# Upcoming: Optional Diagnostic and Usage Data Collection **URL:** \ **Category:** Steinberg Lounge\ **Tags:** announcement\ **Created:** [August 11, 2026, 9:40am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845 "2026-08-11T09:40:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Matthias\_Quellmann](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/matthias_quellmann/32/326_2.png) [@Matthias\_Quellmann](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Matthias_Quellmann)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 6:18am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/22 "2026-08-12T06:18:35Z")
> [@Nico5](#): > > One of the things that worries me, is that the collected data - even when interpreted entirely in good faith - is over-interpreted. We’re aware that this is a known risk with usage data collection. We will make sure that usage data is not looked at in isolation and will carefully balance the findings against feedback from other channels to get a broader and more representative picture of how our products are being used. > [@Nico5](#): > > I couldn’t find a statement one way or the other, if you intend on collecting info about 3rd party plugins, extensions, MIDI Remotes, etc. being installed and/or used. I think that’s an important bit of info I would really like to know. Yes, information about connected external hardware and installed plug-ins is part of the data we plan to collect, as this helps us get a more complete picture of the system for diagnostic purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_at\_Steinberg](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/ben_at_steinberg/32/373342_2.png) [@Ben\_at\_Steinberg](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Ben_at_Steinberg)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 6:43am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/23 "2026-08-12T06:43:43Z")
> [@alexis](#): > > I’d be concerned that another process writing to disk while I’m recording audio is a potential disaster. Reasonable concern? The events written to disk are comparatively infrequent, tiny, and written quickly. Your computer’s operating system is routinely logging things to disk which has negligible affect on the performance of other processes. My understanding (disclaimer: I’m not a Cubase developer) is that we also prioritise performance threads, e.g. for recording – to ensure that the system schedules things in ways they won’t be interrupted. Of course, ensuring that there’s no practical impact on performance is on the checklist of our ongoing governance processes for usage data collection. ---
**Author:** ![Nico5](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/nico5/32/92492_2.png) [@Nico5](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Nico5)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 7:40am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/24 "2026-08-12T07:40:57Z")
> [@Matthias\_Quellmann](#): > > … installed plug-ins is part of the data we plan to collect … mmmhh - that sounds like that data could give you even more insider info to pull an [Apple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_(software)#Sherlocked_as_a_term) or an [Amazon](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/23/wsj-amazon-uses-data-from-third-party-sellers-to-develop-its-own-products.html) on 3rd party plugin makers. It’s one thing to use specific limited plugin info in the context of crash reports and very specific troubleshooting, but using that info in any wider context is thoughtless at best and nefarious at worst. * * * But more generally speaking, the more I think about it, the more I think this entire undertaking sends a very negative message about Steinberg’s priorities in today’s increasingly orwellian / techno-feudalist environment. Artists are being data slurped to death, and so you had to spend considerable Steinberg brain power to come up with the list of things you promise not to collect. Brain power you didn’t apply to squashing bugs and finishing incomplete product features. So now the talented programmers at Steinberg will have to think about how to implement monitoring tools that don’t slow or break anything. Who thought that was a good idea? You want feedback and data? This forum has plenty. And other forums, too.. If you must, slurp that data. At least if you break the forum, we can still make music. Please don’t compete with Fender and D’Addario for worst idea of 2026! 😢 ---
**Author:** ![Matthias\_Quellmann](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/matthias_quellmann/32/326_2.png) [@Matthias\_Quellmann](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Matthias_Quellmann)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 8:17am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/25 "2026-08-12T08:17:14Z")
Customer interviews, surveys, this forum, and support tickets are all important sources of information that help us understand the needs of our community and prioritize our resources in the best interests of our customers. Diagnostic and usage data is simply another source of information that we will use alongside these existing channels, and we hope it will give us additional insights that help us improve our products. One advantage is that it can provide insights into how our products are actually used at a scale that we simply can’t achieve through these other sources. We understand that collecting this kind of data can be a sensitive topic. That is why we are communicating our plans well in advance and want to be as clear as possible about what we intend to collect, what we will not collect, and how the data will be used. ---
**Author:** ![Oliver\_Lucas](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/oliver_lucas/32/92245_2.png) [@Oliver\_Lucas](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Oliver_Lucas)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 8:38am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/26 "2026-08-12T08:38:00Z")
This is being sold as “devs need the data to improve the product” but in 2026 we all know that data is money. So the real resaon is marketing wants the data. And yes - once the data exists it will be either sold, used, stolen or otherwise used in a problematic conrext. I am sure that in a poll about say who wants real ripple editing in Cubase vs. who wants Steinberg to have your data to “improve the product” this would have had 0 votes. Using artists data is just wrong! ---
**Author:** ![ggmanestraki](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/ggmanestraki/32/109799_2.png) [@ggmanestraki](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/ggmanestraki)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 8:55am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/27 "2026-08-12T08:55:23Z")
> [@Oliver\_Lucas](#): > > in 2026 we all know that data is money Yes, but that’s not a Steinberg problem, this is a “modern ponzi scheme passing as the bestest economy” problem. In any case, if we start now, we’ll already be behind, just a puny tiny fund of data. This is a problem for the future in my opinion, when the data grows so much as to become sexy. ---
**Author:** ![Matthias\_Quellmann](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/matthias_quellmann/32/326_2.png) [@Matthias\_Quellmann](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Matthias_Quellmann)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 9:01am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/28 "2026-08-12T09:01:33Z")
> [@Oliver\_Lucas](#): > > And yes - once the data exists it will be either sold, used, stolen or otherwise used in a problematic conrext. We clearly state in the announcement that we will not sell the data and that we are taking measures to keep it as secure as possible. Most importantly, participation is entirely optional. It is up to you whether you want to share diagnostic and usage data with us, and you can change your choice at any time. ---
**Author:** ![Reco29](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/reco29/32/319942_2.png) [@Reco29](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Reco29)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 9:09am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/29 "2026-08-12T09:09:24Z")
Sorry, but you didn’t really respond to @Nico5 's concerns. Instead, you repeated what you’ve already said. I really appreciate that Steinberg is trying to be transparent about collecting usage data. I am not sure if collecting usage data via code in your products is a wise move in the first place, though. Especially, in times like this. A lot of bad examples spring to mind - can you name one example where both company and users benefitted from this kind of usage data collection? ---
**Author:** ![ggmanestraki](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/ggmanestraki/32/109799_2.png) [@ggmanestraki](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/ggmanestraki)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 9:15am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/30 "2026-08-12T09:15:19Z")
> [@Reco29](#): > > can you name one example where both company and users benefitted from this kind of usage data collection? Steam? 🏃‍♂️🤾‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![Matthias\_Quellmann](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/matthias_quellmann/32/326_2.png) [@Matthias\_Quellmann](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Matthias_Quellmann)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 9:39am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/31 "2026-08-12T09:39:16Z")
Could you clarify which of the concerns you feel I haven’t addressed? I’m happy to respond, but I don’t want to guess which point you are referring to. If you mean that we are investing resources in this project instead of fixing bugs: we see this as an investment in product quality, not something separate from it. We are confident that better information about how our products perform and are used across a much broader range of real-world systems will help us identify issues, understand their impact, and make better-informed decisions about where to focus our resources. ---
**Author:** ![alexis](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/alexis/32/170348_2.png) [@alexis](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/alexis)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 10:22am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/32 "2026-08-12T10:22:15Z")
> [@Matthias\_Quellmann](#): > > We are confident that better information about how our products perform and are used across a much broader range of real-world systems **will help us identify issues, understand their impact** , and make better-informed decisions about where to focus our resources. Aka: Steinberg: “_We need to devote/divert resources to set up a process to scrape your data to improve your product_”. There are already great mechanisms for Steinberg to learn about bugs and problems in my Steinberg products: forum entries, social media, and support tickets, to name a few. Before saying, “Yes, Steinberg, go ahead, have additional access to my hard drive, collect new data, and phone it home”, **I’d want to know what they feel is lacking with those, and other, methods they already have available to them to assess problems with their products.** Dylan: “_You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows_”. With all due respect, I can’t help but think that Steinberg doesn’t need to scrape my data to know the VCAs are broken, e.g. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_at\_Steinberg](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/ben_at_steinberg/32/373342_2.png) [@Ben\_at\_Steinberg](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Ben_at_Steinberg)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 10:29am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/33 "2026-08-12T10:29:03Z")
A lot of the existing means of getting feedback rely on users taking the time to tell us, which many don’t. Not only that, getting information in a consistent enough form that we can act on is often difficult and time-consuming for us and you. Having usage data which follows a consistent schema, is generated and collected automatically (if you consent) will greatly improve the “signal to noise” ratio and allow us to look at other factors such as CPU types, OS versions, and other system configurations that would otherwise take a lot of manual triangulation work. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Moneto](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/johnny_moneto/32/329861_2.png) [@Johnny\_Moneto](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Johnny_Moneto)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 10:45am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/34 "2026-08-12T10:45:03Z")
> [@Nico5](#): > > Artists are being data slurped to death, and so you had to spend considerable Steinberg brain power to come up with the list of things you promise not to collect. Brain power you didn’t apply to squashing bugs and finishing incomplete product features. First, if you don’t opt-in then none of your data will be transmitted. I don’t see a problem here. Second, if Steinberg uses a bit of brain power and time today in order to in order to improve the process of bug fixing tomorrow, that sounds like a good investment to me. ---
**Author:** ![u-man](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/u-man/32/4897_2.png) [@u-man](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/u-man)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 10:45am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/35 "2026-08-12T10:45:54Z")
> [@alexis](#): > > There are already great mechanisms for Steinberg to learn about bugs and problems in my Steinberg products: forum entries, social media, and support tickets, to name a few. So, so ,so true and the worst part of this is, most of this stuff is kept unanswered AND most of this stuff does not need further investigation as they are replicable for every user. Most of the time, it is not a OS or CPU problem for these reported bugs. Focus your resources there first. I dont mind that you collect data, but i very doubt, that this will answer any of your problems. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Moneto](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/johnny_moneto/32/329861_2.png) [@Johnny\_Moneto](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Johnny_Moneto)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 10:47am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/36 "2026-08-12T10:47:13Z")
- It would be nice if an account is opted-out that no data creation is going to happen. So far you only spoke of “no transmission”. - It would be nice to know if the to be created data varies significantly from the UsageLogger data that is already present in current Cubases. ---
**Author:** ![u-man](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/u-man/32/4897_2.png) [@u-man](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/u-man)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 10:53am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/37 "2026-08-12T10:53:42Z")
Focus your resources more to a good and healthy QA department. That would avoid shameful releases, where people rightly so cant understand how these releases can be shown off to Cubase users. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_at\_Steinberg](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/ben_at_steinberg/32/373342_2.png) [@Ben\_at\_Steinberg](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Ben_at_Steinberg)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 11:05am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/38 "2026-08-12T11:05:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_Moneto](#): > > - It would be nice if an account is opted-out that no data creation is going to happen. So far you only spoke of “no transmission”. > - It would be nice to know if the to be created data varies significantly from the UsageLogger data that is already present in current Cubases. Currently, the plan is that data will be only logged if consent is given. We’re in the processes of reviewing that data to remove anything which is less useful or noisy, and add in metrics that could yield actionable insights. It will evolve over time, but always in plain sight so you know exactly what we collect and why. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Moneto](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/johnny_moneto/32/329861_2.png) [@Johnny\_Moneto](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Johnny_Moneto)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 11:14am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/39 "2026-08-12T11:14:15Z")
So, actually nothing changes fundamentaly except that the option is going to be account based instead of product based. I wonder if everybody who is criticising the plan is aware that there already is something similiar present in Cubase for many years. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_at\_Steinberg](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/ben_at_steinberg/32/373342_2.png) [@Ben\_at\_Steinberg](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Ben_at_Steinberg)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 11:16am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/40 "2026-08-12T11:16:49Z")
> [@Johnny\_Moneto](#): > > So, actually nothing changes fundamentaly except that the option is going to be account based instead of product based. With the addition that we’re streamlining the collection of this data, adding greater governance and oversight, and being super-transparent with you all about it. ---
**Author:** ![Antoine-B](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/antoine-b/32/308199_2.png) [@Antoine-B](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Antoine-B)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 11:17am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845/41 "2026-08-12T11:17:26Z")
Count me IN. I’d do anything to improve Cubase stability and performance. Those are my top top priorities well before any new functionality! I would even agree to shoot video of me using Cubase to let Steinberg see my issues with UI and UX stuff. And I’ve been using Cubase for about 25 years. [Previous page](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845.md?page=1) [Next page](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/upcoming-optional-diagnostic-and-usage-data-collection/1038845.md?page=3)