Running Cubase on two computers

Cubase
1

I have Cubase Elements 9.5 on my laptop. I may be getting a desktop for permanent use in my home studio but I still like to mix and edit on my laptop. Am I able to use a USB Licenser and use Cubase on both computers? Or am I required to buy another license for the new computer? No one will be using the program except for me.

2

You should be able to.

https://www.steinberg.net/nc/en/support/knowledgebase_new/show_details/kb_show/how-to-transfer-a-license-from-soft-elicenser-to-usb-elicenser

3

It’s currently only possible to have a Cubase license installed on one computer at a time. You can move the license to other computers by either reactivating it or by using an USB eLicenser dongle, which allows you to move your licenses without having to connect to the internet.

Steinberg is currently working on a new protection system that will give you a lot more freedom.

4

Yes, but you won’t be able to have them running both at the same time, as you have to have the dipsh it-dongle plugged in and Steinberg only issue one per licence. Very archaic way of doing things tbh.

5

Does anyone know the status of the above comment? Steinberg, anyone? And is the only way still to move my dongle physically from one machine to the other? And not have Cubase open used only by me on two different machines?

Thanks

6

Any news on this from Steinberg ???!!!

7

Well with cubase 10 element, Elicenser control center I moved the elicense from soft elicense to usb elicense. once this was done all i did was place the usb key to the second laptop/pc to run cubase. you cannot have both software running at the same time.
also, you cannot return the elicense back to the soft elicense once you move it to the usb key it now stays on that key. so now both computers will need that usb key in able to run the program or you will get that no active elicense key error.
this is just a rough look at of what i quickly found. I assume other have other tricks or “Magic” but i’m not going to mess around and jeopardize this software to lock me out due to a license violation. If i need to run two computers at the same time I would just buy another eliceense

8

Coming from someone who has lost their dongle and had to have Steinberg (very rudely and sternly) replace it, DO NOT MOVE YOUR LICENSE TO A DONGLE.

They literally sent me an email when I got my dongle replaced that said effectively if I lost this replacement dongle I would be SOL. They honestly lost a lot of cool points with me that day. At this point I’m too nervous to even remove the dongle from my main studio computer for fear of it breaking. They are cheap-as-hell plastic pieces of crap…so great to put $500+ on something that cost 60 cents to manufacture. The entire reason I lost my original dongle is that the thin plastic key-ring broke off of it.

Avoid dongle licensing at all costs - think about the fact that you’re putting hundreds of dollars onto a tiny piece of plastic that can be lost or broken extremely easily, and is a PITA to replace (the process they make you go through is patronizing at best), and Steinberg will only replace it once, after that you’re just out the cost of the software.

9

Just treat the Dongle like car keys or a wallet.