You can get the Ableton Live download for Windows 11, Windows 10 and Mac from ableton.com, and the 30-day trial of Live Suite costs nothing and asks for no credit card. Live 12.4.6 is the current release.
Live itself is paid software in three editions: Intro, Standard and Suite. Live 12 Lite is free and never expires, but its serial only arrives bundled with certain hardware and with the Ableton Note app.
Below are the official download pages, install steps for Windows and Mac, the edition differences, system requirements and fixes for setup problems.
Which Ableton Live download do you need?
Ableton publishes one package per operating system. Match your machine to a row, then pick that option in the menu beside the Download button.
| Your computer | Pick this option | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC | Windows 64-bit | Try Live 12 for free |
| Mac with an M-series chip | macOS Universal | Try Live 12 for free |
| Intel Mac on macOS 11 Big Sur or later | macOS Universal | Try Live 12 for free |
| Your gear came with a Lite serial | Windows 64-bit or macOS Universal | Live 12 Lite |
| You already own a license | Your version under Licenses & Packs | Ableton account |
Live 12 is 64-bit software. Ableton ships no 32-bit build and no Linux build.
Download Ableton Live for Windows 11 and Windows 10
Every package comes from ableton.com. Choose an operating system, select Download, and the file starts from Ableton.
- Try Live 12 for free — Ableton lists 4.5 GB for Windows 64-bit and 5.5 GB for macOS Universal · 30 days of the full Live Suite feature set
- Live 12 Lite — Ableton lists 3.3 GB for Windows 64-bit and 3.5 GB for macOS Universal · needs a serial that came with your hardware or with Note
- Ableton account — Licenses & Packs holds every version and edition you own
- Live 12 shop — Intro, Standard and Suite, plus rent-to-own for Suite
- Education shop — 50% off for students and teachers who qualify
On a phone, use the email form on the trial page to send the link to your computer.
How to install Ableton Live on Windows 11 and 10
The Windows package arrives as a Zip archive. Extract it first, because the wizard needs the files that sit beside it.
- Open ableton.com/en/trial and pick Windows 64-bit in the Operating System menu.
- Select Download and wait for the archive to finish.
- Right-click the Zip file and select Extract.
- Double-click Ableton Live 12 Trial Installer.exe in the extracted folder.
- Follow the setup wizard and keep the default location, C:\ProgramData\Ableton\ .
- Leave the two Data.cab files beside the installer; they do not need unpacking.
- Open the Start menu and select Ableton Live 12 when the wizard finishes.
- Select Start your free trial and sign in to your Ableton account in the browser window that opens.
- Delete the extracted package folder once Live launches.
Never save projects, samples or presets inside the installation folder. An update or an uninstall wipes that folder.
Which Ableton Live download do you need for your Mac?
One Universal package covers both Mac chips. Open the .dmg, drag the Ableton Live icon into Applications, then eject the installer.
| Your Mac | Package | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| M-series Apple silicon | macOS Universal | Runs natively, so Rosetta stays off |
| Intel Mac on macOS 11 Big Sur or later | macOS Universal | Same package as Apple silicon |
| Intel Mac on macOS 10.15 Catalina or earlier | No Live 12 package | Big Sur is the floor for Live 12 |
Live can be forced through Rosetta 2 on Apple silicon. Ableton advises against it once your plug-ins are native.
Which Live 12 edition covers what you need?
The trial runs as Suite, so it shows the ceiling of what Live does. These are Ableton’s own figures for each edition.
| What you get | Intro | Standard | Suite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio and MIDI tracks | 16 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Software instruments | 8 | 13 | 20 |
| Audio effects | 27 | 42 | 58 |
| MIDI effects | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| MIDI tools | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Modulators | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Packs | 4 | 16 | 33 |
| Presets, samples and loops | 5+ GB | 38+ GB | 71+ GB |
| Max for Live | No | No | Yes |
Each edition installs from its own package. Upgrading from Intro to Suite means a fresh download from your account.
Is Ableton Live free?
Two free routes exist, and both are real licenses rather than workarounds.
Live is paid software, and the free routes are the 30-day Suite trial and Live 12 Lite. Intro, Standard and Suite are one-off purchases, with a 24-month rent-to-own plan on Suite. The trial gives 30 days of Suite with no credit card; after it expires, Sets still open but cannot be saved or exported. Live 12 Lite never expires, costs nothing and is not sold separately, because its serial ships with certain hardware and inside Ableton Note. Students and teachers who qualify save 50% in the education shop. Any site offering a full unlocked copy is not an Ableton license.
Live 12 or Live 11: which should you install?
Each Live version installs on its own, so both sit on one machine without conflict.
Install Live 12 and keep Live 11 only if a project or plug-in still needs it. Live 12.4.6 is the current release and the one the trial and shop deliver. A Set opens in the version that saved it and in any later version, never in an earlier one, so saving a Live 11 Set in Live 12 locks it out of Live 11. Keeping both installed avoids that trap, and your account holds the older packages.
How to check your Live version and update it
Live updates itself once automatic updates are switched on. A manual update installs over the current version.
- Open Live’s Preferences, then the Licenses/Maintenance or Licenses & Updates tab.
- Set Get Automatic Updates to Always under Maintenance.
- Compare what Live reports against Ableton’s Live 12 release notes.
- Sign in to your Ableton account and open Licenses & Packs for a manual download.
- Install the new version straight over the old one; removing the previous version first is not required.
- Select Save as… and use a new name when Live prompts you after opening an older Set.
Push 3 owners on Live 11.3 need the manual installer, because an automatic update can skip the Push 3 drivers.
Check the Ableton Live system requirements
Ableton sets the same floor for every edition, Live 12 Lite included.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Software | Ableton Live 12 |
| Developer | Ableton AG |
| Latest version | Live 12.4.6, released 15 September 2026 |
| License | Paid: Intro, Standard, Suite. 30-day Suite trial. Lite free with a bundled serial |
| Windows | Windows 10 version 22H2 or Windows 11 version 22H2 or higher, 64-bit |
| Windows processor | 5th-generation Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen with AVX2 support |
| Mac | macOS 11 Big Sur or higher, Intel Core i5 or Apple silicon |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM |
| Display | 1366×768 on Windows, 1280×800 on Mac |
| Disk space | About 5.7 GB on Windows and 8 GB on Mac; up to 76 GB for extra sound content |
| Download size | Ableton lists 4.5 GB (Windows) and 5.5 GB (macOS) for the Suite trial |
| Architecture | 64-bit only; macOS Universal covers Apple silicon and Intel |
| Offline installer | Package installs offline, authorization needs an internet connection |
| Official download source | ableton.com |
| Last verified | 2026-09-22 |
Press Windows + R, type winver and select OK to read your Windows version and build.
Fix Ableton Live not installing on Windows 11 or 10
Each symptom below has one cause and one fix.
“The folder you’re trying to use already exists”
The default folder is still there from a previous install of the same version.
- Uninstall the existing version from Start → Settings → Apps → Installed Apps.
- Open Folder Options → View in Control Panel and turn on Show hidden files and folders.
- Delete the Ableton folder inside C:\ProgramData\ .
- Run the installer again.
Live installs but will not authorize
Authorization runs through your browser and an Ableton account.
- Connect the computer to the internet, because a trial cannot be authorized offline.
- Select Start your free trial in Live and complete the sign-in page that opens.
- Create an account on that page if you do not have one yet.
- Use a bought license instead if the trial was already used on this machine, since a trial runs once.
An older Set will not open after an update
Sets open in the version that saved them and in later versions only.
- Install the older Live version from Licenses & Packs in your account.
- Open the Set in that version.
- Select Save as… and give the file a new name before saving it in Live 12.
The installer will not start at all
The machine or the package falls outside Ableton’s requirements.
- Check your Windows version against the requirements table above.
- Confirm the processor supports AVX2, which Live 12 needs.
- Extract the Zip archive again, since a partial extraction leaves the wizard without its Data.cab files.
- Read Ableton’s Installation FAQ if the wizard still refuses.
How to uninstall Ableton Live
Removing the application leaves your own presets and Packs behind. Delete those separately, and only when you are finished with Live.
- Open Live’s Settings → Library tab and note Location of User Library and Installation Folder for Packs.
- Back up the User Library first, because personal presets cannot be restored once deleted.
- Open Start → Settings → Apps → Installed Apps.
- Search for the Live version you want gone and select Uninstall.
- Delete \Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Ableton\ and \Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Ableton\ .
- Leave the Packs and User Library folders alone if you plan to reinstall Live later.
On a Mac, drag Live from Applications to the Trash, then delete the Ableton folders in Preferences, Application Support and Caches, as Uninstalling Live (macOS) sets out.
Which free route into Ableton Live suits you?
Each row below is an Ableton license. Pick by how long you need Live and what hardware you already own.
| Route | What you get | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| 30-day trial | Every Suite feature, with saving and exporting | Try Live 12 for free |
| Live 12 Lite | A license that never expires, tied to a bundled serial | Live 12 Lite |
| Ableton Note | A Lite serial from the iOS app’s Settings menu | Where Lite serials come from |
| Older Lite license | A free upgrade to Live 12 Lite on your existing serial | Ableton account |
| Education license | 50% off Intro, Standard or Suite | Education shop |
The trial runs once per account, so start it when you have time to use it.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions that come up around installing Live.
Is Ableton Live free?
No. Live 12 Intro, Standard and Suite are paid editions. Two free routes exist: a 30-day trial of Live Suite that needs no credit card, and Live 12 Lite, which never expires but only arrives as a serial bundled with hardware or with Ableton Note.
Where is the official Ableton Live download page?
Ableton hosts it at ableton.com/en/trial for the 30-day Suite trial, and at ableton.com/en/products/live-lite for Live 12 Lite. Licensed users download every edition from Licenses & Packs inside their Ableton account.
Does Ableton Live work on Windows 10?
Yes. Live 12 supports Windows 10 version 22H2 and Windows 11 version 22H2 or higher, on 64-bit hardware. The processor must be a 5th-generation Intel Core i5 or an AMD Ryzen chip with AVX2 support.
How big is the Ableton Live download?
Ableton lists the Live Suite trial at 4.5 GB for Windows 64-bit and 5.5 GB for macOS Universal. Live 12 Lite is listed at 3.3 GB and 3.5 GB. The basic installation takes about 5.7 GB on Windows.
Is Ableton Live available for Mac?
Yes. One macOS Universal package covers Apple silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 11 Big Sur or higher. Open the .dmg file and drag the Ableton Live icon into your Applications folder to install it.
Is Ableton Live 32-bit or 64-bit?
Live 12 is 64-bit only. Ableton ships no 32-bit build, and the Windows package is listed as Windows 64-bit. On Mac, the Universal package runs natively on both Apple silicon and Intel processors.
How do I get an Ableton Live Lite serial?
Live Lite is not sold separately. Its serial comes with certain hardware, issued when you register the device with its manufacturer or printed in the packaging. Ableton Note users find one under Get Ableton Live Lite in Settings.
What is the latest Ableton Live version?
Live 12.4.6, released on 15 September 2026. Ableton publishes every change on its Live 12 release notes page, and Live installs updates on its own once Get Automatic Updates is set to Always.
Where does Ableton Live install on Windows?
The setup wizard defaults to C:\ProgramData\Ableton\, and Ableton recommends keeping it. Never store projects, samples or presets in that folder, because an update or an uninstall removes everything inside it.
Why won’t Ableton Live install on my PC?
The common cause is a leftover folder from the same version, which triggers the error about the folder already existing. Uninstall the old copy, delete the Ableton folder in C:\ProgramData, then run the installer again.
Can I use Ableton Live after the trial ends?
Your Sets still open, but saving and exporting stop. Buying any edition, Intro, Standard or Suite, restores both. A trial runs once, so a second trial on the same account is not offered.
