I'm crushed. Always wondered why Gibson bought us and had a feeling we'd die with them. Hopefully something good will come of this. It's still too early to tell. This is a GREAT DAW and is finally rock solid and has been for quite a few versions now for me. I cringe at the thought of ever using something else. I honestly feel like I lost someone close to me. :(

So, I don't look at the Sonar forum a few days and this ?
NoooooooooH !
In retrospect, my first clue in the demise was the "lifetime updates", then Craig Anderton's recent "announcement"
Suddenly, a company I have regularly been sending money to for very many years, didn't get my money anymore ?
There was nothing left to buy. I own most of their products, and many were no longer being developed further.
Monthly updates for "free" . . . I was thinking, is this a sustainable business model ?
iZotope was now regularly getting my money, they are in constant and cutting edge development mode.
 . . . but they are not a DAW. Can Cakewalk truly become a casualty in the DAW wars ? . . . time will tell.
 
It is truly a day for reflection.
Similar to what many in this last thread have said, this may well be another nail driven through a changing and outdated music industry. Things are not done the same way they used to be, even five years ago. The recent introduction and marketing hype of Cakewalk's MOMENTUM phone product says it all. Adapt, and adapt quickly, or get left behind.
 
I still have my first Cakewalk floppy disc from the 90's propped upon my fireplace mantle.
Thank you Noel, Keith, and all the Cake Bakers. Live long and prosper !
 
Now I'm off, into the night . . . to turn off my Windows update, and buy a bunch of drives to clone, and some spare computer parts. Hoping to make time stand still as long as I can, I have all I need.
Cakewalk Sonar Platinum.

I just heard the news that Cakewalk’s Boston HQ offices have closed. My name is Anthony Conte (currently VP for the Mixcraft DAW), and I spent 19 years at Cakewalk, including 12 years as the Vice President of Sales. For decades I worked with many of the brilliant, incredibly talented folks that now find themselves out of a job.  My heart aches for the current Cakewalkers and the thousands of SONAR users across the globe. Simply put, this is the end of an era in the world of MIDI and Digital Audio recording.
 
While I do not know the fate of SONAR or what Gibson’s plans are for Cakewalk, I can assure all the current Cakewalkers that their future is bright. For the last six years, I have been lucky enough to have landed at a like-minded company, Acoustica, makers of Mixcraft 8, an award-winning DAW for the PC. Not coincidentally enough, Acoustica freakishly reminds me of the early days at Cakewalk. A small but growing music software company made up of great people who are passionate, innovative, hard-working, and who have all become my family.
 
Acoustica is committed to making Mixcraft a DAW that SONAR users will want to seriously consider adopting. I would be remiss if I did not let you know that beginning now thru Cyber Monday, Mixcraft 8 Pro Studio is on sale for only $99.  If you’d like to take a look at Mixcraft, please visit for more details or a free trial.
 
Thanks,Anthony Conte
 

I'm afraid that this is too much of a niche market for a company like Microsoft.  They make software products that sell millions of licenses, not thousands.  In a big company CW would be merely an extremely minor afterthought.  This needs a smaller, entrepreneurial ownership with an aggressive and disruptive business strategy.  In that scenario, Sonar could well end up looking too much like Pro Tools from a business standpoint.  Pro Tools is about the only acquisition that Avid has made in the past 20 years that wasn't defunct after three to five years.  Now you see them moving PT more toward the revenue strategy of their video products, which is to generate substantial recurring revenue through annual support fees and using that income to fund development.  Perhaps the best scenario would be a software company already in the audio business who wants a DAW to complement their current products.  
 
With that all said, I am saddened, a little concerned for the future and sorry for the good folks at Cakewalk.  May the future be brighter than it probably looks today.

I was really saddened when I stared at and read that headline. I have been with Cakewalk since Home Studio 2002 on up to Sonar Professional. Over those years I never ventured into the workings of other DAWs as Cakewalk provided all that I needed to make good music. Hopefully this software can stay alive.

I've been a longtime Cakewalk user since 3.1 and forum reader from the old Usenet days so this is sad news for me.  But I'm sure it's far worse for Cakewalk employees so thanks for the tools you gave us and hope you all land on your feet. 
 
Cheers,
 
jayson

I just heard the news that Cakewalk’s Boston HQ offices have closed. My name is Anthony Conte (currently VP for the Mixcraft DAW), and I spent 19 years at Cakewalk, including 12 years as the Vice President of Sales. For decades I worked with many of the brilliant, incredibly talented folks that now find themselves out of a job.  My heart aches for the current Cakewalkers and the thousands of SONAR users across the globe. Simply put, this is the end of an era in the world of MIDI and Digital Audio recording.
 
While I do not know the fate of SONAR or what Gibson’s plans are for Cakewalk, I can assure all the current Cakewalkers that their future is bright. For the last six years, I have been lucky enough to have landed at a like-minded company, Acoustica, makers of Mixcraft 8, an award-winning DAW for the PC. Not coincidentally enough, Acoustica freakishly reminds me of the early days at Cakewalk. A small but growing music software company made up of great people who are passionate, innovative, hard-working, and who have all become my family. Acoustica is committed to making Mixcraft a DAW that SONAR users will want to seriously consider adopting.
 
Thanks,
Anthony

TerraSin
Cakewalk needs to be sold, not closed. Closing down for any amount of time is a death sentence.

Yes of course.
Why i bought a update for ever ? i've been stole so?

How to be trust in a software which's stopped ? :(
 

I'm not complaining. These things happen. I hope you all follow your hearts and find happiness in your future endeavors. The only thing which is a worry (or shame) is what will happen to this great product, called Sonar.
 
I hope that someone else can believe in Sonar (or actually preferably rename it) and then take it from there.
(Make it open source for a while.)
 
Much respect and appreciation.
 
For me, Cakewalk are one of the original DAW makers. I remember 28 years ago, they had a booth in Mars Music store in Fort Lauderdale. That was the first time I saw them in person. That shows my age though, and I do believe a DAW company should have plenty of young team member contributors.
 
As people here have said, I'd also chip in to keep the forums going, or help out with anything volunteer and online related. Onwards and upwards. It's a new opportunity for the Cakewalk team or individuals. I'm not sure why, but it's better at the end of the year, than the beginning.
 
2 cents and thanks for a great product.