DAW project files cannot be exchanged between different software, locking collaborators into matching tool chains

What: A producer working in Ableton Live cannot open a Logic Pro project file, and vice versa. Existing interchange formats (OMF, AAF, STEMS) lose plugin settings, automation data, MIDI mappings, and mix parameters, reducing a complex production to bare audio tracks. The emerging DAWproject format attempts to solve this but lacks broad adoption as of 2025. So what? Remote collaborators (now the norm post-pandemic) must either use identical DAW software or export stems, losing the ability to adjust individual plugin parameters, edit MIDI, or modify automation curves. So what? Creative iteration between collaborators slows dramatically because every round-trip requires re-rendering, re-importing, and manually recreating lost settings, turning a 10-minute tweak into an hour-long process. So what? Producers self-select into DAW monocultures (everyone on the same software) rather than choosing the best tool for their workflow, reducing competitive pressure on DAW developers to innovate. So what? The music production software market stagnates in areas where interoperability would drive feature competition, and producers bear the cost of vendor lock-in through time and creative compromise. So what? The barrier to cross-tool collaboration disproportionately harms independent artists who cannot afford multiple DAW licenses and must work with whatever collaborators happen to use the same software. Structural root cause: Each DAW uses a proprietary project file format as a competitive moat. Plugin formats are fragmented across VST, AU, and AAX standards, with some DAWs (Logic Pro, Pro Tools) refusing to natively support competing formats. No industry body has authority to mandate interoperability, and DAW vendors have little financial incentive to enable seamless migration to competitors.