What does CbB Activations end 8/1/2025 mean for me?

[Roy Slough]

I am getting this message when I start Cakewalk by Bandlab. Will this stop me using CbB after this date?
I do not really understand what is meant by activations, it is already activated or does it require repeat activations after a period of time?

Also can someone confirm this is 1st August 2025 (in UK this date would be 8th January 2025)

Thanks 

[John Vere]

Once again. Especially anyone who visits this forum. We were told 2 years ago that Cakewalk would be discontinued. They originally said it would be sooner but they then decided to allow more time for people to transition to the new Sonar. 
There was plenty of warning including all the Cakewalk You Tube channels. 

So the day comes when they need to get Cakewalk out of their hair and being polite kind hearted folks and not wanting to diss loyal users they came up with a solution. 

You should be very grateful for the Free version. They didn’t have to do that. 

 

As far as transferring projects to other Daw’s it’s actually very simple. I made a few videos on how to do this. I have transferred a lot of my important work to other Daw’s I own and life is now better and simple. No more distractions. 
But I still have a lot of not important projects that I might need access to so I have Platinum and now the wonderful free version. Thanks to everyone who was involved in this great initiative. 


 

[User 905133]

17 minutes ago, Roy Slough said:

Also can someone confirm this is 1st August 2025 (in UK this date would be 8th January 2025)

January 8th, 2025, has already passed.  Based on that, I assume that it is reasonable to conclude 8/1/2025 refers to August 1, 2025. But that's just me.  My assumption could be wrong.  Still, based on countless other recent posts in the Forum, maybe a whole bunch of people  are also wrong if they assume that.

Edited Thursday at 09:52 AM by User 905133
fixed typo

[Roy Slough]

8 hours ago, User 905133 said:

January 8th, 2025, has already passed.  Based on that, I assume that it is reasonable to conclude 8/1/2025 refers to August 1, 2025. But that's just me.  My assumption could be wrong.  Still, based on countless other recent posts in the Forum, maybe a whole bunch of people  are also wrong if they assume that.

My Thoughts were much the same, however as CbB has never asked me to activate (or re-activate) since the initial setup it could have been, but I too doubt it and believe it to be 1st August.

[John Vere]

What it means for you is that yes you now have to make sure you are ready for the day your version of Cakewalk will cease saving and exporting your projects. 
 

You have 3 choices. 

1-Purchase a Bandlab Membership which might still be available for $49 via the Sonar nag screen. 

2- Switch to Sonar and use the free version. 
 

3- Switch Daw’s 

[Promidi]

It means that if a reactivation of CbB is required after August 1, 2025, it will fail the activation.  

You will not be able to save or export your project from CbB.

[Roy Slough]

15 hours ago, John Vere said:

What it means for you is that yes you now have to make sure you are ready for the day your version of Cakewalk will cease saving and exporting your projects. 
 

You have 3 choices. 

1-Purchase a Bandlab Membership which might still be available for $49 via the Sonar nag screen. 

2- Switch to Sonar and use the free version. 
 

3- Switch Daw’s 

 

2 hours ago, Promidi said:

It means that if a reactivation of CbB is required after August 1, 2025, it will fail the activation.  

You will not be able to save or export your project from CbB.

OK,  I have a number of CbB projects saved, is it known if any other DAW is able to import these projects or will I have to re-mix and re-work from scratch?

Also, the VST's I have, Some are new (Ample Guitars, SPAN etc.) others came with CbB - is it possible to know which DAWs will be able to utilise these?

These factors along with the price tag will determine my choices (CbB with no Save or export is useless to me)

[Mark Morgon-Shaw]

1 hour ago, Roy Slough said:

 

OK,  I have a number of CbB projects saved, is it known if any other DAW is able to import these projects

Cakewalk Sonar Free Tier will open them 

[pedwal wally wally wha]

17 hours ago, John Vere said:

What it means for you is that yes you now have to make sure you are ready for the day your version of Cakewalk will cease saving and exporting your projects. 
 

You have 3 choices. 

1-Purchase a Bandlab Membership which might still be available for $49 via the Sonar nag screen. 

2- Switch to Sonar and use the free version. 
 

3- Switch Daw’s 

4 - turn windows clock back 1 month? I don't believe this would work

[Jonathan Sasor]

39 minutes ago, pedwal wally wally wha said:

4 - turn windows clock back 1 month? I don't believe this would work

It won't.

[Milton Sica]

On 7/3/2025 at 6:35 AM, Roy Slough said:

I am getting this message when I start Cakewalk by Bandlab. Will this stop me using CbB after this date?
I do not really understand what is meant by activations, it is already activated or does it require repeat activations after a period of time?

Also can someone confirm this is 1st August 2025 (in UK this date would be 8th January 2025)

Thanks 

Yes, you will miss a lot, considering the latest mandatory version of SOnar Free 2025.07, which, without any warning, not even in the message box of the paid version, announces that it has closed the creation of perspectives and the execution of multiple tasks. All features present in Cakewalk Bandlab.

I made 2 comments in the thread announcing the new version for feedback that were almost immediately deleted.

I also think that this comment of mine will also be deleted.

That's because I am, simply and with the highest level of respect and cordiality, reporting to the community what has been happening.

Edited 18 hours ago by Milton Sica

[John Vere]

Once again. Especially anyone who visits this forum. We were told 2 years ago that Cakewalk would be discontinued. They originally said it would be sooner but they then decided to allow more time for people to transition to the new Sonar. 
There was plenty of warning including all the Cakewalk You Tube channels. 

So the day comes when they need to get Cakewalk out of their hair and being polite kind hearted folks and not wanting to diss loyal users they came up with a solution. 

You should be very grateful for the Free version. They didn’t have to do that. 

 

As far as transferring projects to other Daw’s it’s actually very simple. I made a few videos on how to do this. I have transferred a lot of my important work to other Daw’s I own and life is now better and simple. No more distractions. 
But I still have a lot of not important projects that I might need access to so I have Platinum and now the wonderful free version. Thanks to everyone who was involved in this great initiative.