Moving to a "Loyalty Scheme" promises faster updates with more new features, but what does this mean for creative tools in general?
Another day, another app goes subscription.
Capture One looks to be the latest photography capture and photo editing app to go with a so-called “loyalty scheme,” which is a fancy way of saying that the company will be scuttling its perpetual software licensing with annual upgrade discounts in favor of a subscription model. As a powerful photography industry-standard software suite for professional photographers, Capture One offers tools to tether, edit, and catalog raw image file processes. It is a staple for studio photographers and is a crucial part of the workflow.
A Path to Future Development
The company stated that a perpetual license simply isn’t profitable enough in a modern subscription-based landscape, which provides the necessary revenue for ongoing and timely software update development. The Photoshop alternative, Pixelmator, recently also adopted a subscription model, stating that running a software company has become expensive and that with the constant demand for updates and new features, only a subscription model will enable them to continue development.
But critics point to Adobe’s record profits since the launch of Creative Cloud in 2013, which has led other companies to follow suit to cash in.
Capture One will be retiring the annual release schedule of its software with the release of version 23 and will launch the subscription and loyalty version of the software beginning Feb. 1, 2023. The company states that after the release of version 23, users with a perpetual license will only receive years' worth of bug fixes without any new features being added and that there will not be any discounted path to upgrade other than their new loyalty scheme.
But if the company is still going to be offering a perpetual license purchase, then what will be the point? And if it’s just to get the bug fixes, shouldn’t they be issued to all users regardless of whether a license is active or not?
The News Didn't Go So Well
As of now, Capture One states that the subscription is the best option to use the most recent version of the software, which comes at a monthly cost of $24, or $179 annually. For creatives that grew up in the Creative Cloud subscription era, this might not be that big of an issue. Just the cost of doing business, right?
Well, based on the internet’s reaction to the news, customers aren’t taking it too well.
The company recently had a 50% off sale of their annual perpetual license, and then shortly after, announced the news that a subscription model will be coming a few months later. This has led many users to vent that the company is, in essence, “double dipping” by making version 23 essentially obsolete shortly after being purchased (unless you pay for an upgrade).
“Why didn’t you mention this when offering the upgrade?” said one user.
“I bought the upgrade and expected one year of upgrades. I feel betrayed,” said another.
A Camera One representative attempted to quell the fury by reminding users that the perpetual license will still be honored should a customer not choose to adopt the loyalty scheme.
“You are not required to purchase every update. In the same way, you are not required to purchase a perpetual license every year. It’s up to you how often you upgrade,” wrote Capture One’s Jack Williams. “If there are features or camera support that you don’t want or need, then it’s probably best that you don’t purchase an upgrade.”
Capture One’s website also points out that the new loyalty scheme will have no impact on users of Capture One Pro. Subscribers of the Pro version will continue to receive all updates, including new features, improvements, and new camera and lens support. However, it also says that Capture One Pro 23 users will receive no feature updates after Feb. 1, 2023.
An Evolving Creative Landscape
So it sounds like, at least in the short term, Capture One will keep perpetual license support active. However, at some point, users will have to either transition to the subscription plan or merely look for another alternative.
The days of owning your tools may seem to be a thing of the past, but where there is demand, a solution will arise. While software suites like Capture One and Adobe Creative Cloud have become industry juggernauts, the rise of open-source applications ensures that free solutions are on par with expensive solutions. Blender, once a free, open-source tool for budding 3D artists, is now a capable software suite that finds its way into Hollywood motion pictures.
Moonray by Dreamworks is also joining the open-source party in the new year. Developing software has never been easier as younger generations get better tools and learning opportunities. So when creatives demand a better solution, one will present itself. It's just a matter of time. But what will that mean for companies asking for more of our hard-earned profits?
What do you think of this new development? Let us know in the comments!
Your Comment
6 Comments
These idiots is going to lose a lot of customers. I will never pay for a subscription to use editing software.
December 9, 2022 at 12:25PM, Edited December 9, 12:25PM
I would not consider a subscription only service. Raise your price if you need more money. Or have fewer “50% off”.
The price of capture one is very competitive, they could easily hike the price.
December 9, 2022 at 4:17PM
"The company stated that a perpetual license simply isn’t profitable enough in a modern subscription-based landscape"
if they develop new feature more people are interest to buy a newer version instead to be blackmailed from subscription model. I ever bought every year an update to support a development of an alternative to adobe subscription models, but in the last two years I not see so big news in develop, only shortcut, faster way to open or closed function, but nothing to revolutionary the workflow of tool...
no better automatic mask to apply develop, no better layer support (the reason that I prefer it to Lightroom), no better tool to manage color correction (please take a look to Blackmagic Design tools, there are many ideas to develop).
if they go to subscription only I stop to update it. I not want my photo be hostage of some software. do you need more money? develop better tool... there are a lots of competitors, the winner is not who do more hostage, but who have better tools.
December 12, 2022 at 9:53AM, Edited December 12, 9:55AM
"The days of owning your tools may seem to be a thing of the past"
i not have problem to own my tool, but I would like to see support of past, too much time in the last 15 years I see that newer version of software delete tools, plugins, and not allow me to open scene (3d render changed in Maya and max), editing and motion graphics project (premiere and after) and render like in past, or sometimes not open past scene/files, and for who like me work in documentary environment where often you do a review of old work, I should restart some work from ground and not ever my clients understand that I not overload the costs of videos, but simply I cannot open old files be cause subscription models stop me to use old tools.
Continuity is a strange word in social media production, but not exist only that delivery, and developing tool that support continuity is not simple, and often developer find some excuse (photoshop stop to support 3d, to force you another subscription to 3d suite) to remove function instead to develop better....
i prefer to keep a fixed license to have ability to start a virtuali machine and load old tool to rebuild, or convert, or export versions of old work.
in a big facility like pixar or dreamwork there are people to develop migration tools, to keep continuity between file format, structure and more, but how many people here can do that?
December 12, 2022 at 10:04AM
After being an Adobe user from almost the beginning, I ended my ongoing relationship with them when they switched to their Creative Cloud subscription model. I was even in their early release program. But it was clear to me then, as it is here, that this is nothing more than a bow to shareholders, C-suites, and the bottom line at the expense of their customers. Not only that, but I watched the quality and innovation of Adobe's products wane with CC, falling behind their competitors. And why should they innovate, when they don't have to convince users anymore that they've done anything to warrant paying for an upgrade. Many users began skipping annual upgrades, as I did. I think that might have been their problem prior to CC to be honest.
Although I had been considering Capture One as a replacement for my aging Perpetual Adobe Lightroom product, I no longer am following this announcement. I simply refuse to support any company that forces a subscription model on their customers for major industry products, and/or punishes anyone who chooses to remain a perpetual customer, ESPECIALLY in the way this was done.
Creatives need to think about how they will access old projects once they stop paying their monthly dues? For example, with my perpetual Adobe Creative Suite products, I can still access web site data stores created with GoLive CS3, and films I created with Premiere/Audition/Ae/Speedgrade. Do that with your canceled subscription.
Consumers have the power to end this subscription model nonsense by choosing perpetual alternatives and/or open source solutions, along with the many other reputable companies who continue to offer perpetual licenses, like Black Magic Design with their DaVinci Resolve. The latter is a premier example of a good business model. $300 for Resolve Studio with lifetime free upgrades along with an EXCELLENT suite of HW products. The speed of innovation with which BMD continually improves their products puts Adobe to shame.
Who needs Adobe? Or Capture One?
December 15, 2022 at 10:45AM
“Cloud licensors are like slumlords,” he gripes, referring to competitors Adobe and Avid. “You have to keep buying from me and the more you’re loyal, the more you’ll get penalized. It’s like your dog does something nice and you beat it with a stick.”
Grant Petty talking about Resolve.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/schifrin/2022/04/11/how-an-aussie-from-the-...
January 18, 2023 at 1:57PM