An important announcement from Cakewalk

[Starship Krupa]

Posted on both the official Reddit sub and Discord server. There's a bunch of other stuff, but it all sounded like the grownups on the Peanuts specials until I read this:

"We’re introducing expanded color customization and theming controls to give you more flexibility in how the DAW looks and feels."

The "T" word! They used the "T" word.

They don't say when these customization options will arrive, but they've promised in public that we're going to get something.

[tparker24]

Good catch. Here's the post: 

 

[Mark Morgon-Shaw]

54 minutes ago, Starship Krupa said:

"We’re introducing expanded color customization and theming controls to give you more flexibility in how the DAW looks and feels."

Finally !!

I’ve been banging on about the lack of clarity in the new GUI for 18 months and really hoped they'd have done something sooner.

It took a flood of users jumping on the free tier to really force them to acknowledge just how badly this interface misses the mark.

At least now there’s a promise of making it more comfortable to use — about time. Let’s see if they actually deliver.

[Amberwolf]

Funny that they've apparently posted this news in at least two places *other* than their own forum.

 

 

[Amberwolf]

BTW, when I poked around to see where else it might have been posted, I found this, from a month ago, already stating that activations end on September 30th (not August 1st):

Quote

r/Cakewalk•1 mo. ago

ashwinrao_bandlab

Cakewalk Sonar is now free to everyone as we transition from Cakewalk by BandLab.

 News and Announcements

We have been working hard over the past few years to enhance Cakewalk Sonar and make it a more powerful and modern digital audio workstation (DAW). Now we are excited to introduce a new free tier that brings Sonar's capabilities to everyone.

This free version is designed for both longtime users and new producers. It delivers much of the same functionality as Cakewalk by BandLab while including new features previously exclusive to the subscription version of Cakewalk Sonar.

Download Free Sonar via Cakewalk Product Center

This version is built to support the future of Cakewalk while remaining true to the workflow and power that producers depend on. As part of this transition, Cakewalk by BandLab will no longer offer activation renewal after 30 September 2025. Existing installations will continue to function until their activation period ends.

Please note that your CbB project files, plugins, templates and presets will continue to work on the new Sonar free tier.

For those seeking even more advanced tools and expanded functionality, a premium tier is available for Sonar through BandLab Membership. This premium tier unlocks additional tools and features, which you can learn more about through the announcement post.

We've also updated the Cakewalk Sonar website new FAQ section regarding the transition https://www.cakewalk.com/sonar#FAQ

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However....if you follow the link in that post, then among other FAQ items, you find these two still referring to August 1st:

Quote

When will Cakewalk by BandLab stop working?

Cakewalk by BandLab will no longer support activation renewal after August 1, 2025. Existing installations will continue to work until their activation period expires, but no new activations will be possible after that date.

Why are Cakewalk by BandLab activations no longer being renewed?

Existing Cakewalk by BandLab users are encouraged to transition to Cakewalk Sonar for the best experience and support. Activation renewals for Cakewalk by BandLab will cease after August 1, 2025. This change marks the official end of development and support for Cakewalk by BandLab, coinciding with the introduction of a free tier of Cakewalk Sonar. The new platform offers ongoing updates, enhanced tools, and a clear path for future growth.

So...it isn't a new announcement or a new thing, just more clearly stated in the title of the new post?  I don't know if it was implemented then or if the orignal deadline at the activation server end remained (remains?) so that people were able to keep their CbB activated or not.

 

 

[sjoens]

WOW!  It's like a whole 'nuther forum of Cakewalk users. 

4 hours ago, Amberwolf said:

Funny that they've apparently posted this news in at least two places *other* than their own forum.

We were abandoned.  Apparently "official" forums died eons ago.  🤔  I dinint know this 'cause I'm antisocialmedia.

[Starship Krupa]

1 hour ago, sjoens said:

Apparently "official" forums died eons ago.

Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of PreSonus' Studio One forum?

I pop in from time to time at Cakewalk's Reddit sub. It pretty much illustrates daily why permanent forums are superior.

If you think the same questions are asked over and over on the forum, well you ain't seen nothin' like a Reddit sub that's trying to fulfill the role of a forum.

No topics, no browsable sub fora, just information that scrolls away.

[Mark Morgon-Shaw]

1 hour ago, Starship Krupa said:

No topics, no browsable sub fora, just information that scrolls away.

Why do you think it's called Reddit..'cause once you've read it , it's gone