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Backstage Pass and Sonar Pricing


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Can anyone clarify if Backstage Pass is now the route to Sonar access for the foreseeable future or is Sonar going to be available to purchase?

I probably will buy a year’s worth of Backstage Pass if it is the only way that Sonar is going to be made available.

And have I missed a link for the Sonar forum?  There are plenty of folks checking out Sonar now via Backstage Pass but I can’t see whether a forum page has been created?  Makes more sense than the current Sonar posts going into CbB.

And … is must be getting to that time when we get some idea of a Sonar launch date?

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I wouldn’t personally by the whole year unless you want to take advantage of the other perks you get with the Bandlab membership. It’s now a music delivery service among other things . I’m going by the month for now until I make up my mind.
 

There’s no need for a new forum or sub forum. Eventually there’ will be no more Cakewalk anyway. So we just carry on. This forum has always answered questions about any version people chose to use. Sonar is just the continuation. 
 

They had to start this forum because it was a new company taking over. 
 

Not sure if they will add a Next sub forum. Doubt anyone who used Cakewalk would lower their standards that much. It will probably stay on Discord out of harms way. 

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So, what is the exact link for buying a backstage pass, if somehow this is different from membership?
I can find membership.

Thanks!

Edited by Alan Bachman
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10 hours ago, Alan Bachman said:

So, what is the exact link for buying a backstage pass, if somehow this is different from membership?
I can find membership.

Thanks!

  • It is not very difficult to follow the links. It sounds like you already went most of the way if you found the same membership information I found:
    • (1) Start at cakewalk.com.
    • (2) Click on the big Cakewalk Sonar Button (Hotspot Image).
    • (3) Scroll to the bottom and click on "What is Backstage Pass" (it's in the FAQ section) where you will see:
      • Don't have BandLab Membership but want to check it out? If you have a BandLab account, you can purchase it here, or learn more in the BandLab Membership FAQ.
        • based on my experience, if you are logged in, the purchase it here link takes you to your own Bandlab Page with a large
          • "Power your creator journey with Membership" that has some details, prices, and a way to sign up.
            • In this overlay, I clicked on the Backstage Pass button (which you might have found) and it took me to:
    • (4) I think maybe you are looking for the  purchase it here link with the power your creator journey dialog
      • Sorry, I can't post a direct link since it is linked to my account. 
      • Not sure if there is a direct link to the purchase it here link for people without accounts (other than the Get Membership button on the bandlab blog page.  (See UPDATE.)

UPDATE: I logged out and discovered that the purchase it here link goes directly the standard login dialog.  So I assume that that the Backstage Pass offer requires an account before you can get to the purchase it / get membership access point.

Maybe once the new products are released there will be marketing directed to people that don't already use Cakewalk products and therefore have an account.   

Edited by User 905133
added an UPDATE; edits for the sake of clarity
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Many thanks John for taking the time to make an extremely useful video. It is much appreciated.

My takeaway: Beyond a membership to  BandLab (which is not particularly useful to me), there is no good reason, at present, to obtain Sonar unless one wishes to monkey about with GUI issues for months on end while actual music production suffers. Cheers... - Daniel

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Thank you all.   I can see where there is a 3 day demo so to speak.  Perhaps that is what is meant by Backstage pass.

Other than the 3 day demo, the only other thing is a subscription - either by month or by year.

So, if I am correct, there is no pass beyond 3 days without bandlab membership.

 

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21 minutes ago, Sailor55 said:

Many thanks John for taking the time to make an extremely useful video. It is much appreciated.

My takeaway: Beyond a membership to  BandLab (which is not particularly useful to me), there is no good reason, at present, to obtain Sonar unless one wishes to monkey about with GUI issues for months on end while actual music production suffers. Cheers... - Daniel

This is my taking of it too, and I totally get what you say. To a degree yes, time spent just looking at it, playing around and testing with pos glitches to workflow is time wasted not actually creating. Am sure everyone does a bit of that too much! However, I have been so so tempted and now subscribed for the year. 
Cakewalk user (after logic went Mac only) since v8 pre X1, I’m not big on publishing my work or socials, but I think Bandlab doing a great job with cakewalk and it might even entice me to use some of the features the backstage pass offers.

Not sure if others do but I use the BandLab app a lot on various devices too, on the go for ideas, voice notes, acting auditions, VO etc as well as music creation.

Re display issues, I have a machine feeding my vocal booth for spoken word, and only have a tiny crappy monitor in there, one bonus I have found is that the new Sonar resolution knocks socks off CbB, not all about 4K if that makes sense to all users 

keep up good work bakers

 

 

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Just to add, don’t know why the ‘link’ to trial Sonar is only at bottom of main site page and not available, or showing as option in the new Product centre (or whatever it’s called now!). THAT is a bit confusing. Especially if wanting to attract new or even existing users of CbB.

 

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Just now, Alan Bachman said:

Thank you all.   I can see where there is a 3 day demo so to speak.  Perhaps that is what is meant by Backstage pass.

Other than the 3 day demo, the only other thing is a subscription - either by month or by year.

So, if I am correct, there is no pass beyond 3 days without bandlab membership.

 

Three days isn't long enough. Some DAWs are handing out 30 to 60 day demos. 

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19 minutes ago, Resonant Serpent said:

Three days isn't long enough. Some DAWs are handing out 30 to 60 day demos. 

I hear you.  Universal Audio gives a 14 day demo on a plugin.  Imagine how much more time is needed to check out an entire DAW!

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1 hour ago, Alan Bachman said:

Thank you all.   I can see where there is a 3 day demo so to speak.  Perhaps that is what is meant by Backstage pass.

The way I read it, you can get 3-days of using all that's included with the Backstage Pass, after which there is a monthly charge (unless you pay for a year's worth of the Backstage Pass).

Edited by User 905133
added a ) which was missing
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I signed up for Backstage Pass trial, then paid for monthly. Got billed $14.95 on March 15th. Today I got an email offering me 50% off but the link takes me to my account page with nowhere to redeem it and tells me I'm already subscribed? Anybody else get this and figure out how to get the 50% off?

 

image.thumb.png.482bbe7840127fdc595c53b3451f97ae.png

Edited by Sal Sorice
clarity
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20 minutes ago, Alan Bachman said:

This is from their website at https://blog.bandlab.com/introduction-to-backstage-pass/

"How to gain access to Backstage Pass

If you’re currently a BandLab Member, you’ll be able to access these experimental features now. We’ll catch you backstage!

Get Membership"'

Why doesn't it say:  "Get Backstage Pass"

It seems like backstage pass (after 3 days) is membership. [emphasis added]

Just a guess: Because the Membership is a Bandlab (the phone/browser) thing that was available to people who use Bandlab.  After that Bandlab (the company) decided to offer the experimental/sort of early access versions of Cakewalk Sonar and Cakewalk Next to both Bandlab users and CbB/SONAR users.

So, they came up with the Backstage Pass as the vehicle to do that.

Maybe they did it to be sensitive to the needs and desires of Bandlab and CbB users who were getting antsy and wanted some early release hands on software?

Edited by User 905133
fixed typo (to -> the)
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7 minutes ago, User 905133 said:

Just a guess: Because the Membership is a Bandlab (the phone/browser) thing that was available to people who use Bandlab.  After that Bandlab (the company) decided to offer the experimental/sort of early access versions of Cakewalk Sonar and Cakewalk Next to both Bandlab users and CbB/SONAR users.

So, they came up with the Backstage Pass as the vehicle to do that.

Maybe they did it to be sensitive to the needs and desires of Bandlab and CbB users who were getting antsy and wanted some early release hands on software?

Makes sense.   And I am not complaining.  The Bakers are super fantastic.  And Sonar and CbB are fabulous.

I just want to clarify that after the three days, use of Sonar and being able to save it - is about membership - whether paid monthly or annually.

That is why the Website states about how to gain access to Backstage Pass and then provides a link to "Get Membership":

"How to gain access to Backstage Pass

If you’re currently a BandLab Member, you’ll be able to access these experimental features now. We’ll catch you backstage!

Get Membership"'

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If you get the one month membership like I did you will see in you activation status it is counting down. Mine says 21 days. 
It’s not clear to me about placing songs there. It calls them projects? And they show in your start screen of Next. I guess a lot of stuff created these days it would be a stretch to call it a song?

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8 hours ago, Resonant Serpent said:

Three days isn't long enough. Some DAWs are handing out 30 to 60 day demos. 

This isn't an official release of Sonar, though - at this point it's a bonus sneak peek as a membership perk. The program isn't out of beta testing yet and is still being finalized. So demo terms and purchase terms for the full release have yet to be announced.

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