BURLINGTON, Mass., May 15, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avid® (OTC:AVID) today announced the availability of new licensing options for Media Composer® | Software, giving media organizations and creative professionals greater choice in how they deploy Avid's industry-leading video editing solutions. Delivering on the commitment to customer choice that is a key element of the Avid Everywhere^TM vision for the industry, customers can now elect to deploy and use Media Composer on premise or in the cloud, via subscription, floating or perpetual license - to best suit their specific needs at any given time.

The Media Composer family is part of the Avid Artist Suite of content creation applications - powered by the Avid MediaCentral Platform and comprised of the company's industry-standard creative tools, including video editing, graphics creation, music creation, music notation, audio post, and live sound solutions.

"To maximize quality, creativity and efficiency in today's demanding media environment, our customers need greater choice and flexibility in how they deploy their solutions," said Chris Gahagan, senior vice president of products and technology at Avid. "With these new licensing options, we're fulfilling the commitment we made with Avid Everywhere to enable our customers, freelance creative professionals and large-scale media enterprises alike, to freely choose how they deploy their creative solutions."

Media Composer | Software subscription licensing provides new monthly and annual Media Composer subscription options and significantly lowers the cost of entry for the industry's most trusted editing tool. Customers can now gain access to the latest Media Composer toolset, support and upgrades on a low-cost monthly or annual basis, starting at $49.99 a month. Alternatively, they can license the software on a perpetual basis and receive one year of Avid support and upgrades, with additional upgrades available thereafter through annual support plan renewal. Media Composer | Symphony Option is included with a monthly or annual subscription.

Media Composer | Software floating licensing enables large-scale media enterprises, post-production houses and educational institutions to purchase a "pack" of shared Media Composer licenses to deploy facility-wide using a single system ID. The floating license server software can be installed on a Windows-based computer at the facility, with the server software accessible from any Mac- or Windows-based computer, enabling multiple editors to use Media Composer on any number of workstations up to the number of licenses purchased when licenses are available (not actively in use). Administrators can also permit users to "check out" licenses for systems. For example, a laptop taken off premises could be enabled with a license with a specific expiration date to coincide with the end of a project.

As part of Avid's commitment to offering customers more choice in how they deploy their solutions, Media Composer | Cloud (formerly Interplay® Sphere) gives editors the option to connect remotely to access, edit and collaborate with others as if they were on premises. This ability enables editors and assistants to shape stories collaboratively and remotely in the cloud, and enables production companies shooting on location to accelerate dailies tasks and get a head start on editing, thereby keeping production moving forward, regardless of proximity challenges.

Availability and Pricing

Media Composer | Software subscription and floating licensing is available as of May 14, 2014:

• Media Composer | Software subscription licensing starts at $49.99/month (£39, €39 Ex-VAT)
• Perpetual licenses for Media Composer | Software start at $1,299 USD (£939, €1,099 Ex-VAT)
• Media Composer | Software floating license starts at $1,799 per seat (£1,299, €1,499 Ex-VAT)

All versions now include software upgrades and support. Perpetual licenses include a one-year support contract entitling customers to support and upgrades for one year. Upgrades and support after the first year require the annual support contract to be renewed annually for $299 (£219, €249 Ex-VAT). Subscription licenses include support and upgrades as long as the subscription remains current.

Media Composer | Cloud is currently available starting at $35,000 USD (£25,000, €29,100 Ex-VAT).

About Avid

Through Avid Everywhere™, Avid delivers the industry's most open, innovative and comprehensive media platform connecting content creation with collaboration, asset protection, distribution and consumption for the most listened to, most watched and most loved media in the world—from the most prestigious and award-winning feature films, music recordings, and television shows, to live concerts and news broadcasts. Industry leading solutions include Pro Tools®, Media Composer®, ISIS®, Interplay®, and Sibelius®. For more information about Avid solutions and services, visit www.avid.com, connect with Avid on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+; or subscribe to Avid Blogs.

© 2014 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Avid, the Avid logo, Avid Everywhere, iNEWS, Interplay, ISIS, Media Composer, Pro Tools, and Sibelius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. The Interplay name is used with the permission of the Interplay Entertainment Corp. which bears no responsibility for Avid products. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.All prices are USMSRP for the U.S. and Canada only and are subject to change without notice. Contact your local Avid office or reseller for prices outside the U.S. and Canada.

CONTACT: PR Contact:

         Avid

         Sara Griggs

         sara.griggs@avid.com

         310.907.6909