Hello,
What about releasing a free entry version of Cubase (like Protools first or Studio One Prime or even Dorico)?
Teaching Scoring to picture with Cubase in a music conservatory, it always feels awkward to advice my first year students to use other software than Cubase as a first sequencer… After a year or two, if they persist, they certainly would buy Cubase, but not at first. Some of them took the Reaper route… and stayed there!..
Just my 2 cents…
There’s an LE version that comes bundled with many affordable hardware interfaces, for example I think Zoom recorders come bundled with Cubase LE.
What is Cubase LE | Steinberg
Also, neither the Trial or Full version of Cubase Elements requires a dongle, the trial is 30 days long. Elements full costs around $120 I think.
The educational version of Elements costs $66.99 which doesn’t seem out of line compared to the cost of textbooks these days.
Hi,
Apart from Cubase LE, there is also Cubase AI, which comes with Steinberg and several Yamaha hardware.
Good point,
Here is a link to the educational discount process
Education Discount on Steinberg Products | Steinberg
I do agree. But for young beginners not knowing if they will pursue the class after one year, this investment is not an obvious (neither for the parents).
I am not saying I agree with them, but that’s a fact 
So, they familiarize themselves with other software and when they would do the investment, they are gone for Steinberg…
I am well aware of the options you mentionned (thanks to all of you): I bought 2 licences of Cubase LE for my 2 elder sons (I use pro since version 4), june promotions are also good to know.
But from a marketing point of view, Dorico with its free version is perfect (I also teach notation, and advise my students to use it, a lot of them bought a commercial version afterwards…)
Maybe one day there will be a free version, but certainly, you could make 4 albums in 30 days with the 30 day trial…