How to Try or Demo Waves Plugins

Feb 06, 2025

Learn about the two options to evaluate Waves plugins for free, before subscribing to Waves Creative access or purchasing a perpetual plugin or bundle license.

  Click here for an interactive tutorial in Waves Central

Option 1: Demo Mode (with mutes)

In order to demo Waves plugins, simply install Waves Creative Access or individual plugins or bundles via Waves Central. After the installation, the plugins will work in demo mode, which means that audio will be muted periodically (synchronized across all plugin instances).

To install the plugins in demo mode, follow these steps:

  1. Download Waves Central for | .
    If you already have Waves Central installed, skip to step #2.
  2. Launch Waves Central
    Windows: via the desktop shortcut or Start Menu > All Programs > Waves Central.
    Mac: Applications > Waves Central.
  3. Log in to your account.
  4. To demo individual plugins or bundles:
    1. Click the Install Products page.
    2. Click All Products tab.
    3. Search, locate and select the plugin/s and/or bundle/s you wish to evaluate.
    4. Click Install.
  5. To demo Waves Creative Access – meaning, all Waves plugins at the same time:
    1. Click the Waves Creative Access page.
    2. Click Install Demo.
    3. In the pop-up window, choose whether you want to install sample libraries for Waves Instruments and for Cosmos Sample Finder, and whether to install the SD or HD samples.
    4. Click Install Demo.

Your products are now ready to use. Remember, when loaded on audio tracks, your Waves plugins will be periodically muted.

To unlock demo mode, activate licenses.

Option 2: Waves Creative Access 7-day free period

Sign up for the Waves Creative Access subscription of your choice with your payment details. The first charge will only occur after 7 days.

If you decide to cancel during this free period, the subscription will be canceled and you will not be charged.

  1. On www.waves.com/subscriptions, click ‘Start Now’
  2. Sign up for the Waves Creative Access option of your choice, and fill in your payment details.
  3. Once the signup process is done – you will be presented with an action button to ‘Install & Activate your products’ (or you can install later with these instructions). Clicking this link will launch Waves Central, if installed on your system. If Waves Central is not installed, a download page will open.
  4. Waves Central will open on an installation pop-up
    • Choose where you wish to activate your licenses to (your computer or a USB flash drive).
    • Choose if you wish to install Virtual Instrument samples (and where to).
    • Click Continue.
  5. Once done, Your Waves creative access plugins will be fully functional for 7 days, in which you can use and evaluate them.
  6. At the end of this free period, unless then subscription is canceled via your account, payments will be initiated on your payment method.
  7. If you do decide to cancel the subscription, the Waves Creative Access plugins will remain installed on your computer, in Demo Mode. This means that they will still be available in your DAW, but periodically will introduce a short mute (synchronized across all plugin instances).

If you need any further assistance, please contact Technical Support.