Cakewalk Sonar review

Cakewalk Sonar replaces Cakewalk by BandLab, the free Windows DAW that many musicians used for years. BandLab ended activation renewals for the old product on December 31, 2025, and Sonar now has a free tier that anyone with a free BandLab account can use. The vendor says the free tier includes the majority of Cakewalk by BandLab's core features plus new ones, including an integrated sampler, a per-track spectrum analyzer and a plugin A/B toggle. Musicians get multitrack recording with take lanes and comping, VocalSync to align double tracks and backing vocals, AudioSnap to quantize audio, and a multi-track piano roll with articulation maps and a step sequencer. Podcasters can use VocalSync and the ProChannel strip for voice work, though the free tier offers only some ProChannel modules. Membership adds plugin oversampling, Elastique Pro time-stretching, multiple Arranger tracks and BandLab Sounds. Sonar is Windows only and needs periodic activation, and its depth means more setup than Audacity.

Who it is for

Windows musicians who want a full DAW at no cost

Price

Free tier with a BandLab account; BandLab Membership: see vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Multitrack recording with take lanes and comping, included in the free tier
• VocalSync timing alignment for double tracks and backing vocals
• AudioSnap transient engine to quantize audio and change tempo
• ProChannel console strip on every track, with limited modules in the free tier
• Integrated XSampler and a per-track spectrum analyzer

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free tier includes most of the core features of Cakewalk by BandLab
• Strength: VocalSync, AudioSnap and Mix Recall are included in the free tier
• Strength: Advanced MIDI editing with a multi-track piano roll and step sequencer
• Weakness: Windows only
• Weakness: Needs a free BandLab account and periodic online or offline activation
• Weakness: Plugin oversampling, Elastique Pro time-stretching, multiple Arranger tracks and BandLab Sounds need Membership

Key facts

• Free tier: Yes, with a free BandLab account
• Platform: Windows
• Paid upgrade: BandLab Membership
• Replaces: Cakewalk by BandLab, retired in 2025

Where it ranks

Cakewalk Sonar is No. 6 in our Best Free Audio Editing Software verdict.