This article was written by Jack Laidlaw, education specialist at Ableton.
In classrooms across the UK and around the world, music educators face the exciting challenge of reaching students with a wide range of skills, interests, and ambitions. Music, when taught creatively and inclusively, can inspire students and unlock potential. Ableton Live, Move, and Push put the professional tools of modern music-making into the hands of learners, helping them explore their ideas with confidence and authenticity.
Ableton: A professional product ecosystem
The tools we use in education matter. When students work with the same instruments and software as professionals, it builds not only competence but confidence. Ableton’s product ecosystem is trusted globally by artists across genres, whether they’re performing on stage or producing hits in the studio. This real-world relevance gives Ableton a distinct edge in the classroom and is the primary point of difference when compared to other music production options.
Introducing students to Ableton from an early stage gives them a head start. For those aiming to pursue careers in music production, composition, or performance, familiarity with Live, Push, and Move offers a clear path forward. Rather than adapting to entirely new systems later on, they can build on foundations established in the classroom with the guidance of their teachers.
Ableton Live: The most playable DAW for creative music education
Ableton Live isn’t just another digital audio workstation or ‘DAW’. It was built with play, experimentation, and creativity in mind, qualities that resonate strongly with young learners. Session View encourages students to try things out, layer ideas clearly, and understand music through doing. In schools, Live supports everything from songwriting and beat-making to remixing and live performance. It’s flexible enough to meet learners where they are and powerful enough to grow with them as their skills develop. For learners with additional needs, features like screen reader support and a visual, modular layout make Live one of the most accessible music software options available.
Live is available at three levels, making it easy to get a suitable solution into the classroom:
- Intro - a stripped down version with 16 tracks. The perfect introduction to using Ableton Live.
- Standard - fully featured with unlimited tracks, this edition provides comprehensive music making in the classroom.
- Suite - the complete studio experience, including Ableton's ultra-sophisticated Max for Live technology.
For a full comparison of the difference Live editions, see Ableton's own website here.
Ableton Push: Bridging software and hardware
Ableton Push takes what’s on the screen and places it directly under students’ fingertips. It gives learners the tactile feedback they need to engage with rhythm, melody, and structure in an intuitive way. Push comes in two versions, one tethered to a computer and another ‘standalone’ version, making it highly versatile in classrooms.
Broadfield Specialist School has embedded Push throughout their curriculum: a ‘game-changer’ for accessibility. Using Push, pupils with a wide range of abilities have been able to explore composition and performance on their own terms:
Ableton Move: Portable creativity in schools
When you want to take music-making beyond the school desk, Ableton Move is the perfect companion. Our portable, standalone instrument is designed for flexibility: use it in a classroom, a school hall, or even outdoors. Move encourages spontaneous, collaborative creativity.
Pupils can sample sounds with the built-in microphone, arrange beats, and explore musical textures using Move’s responsive pads. Because it’s designed to work with Ableton Live, it creates a natural workflow from idea to production. Ideas can begin on Move and go further in Live. This isn’t mandatory, however, Move is a self-sufficient musical instrument in its own right. You don’t need to connect it to the software for it to function, which makes it a very flexible option for schools.
At Mayflower High School, Year 10 students used Move to reimagine Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’ in a way that was both collaborative and creatively empowering:
Enhancing accessibility and inclusivity
Inclusive music-making is at the heart of all Ableton products. The software and hardware are designed to support different styles of learning, and that makes them especially powerful in diverse classrooms. Whether it’s through tactile controllers, visual interfaces, or portable setups, Ableton makes it easier for every student to engage, regardless of background or ability.
Lancashire Music Service offers a great example: their Accessible Instrument Technology Library includes Ableton tools to help ensure all pupils can participate in meaningful music-making. These tools open the door for creativity to thrive.
Ableton’s commitment to education
Ableton’s passion for education goes beyond great products and extends to great support. The Ableton Education Bundle offers unlimited site licences, flexible licences for students’ personal devices, high-quality sound packs, ready-made lesson plans, and on-demand teacher training. These resources save teachers time and give them the confidence to introduce modern music tools in engaging, achievable ways.
Ableton’s presence in further and higher education means that pupils who continue with music beyond school are likely to encounter these tools again, making early exposure in school a valuable step on the learning journey.
Conclusion: An investment in the future
Investing in Ableton isn’t just about buying music software, it’s about providing students with opportunities. It’s about giving them access to tools used by professionals and trusted by educators. It’s about creating a classroom where everyone can make music, explore ideas, and find their creative voice. With Ableton Live, Move, and Push, music education becomes not only more inclusive, but more inspiring.
