I recently upgraded my Acad version of Pro Tools 11 to the latest version 12. Besides costing $99/year, here are the hoops that I had to face in order to install the new software. AVID succeeds, as usual, in making the process more complicated than it probably should be. So here is what you need to know.
Note that I was upgrading from an earlier academic license, but the process is similar for first-time purchasers or lessees.
Step one is to purchase the software. You can get it directly from AVID; make certain that you are looking at the Academic version for students & faculty and not the Institutional version for the actual department's computer labs. I chose to make my purchase through Sweetwater (David Cochran is my sales engineer) since the price was the same, but Sweetwater can provide a lot of immediate customer support should you require it. Getting through to the official Pro Tools customer service, on the other hand, can be frustrating.
You need to have an iLok USB key (dongle). Since I was upgrading from a previous Pro Tools, I already owned one. But if you are a first-timer, then you need to purchase one of these BEFORE trying to install your software. You can get iLok's from the big music stores, or online. They sell for around $50. A lot of other software programs also use the iLok system, so it is a good investment. With an iLok, you can install copies of the software onto as many physical computers as you wish -- since the software will only open when an iLok is detected.
Once you have an iLok, you are ready to begin the Game of Hoops.
When you purchase your Academic version of Pro Tools 12, you will receive a product (serial or code) number from the vendor. In my case, I was actually sent two numbers -- one from the vendor and then a different one from AVID in the email confirming my purchase. I used the one from AVID.
That number, however, is NOT your final software number. It is only a temp number that you need to send over to Identit-E along with scanned documents verifying that you are a current faculty or student.....
Hello ,
Thank you for purchasing Upgrade and Support Plan for Pro Tools | Software - Student/Teacher (12 Months). Please follow the instructions below.
Upgrade and Support Plan for Pro Tools | Software Student/Teacher (12 Months)
Code: EDU-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To get access to your download files and iLok license, you must verify your eligibility as a student or teacher. Please make a note of the Verification Code shown above and visit http://www.identit-e.com/avid. Verification should take no more than 48 hours.
Upon verification, Identit-E will send you an activation code. Please revisit account.avid.com and enter this code in order to get access to your downloads and have the iLok license deposited to your iLok account.
Please login to your account at https://account.avid.com to access your downloads and codes.
Thank you,
Avid Technology
I merely scanned my recent payroll statement (stub) along with my faculty ID card and uploaded those images when prompted. For students, you could use your current tuition statement, schedule of classes, and student ID card. A full list of acceptable documents can be found on the websites.
Although the email says that it could take up to 48 hours, I received a verification email within a couple of minutes. The verification email will contain your actual product code numbers for your software.
Next, you go to your master account or users account at AVID (or create one). Make sure that your AVID Account has your default iLok account name linked to it.Then, click on Software Activation & Download. It will ask for the number that you received in the academic verification email from Identit-E.
AVID will then transmit a license number for the product to iLok. With your iLok USB plugged in to your computer, you need to open your copy of iLok Manager on your device. You will see your current licenses, along with new licenses that you are entitled to. You need to click and drag the new license for Pro Tools 12 onto the button representing your iLok USB device.
Return to the AVID site, and now you can download the Pro Tools installer. I would recommend leaving your iLok in your computer during all of this.
The installer will begin to download Pro Tools, but it will also download a new utility, the Pro Tools Product Manager. As soon as you see that the Product Manager has installed, go ahead and CANCEL the installation of Pro Tools currently taking place. Pro Tools is a huge file, so it takes quite a while to download, unzip, and install. For now, all that you need is the Product Manager.
For reasons that mortal men shall never know, the latest version of Pro Tools is NOT the one on the website that the installer was installing! Instead, your newly installed Product Manager will tell you to install a newer version that it shows on its own page and links to.... so go ahead and install that one instead of the one from the AVID site. (Who knows, perhaps by the time you are reading this, the one on the AVID site will have been updated??)
After you get Pro Tools installed, and the Product Manager will show an icon that it is happy with that version -- the Product Manager will also list a couple dozen free plug-ins and accessory sets that you are entitled to. You do NOT have to keep going back to the AVID site to install these; the Product Manager now provides the links and keeps track of any new offerings on your behalf.
Too bad that the Product Manager has yet to learn about "batch" downloads/installs. You will still need to acquire all of these free entitlements one item at a time, so be patient.
Overall, you should allow at least a couple of hours or more, depending on the speed of your internet and the power of your computer.
Get ready for some good news and some bad news.
The good news is that because you are an iLok user, you can install Pro Tools 12 onto as many computers as you want to. The bad news is that although you can skip over all the identit-E steps -- you still have to download the PT installer, PT Product Manager, and then repeat all of the steps: cancel the PT installation as soon as Product Manager has installed itself, download/install the latest PT software, and then download/install all of the free stuff.
Have fun. Be patient. Drink some wine and plan on killing half a day or all evening.