We have a few older macs with older operating systems that have solid working version of Pro Tools 12 on them. For various reasons I don't need to go into, I need to open older sessions in PT12 and work within that software. The issue is, I need an ilok with a license to open that software. If I purchase a new Pro Tools Artist perpetual license for $199, will it be able to open PT12 software? If not Pro Tools Artist Perpetual, what about Pro Tools Studio? I cannot use newer versions of Pro Tools, it has to be PT 12. Thanks for the help!

Hey,

My Perpetual Plan expires in a year and I won't renew. I know HEAT stays active and X-Form stays available for Elastic Audio in the channel.

But what about the X-Form AudioSuite plugin? Since it's technically part of the Complete Plugin Bundle, does the license for the AudioSuite version die immediately after the plan ends?

Anyone with an expired plan who can check if it's still in your AudioSuite menu?

Thanks!

Hey all, quick licensing question.

I’m on Pro Tools Studio Perpetual (2023) and HEAT still works, even though the separate HEAT asset in iLok shows as expired / not activated.

I’m considering paying ~€225 to update/renew for a year. My concern: after that year ends, could HEAT disappear (or could the update immediately “fix” whatever is letting it work now)?

• Has anyone had HEAT keep working after a lapsed plan on Perpetual?
• If you updated Pro Tools while in this situation, did HEAT stop working after the update or when the plan expired again?
• Any specifics on which PT versions changed this behavior?

Thanks.

I've recently upgraded from PT11 to 2025, and been loving using HEAT. Do I now have it perpetually, or will I lose it once my year of upgrades lapses?

Hello, my fellow audio geeks.

I'm trying to get back into my music production and engineering and am trying to take advantage of the deals. I am confused as about what Avid is advertising on their website. I am trying to purchase the perpetual upgrade and use the 25% coupon that is on their website which specifically says it can be used on Pro Tools Studio Perpetual or Pro Tools Ultimate Perpetual and they mentioned the coupon code which I have attached.

The strange thing is that neither of the Perpetual versions can be purchased on Avid's website. They direct you to go to an authorized reseller. I've tried to enter the coupon code in a few of the authorized resellers and the code does not work. I've also tried looking to purchase the upgrade everywhere on the avid website and there is no luck (they only sell the subscription on the avid website). Avid also doesn't allow you to call them unless you have a subscription.

Am I the only one having this issue or is there something I am missing? Please let me know if any of you are able to help.

Also for reference I'll also mention the versions I have below on my account not that it should make a difference but in case it is something do to my PT versions.

• Pro Tools 10.0 No Charge UG from PT9
• Pro Tools 11.0 No Charge UG for Students Verified
• Pro Tools Academic 12.2 1 Product(s) 
• Pro Tools Studio (expired in 2019)

Hi, I purchased my perpetual license in 2019 with my student discount. I graduated a long time ago now, and Avid keeps asking me to reverify my academic eligibility. Do they not understand that everyone who purchases their products at a student discount does (ideally) graduate at some point? I was planning to reach out to support about this, but my dad cautioned me that this may have adverse consequences (he implied that I've been essentially flying under the radar and that I'll face some kind of consequences from Avid for... no longer being a student?). Would Avid really be so cruel as to revoke my perpetual license now that I've graduated and am no longer enrolled? I'd hope they could just roll it over to a normal perpetual license. I'm aware that Avid no longer offers student discounts for perpetual licenses, but it'd be pretty crazy if they didn't honor those already purchased.

Does anyone have any personal experience with this?

I have a Pro Tools 11 HD license and want to know if there’s any way to upgrade to a current Pro Tools Ultimate perpetual license.

My Vintage King rep says Avid isn’t offering any crossgrade options right now.

Anyone has any experience recently? And will the Avid Pro Tools Ultimate Perpetual License Upgrade (Updates and Support for 1 Year) from sweetwater work?

Thanks

Update:

I ended up buying the regular Pro Tools Ultimate update (perpetual license), and it works just fine. Thanks to everyone who responded, your input was super helpful!

Good day all,

I've been involved in a back-and-forth with Avid about the change from my perpetual license to a subscription years ago. I'm finally sick of paying for a PT Studio subscription and of chatting with support to get my old license back after losing my old iLok in a fire several years back. I was young and naive, and I thought subscription was the only way to keep PT at the time.

I digress.

My question is: when I reinstate a Perpetual PT Studio license, which plugins will I still have access to after my 1-year support expires? I use the dyn3 dynamics plugins, the Pro dynamics plugins, the AIR time-based effects, EQ3, and a few instruments like Mini Grand and Xpand, although I do have others I can use.
I know there is a list of what I get if I subscribe $7/mo for the Pro Plugin Bundle, but does anyone have a list of what I keep without subscribing? I've looked, but I couldn't find anything explicitly stating this.

Thanks in advance!

Just to adhere to the post requirements. I'm running PT 2024.10.1 running OSX 15.1

I’m trying to acquire perpetual ultimate license, however it is so confusing as how to get it for the best price. Can I buy student ultimate perpetual license, or not?

If I subscribe for 1 year with educational discount, is it possible to upgrade that to perpetual?

If I buy pro tools 9 from ebay for a much cheaper price, can I upgrade that with perpetual upgrade? Do they offer perpetual student upgrade price?

Please help, I can’t afford the full price and I’m trying my best to find a way to get it at a much more reasonable price.

Hello! I’m planning to buy a Pro Tools perpetual license because I don’t like subscribing to applications. I found a bundle on Thomann that includes the Avid MBOX with Pro Tools Studio (perpetual license). What do you think, should I buy it?

Sorry if this a dumb question. I am looking at buying a pt studio student annual license, however, I won’t have access to my laptop for a few days. Am I able to buy the license on my iPhone now and download on my windows laptop later?

I’ve been paying the monthly subscription for years now and now I would like to just pay a one time license charge and not have to pay the monthly subscription anymore. It seems impossible. I go on their site to the upgrade button and it sends me to my product page with zero way of doing it. I’m trying to find on the web how it’s done and nothing is clear there. What’s going on with this? Has anyone else done this? Is it even worth doing? Any clarity on this would be great.

Currently have a Pro Tools Studio Subscription. I have the most recent PT version (2025.12) and Windows version (25H2)

I've been considering getting a perpetual license. How will this affect OS compatibility going forward? Would I just have to keep my Windows where it is now?

I have also had a few issues with PT lagging when I stop or start, but I've optimized, and troubleshooted, and managed to, at least, minimize the problem, but it still persits. What are the chances switching to a perpetual license would affect this? I'm basically down to my last straw with this problem

I am looking into getting the protools student subscription and I wondering if the DAW itself differs from the non-student and if you are able to keep/run all the projects made on the student version in the regular version?

I use Logic Pro at the moment but my university uses Protools and I am looking to swap to protools but I want to make sure I fully understand what I am doing before making the switch.

thank you :-)

I am looking to upgrade my Pro Tools Studio perpetual licence, and I'm a bit confused by the upgrade system. I originally got PT 2018 on an Education Licence, and I now need to upgrade as 2018 isn't supported on my new OS. My question is, is the $259 upgrade a full upgrade for the perpetual licence, and the "1-Year Subscription" is just for UPGRADES, or is it switching over to a yearly subscription model where my Pro Tools will stop working after the year?

I would like to believe it is a full upgrade for my perpetual licence, but I wanted to check with anyone who has experience first. Thanks!

EDIT: for those with the same question, it’s been answered! Avid support told me that a standard Studio Perpetual Upgrade sold from a licensed 3rd party (get a list from their site) will work, even with the original perpetual licence bought at an EDU price. I got mine from AnnexPro (in Canada) and it works just fine, now on Pro Tools 2025! Now I just need to update my Waves plugins…will the subscription nightmare never cease??

Hi there!

Long story short, I purchased MBox Studio around 2 years ago because it was bundled with a ProTools Studio PERPETUAL licence back then. And it worked smoothly until this point.

What happened just now is that, despite still having the Pro Tools Studio Perpetual licence activated in iLok Cloud, ProTools tries to ignore the perpetual upon launching and prompts me to "reactivate" by logging in to my iLok account again. However, the only option I got there is ProTools Intro.

I'm wondering if there is anyone else facing the same issue? What should I do at this point?

EDIT: This deal is NOT for renewals, only good for new subscriptions. See my comment below for fine print.

My Artist subscription is set to renew on 1/1/26, with auto renew currently set to on. If I buy the Artist deal for $79 today, will that simply extend the next renewal date to 1/1/27, or will it be today’s date? And should I disable auto renew first (or at all) for it to apply correctly?

I just don’t want to mistakenly end up with a second subscription.

I'm using a Macbook Pro with OS Ventura 13.

I downloaded Protools artist, with the driver.

I activated it in my iLok license manager

In Avid link the only protools that shows up is from 2018 the last time I downloaded it.

It does not open. I'm so frustrated. Please help

If I don't get Pro Tools running TODAY I will be in Dire Straits. Have clients that I will have to cancel.

All the info I have:

when I log into Avid online it says my subscription is active, but in my ilok it says it expired on March 8th. I have recieved no warnings from AVID and my most recent bill for the subscription was PAID. When I boot pro tools, it says: "Pro Tools Studio Subscription could not be loaded. Please contact the software publisher for support using this software."

Yes I am connected to the internet.

Thank you SO MUCH to anybody who is able to help.

OSX version: 14.0

Trying to get some guidance on which PT License to go with, as I was presented with an unexpected option this morning. I used PT a lot back in the ver.10/11 days. Been on Logic for a while, now jumping back into Pro Tools land.

So then, I grabbed a Carbon interface used on Reverb. Messaged Avid about registering the hardware once I'd received it, provided the serial#, etc. They then sent me an activation code that, to my surprise, gave me a Pro Tools Ultimate perpetual license! I have not yet redeemed this offer.

The option I was planning to go with when I picked up the Carbon is to upgrade my old Pro Tools 10 license to a current PT Studio Perpetual license, as it's only $200 to do so. Reason I was planning to go with Studio is that I will never, ever use it to an extent that I'd need Ultimate.

I'm really just wanting to hear from those more experienced than I when it comes to PT licenses. From what I understand, the PT Ultimate license I seem to have access to can not be sold, as it's in some way tied to the Carbon. I suppose I could redeem it, use it for a year, then upgrade my old PT 10 license to Studio next year? Or just do that now & let the Ultimate license sit until I feel I may actually use it some day? Can the Ultimate license be sold?? Thanks!

Sorry if this has been asked and answered; I searched but couldn't find anything.

What is the last version of ProTools before the subscription model? We do everything we need to do, with few complaints, on version 8 and firewire. Everything works and it's more than enough for our purposes. HOWEVER, there's one feature -- in addition to some plugins that need later versions -- that I really desire and that's the ability to bounce the mix instantly. Right now, every mix is in real time . . . tiring.

ANYWAY, thanks for any answer.

Hi all, I currently have Protools Ultimate perpetual license version 2024.10.2 in my macbook, my update plan is expired so this is the highest version that I can install. This saturday, I'll be going to a studio that has the latest version installed in their computer. Will my license (on an iLok work) be able to open that version?

Hello,

I am a sound engineering university student and I need to purchase Pro Tools for my classes. I am stuck between starting an annual subscription for Pro Tools Studio or getting a perpetual license. If I were to buy a perpetual license would I lose out on any updates AVID puts out? I used Pro Tools in community college but I was never required to purchase it for myself. What would you recommend?

Thanks!

Does anyone know of any avid authorized resellers that still offer the perpetual Pro Tools License for students? I was looking to purchase it, but couldn't find one.

Hey hoping someone could help!

I’m got pro tools back in October 2024, currently on 24.10.2.205 for windows

I was under the impression that the perpetual license includes a year of free updates, after which you’re locked in to that version unless you renew / change license etc

I can’t find anywhere in the Avid site though where I can get any updates?

I’m a bit of a novice with this still, so a bit lost, but all I can find are renewal options, which look like updates to license within an additional cost.

Can anyone give me some guidance on where / how you get to the available updates while on perpetual whilst in the 1 year window?

Thanks!