Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Final Cut Pro Trademark Update Suggests Apple Eyeing Future Subscription Model
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
You can get Davinci Resolve for free with a lot of features, or paid once complete which is pretty cheap. Or other free video editors in Mac that exist in Linux (like Kdenlive).
Moving to Linux because of FCP is like moving to linux to use Gimp because you don't like Photoshop, when Gimp exists already in Mac and Win: it's more a tantrum than a need.
I have it on the iMac I bought in 2013 and it's still a very capable machine for 1080p video editing.
Why would they? They have to pay to update it forever after all. I understand the frustration, but I also see it from the developers point of view.I guess even Apple doesn't believe in the "pay for the software once... use it for the rest of your life" model.
At the opposite end of the arguement... I purchased Final Cut Pro on 21 Jun 2011. That's nearly 10 years of free updates for whatever it cost at the time £125 maybe.. don't quite remember. It's not surprising they are looking at alternative models.
I use Logic occasionally. If it follows suit I will be using Ableton. No need to force updates on people, it’s much more convenient to own a version of the software.
If they make it affordable and less obvious, like a yearly subscription, it wouldn't be too bad I guess.
As a photographer, I was against Adobe and doing the subscription, now I don't really care. It is what it is.
Yeah that's what I meant.
Apple has to continually develop and support their software. Paying their employees and whatnot.
So why should a person be able to buy the software once... and then use it for the rest of their lives? That doesn't seem fair to the developer.
At least in the old days the customer would buy software and then pay again for upgrades every so often. Not everyone would upgrade each time... but the developer would get some more income after a while.
But with subscriptions... the developers is getting regular recurring income.
I honestly don't think Apple intended to sell Final Cut Pro at $299 to be used for eternity. I think they just haven't figured out how to add software subscriptions to their ever-growing services portfolio.
I know plenty of people who would immediately switch to torrents and cracks if apple chooses to go that way.
subscription worked for Adobe because their whole apps where expensive to begin with. Fcpx is cheap. Plus Serif with their affinity apps is taking over a whole lot of adobes beginner customers. I quit Adobe subscription when I learned how awesome affinity products are.
subscription worked for Adobe because their whole apps where expensive to begin with. Fcpx is cheap. Plus Serif with their affinity apps is taking over a whole lot of adobes beginner customers. I quit Adobe subscription when I learned how awesome affinity products are.
Shhhh it’s the disgruntled pirates who are complaining. It started with them being pee pee after they couldn’t upgrade after their pirated malware copy of PS6 (that they didn’t even know was stealing their personal data)
I am really getting tired of everything being "subscription-based" now... monthly or yearly payments to access to web sites, news sites, software in the Cloud that you never actually ''own'' your own files (yes, Adobe, I'm talking about you!), and especially the proliferation of all these steaming video sites, all taking on the "Plus" sign. As if that means "Added value!!!"
NO APPLE! Subscription models are great for your revenue streams I'm sure (Read shareholders), but remember you're in the business (alledgedly) for your customers, not shareholders! And if you want to continue to please shareholders, you will have to keep listening to your customers. At least offer the current level of features and prices for FCP and Logic Pro X. I despise subscription models, I like to buy my software, music etc. If you want to offer a subscription model next to that, fine, but don't you dare strip back the capabilities of Logic to push people to the subscription model, if you do that, I'm out and will look for an alternative. Don't be greedy!
I hope that the main program is still on perpetual license. In fact, maybe Apple can make it cheaper, considering that it can be subsidized form the subscription revenues.
Let the subscription for extras like tutorials, templates, media (like clips or licensed music), etc. Imo this is a good idea, especially knowing Apple, some of the stuff can be high quality.
Let the subscription for extras like tutorials, templates, media (like clips or licensed music), etc. Imo this is a good idea, especially knowing Apple, some of the stuff can be high quality.
I think it would be helpful if we knew how much this supposed subscription would cost. (and if it's even true)
Microsoft 365 is a rather affordable deal at $99 a year or $8 a month. You get all their apps plus 1TB of OneDrive storage (and up to 6 people can use it too!)
Then on the high end there's Adobe at $660 a year or $55 a month for all their apps. (remember... Master Collection used to cost $2,600 to buy and $1,200 for upgrades under the old model... Adobe has always been expensive!)
And then there's the absurd pricing of Evernote who thinks their service alone is worth $70 a year... or Dropbox alone for $120 a year... what the hell are they thinking?!?!?
Would Apple make an "Apple One" type of package with Final Cut Pro, Logic, and 1TB of iCloud storage? And maybe some bonus items? How much should that cost?
Microsoft 365 is a rather affordable deal at $99 a year or $8 a month. You get all their apps plus 1TB of OneDrive storage (and up to 6 people can use it too!)
Then on the high end there's Adobe at $660 a year or $55 a month for all their apps. (remember... Master Collection used to cost $2,600 to buy and $1,200 for upgrades under the old model... Adobe has always been expensive!)
And then there's the absurd pricing of Evernote who thinks their service alone is worth $70 a year... or Dropbox alone for $120 a year... what the hell are they thinking?!?!?
Would Apple make an "Apple One" type of package with Final Cut Pro, Logic, and 1TB of iCloud storage? And maybe some bonus items? How much should that cost?
Last edited:
I hate subscriptions for programs but understandable for music, movies and storage but it seems even basic apps are going that way even. Why the hell do even simple decibel apps on the ios store require an ongoing subscription FFS, devs are becoming greedy bastards. Just let me pay for it once.
Do devs really expect people to have 100+ subscriptions?.
Do devs really expect people to have 100+ subscriptions?.
The fact that there's now a trademark class for "software as a service" presumably means that Apple is pretty much obliged to register their major trademarks in that category in order to protect them. (Sounds to me like it might be WIPO/USPTO doing the rent seeking here by introducing new trademark classes that companies have to register for...)
...especially when the trademark is a widely-used phrase like "final cut" where disputes could easily boil down to context.
I mean, they can bully 10,000 hair salons into submission if they want to be petty, they probably wouldn't risk chasing Pink Floyd off iTunes, but they wouldn't want TwitBookTubeo'gram launching an online video editor called "The Final Cut for Professionals"...
Not that I'd put it past them to go subscription (cha-ching) but I wouldn't panic just yet. Of course, for businesses, the subscription model can have tax/cashflow advantages, too.
Also, "cloud computing" is a thing that can't be ignored and, in the not-too-distant future, having storage/processor intensive tasks like video editing handled "in the cloud" might become the most practical way of working. Once you get to that stage, of course it is going to be software-as-a-service.
I think the problem is more the "pay for the software once - get free updates for the rest of your life" expectation, which is actually very generous, especially when FCP and Logic are both pretty affordable c.f. the competition. In Apple's case, the counter-argument is that FCP and Logic should be loss-leaders for driving Mac sales. There's a few other bits of Mac software I can think of where I paid $50 or less years ago and still get regular free updates - which is really, really nice, but frankly unsustainable.
The main problem with subscriptions is not the principle, it's that people get greedy. It's far too easy to slap a $9.99/month tag on a bit of software which, previously, you wouldn't have paid more than $100 for. I'd say, take the one-off price, divide by 36 (3 years) then knock a bit off (the publisher is getting a steady, more predictable cashflow - that's worth something) and if there's a major upgrade in that 3 year period then you have a sensible monthly price.
...especially when the trademark is a widely-used phrase like "final cut" where disputes could easily boil down to context.
I mean, they can bully 10,000 hair salons into submission if they want to be petty, they probably wouldn't risk chasing Pink Floyd off iTunes, but they wouldn't want TwitBookTubeo'gram launching an online video editor called "The Final Cut for Professionals"...
Not that I'd put it past them to go subscription (cha-ching) but I wouldn't panic just yet. Of course, for businesses, the subscription model can have tax/cashflow advantages, too.
Also, "cloud computing" is a thing that can't be ignored and, in the not-too-distant future, having storage/processor intensive tasks like video editing handled "in the cloud" might become the most practical way of working. Once you get to that stage, of course it is going to be software-as-a-service.
I think the problem is more the "pay for the software once - get free updates for the rest of your life" expectation, which is actually very generous, especially when FCP and Logic are both pretty affordable c.f. the competition. In Apple's case, the counter-argument is that FCP and Logic should be loss-leaders for driving Mac sales. There's a few other bits of Mac software I can think of where I paid $50 or less years ago and still get regular free updates - which is really, really nice, but frankly unsustainable.
The main problem with subscriptions is not the principle, it's that people get greedy. It's far too easy to slap a $9.99/month tag on a bit of software which, previously, you wouldn't have paid more than $100 for. I'd say, take the one-off price, divide by 36 (3 years) then knock a bit off (the publisher is getting a steady, more predictable cashflow - that's worth something) and if there's a major upgrade in that 3 year period then you have a sensible monthly price.
I'm all for moderate price paid upgrades for major versions/updates.
(I sometimes feel guilty using apps on iOS knowing developers have less incentive to improve/refine/update the apps if it is a buy only once model. I do NOT like the subscription models though.)
The current version of FCPX requires Catalina and above. If you are stuck on Mojave because of hardware, then folks are buying new hardware.
Final Cut Pro X is a compelling reason to buy new hardware. I would NOT like another subscription.
(I sometimes feel guilty using apps on iOS knowing developers have less incentive to improve/refine/update the apps if it is a buy only once model. I do NOT like the subscription models though.)
The current version of FCPX requires Catalina and above. If you are stuck on Mojave because of hardware, then folks are buying new hardware.
Final Cut Pro X is a compelling reason to buy new hardware. I would NOT like another subscription.
This is one of the things that sets it apart from premier pro, people will move to premier if they are not careful
Apple has amended its trademark for Final Cut Pro, its professional high-end video editing software, in a way that suggests it could be planning to turn the now one-time payment model for the software into a subscription.
As reported by Patently Apple, on Monday, Apple added a Nice Classification #42 listing to its Final Cut Pro trademark in Europe. The Class 42 identification is listed as including software as a service (SaaS), or a platform as a service (PaaS). For context, Microsoft Office 365, which is based on a monthly or yearly subscription, includes the same Class 42 listing for its suite of software.
Final Cut Pro is currently sold for $300 and is used widely by professional videographers, YouTubers, and content makers. Potentially changing the price and payment model into a monthly, or yearly subscription could entice even more customers to use the software. If Apple is planning the subscription route, it'll likely include more than simply the software itself.
With a subscription, Apple theoretically could offer subscribers access to original content, such as in-depth tutorials, walkthroughs, or exclusive videos/sessions with prominent video makers who use Final Cut Pro as part of their workflow.
Whether Apple takes the route is unknown, however, the pure nature of the updated trademark is rather telling. Apple over the years has launched a number of new services, the most recent being Apple Fitness+. The momentum is not slowing down, however. Apple is reportedly eyeing to launch a new podcast subscription service that would offer listeners exclusive and original content.
Article Link: Final Cut Pro Trademark Update Suggests Apple Eyeing Future Subscription Model
