How to activate and manage a SoundID Reference license

This guide provides steps for registering and activating a SoundID Reference product license, including offline activation, license transfers, quick access to downloads and resources, and other user account features.

In this article:

• License registry
• License activation
• Device management
• License removal
• License ownership transfer
• Frequently asked questions
  • User account missing?
  • My activation key is "Already registered in a different account"
  • Is offline activation available?
  • Can I use the license on multiple computers?
  • Unable to complete the activation process?

License registry

Registering your license in your Sonarworks user account is a fundamental requirement for teh SoundID Reference software, as it is not possible to activate your license without registering it in your account first.

1. Log in to your Sonarworks Account or create a new account.
2. Click on Register a new license in the top-right corner.
3. Enter your license activation key.

If you are unable to find your key, follow the directions here: Where can I find my license activation key/upgrade code?

Note: Purchasing a SoundID Reference license doesn't register the license or activate it automatically. Licenses have to be registered in the account by the users manually, as it is a standard practice for software products for various legal agreements (EULA, Terms and Conditions, and other policies). 

 

License activation

1. Download and install the software here: SoundID Reference Downloads
2. Navigate to the SoundID Reference license in your account
3. Click on Activate on this device > Open SoundID Reference

Device management

Most Sonarworks product licenses can be used on up to three computers at the same time, while EDU licenses feature a single activation seat only. The active device management system in the user account allows users to deactivate are previously used device to free up the activation seat for a new one (license transfer to another computer):

1. Log in to your Sonarworks Account.
2. Click on Manage under your product license.
3. Deactivate one of the computers listed.

Important: There’s a limit of 7 deactivation events to prevent license abuse.

Note: Reinstalling your operating system or replacing major hardware components (such as the motherboard or hard drive) will trigger your computer to be recognized as a new device by the licensing system - reactivation will be required.

License removal

Licenses can be easily removed from the user account too. This can be useful there is a need to migrate the license to a different user account, without having to reach out to the Sonarworks support team. Removing the license from the account will also trigger an email notification containing the activation key, so that you can always find it later on. 

1. Log in to your Sonarworks Account.
2. Click on Remove under your product license.
3. Click on Remove again to confirm. 

Note: License removal from the account is not a valid ownership transfer method. If you wish to sell or give away your license to someone else (another person - new owner), follow the directions below.

License ownership transfer

If you're looking to transfer the ownership of your existing Sonarworks product license to another person, follow the instructions below. It is important to follow this procedure, as it is the only legitimate way of selling or giving away your license to somewone else. This will ensure that there are no future issues or conflicts regarding accounts, registry, activation, and product support.

To complete an ownership transfer, both the orignal and new owner have to submit separate support requests (each individually), and including the following information in the inquiry:

• Full name of the original license owner, and the intended new owner.
• Email address of the original license owner, and the intended new owner.
• License activation key of the product to be transferred.

Frequently asked questions

User account missing?

If you're trying to log in and your email address is not recognized, it means the user account doesn't exist. Similarly, if the user account is present but there are no licenses in it, you haven't registered your license activation key yet, or potentially, you have registered it in an account using an alternative email address. 

If you are unable to find your license activation key, follow the directions here: Where can I find my license activation key/upgrade code?

My activation key is "Already registered in a different account"

If you see the "Already registered in a different account" error message when trying to register your key, it is likely to be a duplicate account issue. This can often be the case if you are actively using several email addresses for various purposes, or perhaps an email address used in the past has been forgotten about, and similar.

Such issues can be self-resolved in most cases, without any need to contact the Sonarworks Support team. Use these handy user account features to resolve issues:

• License removal: Remove licenses from unwanted accounts, so they can be registered in the needed account instead.
• Delete account: After removing any licenses from an unwanted duplicate account, you can delete the unneeded account altogether to avoid any further login issues and associated problems.
• Change account email address: If you are migrating your active email address, you can easily update it in your account to avoid issues in the future.
• Password reset: Recover access to a previously used account for which you no longer have the password.

Note: Using Apple's "Hide my email address" option for the user account creation is not advised, as it creates an account associated with Apple Private Relay service domain:  "...@privaterelay.appleid.com". This can lead to account issues when trying to log in with your actual email address, while your activation key has already been registered in an account with an email address you don't recognize.

Is offline activation available?

No, offline activation is not available in SoundID Reference. Internet access/online connection is a fundamental requirement, noted in all soundID Reference product descriptions and related resources.

Can I use the license on multiple computers?

• Regular licenses of SoundID Reference can be activated and used on three devices simultaneously.
• Educational licenses (EDU) are limited to a single device.

Unable to complete the activation process?

If you are getting stuck when clicking on Activate on this device in your account, there are a few things you can try to resolve the issue: 

1. Launch the SoundID Reference app prior to beginning the activation process (if you're unable to launch the app, please delete the app's configuration file: Deleting the config file in SoundID Reference standalone app and user.json and license.json files located in the locations mentioned here: SoundID Reference standalone app not launching);
2. Clear your browser's cache and cookies (Google Chrome guide, Mozilla Firefox guide);
3. Use the default browser on your machine for the activation process (Microsoft Edge or Safari);
4. Check whether any pop-ups are being blocked in your browser (Google Chrome guide. Mozilla Firefox guide);
5. If the browser pop-up does appear, but you don't see SoundID Reference as an option, make sure that SoundID Reference is mentioned in Windows Apps or Mac Applications. If the app is not found, most likely it has not been installed properly. Try fully reinstalling the app:
   • [MAC] How to uninstall SoundID Reference
   • [WIN] How to uninstall SoundID Reference