AUGUST 24, 2026

Media Composer Shared Projects: What's changing and what it means for you

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What to expect in Media Composer 2026.8

While we’re excited to share more about the release at the end of the month, we want to provide additional information now to help you plan for what’s included in the August release.

If you are an Ultimate or Perpetual customer, you may have received a communication about a change that’s coming with Media Composer 2026.8 that impacts how Shared Projects work on storage outside Avid NEXIS. We’ve heard from many of our Media Composer customers and partners since, and we value your questions. We’re sharing more about why we think this change is important and what it will mean for you.

Why this changed

  • Fully supported Shared Projects: Teams collaborating on non-NEXIS shared storage have previously relied on unauthorized and unsupported third-party emulation software that impersonates Avid's storage behavior on Avid NEXIS. That dynamic has limited our ability to resolve issues or improve the workflow, despite hearing from many of you that this is a much-needed feature. Media Composer Enterprise now includes this functionality, allowing us to adequately help and support, so teams collaborating on non-NEXIS storage get a workflow that Avid tests, maintains, and supports directly.
  • More choices for storage: Making these changes also allowed us to support a broader range of storage providers including cloud-based options. For the first time, we’ve invited third-party storage vendors into the beta process to test the new Shared Projects capability, provide feedback, and prepare configurations ahead of launch. These vendors represent a cross-section of storage models, including lower-cost NAS, on-prem production storage, and cloud-based SaaS workflows.
  • No added costs for hardware or software: The updates in 2026.8 remove the need to purchase, install, license, or maintain third-party emulation software or hardware for Shared Projects on non-NEXIS storage. Instead of paying for emulation software, Media Composer Enterprise replaces that with a supported, native workflow. For many customers, it changes the total cost to be less than the sticker price suggests, though this will be different for everyone. More on that below. There will also be a $99 upgrade option for Ultimate customers.

We do want to make it easier to upgrade

We break down the pricing below to make your cost of ownership clearer. Your specific cost will depend on how much you’re spending on additional tools to emulate NEXIS behavior with third parties.

  Today (Ultimate + third-party emulation) Moving to Enterprise with .8
Media Composer license 539.99/year (Ultimate) $99 flat for existing Ultimate subscribers before Dec 31, 2026
$899.99/year after
Third-party emulation software required? Yes No

 

Individual editors and small teams working on standalone projects, or collaborating on Avid NEXIS, are not affected by this change. Media Composer Standard and Ultimate now both include NEXIS-based collaboration at no additional cost.

How the $99 upgrade works

The $99 upgrade applies to customers with an existing, active Media Composer Ultimate subscription. The upgrade covers the rest of your current subscription term, with full access to features within the Enterprise tier. There are a few different ways you can take advantage of this depending on where you are in your term.

  • At renewal, you can renew at your Ultimate price, then purchase an upgrade for $99 and get 12 months of Enterprise.
  • If you have a short time left in your term, you have options. A) Wait for your renewal, renew, and then purchase the upgrade. B) Upgrade early and purchase an upgrade to Enterprise.
  • If you decide not to upgrade, a prorated upgrade option will be available in the future
  • If you have multiple licenses or complex configurations, you can reach out to a preferred reseller or your Avid team for guidance.

At the following renewal period, Media Composer Enterprise will renew at full price. The redemption process depends on the original purchase route, so be sure to check with your reseller or check your MyAvid Account when the time comes.

When the upgrade path is available and the release is officially out, you’ll receive an email with additional information and content about the release.

Perpetual Licenses

Perpetual license holders are on a separate path: new and active Perpetual licenses now include the Ultimate feature set at no added cost and are not part of this subscription promotion. Active Perpetual customers can update and receive the new feature set.

Those who need Shared Projects on third-party storage should contact their Avid representative regarding Enterprise options.

What doesn't change

First, if you stay on your current version of Media Composer, your current setup is unaffected. There is no retroactive changes to existing production environments and customers are not required to upgrade immediately.

  • No retroactive changes. If you remain on your current version of Media Composer, your existing workflow continues unchanged. Teams using Media Composer Ultimate with third-party Shared Projects through emulation today can continue running their current environments without interruption through the supported lifecycle of those releases.
  • No change for existing Avid NEXIS collaboration workflows. Customers using Shared Projects on Avid NEXIS today can continue working exactly as they do now. Media Composer Ultimate and Enterprise customers collaborating on NEXIS are not affected by this change until upgrading to Media Composer 2026.8.
  • Only customers upgrading to Media Composer 2026.8 need to take action. Customers using Avid NEXIS who upgrade to Media Composer 2026.8 must also be running Avid NEXIS Client 2026.6 or later to maintain compatibility. For teams that want to take advantage of Shared Projects on third-party storage, this capability will require a Media Composer Enterprise license.

There’s more in 2026.8

Media Composer 2026.8 is the first step to creating a clearer tiering structure that grows with editors. Tiers now start with a more accessible entry point, grow into professional and advanced editorial workflows, and move into Enterprise when teams need supported, secure, scalable collaboration across broader or more complex production environments.

  • Media Composer First , our free offering, becomes a more complete way to get started, with a fuller editing experience and no more limits on project resolution or track counts. Projects now carry with you into paid tiers.
  • Media Composer Standard gives individual editors and small teams professional editorial tools, now with support for shared workflows on Avid NEXIS.
  • Media Composer Ultimate continues to serve professional editors and teams that need advanced creative tools, AI-assisted workflows like ScriptSync and PhraseFind, and deeper editorial capabilities.
  • Media Composer Enterprise is the destination for teams that need supported collaboration beyond Avid NEXIS, along with enterprise capabilities such as virtualization workflows, administration, deployment flexibility, and scalable team environments.

While Shared Projects and tiering are important parts of the conversation, Media Composer 2026.8 is also a workflow release. It brings improvements that help editors move faster and keep more of the post-production process inside Media Composer.

  • PhraseFind AI multicam automation helps speed multicam editorial while preserving editability and creative control.
  • Improved transcript and caption tools give editors more control over story refinement, review, and delivery workflows.
  • OpenTimelineIO improvements strengthen interoperability with other post-production tools.
  • Bin and timeline workflow enhancements improve everyday precision for editors working in complex projects.
  • API and SDK enhancements support deeper automation and integration across the wider production ecosystem.

Next steps

We are committed to supporting editors and providing flexible options for production teams of every size and we hope we answered some of your questions.

We expect to release Media Composer 2026.8 at the end of this month, and our customers will receive a communication upon release.

Customers that are uncertain which scenario applies to their team can contact Avid or an authorized reseller to review their environment and needs.

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