“There is a special place in hell for those people that went for this business model”: Are plugin subscription services really as bad as some people say?

Waves subscription.

Note: This opinion-based, long-read format allows a range of writers a platform to speak about the topics that are important to them. Their views are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of MusicRadar as a whole.

PLUGIN WEEK 2025: Most of us probably don’t remember entering this maze and yet here we are, stuck paying monthly and yearly for plugins that we will never own – and may not even be using all that much. It used to be that if you wanted a plugin, you paid for it all up front. If you couldn’t afford it, you saved up, bought a cheaper alternative, or downloaded a freeware plugin that could do broadly the same thing. But now?…