New Licenser in detail. As i suspected, without the internet you will be screwed, you will have to reconnect once per month or in some cases where offline working once a year, which means if disaster strikes and the internet goes down, good luck running your sessions.
This basically means that they own you and if their servers go down or whatever...good luck.

R2R!!!!

A NEW AND EXCITING ERA BEGINS AT STEINBERG


Dear Steinberg customers,

I am writing today because I want you to be the first to know about the start of the transition to a new method of Steinberg product licensing. Earlier this year we announced our intention to migrate to a new ID-based licensing system — Steinberg Licensing — and I can now confirm that we will begin to roll it out early next year. While this announcement might not be news to all of you, I'm sure it comes as quite a surprise to many. But, in the way of all good surprises, this one brings new benefits and has inspired us to look at things in fresh, innovative ways.

Steinberg Licensing is a big step forward, a huge milestone in further developing our vision to bring to you the best user experience. That experience includes sophisticated tools for creating music, premium content to work with, and various useful services that bring our global community together. Over time, Steinberg Licensing will be the key to unlocking enhanced opportunities and greater convenience in different areas, both within and beyond the world of Steinberg.

You will soon be introduced to Steinberg Licensing, with the release of Dorico 4 early next year. I can also tell you that Cubase 12 has been moved to 2022, allowing it to be the next software after Dorico to harness the potential of the new system. As new versions of other products are released, they will use the new system, too.

As with all new technology, the full potential will gradually unfold. Steinberg Licensing will be a work in progress for a while and, at first, features will be restricted. But as we move forward, more and more features will be introduced.

We are excited to be opening this new chapter and we look forward to going ahead into the future together with you.

I wish all of you the very best.

Andreas Stelling – President of Steinberg


INTRODUCING STEINBERG LICENSING
Simply start your software, sign in with your Steinberg ID, and you’re up and running instantly — with no need for a hardware key or dongle. Steinberg Licensing is simple, quick, and flexible.


WHERE WE CAME FROM
We know that you value your creative tools highly, and that protecting your investment in those tools is important to you. It’s important to us, too, as minimizing usage of unlicensed, pirated or cracked software means that we are able to invest as much as possible in building new and improved creative tools for our customers.

For many years, Steinberg products have used our eLicenser system, with its combination of the USB-eLicenser hardware key and the Soft-eLicenser software key, and it has served us and our customers well. But times change, and for many years now our customers have been asking us for extra freedom and flexibility.

Today, many musicians are able to use a laptop or other portable computer as their main music-making computer: but more and more these devices have limited USB ports, and plugging in a hardware key is inconvenient or even impossible.

Today, many musicians have two or more computers: but the eLicenser system only allows the software to be used on a single computer with a Soft-eLicenser, or on the computer to which the USB-eLicenser is connected.

Today, many musicians expect to be able to try out a new software tool simply by downloading it from the web: but customers have had to buy a USB-eLicenser before they can try out Cubase Pro.

These and other changes in the way musicians want to buy and use software mean that it is time to say goodbye to the eLicenser system and leave it behind.


WHERE WE ARE GOING
We are beginning the transition from eLicenser to the new Steinberg Licensing system. Over time, as new versions of our creative tools and instruments are introduced, our product line will use Steinberg Licensing — starting with Dorico 4 and Cubase 12 in 2022. We expect the overall transition will take between one and two years.

Steinberg Licensing will provide greater convenience, more flexibility, and enable you to use your Steinberg software in new, more powerful ways. For example, single-user licenses can be activated on two computers, so you can easily run your software in your studio and on the road. You won’t need to remember your USB-eLicenser when you travel or need to work at a new location: you can simply download your software, sign in with your Steinberg ID, and you will be up and running right away.

Later in 2022, we will also be introducing dedicated support for institutional and enterprise licensing, making it easier for schools, colleges, universities, and businesses to deploy, manage and use Steinberg software.


HOW IT WORKS
Steinberg Licensing is an identity-based license management system, where your identity as our customer is at the heart of everything. Whether you are an individual customer, or you represent an organization, educational institution, or enterprise, your entitlement to use Steinberg products flows from your Steinberg ID.

Signing up for a Steinberg ID is as simple as entering your email address, choosing a secure password, and verifying your new account. It only takes a couple of minutes — and if you are an existing Steinberg customer, you probably already have a Steinberg ID.


Online activation
With Steinberg Licensing, you can simply download your purchased software, run it, sign in with your Steinberg ID, and you’re up and running right away. When you sign in, your computer contacts Steinberg over the Internet to check your license, record some information that identifies the computer you’re signing in from, and activates your software.

After activation, you can disconnect from the internet altogether if you need to, and run your software for 30 days without reconnecting. However, most of us have our computers connected to the Internet all or most of the time, and when you run your Steinberg software, if a connection is available it will periodically contact Steinberg in the background to update its activation. If you find yourself unexpectedly without an internet connection, your software should always have plenty of time remaining before its activation requires renewal.

This online activation system also allows the flexibility to activate your software on two computers at once — and if you buy a new computer or temporarily need to use a different one, you can easily release your license from one computer to activate another.


Offline activation (coming soon)
We know that in some special circumstances, you might not be able to connect the computer on which you run your Steinberg software to the internet, and very soon we will provide the ability to check out a license for a period of one year. You will be able to do this either by temporarily connecting your computer to the Internet, checking out the license, and then disconnecting again, or if you prefer, you will be able to use the Internet connection on another computer to generate a check out license that you can install on the offline machine.


Managing your licenses
You can check the status of your licenses using the new Steinberg Activation Manager software, which will be automatically installed when you install software that uses Steinberg Licensing. Steinberg Activation Manager lists your licensed products and allows you to activate them on your computer, or release a license if you want to activate on another computer.

If you are unable to run Steinberg Activation Manager on your computer, because for example you are working from a new location, you can sign in to the Steinberg web site using your Steinberg ID and release a license from there.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Nov 11, 2021

And here I thought Andy was getting less greedy.
Stupid me.

 

Cubase 10.5 Boxed with Dongle rotting in my shelf since i bought it because i am creating better music with Studio One since i tried it for the first time.....my mistake to buy it for 289.- on a 50% discount day..

Steinberg was more busy with their "Copy Protection" mechanics than with their Software itself in the past years.. greedy bloatware creators..

Steinberg is also losing customers because their products look and feel like stuff from 1999 still....

Windows buttons and elements visible everywhere in this DAW.
Windows 98 Explorer feeling when opening files.
Windows 98 feeling everywhere..
Blurry scaling for the whole DAW on -4k Monitors

Steinberg missed the opportunity to fully upgrade Cubase after version 5
I guess the talented Steinberg Software Developers mostly went to Presonus.

Native Instruments is in the same boat... scaling? lol old engines mini GUI..
Old stuff many new version numbers, still looking 20 years old..

could that be the sunset of German DAW and Music Software?? just curious guys.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Nov 12, 2021

"If you find yourself unexpectedly without an internet connection, your software should always have plenty of time remaining before its activation requires renewal.".

Are we that foolish to buy into that the last day of activation gives one plenty of time before renewal when the internet goes down, or. am I missing something?

Too, MOST of us I am fairly certain are not constantly connected to the internet on our production computers. Offline activation should be rolled out contiguous with the entire new scheme.

 

Thank god i don't use any of Steinberg software...

With this i will never do... I do have a vep copy was thinking on how to implement it into my workflow now i don't need or have to.

 

The new solution is even worse than the dongle. You can own it but you will have to visit your correctional officer once per month and if we close our servers forget about loading your projects ever again.

 

when Reason was cracked and got out of the cave... i have realized i have missed nothing, same applies to PT2021 and i believe the same will be with Cubase (if it ever gets released on the scene) . S1 is the new king of the hill. (well, Ableton too)

 

Looking forward to run my 3 softwares from Steinberg without a dongle .... not that it has been a real problem for me but Im tired of having a USB-port occupied due to foolish protection.

 

R2R! defeat

 

hopefully the team that cracked nexus 3 can handle this

 

next step, requiring swipe your implant chip?
for what? nothing they make.
better solution is free trade competition, where other makers don't require users put his/her identity at risk and is happy to accept money the user wants to pay for product or service

 

They (plus Avid and whomever else is going this route, too) should just release the final version of their software before the New Way takes effect.

I think it would be an interesting metric... an audit... of what new worth these companies are bringing before people decide... that's it... I NEED those new features, and will now pay however they want... and chain myself to their servers.

I bet it would take YEARS.

Don't know if I made any sense... or if any of it matters. Life goes on... music will be made.

Be well all.

<3

 

Sorry...

I'd also wager r2r's Pro Tools Free tease... sent shockwaves through the DAW industry. Of course they're all competitors, but they also need to work together to keep their game alive.

Not trying to lay down a conspiracy... just corporate "frien-emy" economics.

 

I have zero invested in Steinberg, having read the post out of curiosity with where the industry is headed. This is smart on their part, but of the people I know or have spoken with, no one is too terribly hyped on anything Steinberg has done in the last few years... sooo... maybe too little, too late.

While I think that this is more than a bit extreme given how many amazing companies are based in Germany (Brainworx, SPL Analog Code, Black Rooster Audio, etc.,) it will be interesting to see how many other companies lean towards this style of online authorization. And speaking of online authorization:

I agree 200%

 

Who cares? Music tribe DAW is on its way. We are all Uli`s slaves in a few months anyway.

 

There is ALWAYS that one Guy online in his Basement Complaining about Windows 95 Graphics.
Complaining about how much they want to "Love" using the software but "Need Moarz Featurez"
Does Not matter If Audio Software or Programs or Games


Windows 95 Graphics/UI is ∞ Better than anything modern


The Last good Cubase was Version 6
Like The Last good Ableton was Version 7

the whole SJW Trendy Hipster direction of Steinberg like Ableton is just Bad for Daws

 

I believe under this model Steinberg and Avid will lose a good percentage of customers who have smaller project studios, and those are the one's they should be catering to, a lot of the big studios are closing their doors, home and project studios are where most of the music is being made now, maybe if they worried more about making a decent product that works like it's supposed to, and giving people something worthy of their hard earned dollars, they might not have to worry so much about piracy, people don't want to waste money on buggy software, they would rather wait and get a cracked version, whereas they don't mind paying for quality and reliability.......imho

 

Thats a good news!
Dongle was pain in ass. now we can work at anyplace or any maschine!

 

Them moving to offline licenses obtained by another computer will be the exact path R2R or VR will take to crack their software. Kind of a stupid move if you ask me.

 

No, Steinberg only does the whole thing because otherwise the customers will run away from you.
Customers are tired of dongles in a new mobile era.

If they haven't changed that soon, customers will go to Dongle Free Competition.
Or in other words, they have already lost too many customers.