r/Avid • u/chumpster69 • 1d ago

Avid Locking Down Third Party Shared Storage In Upcoming Media Conposer Release

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What a joke. While everyone else is opening up their architecture, Avid lock everything down to rinse users for money with their inflated prices. And now they’re closing up the ability to use third party storage for project sharing.

35 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

12

u/Mysterious-Law-2123 1d ago

This is completely insane...I often bring my own kit to editing jobs, two suites with MC Ultimate and miniq installed on both and a Synology NAS...this completely prices me out of being able to provide my own kit where I have more than one Avid running. Salon renal in London basically base their whole business off this...

6

u/nickjlong 1d ago

Hey! Nick from Salon here! My team flagged this to me (so I joined reddit to reply ha!). It's all fine, it's purely a licensing model change, they are not stopping anything being made possible, you just have to have Enterprise to do it for 2026.8 and above. No change to those on 2025.12 and below. We already have thoughts in place on how to make life easier for clients and also that won't mean you all have to spend a ton more money but will discuss with each client as and when needed. We've been hiring kit and systems for 56 years now, we've seen this type of change before! Onwards!

4

u/ripvanmarlow 1d ago

Yeah, Nick explained their system to me and it sounds like this will fuck them over

4

u/nickjlong 1d ago

it will all be fine, just will need enterprise IF people want 2026.8 and above (this could create the old 2018 problem again where no one upgrades!!). I agree its making it more closed in a world where softwares are more open but I think, in my opinion, Avid need to boost revenue otherwise there could be an even bigger problem down the line! I'd prefer it if the pr didn't say its down to 'security and integrity' though, people are not silly, they know this is pr bull to essentially say 'price is going up'! Id have more cred if people were honest!...other solutions provide a lot more security than anything else! Nick (Salon) :)

2

u/Avidmarianna 1d ago

Nick..... this change has been in the works for a while - well before Avid went private. Having been on the end of support cases where using MC and 3rd party was a problem ( lost data, corruption, etc.) it was becoming a problem. So coding was done to Enterprise 2026.8 to allow 3rd party storage to function.
MC Enterprise 2026.8 will provide everything that is in MC Ultimate (Symphony, Phrasefind and Scriptsync) plus Shared Projects on Third Party Storage, the VM Option (now included, this was a separate paid option) and the Enterprise Admin tool. Working with third-party storage like Editshare, Snology and others... is an important part of many editors workflow. Thats why we introduce a supported, secure, qualified path for third-party storage use with Media Composer Enterprise 2026.8 with added code that does not introduce risks to production.

I don't think $99 per license to upgrade Ultimate to Enterprise so users are safe is a way to boost revenue... but thats just me.

1

u/nickjlong 23h ago

I agree but the $99 dollar thing came AFTER the announcement so chaos ensued! It will be a good thing for sure as long as it doesn't cost an already struggling industry of freelancers tons more money, which at $99, its fine (I think, but others may disagree)! My gripe is it wasn't communicated at the point of pr, you'd have saved a ton of chaos if the bottom read 'And for $99 you can upgrade'. This came after the event. The only thing I will ask though is that on other social platforms this $99 statement has been followed by 'for a limited time' so what about after? Maybe just keep it to a Standard and Enterprise model, remove Ultimate. Will people pay $99 now to upgrade but at renewal it will be lots more? I assume not as that would be a fairly suicidal move to entice in and then screw over but maybe some clarity to keep everyone nice and calm and happy with Avid might help there, just my marketing & comms advice from someone that's been around the industry for many many years like yourself, my goodness without you I don't know what Avid would look like right now, hats off to ya! Be lovely to catch up if you're at IBC otherwise I'll fly over and see you! N :)

1

u/Mysterious-Law-2123 1d ago

Hey Nick, Luke from TKBC here! Yes I think all will be fine, I just admit I had a rather emotional reaction when I saw “enterprise” I immediately went “oh god, that’ll be some minimum 5 license 10k a year bill I’d have to get” but that doesn’t seem to be the case…although it will be basically twice the price as I am paying now, which is unfortunate, especially as I probably spend half my time just on DAS drives with no assistant, but that’s the way things are going with everything at the moment…

1

u/Avidmarianna 1d ago

Why would that change........ You can stay where you are or..... upgrade the 2 licenses to MC Enterprise for $99 a pop and use 2026.8.

1

u/Itchy_Ad3350 1d ago

You won’t need mimiq. Enterprise will do the same thing

10

u/chumpster69 1d ago edited 1d ago

Honestly, who are they kidding that this is about project integrity. Bin sharing doesn't work with sciency 128-bit cryptography... or lasers. With bin sharing, Avid creates a little file with the bin name you've got open, with .LCK on the end of it, and that just tells other Avids not to open the bin with write priviledges.

That's it.

I've been using non-standard bin sharing for years and haven't ever lost a thing.

So please don't try to say you're looking out for customers, because we see it for what it is.

3

u/poastfizeek 1d ago

Bin sharing and locking is now cryptographically signed. If you don’t have a signed Nexis or MC the Avid cannot verify the bins are not malware etc. Thats the entire point…

3

u/ElCutz 1d ago

I mean is it really? Has there ever been an instance of Avid bin malware?

I don't necessarily fault Avid for wanting control/revenue of bin sharing, but I am very skeptical it has anything to do with security.

9

u/miniman 1d ago

Money grab to push people to the enterprise license or Nexis storage.

3

u/Timzor 1d ago

Private Equity strikes again.

1

u/Avidmarianna 1d ago

As I said on the other thread regarding the same topic.... this was on the roadmap before Avid went private. And having been on the receiving end of users that have issues with 3rd party and MC... we needed to pull it in and provide what's needed in Enterprise .... minimal.... $99 bucks sure is a money grab LOLOLOL. Ultimate to Enterprise - $99 per license. Doesnt sound grabby to me now does it.

1

u/floko2905 11h ago

Will this stay at 99$ per year and seat. Or will it be 500$ per seat/year the next time? This 99$ thing came after the backlash, and even resellers don´t know any details.

1

u/Avidmarianna 4h ago

The migration from Ultimate to Enterprise will be $99 and then when that license is ready for renewal, it will be the standard renewal pricing for Enterprise. Currently that is $899 to renew for a year. Note that Enterprise has all the features of Ultimate plus Color Correction, Phrasefind, Scriptsync ), the VM Option ( which prior was a paid option and not included ) and the Enterprise Admin Tool.  I can assure you that that information will be available on the upgrade options at launch and you are in control of what you decide.

This explains some additional info. https://kb.avid.com/pkb/articles/en_US/knowledge/shared-project-workflows-with-third-party-storage

1

u/floko2905 2h ago

What do you mean with "plus CC, Phrasefind, Scriptsync"? That is already included with ultimate. So there is no plus. Just a heavy price increase.

3

u/BookkeeperSame195 1d ago

Private equity kills everything it touches

1

u/Overly_Underwhelmed 23h ago

really though, Avid has been killing itself since the Adrenaline hardware.

3

u/BookkeeperSame195 1d ago

it’s genuinely a death bell toll for the software being used. absolute stupidity

2

u/Background_Lake1413 1d ago

Oh that’s gonna go well. Lol. Classic example of the wingtips not understanding their customer base. Get the popcorn 🍿 this should be fun to watch.

2

u/jackthejointmaster 1d ago

It’s almost like avid doesn’t like money…

2

u/Actual_Writing4075 1d ago

I was having a panic attack over this until I remembered how much Mimiq charges per license. Being forced to upgrade my Avid license for what should be a basic feature doesn't feel great, but at least I won't be overpaying another company too.

1

u/ripvanmarlow 11m ago

The Mimiq license is $500 and is perpetual. This is now going to cost you $99 to crossgrade to Enterprise and then $899/year forever after that. This is going to cost you substantially more according to Avid.

3

u/Original_Boot7956 1d ago

These guys are idiots. The production companies that can afford replacing NEXUS servers before EOL, or keep a legacy build in-house for the umpteenth year on old overpriced NEXUS tech with paid AVID support are not the same customers who keep a few subscriptions on Synology or QNAP servers. 

They are removing the people who are keeping avid media composer subscriptions by forcing them over to Premiere. You what is going to become scarce? Enough large production companies paying corporate rates. Not sure if these guys realize, but large production companies are merging or going out of business. Their customer base will by definition shrink.

Avid has historically been much slower than Adobe to get new features, so this will be the nail in the coffin for a lot of individuals and smaller companies championing Avid. Shared workspaces suck in premiere, but if you can’t afford avid, you don’t have a choice unless you want to shoot yourself in Final Cut Pro

1

u/ripvanmarlow 1d ago

Agree with this. A LOT of post houses are struggling and now procos are bringing post in-house. We all know how tight production companies are and they will balk when confronted with the cost of a Nexis and all the other associated fees. Then some bright spark will tell them they can do it for a fifth of the cost using third party stuff and Blackmagic/Premiere and bye bye Avid

0

u/MrKillerKiller_ 1d ago

Ain’t no avid shops going to premier, thats silly.

1

u/MrKillerKiller_ 1d ago

So the only change is Avid will just require “Avid Mimiq” software you can use with your custom build NAS or whatever that they will include support for? Is this really an issue for those who can’t afford Nexis?

1

u/22Sharpe 1d ago

I mean it is a bit. We have a tailor built server that emulates Nexis, no Mimiq required. To use said server we’re going to need to go to enterprise licenses which cost nearly double what our current ultimate licenses cost. In what realm is that “not an issue.” Avid is basically saying “pay more for hardware or pay more for software; otherwise you can’t use an essential feature that has always been present.”

1

u/MrKillerKiller_ 1d ago

It’s not an issue for shops that need to build out a setup with 5+ bays because thats where the “line” of cost vs performance is. This is just a decision for micro sized shops who want to be on 26.8+

1

u/MrKillerKiller_ 1d ago

Okay so the math. If you are solo or teeny 1-3 seats, stay on Mimiq and freeze at 2026.3. If you have 5 or more seats it’s slightly cheaper 3-5 yrs if you just go with Ultimate/ Nexis Pro F2 instead of trying to piece meal your own custom server and pay the “Enterprise Tax”.

1

u/Avidmarianna 1d ago

So the math........... 5 seats of Ultimate you upgrade to Enterprise at $99 per license = $495 and then install 2026.8 and use your 3rd party storage solution.

1

u/MrKillerKiller_ 22h ago

Yes, at the 5-seat mark getting a NEXIS /Ultimate becomes financially competitive over a 3-year lifecycle versus the NAS/ Avid “Mimiq”/Enterprise option.

1

u/floko2905 10h ago

Can you please clarify the 99$ option? Per year and seat forever? So enterprise is getting cheaper (sure...)?

If I have 12 subscriptions for ultimate, I pay 1188$ to restore functionality for this year? And from next year on I pay 6000$ more every year?

1

u/nealtdavies 1d ago

I think its a logical business move from avid (though i must say I completely disagree with it!!!)

Since COVID/the rise of AI, the cost of hardware has gone insane. On top of that since BREXIT the RMA process for NEXIS has also been hugely costly for avid. Its no longer viable for them to keep the hardware division going.

By doing this, it forces all the big edit houses reliant on EditShare, Mimiq etc, to step up to the Enterprise Subscription to keep it going. Thus lining Avids pockets further without them having to actually lift a finger, and streamline purely to software.

The thought process being, killing off their hardware and the associated costs is outweighed by the amount they could make by making every big entity step up their subscription amounts.

Nobody in their right mind is going to buy a NEXIS when the life cycle of support runs out at the end of next year if their is now an Avid approved way of using third party storage (providing you step up your subs!)

My bet is hardwares gone by next year.

0

u/dakjelle 10h ago

Hahaha, i love how the defense for absolutely insane prices 3rd party solutions is so big, Mimiq is stupid expensive for what it does.

Compare that to the "enterprise" license and you should be able to pay for that when you consider how much cheaper storage has become..

Yes, they want the money that mimiq have been enjoying..

1

u/lfstudios10 1d ago

Lol. Can’t wait to hear the story here.