Steinberg has just anounced that it will be possible to update/upgrade eLicenser-based licenses after May 20th this year. Important: This only works if your eLicenser with the eligible licenses is registered in your account!
Here is the latest update on the eLicenser:
Obviously, this announcement will not go unnoticed by people who have recently updated/upgraded their eLicenser-based licenses in a hurry based on the assumption that it will no longer be possible after May 20th. I understand.
Still, this is very good news
UPDATE: Moreover, it will still be possible to register your eLicenser after May 20th 2025.
The statement is correct. Here is the latest clarification
EDIT: However, it will be challenging to find meaningful use cases taking into account the latest clarification.
If you find an old USB Licenser in 2035 with a Cubase 7.5 license - feel free to register your USB-Licenser and upgrade to Cubase 25 at a reasonable price. Thanks @P.A.T for pointing this use case out!
EDIT II: Confirmed by Steinberg in this German thread.
I just saw this and asked @Ed_Doll to clarify what this means, because in the same paragraph he says it is not possible if the eLicenser is not registered before May 20, 2025.
You need to quote the full paragraph and see that it has two different statements in it.
Well, whatever is decided, I just ordered a new spare, will register it when it gets here tomorrow, and then hope I store it someplace I won’t forget…just in case for however this will pan out.
What good do you think a blank registered eLicenser will be in the future´? You cannot transfer any licenses to it after May 2025. If your current eLicenser breaks, you still need to contact support for “an individual solution” (whatever that will be, but probably just a possibility to upgrade to a new version despite the eLicenser missing). IMHO getting a spare eLicenser now is a waste of money…
Regarding individual solutions: Will it still be possible to activate a new eLicenser in 2029 (@DosWasBest after the incident with the dog, maybe you wanna hide your dongle in a big stuffed lion?)? I think the main question is whether or not this will be possible from a technological point of view. I am pretty sure that Steinberg will try to find a decent solution, so that’s not a question of are they willing to do so.
EDIT: The answer still remains unclear whether or not it will be technically possible to activate a new USB licenser after May 2025. Confusing statement for eLicensers
I will change the initial post accordingly once this has been cleared.
EDIT: However, it will be challenging to find meaningful use cases taking into account the latest clarification.
If you find an old USB Licenser in 2035 with a Cubase 7.5 license - feel free to register your USB-Licenser and upgrade to Cubase 25 for a reasonable price. Thanks @P.A.T for pointing this use case out!
No it is not anymore. The original announcement from Steinberg last year said that you can not update eLicenser based products after the shutdown, that would be “all over”. The statement now says that you are still able to update your old licenses, that used the eLicenser, as long as you have registered them properly with Steinberg.
So if your dongle fails you are now still able to get the update on that license for the discounted price.
What you can not do is use the old products, that is correct and it was included in the original announcement.
Yes, it’s all over/done in the following non-convoluted situation…
if you’re using Cb ver 8… love ver 8…never want to stop using ver 8 (and 7,6,5,4 etc)…and always have a computer that runs 8,7,6,5,4 etc (which by the way, Windows 11 24H2 successfully runs cb10,9,8,7,6,5 etc as I DO that)…
AND…then …your dongle breaks/or is lost…
Yep, it’s all over baby for your beloved ver 8 and earlier.
While SB will…if owned dongle that breaks/lost is registered at sb with an older license or more…allow you to buy a newer Cubase xx in 2040 with a discount (of some kind)…yeah…you’re definitely completely totally and forevermore outta luck with ver 8.
For that, it’s bye bye. Just as a clarification per the updated support notes regarding eol for May.
I really like ver 9 and 6.5 myself even though I also own 14 and ongoing forward versions.
For a brief moment earlier this week, I thought the eol rules changed to allow a spare registered dongle and so I ordered a spare. It arrived …and of course now, I’ll return the spare as we have clarification that indeed, eol for May is pretty well microscopically documented now. Oh well.
Latest clarifaction on that topic by Steinberg:
It was not clear whether or not the registration process includes licenses on the eLicenser or if the registration merely refers to the eLicenser itself. Steinberg confirmed that the registration of yet unregistered licenses that are on an eLicenser are included. That means you can update/upgrade your product at any given time in the future.
Here is the German thread with Steinberg’s clarifaction.
However, it will still NOT be possible to move licenses to another eLicenser after May 2025.
You are afraid to lose the possibility to work with your beloved old Cubase version
If your version runs on the old licensing system and you are terrified of the moment your USB-Licenser breaks or your computer with the soft eLicenser on it goes up in flames, you could do this:
Buy a used full additional license of Cubase Version < 12 . A good way to get your hands on a cheap license that has not yet been upgraded are marketplaces like knobcloud.
If the offer did not come with a physical USB-Licenser buy one for a couple of bucks and move the license on it BEFORE May 20th 2025.
I know, this solution is not for free but at least it comes at a reasonable price. This can be a good way to secure your option to work with your favourite Cubase version for many years to come.
Hope that helps.
I would add for clarity that as I understand what Steinberg has posted: When that USB-Licenser fails at some point in the future, that is the end of using any programs on there that depend on a USB-Licenser to run.
The reason is that after May 20, 2025 there are no transfers possible from that “new” USB-Licenser to any other.
Please correct me if I’m wrong - this is my understanding of a recent Steinberg post.
Yeah, that is why I proposed to buy an additional used version that is stored on a second USB-eLicenser. This way you have at least one spare after breaking the first one. Not perfect, but that’s the way it is.
I’ve never bought a used ver…much less a years/decades-old used ver.
What would happen if you bought a used Cubase 6.5 (or even just a cubase 10) this week in March 2025 (from one of the listed outfits), and a separate dongle (this week), register the new dongle…but ..upon trying to register the serial of 6.5 (this week, March 2025)…the sb system forbids completion…because, say, the cb 6.5 serial…was already registered many years ago by some, now unknown, original buyer.
Now what?
I’m actually intrigued…I don’t see any Cubase 10 ver programs for sale anywhere myself at the moment…just listings from what looks to be years ago & likely no longer even an active seller.
Yes, there are. Must be quite a few. Hmmm, maybe I should buy them all and resell one after the other in 5 years from now
Yeah, I understand your reservations. However, it is common practice to sell and buy used versions. Each platform comes with their own policies to prevent fraud. It might also be helpful to have a look at Steinberg’s site:
Usually, this is a safe way to get your hands on software at a reasonable price.
