Hi,
I currently own Cubase Pro 9.5 (USB-eLicense) and a Cubase Pro 10 Update (unactivated).
Can I activate that code now and update it to cubase 14?
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Hi,
here you´ll find all the answers to your questions.
Please pay special attention to the difference between redeeming and activating a licence. If you need further information on that one, well, there have been one or two posts about it in recent weeks. Strictly fact-driven, no emotions involved …
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Thanks @Reco29 for the response.
I was surprised to read at the above link, https://helpcenter.steinberg.de/hc/en-us/articles/115001891190-How-to-verify-eligibility-for-free-Grace-Period-update
that to verify eligibility for a free Grace Period update, the eLicenser Control Center was required!
It is written there, “To use the Activation Code, you require the eLicenser Control Center …”.
Will the eLicenser system remain active indefinitely then? For some reason I thought it was being shut down in “early 2025”?
Of course not.
Thanks for your typically helpful answer, delivered in your typically friendly manner, @Steve .
Unfortunately you left unaddressed the bigger question of whether the eLicenser is the system due to be shut down in early 2025, and if so how Grace Period checks would be done then, since the two seem to be linked in the Steinberg Help Center article I included in my post.
(As written when you click the"License Not Activated - Still Unused Code" box near the bottom of this page: https://helpcenter.steinberg.de/hc/en-us/articles/115001891190-How-to-verify-eligibility-for-free-Grace-Period-update . It’s written there, “To use the Activation Code, you require the eLicenser Control Center …”).
Maybe I’m misunderstanding that Help Center article though?
Thanks!
As has been discussed in so many topics, it will not be possible to do any updates (or any other function) that depend on using the the Elicenser system, after it closes down. So there will be no Grace Period updates from older products. When the closure happens the page will be updated, one presumes.
looks like
Thank you again, @steve .
I have a C12 Pro activated, and a C13 Pro purchased and downloaded but not activated. So (at least as far as I understand it), I’m eligible for a free Grace Period upgrade to C14 Pro from C13 Pro.
But as I understand it (maybe incorrectly?), since the process to get a free Grace Period update to C14 Pro from C13 Pro depends on the e-Licenser system, and since the e-Licenser system is due to shut down in early 2025, soon there will be no established way for me to get my C14 Pro free Grace Period upgrade, once the e-Licenser system shuts down.
It seems that for Steinberg to continue any Grace Period free upgrades after the e-Licenser system shuts down in early 2025, it will have to unlink the Grace Period free upgrade process from the e-Licenser system (unless I’m missing something, very possible 
!).
Does anyone know if Steinberg has mentioned how the Grace Period free upgrade process will work after the eLicenser system shuts down in early 2025?
Pinging Mr. @Matthias_Quellmann here for any additional info if possible (thank you!).
Hi Alexis,
C12 already uses the new licensing system, so the only question here is whether or not you are eligible for a Grace Period Update from C13 to C14.
That depends on: Have you redeemed the download voucher after purchasing Cubase 13? If this is the case, then no. It doesn´t matter if you haven´t activated C13 in this case.
Sorry…
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Exactly.
The whole point of the grace period was to help out people who updated weeks before the release of a new version. An unintentional side benefit was that people could game the system by holding off on activating for years. That exact “hack” is gone now
Great, thanks @Reco29 and @steve for the info.
Can someone point me to what it exactly means “to redeem” my version of C13 Pro?
I bought it a year or more ago out of excitement, but decided not to use it till I also bought a new music computer (which I haven’t done yet). I don’t think I’ve “redeemed” my C13, but I can’t be sure since I don’t exactly know the strict definition according to Steinberg.
I didn’t mean that as gaming or hacking the system, but maybe some one else might think that’s what it was …
Thanks again!
Here it is:
- Software downloads
In case you’ve purchased software as download from our online shop, you’ve received a confirmation email. Depending on the product, the mail includes the Activation Code or a Download Access Code. When redeeming the Download Access Code in the Steinberg Download Assistant, an Activation Code will be automatically generated and used to download and activate your license.
If you want to know more details then have a look at this site:
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@Reco29 , thanks so much again!
So would it be correct to say that “Redeeming” in the posts above is the same as “Activating”?
No, I´m afraid not. These are two different steps due to technical reasons.
However, there has been much confusion regarding the definition and usage of the terms “Redeeming” vs “Activating”. So you are definetly not the only one having trouble to grasp the difference between these two. Let´s put it that way: there is (a lot of) room for improvement when it comes to communicate these terms in the future.
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Yes
…but for practical purposes in regard to Grace Periods, I think we can replace the word Activate with Redeem.
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Does anyone know if Steinberg has announced anything about ending the Grace Period free upgrade process?
Unless they plan to end it along with the e-Licenser (which the Grace Period free upgrade process depends on), Steinberg will announce a new way to get the Grace Period free upgrade to replace the current e-Licenser-based one, I imagine 
They already have. Using Download Access Codes. The info is in the page you linked to.
So confusing!
This is the page I linked to:
I’ve downloaded C14 Pro, so Steinberg directs me in that page, near the bottom, to click the box, “License Not Activated - Still Unused Code” .
The process described there uses the e-Licenser.
If you wouldn’t mind pointing out where it shows on that page how to get a Grace Period free upgrade that doesn’t involve using the e-Licenser I’d be very interested!
Thank you!
That part is obviously old and related to releases of Cubase 11 and earlier.
If you own already Cubase 12 and later just open the Activation Manager, click on the Profile icon in the upper right corner and select the Check for Grace Period menu item.
@JuergenP , thank you!