Avoid DRM

Well, it's the punkin times again. The weather starts getting colder (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the kids will soon get tooth-rotting treats while wearing spoopy costumes. With the hottest weather (mostly) behind us for the year, there tends to be an uptick in creative inspiration as I no longer overheat while working at the computer.

I recently switched my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software from Cakewalk to Reaper and have been learning the ropes. So far, so good. I've also had to retire some of my software synthesizers due to being locked out of using them thanks to onerous and anti-consumer DRM (digital rights management) in that software.

Why did I jump ship from Cakewalk to Reaper? BandLab required a login to use it. Additionally, they retired the free version of Cakewalk and replaced it with a "freemium" subscription version of Sonar, which also requires a login and mandatory updates. The way I see it, if I must log in to use the software, even if it's free, it's still subscription software. This means they can remove features, put them behind a subscription paywall, or outright discontinue the software and leave users high and dry. To that, I say no.

Reaper was a one-time payment and I can use it forever. After a couple of versions, if I want to upgrade, I'll have to pay the reasonable price again, but it's totally optional. There is zero DRM, so it was an easy choice to switch. It has its quirks, but the MIDI workflow is similar enough to Cakewalk that it didn't take long to figure out and I've already put together two pieces of music since I picked it up two weeks ago.

Speaking of DRM, however, I was completely locked out of SampleTank, which was my bread-and-butter synth for more than a decade. IK Multimedia, the makers of SampleTank, has always implemented very difficult and finicky DRM in their products, but I could usually work it out with an email to customer support. This time, however, IK Multimedia's support completely stonewalled me, claiming "we don't support old software". In other words, they did exactly what Adobe did with Creative Suite perpetual licenses: When they want to sell new versions of software, they shut down activation for the old versions to force users to either upgrade or look for alternatives.

This is why, going forward, I will always opt for non-DRM software like Reaper whenever possible. Cockos, the makers of Reaper, have stated they don't use DRM, there's no login to install or use the software, and they let you try it for free for 60 days. I'm not trying to sound like a sales pitch, but if you make music, please Check out Reaper.

As for IK Multimedia, I want to warn everyone to avoid their products. Even reselling used hardware from them is likely to result in licensing and DRM issues. They are a greedy, anti-consumer company just like Adobe, who should also be avoided if at all possible.

DRM harms paying customers more than software pirates. It's pure greed.