Is it OK to use Reaper DAW without ever paying?

THERE is a grey area when it comes to software piracy. Sure, a crack of the Waves Gold bundle is hard to dispute – it’s an expensive product and getting it for free is pirating. But what about software such as Reaper?

For those that don’t know, Reaper is a great DAW. It is very cheap (and many people claim it is free). It is somewhat unique because it has an “unlimited” trial license.

When I say this, I don’t mean that Cockos, the developers, say you can use it indefinitely for free, I mean, there is nothing stopping you from doing so.

Cockos don’t add in hardcore anti-piracy features and there is very little to stop someone “pirating” a copy.

You just download it from the website and once the trial period is over, you are simply expected to pay up. If you don’t, the only real consequence is the 5-second nag when you open up the software.

This has led to a large debate among users as to whether the DAW can be called free.

I have seen many people say it is and get shot down in Reaper Facebook groups and discussions.

There are two types of licence for Reaper. The first is for businesses and is more expensive. The second – which most people will fall under – is a personal licence.

The website says:

You may use the discounted license if:

• You are an individual, and REAPER is only for your personal use, or
• You are an individual or business using REAPER commercially, and yearly gross revenue does not exceed USD $20,000, or
• You are an educational or non-profit organization.

People with multiple computers have a lot of flexibility too, as the website says: “If you own multiple computers, you may install the same license key on all of them, as long as you only use REAPER on one computer at a time.”

The straightforward answer is, of course, that you must buy Reaper after the 60 days are up, even though they don’t enforce it.

The reason being that it is the terms of using the software and also to support the developers in the creation of a phenomenal DAW.

The barrier of needing a good income to support the cost of the software … when you need the software to generate income, is something which is a big driver of piracy

It does get a bit murky for some though, especially comparing using a copy of Reaper past its evaluation licence for free and using a cracked software alternative.

For me personally, learning music production and editing was a key part of my childhood hobbies and I didn’t have the spare cash to really spend on software.

For around three years, I used Reaper on its evaluation license without paying until I had left my parent’s home and got a job.

And this is where my personal opinion will be voiced. Pirating software, or using it beyond its evaluation period, is OK provided you go on to buy it.

I am a big advocate of long trial periods for software, particularly in the creative world where people can use it to get into hobbies and then careers.

If you are at school or working, you might not have the endless hours to rigorously evaluate a software before the trial is up. This is why I applaud Reaper’s long 60-day trial period.

But for other software, particularly those that cost hundreds of pounds, the investment is pretty big, and not one to take lightly.

Another instance where I downloaded a cracked software was Native Instruments Massive, which I wanted to play about with in a non-professional hobby capacity. I used it for a few months before I decided to spend hundreds of pounds on the Native Instruments Komplete bundle.

I have been using that suite of plugins for years now and they are worth every penny, but I wouldn’t have made the leap had I not been able to give a spare hour once or twice a week to messing about with Massive.

Much of the music industry is built from people who, as teenagers, used cracked software. The fact is, no amount of anti-piracy measures will rid the industry of it and I stand firmly behind Reaper’s blind-eye approach.

With Reaper not enforcing it, it means that the DAW gets a lot more people trying it out, then inevitably, loving it so much that they spend the small cost it is to use it officially.

So what do I ask of all of you? It’s simple. If you are making any professional money from your use of software, buy it. Your reputation is on the line and many producers at the top have been called out and shamed because they have used cracked versions of software.

If you have been using pirated software (or running the Reaper evaluation for years) then it is probably time to pay up. A film will cost you a few pounds and you get maybe two hours of fun from that. I guarantee you, the price of Reaper, on a cost per hour basis of your enjoyment, is better value than that of films.

Without money, the developers of software cannot fix bugs and roll out updates. If you ever want to complain about issues, you lose the right to if you haven’t paid the fee.

There are alternatives to paying the full price too. Serum, one of my favourite synths, is available on a pay monthly schedule where you have access to it as long as you pay that month’s price. Over the course of many months, you contribute to the full price and once it is paid off, you have it for good.

I like this method and it is by far the best for people like students and people in school. I really hope more software makers use this method in the future because it would allow the monolithic prices of some software options to become available to those who can’t front the cost.

The barrier of needing a good income to support the cost of the software … when you need the software to generate income, is something which is a big driver of piracy. Without accessible options, people who can’t afford it will either look elsewhere or look for a crack.

It is always worth contributing to the industry that you hope will support you into making a profitable career as a musician. If you spread the attitude that products have value, you help maintain that value for the music you go on to produce.