Wwise Product Licensing FAQ

How do I register a project?

Log in to the Audiokinetic Launcher, and go to the Projects tab. Click on the key icon next to your Wwise Project and select ‘Register your Project to obtain a License’.

Alternatively, you can log into your Audiokinetic account on audiokinetic.com and click on Register My Project from your account profile menu.

What is the Audiokinetic Customer Portal and how do I access my Customer Portal?

The Audiokinetic Customer Portal provides Wwise customers with a centralized location on our website to view their Projects. It is where all their available licenses for their current Wwise projects (evaluation and purchased), are listed. Customers can also view their existing customer support tickets and create new support tickets directly in the Customer Portal. To provide accurate access control for software updates, the list of project Team Members is also displayed.

Access your Customer Portal from the Audiokinetic Launcher. Please log into your Audiokinetic Launcher, and select Customer Portal from your account profile menu.

You will be directed to your Audiokinetic account on audiokinetic.com. To go to your Projects, please click on My Projects from your account profile menu, then select the project you want to view.

Alternatively, you can log in to your Audiokinetic account on audiokinetic.com and go to your Project Page by selecting My Projects from your account profile menu.

How can I add Team Members to my project?

All projects should have at least one Team Leader, flagged at the time of project creation. Team Leaders have the ability to invite new members to their project. All members require an Audiokinetic user account within the system. If your project has no leader, or you are having trouble inviting new members, contact the Wwise Developer Relations Team to change the list of Team Members associated with your project in the Customer Portal.

How does the Wwise product licensing work?

Wwise product licensing is done on a per-project basis where a unique License Key, granting you access to your licensed products, is generated for each project. This License Key is located within your project page in your Audiokinetic Customer Portal. After adding this License Key to your Wwise project within the authoring system, you will only need to re-add this key in the event of changes to your license (such as the expiration date, platforms, or plug-ins).

Where can I retrieve my License Key, and how do I apply it to my Wwise Project?

To apply your License Key to your Wwise Project, simply log into your account in the Audiokinetic Launcher and go to the Projects tab. You can then select the appropriate project and click on the key icon to apply your License Key. Note that the Launcher automatically retrieves your License key in this case.

Alternatively, you can log in to your Audiokinetic account and retrieve your License Key from your Project Page within your Customer Portal. Note that, in this case, the License Key can be applied while you are offline.

You can manage your Wwise licenses in the License Manager view, which can be accessed from the Wwise Project menu. In the License Manager view, you can import a License Key from your clipboard (a License Key copied from the Audiokinetic Customer Portal) or from a copy of the License Key saved in a standard text file.

Evaluations and Trials

Can I still have access to a Wwise Free Trial?

A Free Trial version of Wwise is available as a public download on our website. This version has limitations but does not expire.

What are the limitations of the Free Trial version?

The Free Trial version allows you to create a project for non-commercial use only and is limited to 200 media assets in the Wwise SoundBanks. If you need more media assets, you can also request a free and unrestricted Non-Commercial License. To do so, please register your project here. Note that if you decide to commercialize your project and need to go beyond the 200 media asset limit, you are required to purchase a Wwise Commercial License.

Do you provide a Wwise License for educational use?

Absolutely! If you are a school, please go to the Teach Wwise section and click on the option that best suits you to contact us. If you are a student, please check out the list of schools under the Audiokinetic Creators Directory and find out if your school is registered. If not, please encourage your teacher to register your school. Otherwise please register your project here to obtain a Wwise Non-Commercial License.

How can I download Wwise Platform SDKs?

The Wwise SDKs are publicly available for evaluation and can be downloaded directly from the Audiokinetic Launcher. For most platforms, no login or license are needed for non-commercial use under 200 media assets. Please note that some platform SDKs require a certified developer status confirmation. Please register your project here, noting which platforms you need to access. We'll then be able to help guide you through the process!

See full platform details here.

How can I access your Unity Integrations?

The Wwise Unity Integrations are publicly available and can be downloaded directly from the Audiokinetic Launcher. No login or license is needed for non-commercial use under 200 media assets. Please note that some platforms require a certified developer status confirmation and an active project in our system. Please register your project here and fill out the form appropriate to your specific project, noting which platforms you need to access.

See full platform details here.

How can I access your Unreal Integrations?

Our Unreal Integrations are publicly available and can be downloaded directly from the Audiokinetic Launcher. No login or license is needed for non-commercial use under 200 media assets.

You can visit https://github.com/audiokinetic/WwiseUE4Integration to download the Unreal Engine 4 Wwise Integration source code. Note that you'll need to link your Unreal account to GitHub and, for the link to resolve correctly, be logged in to GitHub.

See full platform details here.

How can I evaluate Wwise plug-ins?

The Wwise Free Trial version includes access to all Integrated Wwise plug-ins for use in both the authoring environment and in SoundBanks. To start an evaluation of any Premium plug-in, you must first register your project here. If you have already created a project that has been approved, you can contact the Wwise Developer Relations Team to request an Evaluation License for the specific plug-ins you'd like to try.

Note that after the Evaluation period has expired, Premium plug-ins will not be included in any built SoundBanks until you purchase the appropriate plug-in license.

Who should I contact if I have questions regarding Wwise product licensing?

Log in to your Customer Portal, and go to your Project Page, scroll down, and click on the Contact Us button to reach your sales representative.

Commercial Licenses

I am creating commercial titles; how can I evaluate Wwise?

If you require an Evaluation of the Wwise Commercial License, please register your project here. The Wwise Developer Relations Team will receive and process your request for approval. Upon approval, you'll be notified by email regarding how to access your License Key.

I've entered my Wwise product License Key into my current Wwise project and something is wrong. What should I do?

If you have any problems with your License Key, first visit your project page in the Customer Portal. Be sure to retrieve the latest key and add it to your Wwise License Manager (Ctrl-L in Wwise), in case the key was updated and you didn't receive the notification email. If problems persist, please contact your Wwise Developer Relations Team representative directly, or you can reach the Wwise Developer Relations Team here.

How can I request an Evaluation License for the Wwise plug-ins?

The Evaluation License granted to many projects comes with time-limited access to all Premium plug-ins during the evaluation period. If that has lapsed, or if you'd like to try out a specific plug-in for your project, please contact your Wwise Developer Relations Team representative directly, or you can reach the Wwise Developer Relations Team here.

Can I share my Wwise product license?

No. A Wwise project license is unique and is tied to your specific project (Licensee Title). It cannot be transferred or shared. Doing so breaches the terms of the Audiokinetic Master License Agreement, or the Audiokinetic License Agreement, and the EULA. The only exceptions to this are to provide the Wwise License Key to members working on the licensed project, as per the terms of the Master License Agreement and License Agreement. Preferably, in this case, the Wwise Team Leader should add/invite the new team member to join the project, so that they have direct access to the License Key and any platform/integration downloads that are available to your project.

Do I need to enter a new License Key if I purchase additional platforms or plug-ins for my licensed title?

Yes. Every change to your existing product license requires that you retrieve a new product License Key from your Audiokinetic Customer Portal project account page and replace the License Key currently used in your Wwise project.

Can I use my Wwise product license for another project?

The Wwise Project License is tied to a specific project (Licensee Title), so it cannot be used to create new titles. Doing so breaches the terms of the Audiokinetic Master License Agreement, or the Audiokinetic License Agreement, and the EULA. If you require an Evaluation License for a new project, please register your project here.

I have lost my Audiokinetic Customer Portal password. What should I do?

On the Log In page, click I forgot my password and follow the onscreen instructions.

Will I be reminded when a current license is going to expire?

Yes, you will be reminded on your Audiokinetic Customer Portal project account page as well as in the SoundBanks Generation Log in Wwise. You will also receive a courteous email reminder from Audiokinetic.

What happens when my Wwise license expires?

When your license expires, Wwise reverts to Free Trial mode and you are limited to 200 media assets in the Wwise SoundBanks. Also, any Premium plug-ins in use will no longer be available for use in Wwise SoundBanks. Contact your Wwise Developer Relations Team representative directly, or you can reach the Wwise Developer Relations Team here.

I currently have a valid Wwise license for one platform. How can I evaluate new Wwise platforms?

Contact your Wwise Developer Relations Team representative directly, or you can reach the Wwise Developer Relations Team here and we will generate a new License Key that contains the additional platforms (note, some platforms require a Certified Developer status confirmation). You can then retrieve the new License Key from your Audiokinetic Customer Portal project account page and replace the License Key currently used in your Wwise project.

Do I need a Wwise product license for all Team Members on my project?

No, Wwise product licenses are project-based and stored as part of the Wwise project. They are not individual or "per seat" licenses. Wwise Team Leaders can add/invite new members to join the project, allowing the new members to easily retrieve the License Key from the project page in the Audiokinetic Customer Portal.

Wwise Royalty-based License Option

What is the Wwise royalty-based license option?

Instead of an up-front payment, Wwise is available to game developers on a royalty basis:

  • $0 up-front fee for standard Wwise licensing
  • Valid for all platforms (may require a Certified Developer status confirmation)
  • No media asset limitation
  • Budget-independent (so it's valid for teams of all sizes)
  • 1% gross back-end royalty after shipping

This additional licensing option makes Wwise truly usable by teams of all sizes and all budgets.

Who can use this royalty-based license?

This licensing model is targeted ONLY at desktop, console, and mobile game developers who are using retail distribution, digital distribution, subscription, or free-to-play models. For other development targets such as automotive, advertising, gambling, film production, location-based entertainment (arcade, museum, theme park, other), robotics and embedded technologies, simulation (technical, scientific, military, training, architecture, science, other) or other business models, you should contact the Wwise Developer Relations Team for more information on possible licensing options.

How do I sign up?

Everything starts at the 'Register your Project' page. Note that you'll need an account on our website. From there, select the project type most appropriate for your usage. For commercial-targeted projects with more than 200 media assets, the project creation form will allow you to select the royalty-based option at the licensing step.

Can I switch to a regular license?

Absolutely. When you hit the end of your Pre-Production (one of the dates you'll provide in your project creation form), or at any time before that, you'll have the option to purchase a standard Wwise license at no penalty. After that, when you're in full production, it is at our discretion whether you can opt-out and if there is an additional fee for doing so.

What are the important dates?

There are three important dates:

  1. The date you register your project request (and when it's approved). This marks when your Evaluation License starts and when you first select the royalty option.
  2. The start of your production. As mentioned above, on or before that date you can opt out of the royalty model with no penalty. The first License Key provided to you will last until this date, and a member of the Wwise Developer Relations Team will contact you as that date approaches to see how you'd like to proceed.
  3. Your shipping date. This marks when you'll need to start tallying up your revenues. The first revenue report will be due 3 months after your shipping date.
What counts as revenue?

Basically, it's everything that really comes from sales of your game.

What counts:

  • Sales of your game digitally and at retail (all storefronts, all territories)
  • Revenue generated from sales of virtual items/currency
  • Revenue generated from in-game advertising, banners, affiliate programs, and so on
  • Revenue from subscriptions and downloadable content
  • Revenue from publisher advances (that are counted against future sales)
  • Kickstarters and other crowdfunding (See below for more info.)

What doesn't count:

  • Non-interactive linear media (such as streamed videos, cartoons, and movies)
  • Ancillary products/merchandising (such as plushies, hats, shirts, mugs, and swags)
  • Other non-interactive media where your IP is used (such as comics, books, and soundtracks)
  • Winnings for awards (Congrats! Keep those rewards!)
  • Work-for-hire fees or consulting fees which are not treated as advances against future sales
What about kickstarters, crowdfunding, and early access?

Generated revenue from these is still counted, but it does not come due for payment until the first quarterly revenue statement is due (3 months after shipping the game). Note that if you start using Wwise after your crowdfunding phase is complete, then the revenue from your crowdfunding will not count towards your royalty payment. If the crowdfunding and pre-launch revenue is after the Wwise project creation date, then please include them in the first revenue statement.

What if we don't make much money?

Royalties will only have to be paid once you earn more than USD $10,000 (or equivalent). If, during a quarter, you are under USD $10,000 in revenue, you will still be required to provide a royalty report showing that. However, this amount will then carry over to the following quarter, and once you have accrued USD $10,000 in revenue, you will be required to provide your first royalty payment for the aggregate amount.

How long do I have to keep reporting?

You need to keep sending quarterly reports for as long as the game is in commercial release. If your title is no longer commercially available, you can let us know and your royalty obligations on this title will cease.

What about technical support?

Titles under the royalty option can submit technical support questions to the Community Q&A page. This is a community-run section of the website, which serves as a great repository for answers to questions you might have. You can also choose to purchase dedicated support access with our engineers, at the rate matching your budget tier. See details here.

And how about plug-ins?

Titles under the royalty option can experiment with both the free and Premium plug-ins in the Wwise Authoring Environment, and they can build them into their Wwise SoundBanks during pre-production. After that date, you will need to license Premium plug-ins at the rate matching your budget tier. See details here.

Wwise Limited Commercial License

What is the Wwise Limited Commercial License?

The Wwise Limited Commercial License is designed for very small budget, small scale games from independent studios who do not currently have a Master License Agreement in place with Audiokinetic. Wwise projects created under this license are limited to 500 media assets in their SoundBanks and cannot use any of the available Third Party Plug-ins. The Limited Commercial License is intended to be used solely for video game development. For any other uses, please contact us.

For what platforms is the Wwise Limited Commercial License available?

The Wwise Limited Commercial License is available for the following publicly available platforms.

  • Android
  • iOS
  • tvOS
  • Linux
  • Mac® OS X
  • Windows
  • Universal Windows Platform
What about the other platforms?

For the remaining available Wwise platforms, you are required to purchase at least a PRO (Level A) license to obtain a Wwise Commercial License. Contact Sales for more information or register your project here.

How do I create a Wwise Limited Commercial License?

You will first need to have a valid Audiokinetic user account. If you do not have one, click here to create your account. When you are logged in with a valid account, you can visit the 'Register Your Project' page and select the project type appropriate to your needs. Complete the form fully, and your request will be sent to the Wwise Developer Relations Team for approval. Once approved, you'll receive notification that you can retrieve the License Key from your project page in the Audiokinetic Customer Portal.

What happens when I create a Wwise Limited Commercial License?

Once you complete the form, you'll find the project in your Audiokinetic Customer Portal. However, until the project request is approved by the Audiokinetic Developer Relations Team, you will be unable to retrieve your License Key. Once approved, the License Key will appear. Simply copy and paste it into your Wwise project License Manager.

What happens when my Wwise Limited Commercial License expires?

The Wwise Limited Commercial License is extendable by the user within the Audiokinetic Customer Portal project account page. A button to extend your Limited Commercial License will appear when you are within 30 days of your upcoming expiration.

What happens if I need to go beyond the 500 media asset limit?

If you need to use more than 500 media assets in your SoundBanks, you are required to purchase a valid Wwise Commercial License. For this, you can either contact the Wwise Developer Relations Team to request an upgrade to a full Evaluation, or you can register your project here.

Academic / Non-Commercial Licenses

Do you offer Wwise licenses for educational purposes?

Absolutely! If you are a school, please go to the Teach Wwise section and contact us in order to obtain your Academic License, empowering your students to use the full power of Wwise with unlimited media assets and full plug-ins access.

If you are a student, please check out the Creators Directory and find out if your school is registered. If your school is licensed or certified, then you have access to an Academic License.

If your school is not on the Creators Directory, please encourage your teacher to register your school.

If you don’t need more than 200 media assets, you can continue to use Wwise without a license.

What if my academic project requires more than 200 media assets?

If you are a school, please go to the Teach Wwise section and contact us in order to obtain your Academic License, empowering your students to fully use Wwise with unlimited media assets and complete plug-in access.

If you need more than 200 media assets and your school is not registered, then you can register your project in order to obtain a Wwise Non-Commercial License. Once it's approved, you'll be able to retrieve your License Key from the project page in the Audiokinetic Customer Portal, allowing you to go beyond the 200 media asset limit.

What do I do if I decide to release my Academic / Non-Commercial project as a Commercial project?

If you eventually decide to commercialize your project, you must obtain a new license. If you require less than 500 media assets, you are entitled to the Limited Commercial License, otherwise you must purchase a valid Wwise Commercial License. You can either contact the Wwise Developer Relations Team for more details or register a new project here.