then, some have no issue with "pay forever" software.... subscription.

@Reyfox

1. You say Vegas doesn't require activation per session. My reply: I know. I never said it did. Nor should. It's an idea though, using a dongle for that. Btw as l recall, Cubase also uses a dongle.

2. You say no one is mentioning cracked software. My reply: I am. Because online activation would work to deactivate cracked software, presumably. As well as unauthorised multiple installs of legitimately purchased software.

3. You say the norm now is to not have offline activation. You seemingly backtrack and say "a lot of software" rather than it being the norm now. All good. My point being offline activation is very much commonplace and from what l can tell, among DAWs at least, is that it's the norm to offer this.

4. You cite Resolve Studio. I thought that used a dongle as an option. Anyhoo. What l'm saying is that offline activation is justifiable. For me to say that, assumes that the software in hand does not do offline activation. Resolve Studio being in the same boat, doesn't dent my argument. Resolve Studio offering offline activation, however, would bolster it. No, l'm not saying it does offer offline, l'm just saying it would bolster my argument.

5. You say: Unauthorized multiple deployment violates the EULA and TOS of every commercial software out there. So it is wrong, and those benefiting from it are stealing. If you can't afford it, such is life. There many things I can't afford but would love to have. So either I save, or do without.

I say: Climbing into a bear enclosure in a zoo, and stabbing that bear in the heart with a spoon, and eating its heart, tasting that raspberry-chocolate, would be ILLEGAL, so you better NOT do it. Back to the point though, l'm unsure why you are telling me a room full of unauthorised installs of Vegas Pro is illegal.

6. I will not discuss this matter with you any further as your recent response has added nothing to the argument. Also, l'd like to discuss it on my thread for it, here, as you know.