Steinberg Licensing is the identity-based licence management system that Steinberg introduced in January 2022 and that now protects its current desktop software for Windows and macOS. Instead of storing a licence on a hardware key, it stores the licence in the customer’s Steinberg ID account, and each computer that wants to run the software must be activated against that account. Steinberg states that the system has completely replaced the earlier eLicenser technology.[1] This article describes the moving parts and the counting rules that a licence manager needs to audit them.
The components
Four pieces of Steinberg software and services take part in the process.
- MySteinberg, the customer portal, where licences, vouchers, licensed devices and support requests are managed. Its login also applies to the Steinberg Download Assistant and the Steinberg Activation Manager.[2]
- The Steinberg Download Assistant, which redeems codes, lists the customer’s products and installs them.[3]
- The Steinberg Activation Manager, installed with the software, which lists licensed products and activates or releases them on the local computer.[4]
- The online shop, a separate account run by Steinberg’s shop partner, where purchases are made.[2]
Because the shop and MySteinberg use independent credentials, an organisation can easily end up with purchases under one e-mail address and licences under another. Redeeming a code in the wrong Steinberg ID puts the licence in that account, and the Help Center explicitly warns to check which account is signed in when redeeming Download Access Codes.[3]
Download Access Codes
A Download Access Code is, in Steinberg’s words, a voucher for a software product and its licence. Entering it adds the software to the user’s downloads, associates the licence with the MySteinberg account and stores it in the Activation Manager.[5] The code is a string of five groups of five characters and arrives by e-mail after an online purchase, on a slip or card in a boxed product or hardware bundle, or, in rare cases, as part of an educational offer or promotion.[5]
A code can be redeemed only once. Only an interrupted redemption can be restarted; once the licence exists the code is invalid, and the licence stays in the account permanently.[5] This is the basis of resale. The seller does not hand over the licence file; Steinberg issues a fresh code to the buyer after it removes the old licence from the seller’s account, as described in Steinberg updates, crossgrades and resale.
Activation and the three-computer limit
When the licensed program starts and the user signs in, the computer contacts Steinberg over the internet, the licence is checked, information that identifies the computer is recorded and the software is activated. After that the computer can stay offline and the software continues to run indefinitely.[4] The Cubase FAQ repeats that an internet connection is needed only once for activation.[6]
The limit is stated identically in several places: a Steinberg Licensing licence can be activated on up to three computers, and further systems require activated licences to be released first.[7] It applies to a single-user licence, which is for one person: the Cubase FAQ states that it is not permitted to use the software on more than one computer simultaneously.[6] The licence is therefore a personal right with three machine slots, not a three-user right. Multi-user licences change the count to one computer per seat and are described in Steinberg education and multi-user licensing.
Counting rules
To count computer activations for a licence, list the devices shown under Licensed Devices in MySteinberg, or the activation state in the Activation Manager on each computer. The following rules complete the count.
- A computer is identified by a hardware identification key. Each activated computer sends a unique key, and possibly the host name, so that the account page can list the machines by name. The key is described as not personally identifiable and not including information about the configuration of the computer or the files on it.[4]
- Hardware or operating system changes can create a “new” computer. Significant hardware changes, a new disk or a reformat can make the licensing system see a different computer, in which case the old activation is still counted until the user deactivates it. An in-place operating system update normally leaves the software activated, but a large change could still be interpreted as a new computer.[4]
- Platform does not matter. All Steinberg desktop products are cross-platform and a licence can be activated on Windows first and macOS later.[4]
- Per-user licences in per-computer pools. For a single-user licence only the user account that signed in with the Steinberg ID can use the software; sharing between accounts on the same computer is not intended.[4] Institutions use All Users Mode instead (see the multi-user article).
Releasing and deactivating activations
If activation fails with “Activation Limit Reached” (older versions say “No seats”), the licence is already active on three computers. On a computer that is still available, the user opens the Steinberg Activation Manager and clicks Deactivate to release the licence, after which the other computer can be activated.[8] For a computer that cannot be reached because it is defective or lost, MySteinberg has a Licensed Devices page with a Deactivate button next to each device.[9] Steinberg asks users who can still reach the old system to deactivate each licence there individually.[9]
Deactivation is also the first step in resale: a licence cannot be transferred while it is still in use, so every activation must be released before a change-of-ownership request is sent.[10]
Automatic License Management
The Activation Manager has a setting called Automatic License Management, formerly Auto Activation. If a licence is missing locally, it is activated automatically when the matching program starts. It works only when the licence is in the linked MySteinberg account and not already active on three computers, and it needs an internet connection; it can be switched off in the settings, after which licences are activated with the Activate button.[11] In estate management this has a side effect: launching Cubase on a spare computer can silently consume the last free activation of the signed-in user.
Offline activation
Steinberg treats offline activation as a workaround for computers where internet access cannot be arranged, and recommends connecting the computer temporarily where possible.[12] The procedure uses a removable storage device and two computers.
- On the offline computer, the Activation Manager creates a request file with the extension .smtglic.
- On a computer with internet access and the same Steinberg ID, the Activation Manager’s “Generate License File” function reads the request and the user selects the licence to activate. The result is a licence file with the extension .smtgreq.
- The licence file is installed on the offline computer, which then lists the licence as activated.[12]
Trial licences cannot be used for offline activation.[13] In multi-user deployments, the same request and licence file mechanism is driven by scripts through the Steinberg License Engine rather than by hand.[14]
Trial licences
A trial is added to the MySteinberg account when it is requested on the product page, without a Download Access Code. It runs for the period stated on the product page, starting when requested rather than when the software is installed or first run. After expiry the licence is deactivated automatically and the expired licence stays in the account. There is only one installation, so buying during a trial does not require a reinstall; the purchased licence takes over when the trial expires.[13] Trials give access to all features, and Steinberg states that there are no hidden subscriptions, renewals or automatic purchases.[13]
Troubleshooting states that matter for audits
- “No license found”. The installed edition must match the licence; Cubase Elements will not start with a Cubase LE licence, and an unredeemed Download Access Code is another common reason.[15]
- “Verification Pending” or “Expired”. These labels appear when an update from an eLicenser-based product to a Steinberg Licensing successor was started but the old licence update could not be completed after the eLicenser service closed on 20 May 2025; Steinberg support can activate the licence permanently.[16]
- Licences for the previous generation. A Cubase 15 licence can open Cubase 12 to 14 but no earlier generation, because earlier generations used eLicenser.[6]
Mobile apps and the exception
Steinberg Licensing applies only to the Windows and macOS software. The apps for iPad, iPhone, Android and Chromebook use the licensing terms and systems of the Apple App Store and Google Play.[4] Dorico for iPad is the example: it is a free download with an optional monthly or annual subscription or a Lifetime Unlock in-app purchase.[17]
Evidence for a licence review
A reviewer should obtain, for each Steinberg ID in use: the product list and licence names in MySteinberg; the Licensed Devices list with computer names; the vouchers waiting to be redeemed (unredeemed grace period updates and eLicenser migration vouchers appear there); and the status of any trial licences. The EULA does not give Steinberg a right to audit customer systems, so the account data above is the realistic compliance record.[18]
Out of scope
- Prices and the shop checkout, which belong to the shop partner.
- Third-party products on eLicenser. Steinberg notes that other companies that used the eLicenser system will move to their own systems.[4]
- Product features, system requirements and operating system compatibility.