Latest model

The introduction of The Collective and FAST plugins marks Focusrite’s move into a new ownership model. However, rather than opt for a straight up subscription system these plugins and other packages that follow are paid for on a rent-to-own basis. So, you pay £5.99 up front per month per plugin and after 15 months you own the plugin. You can cancel the payment at any time and the plugin will deauthorise at the end of the current month.

At time of writing you can’t actually pause the subscription, but this option should be implemented in the future. Plugins are purchased individually so the ultimate total purchase price is £89.85 per plugin. The only frustration is that in order to operate this scheme you need to have an active internet connection whenever you’re using the plugins. This is understandable but may deter some potential users.