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Waves audio goes subscription with Waves Creative Access

Scott Simmons
Waves audio goes subscription with Waves Creative Access 1

UPDATE 3/29/23: Seems Waves has had a change of heart. Perpetual licenses will still exist. That was a fast turnaround.

Yet another quality post-production tools company is going all in on the subscription model as Waves audio goes subscription with Waves Creative Access.

If you’re not familiar with Waves you’re missing out on some of the best audio mixing plug-ins out there and while they are stalwarts of the audio industry, many video editors sing their praises as their tools can be accessed in pretty much all NLEs. I’ve used both the Renaissance Compressor and Vocal Rider for years as they make fast work of a lot of audio mixing and they work really well. While their somewhat draconian licensing has often been a pain when it comes to moving between machines the company has always offered support when needed and the tools work really well.

But like many other software companies, it would seem Waves has decided the subscription-only business model is the way of the future. And the company seems to have announced this out of the blue, much to the surprise of many of its customers.

And this news happened on a day when many might not take notice.

Cost-wise, there are two different plans: Wave Essential for $15 / month with 110 plug-ins and Waves Ultimate for $25 / month with over 220 plug-ins. There is a two month break if you pay for the full year and both plans include updates and plug-ins added on a regular basis. Though you have to assume Waves Ultimate will get more added than the Essential.

If you’re a Waves user then the FAQ is something you’ll want to read. It’s good to hear my two Waves plug-ins will continue to work but no more updates without the subscription.

From the FAQ:

Is Waves Creative Access the only way to get Waves plugins now?

Yes, as of March 27, 2023, Waves Creative Access subscription are the only way to get Waves plugins. Of course, if you purchased plugins previously, you continue to own them (at the latest version you had prior to the launch of Waves Creative Access).

What happens to the plugin or bundle licenses I purchased prior to Waves Creative Access?

You continue to own them, at the latest version you bought or updated to prior to the launch of Waves Creative Access.

You can continue to use your plugin/bundle licenses and software, on all systems and host applications that are compatible with the versions you own.

This Twitter thread goes into a lot of detail and discussion about this move to subscription for Waves so if you’re a customer who is disappointed by this move, dig deep into this one:

And I have to say that as one who only uses a few third-party audio plug-ins, these tweets expresses my thoughts pretty well:

And honestly, I’ve thought the same about the Adobe Creative Cloud subscription as well.

I definitely think the Waves Creative Acess program isn’t really for video editors who don’t spend near the time or money on audio plug-ins that audio mixers and engineers do. Perhaps they can justify yet another subscription cost, but not me.

Does anyone know of a good alternative to Vocal Rider?

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