Live

Live is a music creation and performance application, best known as Ableton Live from the German company Ableton, used by artists to compose, record, edit and perform music with software instruments, audio and electronic hardware. It addresses the gap between studio production and live performance: traditional digital audio workstations are designed around a linear timeline, which makes improvisation and on-stage arrangement difficult. Live’s approach combines a conventional Arrangement View with a distinctive Session View, a grid of clips that can be launched, looped and combined in real time. This allows musicians to experiment with ideas, perform flexibly and then capture the results into a structured arrangement, supporting a fluid workflow from sketching through to finished tracks and performances.

Key features include multitrack audio and MIDI recording, warping for real-time time stretching, comping, MIDI editing, automation, and a comprehensive set of built-in instruments and effects, with larger collections in higher editions. Max for Live, included in the Suite edition, allows users to build and customise their own instruments, effects and tools. Live supports third-party VST and AU plugins, MIDI controllers and Ableton’s Push hardware, which provides hands-on control for playing and producing. Additional capabilities cover audio-to-MIDI conversion, tempo following, MPE support, and Link technology for synchronising tempo between devices and applications. Live is available in Intro, Standard and Suite editions and runs on Windows and macOS, while the Note app on iOS provides a mobile sketching companion. It is used by electronic music producers, DJs, live performers, sound designers, composers for media, educators and students, as well as in theatre and installation work. Its performance-oriented design makes it especially popular on stage. Pricing starts from around USD 99, typically for the entry-level edition, with a free trial; there is no permanently free version.