4U+ ProjectTime V3
by HOFA · Utility · DAW work-time tracker
Not rated yet
4U+ ProjectTime V3 is a free HOFA plugin that logs the time you spend working on each DAW project.
The free edition does basic tracking with TXT export; the €49.90 full version adds automatic pause detection, hourly-rate and budget calculators, and PDF and CSV export.
Best for: Mix Bus. Genres: all genres.
Keywords: free, tracking, utility, freemium, bus processing, full mix, mix bus, surgical.
What it does
4U+ ProjectTime V3 sits on a track in your DAW session and records "precise work-time" for that project. The time is saved when you close the project and continues when you open it again.
- Time tracking: logs each work session inside the project, in both the freeware and the full version.
- Session editing: limited in the freeware; full editing of past sessions in the full version.
- Auto start and pause: full version only; the timer can start and stop depending on whether DAW playback is running or an audio signal is detected.
- Calculators: full version only; an hourly-wage calculator and a time-budget calculator.
- Export: TXT export in the freeware; PDF, CSV and TXT in the full version, which can also show durations in decimal hours.
- Collaboration: full version only; tracks projects with several participants.
The freeware edition is free; the full version comes with a 14-day demo.
When to use it
ProjectTime is the pick for engineers and producers who bill by the hour and want the time log saved with each DAW session. Compared with a general time-tracking app such as Toggl Track, it lives in the project itself, so you can't forget to start it when you open a session, and the full version can start and pause with playback. It is a different kind of tool from the rated utilities like iZotope Insight 2 or Youlean Loudness Meter 2: it measures your work time, not the audio. The free version covers basic logging; the full version adds the billing calculators and PDF/CSV export.
- Best for: billing clients, checking time budgets, and learning how long mixes and productions really take.
- Genres: any; workflow utility.
- Look elsewhere if: you track time across many non-audio tasks; a general time-tracking app fits better.
What producers say
User feedback is scarce but positive.
- KVR users rate it 5 out of 5 from 1 review (2019, version 1), which liked tracking project time with a pause for breaks and summed it up as "this thing is neat".
Where to buy
- HOFA: Free
Tutorials and reviews
- THE time saving tool for professional audio engineers - Hofa 4u+ Project Time V3
- NEW! Track Your Working Time in the DAW
- FREE ProjectTime & BlindTest: Unique Hofa Plugins You NEED!
- Free Plugin - HOFA 4U ProjectTime
- HOFA 4U Project Time - FREE Timer VST Plugin ⏰⏰⏰
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