Koji: Add Waves Update Plan article documenting Waves Audio's paid update model and the 2023 Creative Access perpetual-license revocation attempt

2026-05-16T21:31:00Z

Add Waves Update Plan article documenting Waves Audio's paid update model and the 2023 Creative Access perpetual-license revocation attempt

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:31, 16 May 2026
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	\|Description=Annual paid maintenance plan that gates updates, second licenses, and license transfers for Waves Audio's perpetually-licensed plugins.		\|Description=Annual paid maintenance plan that gates updates, second licenses, and license transfers for Waves Audio's perpetually-licensed plugins.
	}}		}}
	{{Ph-C-~~Int~~}}
			The '''Waves Update Plan''' (WUP) is an annual paid maintenance plan offered by [[wikipedia:Waves Audio\|Waves Audio]] for its perpetually-licensed audio plugins, bundles, and applications.<ref name="waves_wup">{{cite web \|title=Waves Update Plan \|url=https://www.waves.com/support/waves-update-plan \|website=Waves Audio \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260413101922/https://www.waves.com/support/waves-update-plan \|archive-date=13 April 2026}}</ref> Each new product purchase includes one year of WUP coverage; after that, the plan must be renewed annually for the user to receive plugin updates, second licenses, new plugins added to covered bundles, and other plan benefits.<ref name="waves_wup" /> Waves states that the annual cost per account ranges from $12 to $240 for owners of one copy of each product, and can exceed $240 for accounts holding multiple copies of the same product.<ref name="waves_wup" />

			Plugins remain authorised after WUP coverage lapses and continue to run at their last installed version.<ref name="waves_wup" /> Users without active coverage do not receive further updates, including compatibility patches for new operating systems, processor architectures, or [[wikipedia:Digital audio workstation\|digital audio workstations]] (DAWs).<ref name="waves_wup" /><ref name="cdm">{{cite web \|last=Kirn \|first=Peter \|date=27 March 2023 \|title=Waves goes subscription-only; upgrade plan renewals to end \|url=https://cdm.link/waves-goes-subscription/ \|website=CDM Create Digital Music \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251007153306/https://cdm.link/waves-goes-subscription/ \|archive-date=7 October 2025}}</ref> The plan has been a recurring source of consumer-protection criticism, most prominently in March 2023, when Waves briefly attempted to retire WUP and discontinue perpetual licenses in favour of a subscription-only model before reversing the change within three days.<ref name="musicradar_uproar">{{cite news \|last=Mullen \|first=Matt \|date=29 March 2023 \|title=Waves Audio customers are in uproar at company's new subscription-only model \|url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/waves-plugin-subscription-service-uproar \|work=MusicRadar \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216143849/https://www.musicradar.com/news/waves-plugin-subscription-service-uproar \|archive-date=16 February 2026}}</ref><ref name="musicradar_reversal">{{cite news \|last=Mullen \|first=Matt \|date=29 March 2023 \|title=Waves Audio reverses its decision to adopt subscription-only model \|url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/wave-audio-backtrack-subscription \|work=MusicRadar \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251209025231/https://www.musicradar.com/news/wave-audio-backtrack-subscription \|archive-date=9 December 2025}}</ref>

	==Consumer-impact summary==		==Consumer-impact summary==
	{{Ph-C-~~CIS~~}}
			* '''User freedom''': Once a WUP lapses, the affected plugins are frozen at their last installed version.<ref name="waves_wup" /> Audio plugins depend on the surrounding operating system, host DAW, and CPU architecture; a major OS or DAW update can render an un-updated plugin unusable, with renewed WUP coverage required to restore compatibility.<ref name="waves_wup" /><ref name="cdm" />
			* '''Business model''': WUP is a recurring per-account fee scaled to the size and original price of the user's plugin catalogue, rather than a fixed per-update charge.<ref name="waves_wup" /> Industry commentary has placed the plan between paid-upgrade and [[Subscription service\|subscription]] models, since long-term use of a perpetual license can depend on ongoing WUP renewals.<ref name="cdm" />
			* '''Market control / resale''': Waves' transfer-of-ownership policy requires that any plugin or bundle license be covered by an active WUP at the time of transfer, in addition to a separate transfer fee based on the product's list price.<ref name="waves_transfer">{{cite web \|title=How to Transfer License Ownership \|url=https://www.waves.com/support/transfer-of-ownership \|website=Waves Audio \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251215152706/https://www.waves.com/support/transfer-of-ownership \|archive-date=15 December 2025}}</ref> Combined, these requirements raise the floor below which a second-hand sale becomes uneconomic for the seller.<ref name="waves_wup" /><ref name="waves_transfer" />

	==Incidents==		==Incidents==
	~~{{Ph-C-Inc}}~~
	~~This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].~~

	===~~Example incident one~~ (~~''date''~~)===		===2023 Creative Access subscription-only transition and reversal===
	{{~~Main~~\|~~link~~ to ~~the main CR Wiki article~~}}
	~~Short summary of~~ the ~~incident (could~~ be the ~~same as~~ the ~~summary preceding~~ the ~~article)~~.		On 26 March 2023, Waves announced that it would discontinue perpetual licenses and the Waves Update Plan, moving all plugin access to a new subscription service called Waves Creative Access.<ref name="musictech_announce">{{cite news \|date=27 March 2023 \|title=Waves shifts to subscription-only model with two plans, halting sales of individual plugins \|url=https://musictech.com/news/gear/waves-subscription-only-model/ \|work=MusicTech \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250724123643/https://musictech.com/news/gear/waves-subscription-only-model/ \|archive-date=24 July 2025}}</ref><ref name="forum_announce">{{cite web \|author=Waves Audio \|date=26 March 2023 \|title=Introducing Waves Creative Access \|url=https://forum.waves.com/t/introducing-waves-creative-access/6850 \|website=Waves Community Forum \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250718051556/https://forum.waves.com/t/introducing-waves-creative-access/6850 \|archive-date=18 July 2025}}</ref> The two tiers were Waves Essential at $14.99 per month (110 plugins) and Waves Ultimate at $24.99 per month (220+ plugins).<ref name="musictech_announce" /><ref name="pe_explainer">{{cite web \|author=Production Expert \|date=26 March 2023 \|title=Waves New Subscription Only Plans - Everything You Need To Know \|url=https://www.production-expert.com/production-expert-1/waves-new-subscription-only-plans-everything-you-need-to-know \|website=Production Expert \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240408133806/https://www.production-expert.com/production-expert-1/waves-new-subscription-only-plans-everything-you-need-to-know \|archive-date=8 April 2024}}</ref>
	===~~Example incident two (''~~date'~~')=~~==
	...		Existing perpetual-license holders were told they would retain access to the latest plugin version they had already installed, but that no further updates or WUP renewals would be available to them outside the subscription.<ref name="musictech_announce" /><ref name="pe_explainer" /> In a statement to Production Expert, Waves said Creative Access would be "the exclusive way to get Waves plugins" and confirmed that perpetual licenses would no longer be sold.<ref name="pe_explainer" />

			The announcement drew widespread criticism from existing customers, who objected that the change cut off previously-purchased plugins from future operating system and DAW compatibility, and that it was announced without prior notice.<ref name="musicradar_uproar" /><ref name="cdm" /> A petition titled "#Wavesgoodbye" was launched on Change.org calling for Waves to reinstate the WUP for perpetual-license holders; it gathered more than 1,900 supporters.<ref name="petition">{{cite web \|last=Foster \|first=Matt \|date=March 2023 \|title=#Wavesgoodbye \|url=https://www.change.org/p/wavesgoodbye \|website=Change.org \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327130939/https://www.change.org/p/wavesgoodbye \|archive-date=27 March 2023}}</ref>

			On 29 March 2023, three days after the original announcement, Waves co-founder and CTO Meir Shashoua published a statement reversing the decision and reinstating both perpetual licenses and the WUP alongside the new subscription.<ref name="musicradar_reversal" /><ref name="sonicstate">{{cite news \|author=Sonicstate \|date=29 March 2023 \|title=Waves Backtracks On Subscription-Only Model \|url=https://sonicstate.com/news/2023/03/29/-waves-backtracks/ \|work=Sonic State \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329172259/https://sonicstate.com/news/2023/03/29/-waves-backtracks/ \|archive-date=29 March 2023}}</ref> Shashoua wrote that the company's earlier move had been "sudden and disruptive, and did not sufficiently take into consideration" the preferences of existing users.<ref name="sonicstate" /> As of May 2026, perpetual licenses with optional WUP coverage and Creative Access subscriptions are offered side-by-side.<ref name="waves_wup" />

			MusicRadar reported that the majority of negative responses to the announcement focused on the company's decision to "prevent existing users from updating their software."<ref name="musicradar_uproar" /> CDM Create Digital Music observed that existing users with both a license and a WUP appeared to start "at zero the same as other subscribers" under the new model.<ref name="cdm" /> The announced policy shares characteristics with [[Post-purchase EULA modification\|post-purchase EULA modification]], specifically the "Revoking perpetual license" pattern documented elsewhere on the wiki, since the conditions under which existing plugins had been sold were materially altered after sale.

			===License transfer requires active WUP===

			Waves' transfer-of-ownership policy requires that any plugin or bundle license being moved to another Waves account be covered by an active WUP at the time of transfer.<ref name="waves_transfer" /> A separate transfer fee, which Waves describes as based on the product's list price, also applies.<ref name="waves_transfer" /> Because the WUP renewal cost scales with the original product price, the combined cost of renewing a lapsed WUP and paying the transfer fee affects the practical resale value of expired-WUP licenses,<ref name="waves_wup" /><ref name="waves_transfer" /> a friction point relevant to the [[First-sale doctrine\|first-sale doctrine]] as applied to perpetually-licensed software.

	==See also==		==See also==
	~~{{Ph-C-SA}}~~

			* [[Waves Audio]]
			* [[Post-purchase EULA modification]]
			* [[Feature ransom]]
			* [[Subscription service]]
			* [[Right to own]]
			* [[First-sale doctrine]]
			* [[TeamViewer terminates perpetual licenses]]
			* [[List of products and services with post-purchase license change]]

	==References==		==References==
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	[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]		[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
			[[Category:Services]]
			[[Category:Subscription-based services]]
			[[Category:Software licensing]]
			[[Category:Lifetime license removal]]
			[[Category:2023 incidents]]

Koji: It needs to be a one liner sort of like a commit message4:05 PMClaude responded: Add Waves Update Plan article documenting Waves Audio's paid update model and the 2023 Creative Access perpetual-license revocation attemptAdd Waves Update Plan article documenting Waves Audio's paid update model and the 2023 Creative Access perpetual-license revocation attempt

2026-05-16T21:23:50Z

It needs to be a one liner sort of like a commit message4:05 PMClaude responded: Add Waves Update Plan article documenting Waves Audio's paid update model and the 2023 Creative Access perpetual-license revocation attemptAdd Waves Update Plan article documenting Waves Audio's paid update model and the 2023 Creative Access perpetual-license revocation attempt

New page

{{ProductCargo
|Company=Waves Audio
|ProductLine=Waves Update Plan
|ReleaseYear=1992
|InProduction=Yes
|ArticleType=Service
|Category=Software licensing, Subscription-based services, Audio Plugins
|Website=https://www.waves.com/
|Description=Annual paid maintenance plan that gates updates, second licenses, and license transfers for Waves Audio's perpetually-licensed plugins.
}}
{{Ph-C-Int}}

==Consumer-impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}

==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Example incident one (''date'')===
{{Main|link to the main CR Wiki article}}
Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
===Example incident two (''date'')===
...

==See also==
{{Ph-C-SA}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Waves Update Plan - Revision history

Koji: Add Waves Update Plan article documenting Waves Audio's paid update model and the 2023 Creative Access perpetual-license revocation attempt