Steinberg has released Cubase 16, about a year after Cubase 15, as GearNews reports. The music production software is available as before in the Elements, Artist and Pro editions. New features include Instrument Stacks, stem separation with up to six tracks and a searchable settings dialog.
What's new in Cubase 16?
Instrument Stacks combine several VST instruments, sampler tracks and drum tracks into one playable instrument, and each layer can be controlled individually. Pro and Artist include the Instrument Stacks. According to MusicTech, stem separation splits recordings into vocals, drums, bass, piano, guitar and the rest. GearNews cites the separation of guitar and piano as the main novelty, and this feature remains exclusive to Pro.
Cubase 16 in numbers
New features according to GearNews, MusicTech and AMAZONA, as of November 5, 2026
- 6tracks from one recording with stem separation
- 16audio sends per channel, previously 8
- 200+presets in the FM library Module
- 5new sample packs
Stem separation is only included in Cubase Pro, Instrument Stacks are included in Pro and Artist
Sources: GearNews, MusicTech, AMAZONA
The Key Editor gains Strum and Stretch Selection: Strum slightly offsets the notes of a chord in time, Stretch Selection stretches or compresses MIDI passages. You can now enter lyrics directly next to the notes. Omnivocal Basic sketches vocals with Yamaha's NX engine, VocalTouch refines vocal recordings with a few controls, and DrumChain bundles effects for drums. Also new are the FM library "Module" with over 200 presets and five sample packs.
The working environment is changing as well: The settings dialog is searchable, and changes are applied immediately. Tempo detection has been revised, M4A and AAC files can be imported, and the audio sends per channel increase from eight to 16. According to GearNews, a voucher for two months of Waves Illugen, an AI generator for samples, is waiting in your Steinberg account.
How much does Cubase 16 cost, and who gets the update for free?
New buyers pay the least for Elements, more for Artist and the most for Pro; the euro prices of the three editions are given by MusicTech and GearNews. According to GearNews, Cubase 16 runs on macOS 15 and Windows 11 or later. Buyers who have activated Cubase 15 since October 7, 2026 get the update as a download for free. According to AMAZONA, Steinberg sells upgrade, crossgrade and education versions only as a download in the online shop. None of the reports state prices for these.
What this means for you
Whether Cubase 16 is worth it for you depends mainly on these points:
- Check in your Steinberg account when you activated Cubase 15. If the date is after October 7, 2026, the update costs nothing. Otherwise, it's best to compare the update and a new purchase in the online shop.
- You only need stem separation if you want to split recordings into individual instruments. Try the separation on one of your own pieces before you switch to Pro for it.
- With Elements, according to GearNews, you get Strum, Stretch Selection, VocalTouch, Omnivocal Basic and the new settings dialog, among other things. Instrument Stacks require at least Artist.
GearNews published the report on November 4, 2026, AMAZONA on November 5, 2026.
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