Cakewalk Analytics Coming To SONAR

Cakewalk is introducing Analytics to SONAR this spring. We want to know how you use SONAR so that we can continue to deliver the best features, fixes, and new content based, more than ever, on user feedback. Participation is 100% optional. Here’s how analytics can help improve your SONAR experience. 

Why Do Companies Use Analytics?

Feedback has always been important to us. We already use information from forums, surveys, press, dealers, and social media to gain perspectives on how new updates to SONAR are doing, and what needs more work. Unfortunately this doesn’t always tell us how the experience is for the larger population of customers outside of these channels. Analytics are the best way to gauge the in-app customer experience. Your feedback in all these places is very important to us, and we’d like to continue to expand our understanding of how you use our software. 

How Specifically Does this Help Users?

We’ll be able to find out what features are popular, ways to improve features, roadblocks that users encounter, and how well new features integrate with your workflow. However, this doesn’t mean that we won’t pay attention to features that are less used. We see this as an opportunity to look at less used features and improve them. 

Can I Opt Out?

Of course! You can disable analytics in SONAR’s preferences at any time. You also have two participation choices: Anonymous, or Cakewalk Account Connected. Connecting your Cakewalk Account makes you eligible for community activities, such as earning rewards. 

Is the Data Sent to Cakewalk Secure?

Yes, the analytics data goes straight to our server in an encrypted format. 

Will Cakewalk Monitor Other Apps?

Absolutely not. We are not interested in other apps you’ve installed. Our analytics apply only to SONAR and how you use our software. We can’t, and will never, monitor your activity outside our app. 

Do Analytics Affect Performance?

No, gathering analytics data places no strain on the CPU. Whether you choose to participate or not doesn’t change SONAR’s performance at all. 

Sounds Good, How Do I Participate?

We’ll announce when analytics are included; just make sure you leave the option checked in Preferences. And, we’d like to thank those who participate in advance for your assistance in helping us continue to refine and improve SONAR.    

Beepster
I don't even know where to begin.
 
Thanks for letting us know sooner rather than later though.

It's pretty simple actually. Nothing in your world has to change, turn it off. Meanwhile, we want a way to improve the program that includes ALL users. 

More seriously, something that often crosses my mind when working is that I simply don't have the time to write out useful bug reports and feature suggestions. It's not that I don't think of them; I do, multiple times a day. But typically, I'm right in the middle of something I have to get on with, and a good moment to get this stuff down never arrives. So I'm all for this.

Good that it's optional.

I didn't insult anyone.

That's not my intention. I've no idea whether you've got sensible objections to this or not. You may well. Indeed, anyone may well raise an objection that would change my mind. That's entirely possible.
 
However, what I guarantee, is that there will be some tinfoily nonsense said about this. Come on, you know this is true.

Default should be turned off with incentive to participate.
 
Edited to add: At the point of adding this comment, my emails indicate there have been 11 votes, 9 thumbs up, 2 thumbs down. What's being displayed is 11 votes, 7 thumbs up, 4 thumbs down. Weird. 

rcklln
Default should be turned off with incentive to participate.

That too....
 
edit: but with or without the incentive... it should be Opt In... not Opt Out.

I'm in.
I have no problem with Cakewalk doing this.  Geez just think of all the tracking done with your smartphone.  Cakewalk is barely scratching the surface. 

I actually think the Add Track button is fine. It was the gist of the post I was agreeing with... BUT I could think of a million other things I could have used a lot more than the Add Track button.

actually, i think daw design could take some ideas from games, but i dont think this is what lance was alluding to. imagine radial menus like in unreal and the ability to use xbox one controller as a simple control surface... heck-- sonar has a running start as default keycuts are set up like typical fps already:)
I do understand your unease about this beepster, personally i am for it if it helps cakewalk improve sonar, but i dont know that i understand what these analytics are yet...

John T

tenfoot
I hope in the aftermath of all of the skewed feedback we don't see a dumbing down of Sonar with 300 new features like the insert track button
 
 

I don't see what's dumb about the add track button.

You are becoming the master of the misconstrue John! I am not sure why you chose to focus on that particular line of my post, so let me explain. I don't have a problem with the add track button per se. My point is that it is geared toward the new user, so it made for a pertinent example. If you have already set up track presets for your favourite synths, and your favourite mics are plugged into your goto outboard chain also with their own presets, the add track button just slows you down. You also have more options in the other insert synth dialogue's.  It is still a good feature - but there are better ways to get up and running efficiently once you have some mastery of Sonar as you no doubt know.  By all means enjoy the add track button if it is your thing though:)
 
I don't have a problem with collecting analytics either. I was simply making a comment on their eventual influence on the program, which I guess comes down to how they are filtered and interpreted by cakewalk. I am sure they will do a great job. As I said in the first post - just a passing observation.