Future of Windows in pro audio

[audiojunkie]

I do understand that this is a Windows thread.

Linux really looks like an ongoing "work in progress" to me, and quite frankly, this thread alone...all the ideas you guys are throwing out, this is part of the evolution of Linux!

In real time, on the fly!

The future of Windows is AI driven tyranny and doom.
It's unfortunate or something, but that's where reality is at.

No. That's not reality. Sheesh.

Your DAWs and plugins have more AI built into them today than Windows does.

Pete
Microsoft

My god, I've drawn the ire of Microsoft ...

So what's next, Psychlist1972? Are you gonna send your goons??

I wish I was important enough to have goons. I was watching this thread and couple others here others for any MIDI issues in our recent rollout. ASIO and MIDI both came up in this topic, as I recall.

Pete
Microsoft

As a Linux user (by preference) that supports Windows for a living, I applaud the MIDI 2.0 and ASIO work that is being put into Windows. Good moves!

[audiojunkie]

I just recently read that Microsoft is rethinking their plans to make Windows an agentic OS. Apparently there has been enough of a user outcry that they have decided to re-think things. It sounds like a good move to me.

[Tiles]

The future of Windows is data mining for AI. Everything you do inside (and outside) of your DAW will be send to data centers for processing. This will make Windows unattractive for professionals who make a living from sound in any way but that's a small group Microsoft can afford to lose.

I think this paints a much more extreme picture than what is actually happening.

First, Microsoft does collect telemetry data, but this is neither new nor unique to Windows. macOS and Linux distributions with commercial backing do the same, and in all cases this data is primarily diagnostic and usage related. Audio data from DAWs, project files, or creative content is not automatically uploaded to “data centers for AI processing”. There is no evidence for that, and such behavior would be a massive legal and reputational risk, especially in professional markets.

Second, Windows has been the dominant platform for professional audio, video, and post production for decades. Major DAWs, plugin developers, and hardware manufacturers still target Windows as a primary platform. If Windows were fundamentally hostile to professional users, this ecosystem would already be collapsing, which is clearly not the case.

Third, professionals who work with sensitive data already use standard safeguards. Offline systems, restricted network access, enterprise editions of Windows with configurable telemetry, and contractual compliance requirements are normal in studios and production environments. Windows explicitly supports these use cases because enterprise and professional customers are a core revenue stream for Microsoft.

Finally, AI features in Windows are largely opt in and focused on user facing productivity tools, not on silently harvesting creative work. Losing the trust of professionals would cost Microsoft far more than it would ever gain from hypothetical audio data mining.

So while skepticism about data collection is healthy, the claim that Windows’ future is incompatible with professional audio work is not supported by facts or current industry practice.

[audiojunkie]

The future of Windows is data mining for AI. Everything you do inside (and outside) of your DAW will be send to data centers for processing. This will make Windows unattractive for professionals who make a living from sound in any way but that's a small group Microsoft can afford to lose.

I think this paints a much more extreme picture than what is actually happening.

First, Microsoft does collect telemetry data, but this is neither new nor unique to Windows. macOS and Linux distributions with commercial backing do the same, and in all cases this data is primarily diagnostic and usage related. Audio data from DAWs, project files, or creative content is not automatically uploaded to “data centers for AI processing”. There is no evidence for that, and such behavior would be a massive legal and reputational risk, especially in professional markets.

Second, Windows has been the dominant platform for professional audio, video, and post production for decades. Major DAWs, plugin developers, and hardware manufacturers still target Windows as a primary platform. If Windows were fundamentally hostile to professional users, this ecosystem would already be collapsing, which is clearly not the case.

Third, professionals who work with sensitive data already use standard safeguards. Offline systems, restricted network access, enterprise editions of Windows with configurable telemetry, and contractual compliance requirements are normal in studios and production environments. Windows explicitly supports these use cases because enterprise and professional customers are a core revenue stream for Microsoft.

Finally, AI features in Windows are largely opt in and focused on user facing productivity tools, not on silently harvesting creative work. Losing the trust of professionals would cost Microsoft far more than it would ever gain from hypothetical audio data mining.

So while skepticism about data collection is healthy, the claim that Windows’ future is incompatible with professional audio work is not supported by facts or current industry practice.

Please provide links to sources that prove that Linux distros with commercial backing do this. I know that Cannonical tried, and there was such an uproar that they removed it. I know that Fedora wanted to put some basic telemetry to know what hardware was being used, so that they could know where to focus their resources. This too was shot down, to my knowledge. I wouldn't put it past Cannonical to try it, but to my knowledge, none are doing this at this time.

[Tiles]

Distributions that collects telemetry data includes distributions like Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Studio, Ubuntu MATE or KDE neon. Further distros who collects user data are Pop! OS, Linux Mint, Maranjo , elementary OS, Zorin OS, Deepin (chinese disrtibution that sends data to china) . And the biggest collector is of course ChromeOS. Which counts to Linux too.

Most of them are opt in. But some are not.

The range goes from simple things like hardware, version, edition, and in case of ChromeOS, well, i guess not this different from Windows, plus there is your Google account ...

https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-i ... hatgpt.com

[audiojunkie]

Distributions that collects telemetry data includes distributions like Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Studio, Ubuntu MATE or KDE neon. Further distros who collects user data are Pop! OS, Linux Mint, Maranjo , elementary OS, Zorin OS, Deepin (chinese disrtibution that sends data to china) . And the biggest collector is of course ChromeOS. Which counts to Linux too.

Most of them are opt in. But some are not.

The range goes from simple things like hardware, version, edition, and in case of ChromeOS, well, i guess not this different from Windows, plus there is your Google account ...

https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-i ... hatgpt.com

Fair enough. This was a recent move as of Dec 2025 for Cannonical, and not nearly as bad as when they tried to slip advertisements into Ubuntu:

With Ubuntu 25.10 released in October 2025, we are phasing out Ubuntu Report and replacing it with Ubuntu Insights, a new method for handling anonymous telemetry collection. For most users nothing will change; telemetry will still be strictly opt-in. We collect no personally identifiable information, and every report is stored locally in plain text so you can always see what is being sent, and the information will be used in aggregate. Past consent decisions made for Ubuntu Report will not carry over as we migrate to Ubuntu Insights, and you’ll be asked again so you can make an informed decision.

The important things to note is that:

* It is anonymous telemetry collection (No Personally Identifiable Information gathered) - Hardware info only
* It is strictly opt-in - It is not forced upon you, and it is turned "OFF" by default
* The report that gets made (if opted in), is human readable and easily monitored.
* The information is used in aggregate, and your info is not isolated or identifiable

This is about as ethical as telemetry can get. This sounds exactly like what Fedora was suggesting.

So, to be clear, for those who don't know Linux, the data is not being used for someone's Artificial Intelligence (LLM model). It is only going back to the developers in the most ethically known way possible--IF the user chooses to allow it.

This is a "far cry" from what Windows and Apple are doing.

Thank you for the information @Tiles.

EDIT: Unfortunately, the world doesn't count ChromeOS and Android as Linux, otherwise the Linux desktop adoption numbers would be much higher (possibly surpassing MacOS). But oh well.

I'm not surprised with ChromeOS having telemetry--they are owned by Google--so yeah, if we are counting ChromeOS, it probably does gather as much telemetry as Windows and Apple.

[Psychlist1972]

The future of Windows is data mining for AI. Everything you do inside (and outside) of your DAW will be send to data centers for processing. This will make Windows unattractive for professionals who make a living from sound in any way but that's a small group Microsoft can afford to lose.

I think this paints a much more extreme picture than what is actually happening.

First, Microsoft does collect telemetry data, but this is neither new nor unique to Windows. macOS and Linux distributions with commercial backing do the same, and in all cases this data is primarily diagnostic and usage related. Audio data from DAWs, project files, or creative content is not automatically uploaded to “data centers for AI processing”. There is no evidence for that, and such behavior would be a massive legal and reputational risk, especially in professional markets.
...

I can confirm that for MIDI, we're not even allowed to collect things like messages or device names, even though those would often help in debugging issues. Telemetry is as you said. The only money made off of it is that resulting from detecting issues earlier, reporting them to DAW companies (I've done that a few times now and the DAW companies didn't realize they had trending crashes), and fixing our own stuff.

Pete
Microsoft

[legendCNCD]

I'm not surprised with ChromeOS having telemetry--they are owned by Google--so yeah, if we are counting ChromeOS, it probably does gather as much telemetry as Windows and Apple.

Probably much, MUCH more

[lunardigs]

Google, another child of DARPA and darling of the "intelligence community".

[VladK]

Google, another child of DARPA and darling of the "intelligence community".

Google is not a child of DARPA unless you count everything Internet related as DARPA children.

[lunardigs]

Google, another child of DARPA and darling of the "intelligence community".

Google is not a child of DARPA unless you count everything Internet related as DARPA children.

Sure ...

surewhatever.jpg

[PAK]

First, Microsoft does collect telemetry data, but this is neither new nor unique to Windows.

As already discussed, earlier in this thread, the issue ISN’T telemetry.. The issue is whether or not users are allowed to opt-out of its collection! The most widely used consumer versions of Windows DO NOT allow full opt-outs. That is NOT the same as any distros of Linux I’m aware of, and nor is it even the same as Mac OS - which also allows proper online telemetry opt-outs. Windows is different here.

Not only does the situation vary by license type, on Windows, it also varies by install region! EU users are granted more (though still crappy) privacy rights when compared to regions like the USA or UK! Technically, Windows won’t allow you to change the install region. But, if you set your location to somewhere within the EU, then delete a particular registry key (LOCAL MACHINE\ SOFTWARE \Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion \Control Panel\DeviceRegion and remove the DeviceRegion key) it will recreate the value using your present location setting.

Congratulations! If set within the EU Microsoft now deem you worthy of having (a very few) more privacy rights, as well as refraining from behaviours like monitoring alternative browser install attempts and pushing Edge when you do (how dare you!)

So, NO. Microsoft is NOT "just like everyone else" when it comes to telemetry data collection. Which won't come as a surprise to many given it's also in the process of FORCING regular users into using online accounts..

[lunardigs]

Hmm ...
Well, maybe one of Microsoft's 1/4 million employees could chime in to clear the air?

[machinesworking]

Linux simply cannot handle live gig operations, as in, there are zero apps like Camelot Pro, Cantabile, Gig Performer et al.

Bitwig can more than do live gigs. I'm not a Bitwig user or Linux user, but Bitwig is very capable of being set up for live use.

[lunardigs]

Lol, I love how "Linux" is constantly disparaged for what software won't run on it. As if "Linux" decided to block Camelot Pro or something.