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Steinberg

Steinberg sells Cubase, Nuendo, Dorico, WaveLab and SpectraLayers as perpetual single-user licences tied to a Steinberg ID, activated on up to three computers through the Steinberg Activation Manager, with the USB-eLicenser dongle retired on 20 May 2025 and separate education, multi-user and 365 licence forms.

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Overview articleSteinberg licensingSteinberg sells Cubase, Nuendo, Dorico, WaveLab and SpectraLayers as perpetual single-user licences tied to a Steinberg ID, activated on up to three computers through the Steinberg Activation Manager, with the USB-eLicenser dongle retired on 20 May 2025 and separate education, multi-user and 365 licence forms.Cited · Edited 2026-10-08 · 23 references

Guides

Steinberg Licensing activation and the Steinberg IDCited · Edited 2026-10-08Steinberg EULA and account termsCited · Edited 2026-10-08Steinberg education and multi-user licensingCited · Edited 2026-10-08Steinberg and the end of the USB-eLicenserCited · Edited 2026-10-08Steinberg updates, crossgrades and resaleCited · Edited 2026-10-08

Licensing Data

From the Steinberg catalog: how usage is counted, the rules that apply, the programs licences are bought through and the SKUs. Backed by 119 verbatim excerpts from 43 Steinberg documents.

Products

All 30 Products

Audio Editing Software 30

Advanced FX Suite, All Steinberg desktop software using account-based licence management, All Steinberg Licensing products, Backbone, Basic FX Suite, Cubase, Cubase 11 and earlier, Cubase AI, and 22 more

Releases and Lifecycle

Full Version History

30 products: 2 versioned, 28 no published lifecycle; 4 versions with release and support dates as published by Steinberg. Retrieved 2026-10-13.

Open the full lifecycle and version history

Product History

All acquisitions
  1. Yamaha acquired SteinbergAnnounced 2004-12-21 · Closed 2005 · USD 28.5 million (as announced)

    Yamaha announced on 21 December 2004 that it had reached agreement to acquire all of the common stock of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH from Pinnacle Systems. In October 2025 Yamaha took over Steinberg's hardware business, leaving Steinberg to focus on software.

    Legacy productBecame
    Steinberg-branded IXO12, IXO22, UR22C and UR44C audio interfacesRenamed Yamaha UR12MK3, UR22MK3, URX22C and URX44C · Reintroduced under the Yamaha brand after the October 2025 reorganisation
    Other Steinberg-branded audio interfacesRetired No successor named · Yamaha stated they would gradually be phased out
    Licensing impact
    • The 2004 announcement stated that the acquisition covered Steinberg's US sales operations and that Yamaha Corporation of America would oversee US sales of Steinberg software.[1]
    • On 9 October 2025 Yamaha announced that it had taken over the hardware business of Steinberg, its wholly owned subsidiary, that Steinberg hardware was being rebranded as Yamaha and that Steinberg would focus exclusively on software development and sales.[2]
    • Yamaha and Steinberg stated that they would both continue to provide product support and drivers for the foreseeable future.[2]
    Sources and full product history
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