• Hi and welcome to the Studio One User Forum!

    Please note that this is an independent, user-driven forum and is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or maintained by PreSonus. Learn more in the Welcome thread!

License expiry checked every year?

D

dominicperry

Member
I've just launched FSP8 after my upgrade period has expired. FSP went off and checked my license (presumably it would lock me out if I couldn't connect to the server) and then tells me that the next license check is in 364 days. Does that mean that perpetual isn't really perpetual - I need to have my license checked every year? If Fender change their minds about licensing, or the server no longer exists/is contactable for any reason, FSP stops working?

[Just to be clear, this does not appear to be the way S1 worked - I don't think my copies of S1 6 or S1 7 go and check my license every year. If they do, it's never been obvious that they are doing so].

So, is perpetual not really perpetual any more?

Dominic
 
I can't answer your question but I share the uneasy feeling about these "perpetual license" checks.
Since Fender is the new boss, they could break all previous promises made by presonus about forced subscriptions whenever their controlling owners feel like it.
 
I also wouldn't know but...
This might be nothing more than checking if you have an active subscription?
It might be worth firing an email off to Fender sales dept., to ask for advice?

Kindest regards
 
FMN-Music said:
I can't answer your question but I share the uneasy feeling about these "perpetual license" checks.
Since Fender is the new boss, they could break all previous promises made by presonus about forced subscriptions whenever their controlling owners feel like it.
Click to expand...

'New'? They took over in 2021.
 
dominicperry said:
Yes but the private equity company took over Fender more recently.
Click to expand...

Nope. Servco became the majority owner of Fender in 2020, having been a joint owner since 2012, and Fender has been in private equity ownership since 2001 (Weston Presidio).
 
BobF said:
I would expect even perpetual licenses to be verified periodically.
Click to expand...
I confirmed with support - long ago - that ALL licenses - even perpetual - are checked once annually.

This is normal and expected.

VP
 
the question remains:
what will happen, when the annual "perpetual license"-check does not reach its target?
 
FMN-Music said:
the question remains:
what will happen, when the annual "perpetual license"-check does not reach its target?
Click to expand...

Not sure I understand what that means...

VP
 
And for those wondering - simply go to Help->About Studio One - and view your next upcoming check:

1778508390035.png


VP
 
Vocalpoint said:
Not sure I understand what that means...

VP
Click to expand...
- Imagine the time of annual check has come and you are (temporarily) without internet, will FSP8 (perpetual) stop working?
- Imagine you've moved on to another DAW and in a few years time you want to open a project that you made with FSP8, but it went out of business in the meantime, because it went subscription only and nobody wanted to use it anymore.. Will you be able to install and fire up FSP8 with your perpetual license, or not?
 
dominicperry said:
Thanks for confirming. Normal, but not expected by me, and I'm not comfortable with it.

Dominic
Click to expand...

Well - no one said you had to like it - but it is what it is.

And yes - Studio One 7 did this as well. This is how I found out the info from support.

VP
 
FMN-Music said:
- Imagine the time of annual check has come and you are (temporarily) without internet, will FSP8 (perpetual) stop working?
- Imagine you've moved on to another DAW and in a few years time you want to open a project that you made with FSP8, but it went out of business in the meantime, because it went subscription only and nobody wanted to use it anymore.. Will you be able to install and fire up FSP8 with your perpetual license, or not?
Click to expand...

When I discussed this with support - there was no concept of S1/SP - not working. This is simply a license check and that is all.

If your internet was out - right on "check" day - do not think anything will stop working - it will simply check when your connection is back.

My understanding is that once you have a perpetual license - you can install and activate at any time for any reason.

Also remember too - that you can "deactivate" activations of your license from your MyFender account IF you find yourself doing something like moving onto another DAW etc.

Everytime I build a new DAW - this is something that I do - to enable a hard reset of my license key.

This "checkpoint" has nothing to do with any of that. It is simply a basic annual check to ensure you are using your licensed copy (on up to 5 installs)

VP
 
Last edited:
Ok let's just start thinking logically about this.
A license check would not make any sense when nothing would happen if it failed. So we can assume that FSP8 would stop working as a consequence. Since a license and license management is coupled with your online fender account, the check will have to use an internet connection. So if you don't have internet or there is no fender at the other end of the internet, you will not be able to activate FSP8 or extend a "perpetual license" and FSP8 will not work. Therefor your "perpetual license" will only work a maximum of 364 days after fender decides to change or stop the licensing server or just goes out of business.
So I'd say yes, the perpetual license is not really perpetual anymore.
 
FMN-Music said:
So I'd say yes, the perpetual license is not really perpetual anymore.
Click to expand...

Perpetual has never meant "not subject to a check". If that's how you are framing it - that is your own thing to come to grips with.

"Perpetual" (in this context) means you are NOT required to reach for your wallet - ever again. AKA - use Studio Pro with "this" license - forever free of any more charges. (and updates)

And I have already proven this is not a concern. When I purchased V7.0.0 ON the day of release (Oct 12, 2024) - my first license check was posted as 12.10.2025 - exactly one year from purchase.

When I decided to "not" renew my Annual Updates program - and moved right into "official" perpetual territory - I watched Oct 12, 2025 simply slid by on the calendar - and nothing untoward happened. No stoppages. Or weird messages. Or nothing. But a few weeks later (when I eventually spoke with support) - my new "check date" (for v7) was listed as Oct 12, 2026 and I carried on.

Just checked v7.2.3 two seconds ago and it is still listed as Oct 12, 2026. I will bet money that I v7.2.3 is still rolling as of Oct 13, 2026 - nothing will happen. Then when I purchased Studio Pro 8 on Jan 12, 2026 - you can see my screencap above - my "check date" (for that version) is exactly a year from purchase.

Now - to the scenarios you list - some plausible and others a tad far-fetched - until someone swings by here with actual evidence of a hard stop DUE to a failed license check or one of us experiences it ourselves - this is simply speculation.

Not saying that a problem is not possible (anything is "possible") - but without any actual intel - lets call it "unproven"

Me personally - I do not see a one a year "check" on any license (for verification purposes) being onerous or a negative in any way.

Fender owns this software, it's license mechanisms and everything else. If they want to check my license at a regular interval - that is just fine by me - and quite frankly - out of my hands.

Our purchase of a license give us a right to "use" the product and that is all. If one see this license check as an intrusion or problem - maybe it's time for a different DAW. But I guarantee - in one way or another - they all do these checks.

Meantime - until someone can confirm any possibility of "chaos" due to a failed license check - let's just keep on keeping on.

VP
 
Last edited:
Oh gosh, why do people constantly look for ways to anticipate the sky falling?

The annual perpetual licence check has been going on for a good while. This document explains the annual licence check and what happens if you are offline when the check is due. The information is out there, peeps. You just have to RTFM.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top