How to Install & Activate Waves V15

Jun 23, 2025

Learn how to install Waves V15 plugins

Important Notes:

  • V15 plugins can be activated by perpetual (non-subscription) V15 licenses (or above) as well as Waves Creative Access subscription licenses.
  • Products released after June 23rd, 2025, are not part of V15 offline installer.
  • To see a list of the plugins available in the V15 installer, visit this page.
  • Sample libraries for Waves instruments must be installed manually.

This article covers different situations such as:

  1. You have newer licenses but need to install V15 software due to system requirements.
  2. You have V15 licenses and wish to install V15.

Step #1 – Activate your Licenses

  1. Download and install Waves Central for Mac | Windows
    If you already have Waves Central installed, skip to the next step.
  2. Launch Waves Central:
    On Windows: via the desktop shortcut or Start Menu > All Programs > Waves Central.
    On Mac: Applications > Waves Central.
  3. Log into Waves Central.
  4. Select the Licenses page on the left bar.
  5. Select Not Activated at the top of the page.
  6. Choose the license/s you wish to activate. Selected licenses will appear in the list on the right.
  7. Choose the target device for the activated license/s.
  8. Click the Activate button.

Step #2 – Install V15 software

  •    Click here for an interactive tutorial in Waves Central
    1. Launch the Waves Central application on the computer where your licenses are activated.
      On Windows: via the desktop shortcut or via Start Menu > All Programs > Waves Central.
      On Mac: Applications > Waves Central.
    2. Log into Waves Central.
    3. Click the Install Products page > All Products tab.
    4. Click the View menu and select only V15 Plugins.
    5. Use the search bar to search and select the products you wish to install. Review the selections in the Summary section.
    6. Click the Install button.
    1. Quit any host application.
    2. Download the V15 Offline Installation Folder for Mac | Windows.
    3. Unzip the folder to your desktop.
    4. Navigate to the Waves 3.6.25 folder which you just extracted.
    5. In the folder, launch the file named “install.cen”.
    6. Waves Central will open on the Offline Installer page.
    7. Use the search bar to search and select the products you wish to install.
    8. Click Install.

  • To prepare your own V15 offline installer, which installs only the software you own, follow these steps.

Need further assistance? contact Technical Support.