Cubase Pro 9.5 for around £170 downloaded from Steinberg.net

Hey Hivemind!

I’ve been at a music school for the last year where we have e licensers provided and I’ve been using Cubase Pro 8.5 which I downloaded from the Steinberg Support page for free (scroll down to full installation): Cubase 8.5 Updates and Downloads | Steinberg

Can I now just buy the elicenser from Steinberg for £20 and carry on using my current version?: USB-eLicenser | Steinberg

If I can keep using the free download, does anyone know if I can simply buy the update to Cubase Pro 9.5 from 8.5 for around £150 from here: Cubase: Music Production Software | Steinberg

This would mean I’d be getting Cubase 9.5 for a total of around £170 which seems far too good to be true. Does anyone have any reasons why it wouldn’t work?

Many thanks!

Nick

I am afraid this is not going to work.

You see - The user license is on the e-licenser provided by the school. It’s tied to that hardware and the serial number of that hardware.

Buying another new e-licenser will get you nowhere, because that device is simply empty and contains no license at all (apart from maybe a trial license). If the school has taken in that e-licenser you where using with 8.5, they effectively also have taken in the users license. If they have given you that e-licencer to keep forever than it’s another story, but I do not get the impression that’s the case here.

So - I am afraid you have to buy a full new license together with a new e-licencer.

You have to move your Cubase school license to your new USB eLicenser and after you can upgrade your cubase… “et voila”

BUT : you cannot use the Cubase school license (8.5) and your new upgraded Cubase at the same time…. if the USB elicenser is not plugged on a computer Cubase don’t work… so if you are at home working with your new Cubase 9.5, the school cannot use the 8.5 educ Cubase…

Thanks very much both of you, I really appreciate the help!

So then I need a full new license and an e-licenser, got it. Is buying a license different to buying the full download from Steinberg’s website here?: Cubase: Music Production Software | Steinberg

And since I already have the actual programme Cubase 8.5 on my computer, despite not having a license for it, can I buy a license for 8.5 and then buy an upgrade to 9.5 instead of buying the full 9.5?

I know I sound really cheap here but being a fresh ex-student, I don’t have that much money so if there is a cheaper legal way to get the same result, I’d love to do it!


Thanks again :smiley:

You can only buy a license from Steinberg for the current version. As I’m sure you’re aware the entry level Elements version is the cheapest way in.

You may be able to buy a secondhand version of an earlier version (such as 8.5) but we very careful buying second hand.

I can do you £265…I doubt you’ll beat that even buying s/h

Go to Ebay and buy Cubase LE for £15
Go to Steinberg shop and buy the 9.5Pro Upgrade from Elements, LE etc. (full price £386)
In the checkout press redeem coupon button and put in UPGRADE18
Upgrade at £231 + the £15 for LE + £19 for the elicenser - Total £265.

Note that the UPGRADE18 40% coupon has not been officially announced so no idea if it will remain working or for how long.

Actually the price is 231.60 so i suppose I should be rounding up…let’s call it £266 :wink:

Adding to Grim’s excellent suggestion, you can check the 40% off coupon works before entering any credit card details so looks like a no-brainer…you’ll not get a better deal (until maybe next year’s sale!).

That’s brilliant advice - thanks very much guys! :smiley:

Another option is that you can buy a student version and then when it’s time to upgrade you just pay the regular upgrade price and then you will have the full version.

But certainly not as an ex-student.

Correct-an ex-student can’t buy an educational version. But a student can buy the edu version and then upgrade to the full version with none of the edu limitations-and then use it as a student or non-student.