Licensing & updates
What's free, what Pro unlocks, how to activate a license across your Macs, and how Playback updates itself.
Playback is free to record, edit, and preview with — the full studio, no account needed. Playback Pro removes the export limits and keeps new releases coming.
Free vs Pro
You can do everything in the editor for free; the limits only apply when you export:
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Record, edit, preview | Everything | Everything |
| Export length | Up to 60 seconds | Unlimited |
| Export resolution | Up to 1080p | Up to 4K |
| Export badge | A small “Made with Playback” badge | None |
A Free badge sits in the header while you’re unlicensed; the live preview is never watermarked, so you always see exactly what a Pro export would look like. Resolutions above 1080p appear in the export panel marked ”— Pro.”
Activating a license
When you buy Pro, your license key arrives in your receipt email. To activate it:
Open the License panel
Click the Free badge in the header, or choose License… (⌘L) from the Playback menu.
Paste your key
Under Activate Playback Pro, paste your key into the Paste your license key field and press Activate. It’s the key from your Playback receipt email.
You’re Pro
The badge turns into a Pro seal. Exports are now full-resolution, any length, with no badge.
Haven’t bought yet? The panel has a Buy Playback Pro link that takes you to checkout.
Using Pro on more than one Mac
A Pro license covers two machines. The panel shows how many you’ve used — e.g. “1 of 2 machines” — and lists each activated Mac, marking the one you’re on as (this Mac).
To move a seat to a new computer, open the panel on the Mac you want to free and press Deactivate, then activate the new one. The panel also has a Copy key button so you can grab the full key to paste on another machine.
Staying activated offline
Playback verifies your license quietly in the background and doesn’t need a constant connection. You can work offline for a stretch; if it goes too long without checking in, the panel asks you to reconnect before a given date to keep Pro active. Get back online and it re-verifies on its own.
Updates
Playback updates itself. Choose Check for Updates… from the Playback menu at any time, or let it check on its own — you’ll be prompted when a new version is ready.
Your Pro license includes updates released during your update window; the panel shows yours as “Updates until” a date (or “included forever” for a perpetual license). After that window:
- Every version you already have keeps working under your license, exactly as it is.
- If you install a build released after your window ends, Playback warns you first and offers to Renew… — or you can Install Anyway and run it in free mode (with the export badge back) until you renew.