Jump to content

Why is Cakewalk by Bandlab free?


synkrotron

Recommended Posts

Also slightly frustrating for SONAR users was when looking into various pieces of hardware or software SONAR was rarely ever on the list of tested/trusted DAWs.

Roland used to package a "lite" version of SONAR with their interfaces, presumably because they owned it at the time. They now give away licenses for Live lite.

So I have always felt like I've been using the "poor man's" digital audio workstation, although I have to add then  I have NEVER felt the it was in reality, if you know what I mean. If a discussion came up about, "which DAW do you use" on non-DAW forums, I'd be the odd one out using SONAR.

Never put me off though...

 

 

Page 11

I feel another video coming on.......

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lot of my friends who are audio pros used Pro Tools, but they also complained bitterly about the need for, and cost of, upgrades. Others used Logic, but that required a Mac. That left Nuendo, Sonar, Digital Performer, and probably a couple of others that don't spring to mind.

Bandlab is free largely because many of us paid $500 for Sonar (or whatever, I got the PE versions), allowing the developers to make it happen. Then Reaper came along and mostly eliminated  the monetary value of Sonar, etc. and here we are.

I don't regret paying the $500 for a minute. Money well spent.

Edited by jonathan boose
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, jonathan boose said:

Bandlab is free largely because many of us paid $500 for Sonar (or whatever, I got the PE versions), allowing the developers to make it happen.

Hi Jonathan :)

I'm not sure how that works to be honest. I mean, the money that we all spent in SONAR, Platinum, lifetime and all that would have gone straight into the Cakewalk owners (Roland or Gibson, I'm not sure who was the owner at that time) pot and paid for wages/bonuses for staff at that time. There is no way that BandLab would have benefited from any of that money.

And when BandLab got the code from Gibson, did they get it free?

 

cheers

andy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, synkrotron said:

Hi Jonathan :)

I'm not sure how that works to be honest. I mean, the money that we all spent in SONAR, Platinum, lifetime and all that would have gone straight into the Cakewalk owners (Roland or Gibson, I'm not sure who was the owner at that time) pot and paid for wages/bonuses for staff at that time. There is no way that BandLab would have benefited from any of that money.

And when BandLab got the code from Gibson, did they get it free?

 

cheers

andy

Pretty sure that he means there would have been no sonar without people paying for it for decades. And no Sonar would mean no Cakewalk by bandlab. 

Daw history is pretty interesting. Old ableton guys peeled off and formed bitwig, studio one was modelled heavily off cubase/nuendo. lots of people said reaper would one day be the de facto standard. but the actual situation for professionals as far as I can see is exactly the same as when I got interested in daws about 15 years ago. 90% pro tools with a few cubase and DP users. Must have something to do with tight hardware integration I'm beginning to feel

Edited by backwoods
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
34 minutes ago, zac said:

Hello folks! 😎

I've been reading from the very interesting discussion about why this DAW Cakewalk by BandLab is free, and I wonder why it has to be delivered exclusively via BandLab Assistant, run as demo prior to activation and then call home every 6 months. I mean, it's 100% free! - why can't I just download the installer, do a relaxed offline install, accept the terms and agreements etc ...and then enjoy this 100% free DAW?

zac

As there are no sales figures to monitor, the only way of knowing the active user count (and how many people are using the most up to date version) is to do so via BandLab assistant.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/1/2019 at 9:48 AM, Craig Anderton said:

It's a tractor beam to draw people into the BandLab ecosystem. And you can't sell add-ons unless people have the core program.

As a precedent, consider IK's AmpliTube Free. It's a fine amp sim and free, but they make their money from people going to the Custom Shop and buying more modules.

This happens a lot in gaming too. The game is free but if you want the fancy weapons or uniforms, you have to buy them.

I would imagine that companies like MOTU and Steinberg are not too happy that a $400 program like CbB is free when it's right up there with their products - some might argue, even better.

Sometimes I wonder if their employees are the ones starting these threads!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, razor7music said:

Sometimes I wonder if their employees are the ones starting these threads!!

No, I ain't no employee. Cakewalk couldn't afford my charge out rate...

On 6/21/2020 at 2:07 PM, zac said:

Hello folks!

Erm... Nice necro...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, 57Gregy said:

It's not really free; it costs you time to download and call home every 6 months or so, and we all know time is money!

As opposed to the other programs that appear instantly on your computer instead of taking a precious 120 seconds to download an optional update.

No, nothing in life is ever really free, not even being breastfed, because even then you have to go to the effort of opening your mouth and sucking.

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm fine with trading having to open an account on Bandlab for the services it's offering later, like a possibility to co-work with bandmates from a distance or space where I can publish songs. Having to call home once in 6 months is a PITA but luckily only once in 6 months.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the rate things get updated at the moment, you get a new version every 2 - 3 months at the very most, and when you get that, it will do any phoning home it needs to do, so you're really not being put out that much if you think about it.

You only need to look at the 2020.05 Feedback thread at the top of this forum to see both the amount of stuff that's been added/fixed, and the hands-on approach the Bakers have with trying to solve issues, so sitting on the current release for more than the 6 months it would take to refresh activation is missing out on a lot of good things anyway.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...