Magix reveals an elegant solution

imaginACTION_films wrote on 7/9/2016, 9:52 PM

Magix reveals an elegant solution to software licensing for Xara
Opinion piece for Australian Videocamera
by David Smith

Software licensing has begun a seismic shift in recent years with several major companies rejecting the concept of ‘ownership’ of software rights in favour of monthly or annual leasing on a subscription plan. Key proponents of subscription licensing are Adobe (Creative Cloud) and Microsoft (Office 365), although more recently Sony Creative Software has tossed a stone in the pond by making its new Catalyst products available solely by subscription. In marked contrast, several other major products are available for free, including BlackMagic design’s Fusion and Resolve.

The Sony decision sent ripples through the Sony Vegas community with the vast bulk of contributors to the SCS user forums hoping beyond hope that the subscription model would not be applied to their beloved suite of products including Vegas Pro, Vegas Movie Studio and Sound Forge. These fears appeared to be eased recently when European software giant Magix announced its purchase of most of the Sony products – pretty much all except for the Catalyst group, which would remain with Sony.

Magix has marketed a number of excellent products over the years, including its own top-shelf video NLE Video Pro X, and the superb vector graphics/design/web design program Xara Designer Pro, currently at version 11. All products in the Magix range have, till now, been released with a purchase-based license whereby, having paid the fee, you can use the software for ever.

Given these changes, the forums have been abuzz with concerns about what would actually happen to products like Vegas Pro, once the handover to Magix occurred. Would we have to subscribe to Vegas and Sound Forge? If that were the case, what alternative NLEs would we be forced to adopt? Edius? Da Vinci Resolve(free)? HitFilm Pro (relatively cheap but limited in some respects)?

In a timely announcement Magix have just now released the latest version of Xara Designer Pro, now called Xara Designer Pro X365. The 365 refers to the fact that the software will be updated regularly throughout the year, ie whenever significant improvements and fixes have been implemented. So rather that having to wait for the annual release to get all the new goodies, now you can use them as soon as they are released. Adobe has offered similar continual updates via its subscription model but there is one glaring difference between the Adobe and Magix models: with Magix you get to keep the software in it s latest version even if you don’t take up the annual upgrade offer. With Adobe, if you stop your subscription the software will cease functioning, full stop.

Here’s how Magix explains it in their release:

Update Service
For the 365 days from purchase you’ll get access to new features, updates and content. At the end of the 365 days you can choose to update again, or not. If you choose not to, then the online services (the online Content Catalog) will be removed or restricted (these are online services anyway that would typically be part of a subscription).
It’s important to note that this is not a subscription service. Unlike other products such as Office 365 or Adobe Creative Cloud, the program you purchased is yours to keep, and will keep functioning with no further purchases, but after 365 days you’ll stop getting access to updates, new content, and the online services if you choose not to upgrade.

At the time of writing Magix was offering an upgrade to the new Xara Designer pro X365 for just US$99, current until the end of July. I had no hesitation in taking them up on the offer because I have found Xara to be far and away the most powerful and yet simplest to use vector and photo manipulation system currently available (yes, I know InDesign and AfterEffects are immensely powerful but, like all Ado9be products, they are clunky and inelegant to use).

This licensing system from Magix seems to have been designed with real live users in mind: Adobe and Microsoft would do well to consider how bullying users into a lifelong subscription model will force all but large corporations to seek alternative ways to draw their pictures, edit their videos and produce their music. The idea that if you can no longer afford the subscription, you can no longer use the software at all is a real turn-off.

Well done Magix. I look forward with the greatest interest to seeing how the Vegas/Sound Forge family is treated come the end of September.

Comments

Spectralis wrote on 7/10/2016, 10:30 AM

The problem with this model is that unless Vegas Pro is updated to a new version in a year then we are paying for point updates which is very similar to the subscription model Adobe and Microsoft use except instead on a monthly payment it is a yearly one. Now that Adobe and Microsoft have subscription systems what is their incentive to update their software in a significant way like the old model required them to do?

Unless there is the option to upgrade as and when so that we can miss a year or two of point updates and then buy a new subscription and get all the latest features then I don't see this working. If this will be possible then there is the possibility that Magix will face years when few bother to pay their sub and just wait until Vegas Pro receives a significant upgrade before starting up their sub again.

gpsmikey wrote on 7/10/2016, 10:42 AM

The key difference though is that at the end of the year, if you don't pay for the upgrade, it continues to work at the level it was at at the end of the year. That is why I have purchased "upgrades" to a number of different software I use - support the company. The C compiler I use for PIC chips (CCS) uses the same model of you get a year of updates when you purchase either the compiler or a year of support. At the end of the year, it continues to function at the level it was at that time leaving you with a working product instead of a bad taste in your mouth. The slideshow software I use (Photodex Proshow) uses a similar model. I support those companies because they try to actually support the users instead of just their bottom line. What's more, both CCS and Photodex have a functional tech support system where you actually get a response from them in a very timely manner working to solve problems !!

I'm still REALLY hacked off at M$ for their routine a month or two back where they redefined the "X" on the pop-up window "suggesting" you install windows 10 - they redefined the "X" to confirm the install instead of just close the window. Win 7/64 is working very nicely for me and I am not interested in their underhanded forced install routine. Fortunately, when it tried to install windows 10, I was in the process of imaging my C drive when the install closed the backup window (killing the backup) and logged me out. I was able to hit reset fast enough to avoid the install. If I had not been watching (and walked away to let the backup run like I normally do, it would have installed W10 for me (as a "special favor")

wwjd wrote on 7/10/2016, 11:47 AM

I feel this is the right way to deal with this. Reaper DAW been doing it for ages. (kinda of)
And you can skip a rev or two if you simply don't need it.

BobMoyer wrote on 7/10/2016, 1:16 PM

I am an owner/user of Xara products (now owned by Magix). The new 'subscription' model as explained on the Xara website is that you get 365 days worth of fixes/upgrades and you get to keep them even if you don't renew for the following year. However, if after a year and you DON'T renew, and your computer crashes or you need to reinstall on a new computer, you ONLY get access to your original purchased software---none of the fixes/upgrades. I may be wrong on this but that was how I interpreted it.

Bob

imaginACTION_films wrote on 7/10/2016, 5:35 PM

Interesting points, everyone. A simple solution to the 'revert to basic' after a re-install is to make good use of your backup software. I use Acronis and, assuming I backup regularly, that disk image should keep the most recent version of Xara intact.

I have to confess I have been using all of the SCS programs for years (since they were Sonic Foundry) and have never really had an issue with the Sony licensing system. I bought every new version (and had Vegas disasters with with versions 10 and 11) and version 13 is rock solid on my system.

My praise for the Magix elegant solution is perhaps more of a sigh of relief that they're not going down the full subscription path which I detest. I would be perfectly happy to simply retain the same licensing arrangement Sony have had in place for years.

[Re Windows 10 forced install: the computer I'm typing this on (not my main video computer) is not compatible with Windows 10. After paying $200 to have my local gurus fix it after Windows failed to revert to Win 7, the problem of forced installs persisted. Microsoft used a special app to remove the Win 10 installer. However the clever Win 10 police still force a popup each time I boot, indicating there are new updates to install. Even after running the free NEVER 10 app this persists. If Win 10 is so clever, surely it can figure out that this computer's motherboard will never accept it! But I digress...]