Pro Tools First is discontinued! What does this mean for users? What’s next?

This article has been updated to provided new information on Pro Tools Intro. Article originally published  1/1/22.

Released in 2015, Pro Tools First was a limited version of the software which allowed up to 4 input tracks for recording and 16 tracks for editing. The perfect option for anyone starting out and wanting to learn the software. It was also a great option for schools providing audio production education.

Fast forward 5 years and in mid-December Avid announced the end of Pro Tools First. Could this be true?

The following announcement was found on the Avid website on Dec 2021:

“Pro Tools | First has been discontinued. There are no new downloads or new licenses. Existing users of Pro Tools First (that have Pro Tools | First in their Avid and iLok accounts) will be able to continue using the product and work on their projects. For a limited time, Pro Tools | First will remain available to schools in the Avid Learning Academy program.”

You can view the original post here.

What did this mean? Would there be a replacement?

Pro Tools first did have some complications when first released as it was dependent on the Collaboration Cloud for authorization. Free cloud accounts were perhaps draining Avid cloud infrastructure which was expensive and time-consuming to maintain. But, this is only our thought at the moment.

Now let’s not get caught in a panic just yet. Avid has since announced it will replace Pro Tools First with Pro Tools Intro which is to be released in 2022. In the meantime, users who downloaded and activated Pro Tools First can still use it until Pro Tools Intro is launched.

Here’s What We Know So Far About Pro Tools Intro

Pro Tools Intro provides all the essential audio and MIDI tools you need, along with a core set effect and virtual instrument plugins.

Pro Tools Intro leverages a disk-based authorization using iLok.  This makes it easy to manage without the need for a physical iLok or cloud connection. This option seems to have been put into place to reduce the strain on the cloud server.

What is included with Pro Tools Intro and what are the limitations?