Existing Apple App Subscribers Are Grandfathered In But New Users Must Select Creator Studio
Yesterday, Apple revealed its new Creator Studio which bundles several of its apps together into one ecosystem that is akin to Adobe’s Creative Cloud. Some of those bundled apps were part of previous subscriptions, though, and Apple says those subscribers can keep those plans if they want to.
Apple’s move to combine these apps into one plan is meant to make it more financially feasible to try multiple apps, something that is very difficult to do when apps cost hundreds of dollars as standalone purchases. That logic appears to also apply to how the company is handling the bevy of subscription options that have been available up to this point.
The Creator Studio subscription is replacing the current subscription options, but Apple tells PetaPixel that existing users can keep their plans if they don’t want to switch over to the new bundle.
“If you are a current [Final Cut Pro for iPad] subscriber at $4.99 a month or $49 a year — I guess either scenario — you can continue if that’s what you prefer,” Brent Chiu-Watson, Apple’s senior director of Worldwide Product Marketing for Apps, explains. PetaPixel asked specifically about Final Cut Pro for iPad because Chris Niccolls currently subscribes to that plan and it directly affects him, but there are other existing subscriptions that will be treated the same way.
“We believe this is a really compelling subscription to move to because you’re going to get all these other things, but for the users that have already made that choice, they can continue as they see fit. And the same thing [goes] for Logic.”
That said, while existing users will be grandfathered in and will be able to keep those plans, Apple will be closing the door on them for any new users.
“In the case for the people that are working across different platforms or working across all the apps on iPad, the subscription choice is this new one.”
Chiu-Watson says that Apple made this choice so that it would be easier for multi-disciplinary artists to gain access to the breadth of tools they need to be creative.
“For most, it’s not enough to just do one discipline anymore. If you’re a musician, you’re extending beyond just producing your own tracks into designing album artwork, editing, music videos, creating promotional material, all that sort of thing. And what we see is that multidisciplinary creators rely on and really want a comprehensive tool set that serves their needs,” he says.
“And so with Apple Creator Studio, what we now have is that we have incredible collection of apps powered up with premium features and new capabilities and at a really compelling price point so people can make a simple decision and have the ability to graduate into other creative disciplines and learn and explore other apps and other mediums that are going to be compelling to them over time.”
Apple Creator Studio will be available on the App Store beginning January 28, starting at $12.99 per month or $129 annually. Apple’s education discount is substantial and students and educators can subscribe for $2.99 monthly or $29.99 per year.
Image credits: Apple
