Can You Move an iLok License to iLok Cloud?

Yes — in most cases, you can move an iLok license from a physical iLok USB key (or your computer) into iLok Cloud, but whether it works depends on how that specific license was issued, what the software publisher allows, and how you plan to use the software going forward.

Here's what you need to understand before making that move.

What iLok Cloud Actually Is

iLok Cloud is a license storage option offered by PACE Anti-Piracy, the company behind the iLok system. Instead of tying a software license to a physical USB dongle or a specific computer, iLok Cloud stores your license on PACE's servers. When you launch your software, it authenticates over the internet in real time.

This is different from how a physical iLok key works. With the USB dongle, the license lives on the hardware itself — no internet connection needed after the license is deposited. With iLok Cloud, an active internet connection is required every time you use the software.

The Three License Locations in the iLok Ecosystem

iLok supports three places a license can live:

Moving a license means transferring it from one of these locations to another — and iLok Cloud is simply one of those destinations.

What Determines Whether You Can Move a License

Not every license is eligible for iLok Cloud. Several factors control this:

1. Publisher permission The software developer — not PACE — decides which storage locations their licenses support. A developer can choose to support all three options, only two, or just one. If a publisher hasn't enabled iLok Cloud support for a specific product, you won't be able to move that license there, even if you want to.

2. License type Some licenses are issued as machine-locked or dongle-only by design, typically for enterprise, educational, or high-security deployments. These may be restricted from Cloud use regardless of your account settings.

3. Current license location If a license is already sitting on a physical iLok key or on your computer, it can typically be moved in iLok License Manager — provided the publisher allows Cloud activation. If it's locked to a specific machine, movement may be blocked entirely.

How to Check and Move a License 🔍

If you want to see whether a license supports iLok Cloud:

1. Open iLok License Manager (PACE's desktop application)
2. Find the license in your account
3. Right-click or check the license details — eligible licenses will show Cloud as an available activation target
4. Drag the license to the iLok Cloud location, or use the "Activate" option and choose Cloud

If iLok Cloud doesn't appear as an option for that license, the publisher hasn't enabled it. You'd need to check directly with the software developer or consult their support documentation.

What Changes When You Move to iLok Cloud

Moving a license to iLok Cloud isn't just an administrative change — it meaningfully affects how you work:

You gain:

• Freedom from carrying a physical USB dongle
• Ability to use the software on different machines without moving hardware
• One less piece of hardware to lose, damage, or forget

You trade away:

• Offline capability — iLok Cloud requires a live internet connection. The software will not authenticate if you're on a plane, in a rural studio, or working without reliable connectivity
• Latency tolerance — some users in low-bandwidth or high-latency environments report authentication delays
• Hardware independence — your entire workflow now depends on PACE's servers being reachable

iLok Cloud does offer a session-based offline grace period for some licenses, but this is short and not a substitute for full offline access. Check PACE's current documentation for how this works with specific software.

The Spectrum of User Situations

Where this decision lands varies significantly depending on your setup:

Studio-based users with stable internet often find iLok Cloud a practical simplification — no dongle to manage, and connectivity is rarely a problem.

Live performers or location-based audio engineers frequently prefer the physical key. Losing internet mid-show or on location isn't a theoretical risk.

Users with multiple workstations may find Cloud appealing precisely because it removes the "where's the dongle?" problem when switching between machines.

Developers or engineers in secure/air-gapped environments may not have Cloud as a viable option at all — and some licenses may be specifically issued to prevent it.

One More Variable: Moving It Back

It's worth knowing that license moves in iLok are not always freely reversible. PACE and publishers often limit how many times a license can be moved within a given period. If you move a license to iLok Cloud and later decide you want it back on a physical key, you may need to wait for a move allowance to reset — or contact support.

That limitation alone changes the calculus for users who aren't certain about their long-term setup.

Whether iLok Cloud is the right home for your license comes down to which software you're running, what the publisher permits, and the specific conditions under which you use that software day to day. The technical path to move the license is straightforward — what varies is whether your workflow can actually support where it's going.