Waves bring in subscription plans
Leading plug-in manufacturer introduces 2 plans, Silver and Mercury
5,0 / 5,0 | 
In a world where we pay for lots of things on a temporary basis, does anyone own anything anymore? And does that matter? Whichever way you look at it, subscription plans are a normal part of modern life. There are pro’s and con’s for both the supplier and the consumer, but finally Waves have decided to join the party. Being one of the leading pro-audio plug-in manufacturers, these are sure to be tempting deals for professionals and enthusiasts. However, there are initially only two plans on offer. Who are they suitable for?
Waves Subscription Plans
There are two subscription plans now available with Waves:
SILVER SUBSCRIPTION for 9.99 USD per month, or 99 USD annually.
MERCURY SUBSCRIPTION for 149 USD per month, or 1499 USD annually.
With each subscription plan you will receive ‘VIP technical support’ and any updates that are released. With the Mercury bundle you will also receive any new plug-ins that Waves release, in the same way Mercury owners currently benefit from.
On the face of it this is quite exciting, but Waves have really only offered two plans for two ends of the market. These plans mirror their existing Silver and Mercury bundles, but under a rental agreement rather than an out-right purchase or ‘rent-to-buy’ scheme. The Silver package is sure to be the most popular, but there is a chance that some customers will already own a few of these popular plug-ins. Therefore, these customers might be deterred due to effectively paying twice for the ones they already own. Wouldn’t tailor-made plans be more attractive for existing customers only? It is an obvious path for new customers though, and this provides a great option for those that don’t have any Waves plugins… yet!
I can see the Mercury plan proving popular for non-professionals. For example, renting plug-ins just for the duration of a project is quite feasible. By renting all of Waves plug-ins, which is what Mercury presents, means you would have everything you need to finish your project. That’s not bad for 149 USD per month. However, if I’d continually paid 149 USD per month, I’d want to eventually have the option of owning Mercury. Even if this incurred some interest or a final fee.
Are these plans cost effective? You could argue that they are when comparing to the full price. For Mercury for example, the subscription deal will be equivalent to over 4 years of rental passing before you’ve paid the same as the purchase price. (Not including any support plans.) However, we all know no-one pays the full price for these bundles – Waves are continually running special offers!
I can see two major attractions with these plans. Firstly, there’s the continual updates, which can cost a lot if purchasing. Secondly, if you’re less experienced with Waves plug-ins or would simply like a support plan, then the inclusion of technical support is brilliant. These separate services by Waves aren’t cheap.
More Information
For more information and to learn about what each plan has to offer, visit http://www.waves.com/subscriptions
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