Apple Announces Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad With Subscription Models

[smulji]

My thoughts on the iPad is that Apple never got any of it right from the start.

Disagree. If you go back and watch Steve Jobs' iPad keynotes (iPad 1 and iPad 2), he nailed the positioning. A device that sits between a smartphone and a Mac and is better at certain key tasks than both of them. Not a netbook but better than a netbook (this is what he compared the iPad to in the first keynote). This is where the iPad shines and this is still the vast majority of use cases for the iPad. It allows the iPad to be the "computer for the rest of us" and the Mac to be a tool for professional use.

 

[prospervic]

There will always be a segment of the population that will never accept iPad as a real tool that people can use because it doesn’t fit their traditional use of a computer

And this reveals the futility of trying to convince that crowd. Once you, like me, give up attempting to persuade those who would rather be right than happy, you will find a new peace of mind.

 

[Mac... nificent]

😂

Point me to all the serious reviews that aren’t just previews please as I have been unable to find a good under the hood one. Thanks in advance.

Not sure what you're looking for but here are a few reviews;

 

[Manzanito]

Would not be surprised if all the software follows suit. Gotta appease them shareholders.

That would be risky, to say the least. FCPX launch was royally screwed, and they’re still recovering from the debacle. Moving to subscription could be fatal.

Apple has been giving 12 years of free updates for a reason.

 

[Ghost31]

That would be risky, to say the least. FCPX launch was royally screwed, and they’re still recovering from the debacle. Moving to subscription could be fatal.

Apple has been giving 12 years of free updates for a reason.

Did…you really just say it could be fatal. Like as if nobody is gonna use Final Cut anymore and apple is gonna be doomed as a company

 

[Manzanito]

Did…you really just say it could be fatal. Like as if nobody is gonna use Final Cut anymore and apple is gonna be doomed as a company

Not for apple, for fcp if the computer version moves to subscription.

 

[Ghost31]

Not for apple, for fcp if the computer version moves to subscription.

Wow interesting. Adobe creative suite must be in trouble too huh?

I had to call one of my friends that works with Final Cut professionally and ask him if Final Cut down the line turned subscription if he would abandon it and go to something else. He laughed at me and said not a chance.

 

[dysamoria]

I think a lot of that is likely related to muscle memory of how you perform certain tasks. You get used to doing things a certain way, that's all you know.

I know people who have been creating music in GarageBand for iPad and having a whale of a time doing it. They never got used to DAWs on normal keyboard/mouse/window-based operating systems so they don't know any different. In fact, their workflow is more like folks who came up making music on samplers like the Akai MPC60.

MPC always had real buttons…

 

[dysamoria]

No, if you are using an audio interface then you might as well be using a desktop or laptop... I mean really, that is true. The beauty of Logic on an iPad would be the portability, and having to use your one usb-c port for headphones is truly weak, and having to bring along an audio interface as the alternative is a non-starter. I was about to go pick up an iPad Air this morning until I remembered the lack of headphone port.
It's one of Apple's only real screwups, getting rid of headphone jacks but not replacing with a (non-latency) alternative. They should've waited for the airpod technology to mature before they killed off the jacks.

AirPods have latency and compression issues, along with the “oh I have to charge them” and “where’s the other one?” issues so… 🤷🏽‍♂️😅

 

[dysamoria]

Ridiculous, and nonsensical. If you're going to use an external DAC, why would you be dicking around with an iPad in the first place? And what do you mean "without a dongle?" You have to plug the DAC into the USB-C port (assuming that Apple hasn't gimped this capability out of the port, as they are wont to do), making it... a dongle. And how are you going to power your iPad then if necessary? Or use external storage (if that happens to be allowed)?

And you still have the general file I/O hassle on iOS devices.

Instead of turning a tablet into an octopus of wires and external junk, you might as well just use a MacBook Air. Then you get proper I/O, a keyboard and trackpad, precise UIs, and can use all kinds of software and plug-ins.

People are working so hard to turn a gimped toy into a computer; when the computer is nearly as small and affordable, and way more capable.

You were doing fine up until “gimped toy”.

 

[groove-agent]

Now bring MainStage to the iPad

I'd like to see that actually. I've always dreamed of a keyboard (or just a controller) and have all my sounds on an iPad with a nice touch screen.

 

[Mac... nificent]

Not for apple, for fcp if the computer version moves to subscription.

Yep, if the desktop version ever switches to subscription then I'm out for good. Too many other good options.

Wow interesting. Adobe creative suite must be in trouble too huh?

I know a LOT of people who have stopped using Adobe. Look at their stock, it continues to drop.

 

[dysamoria]

I've always assumed they were basically subsidizing FCP to throw pro/prosumer users a bone and give them a reason to keep buying Macs. I don't follow Logic, but I own FCP and it's seen free (and major!) updates for like a decade or more at this point, all off that initial one-time purchase price.

That said, $4-5/month is truly peanuts if you're earning literally any money at all using it. There are freaking astrology apps out there that charge a lot more than that...

… but many of us aren’t earning literally any money at all using it. Want to make that some kind of character flaw or accept that there’s a huge contingent of people who like to be hobbyist musicians who will find this subscription thing to be the exact opposite of why they have been using Logic & Apple products in the first place?

This is another example of a corporation chipping away at the value they once presented, which earned them customers, just to appease the Wall Street pathology. It’s not like Apple or the others are suffering, financially.

 

[groove-agent]

The power of the boycott is immense in a capitalist economy. Get almost everyone to stop buying subscriptions and the companies will fold like cheap lawn chairs.

Not to encroach on sensitive issues but during the pandemic we discovered that you can't get everyone to unify and do what you think is the right thing.

 

[dysamoria]

It's a bit surprising that Apple maintains what's left of the Pro Apps teams, but it's nice that those people still have jobs. Apple needs something to show on new computers at WWDC, where they leech off of their "partners" for keynote material and then back-stab them later.

The company is now very clearly making a turn toward the worst of late-stage/end-stage capitalist tactics.

 

[Abazigal]

That would be risky, to say the least. FCPX launch was royally screwed, and they’re still recovering from the debacle. Moving to subscription could be fatal.

Apple has been giving 12 years of free updates for a reason.

I think this move makes sense for a number of reasons.

FCP exists to sell Macs. Follow any number of tech YouTubers and they will tell you that their main reason for sticking with a Mac is because of FCP, which they prefer to Premeire for video editing. It's the other way around for iOS devices. People are not going to be paying a hundred dollars for an iPad app, no matter how well-designed it is. A subscription model is one way of making the cost seem more palatable to the consumer.

Tke FCP for example. Yes, it's $300 on Mac, and not everybody is a working adult with a few hundred dollars at their disposal. The ability to pay $5 a month dramatically lowers the barrier to entry, especially for younger people.

Also, if moving to a subscription model means more regular updates for said app, I consider it a win-win for users as well.

 

[dysamoria]

Nothing from any of the professional audio makers. Fabfilter, Native Instruments, Waves, Sonible, Slate Digital, Izotope - I could go on and on. There's nothing but toys in the app store.

Well, Native Instruments has been dragging their heels with Apple Silicon and Ventura support. Their most robust and useful product, Reaktor, has issues there, and they’ve seemingly not been maintaining their development and general expertise while being taken over by vulture capitalists… Then there’s anything owned by InMusic, the vulture of vultures, where they care more about obstructionist antipiracy tech than existing users, usability, and compatibility…

 

[groove-agent]

The iPad wants to enforce a new computing paradigm and I am really fine with that. What I don't like is the feature and functionality regressions we have when using an iPad. Some people don't care about that and love their iPads. Others (like me) do care and hate the whole experience.

I think the iPad and Mac have been slowly converging, especially with Apple Silicon with respect to speed etc. I'm hoping the iPad will be as capable (or close to) the Mac soon, especially if you dock it with a keyboard, mouse and monitor.

Personally, my dream is to have an iPad to take around with me, then when I'm home, use it like a desktop with accessories.

 

[Ghost31]

Yep, if the desktop version ever switches to subscription then I'm out for good. Too many other good options.


I know a LOT of people who have stopped using Adobe. Look at their stock, it continues to drop.

Nomatter which way ya slice it, I just can’t share your outrage. And this is coming from someone that has complained about subscriptions in apps recently. I have a countdowns app that wanted to switch to a subscription model. Why? Like freaking why? It counts down. Just a pure money grab. I had a basic checklist to do app that switched to monthly/yearly subscription. Stupid. Just stupid

A pro editing software that can add VALUE to my business and only costs $5 or the equivalent to a large drink at a fast food place? Yeah. I’ll pay that. Happily. Especially when considering Final Cut for mac has always been $300. The barrier to entry being far lower and getting more people involved in video editing is a win in my book.

Use it or don’t. But all this posturing and acting like $5 for this is a bad value proposition is just silly. If this was $50 a month. Yeah. If this was even $20 a month. Sure. $5? If that breaks the bank, don’t edit video with it

 

[dysamoria]

The monthly subscriptions are fine to me. 5 $ a month is really cheap (about a latte coffee), especially if it brings value. I’m expecting the initial version of Logic Pro being some GarageBand on steroids. Most of the desktop content will be there, but support for 3rd party plugins will be very limited. That’s my main concern. In my workflow, I’m doing some modern trance music and I rely on 3rd party VST’s (AU’s) like Serum and Nexus. Obviously, they won’t be available for the iPad version of Logic Pro. So « pro » is relative here… I’m still dreaming of the day I could compose that next banger on a lounger under the sun using my iPad Pro…

I don’t subscribe to caffeine either…

 

[groove-agent]

I have a feeling they're going to stop updating the Mac versions of Logic/ FCP and just keep developing the iPad versions, especially since you can run iPad apps on MacOS. They might want to lead by example to show developers how you can develop one app for multiple platforms.

Hopefully if this happens the subscription fee also covers using it on Mac. BTW, has anyone heard if you can use the iPad versions on Mac currently? I guess the benefit would be with one UI, it would make switching between Mac and iPad more seamless as the UI wouldn't change.

 

[dysamoria]

The real question is: Can Apple be trusted with ongoing software development for Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro?

The reason Adobe's creative suite subscription model has been so successful is because the software is frequently updated with new features and assets, year after year. They payments can be justified.

Whereas Apple's Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro have been using the same assets & transitions for, idk, the past decade? Sure, Apple have been updating the software, but it's mainly been stability updates and bug fixes.

That’s not why Adobe was successful with moving to a subscription model. The actual reason is market capture. They were embedded in professional spaces as the defacto standard. Losing people like me and smaller businesses was more than made up for by the scam that is the subscription model because the big buyers just fell in line to avoid upsetting their workflows.

 

[dysamoria]

I have a feeling they're going to stop updating the Mac versions of Logic/ FCP and just keep developing the iPad versions, especially since you can run iPad apps on MacOS. They might want to lead by example to show developers how you can develop one app for multiple platforms.

Hopefully if this happens the subscription fee also covers using it on Mac. BTW, has anyone heard if you can use the iPad versions on Mac currently? I guess the benefit would be with one UI, it would make switching between Mac and iPad more seamless as the UI wouldn't change.

This has been what they’ve historically done: dumped the superior desktop product to backport the inferior iOS product. Dog damn it. I hadn’t thought of that potential here in this scenario. Thanks for reminding me.

The whole tech world sucks.

 

[Choco Taco]

That’s not why Adobe was successful with moving to a subscription model. The actual reason is market capture. They were embedded in professional spaces as the defacto standard. Losing people like me and smaller businesses was more than made up for by the scam that is the subscription model because the big buyers just fell in line to avoid upsetting their workflows.

Adobe products are the definition of upsetting workflows. Every update seems to break something. I won’t miss that. Photoshop and Illustrator I still use because I haven’t found any good alternatives, although Affinity is making great strides in that department, though I don’t feel it’s quite good enough yet. Hopefully soon. I’d love to ditch Adobe completely.

 

[MobiusStrip]

I had to call one of my friends that works with Final Cut professionally

Aaaand credibility forfeited...