Ableton Live 12 Standard education licence

Introducing Ableton Live 12 Standard

Ableton Live 12 Standard is a powerful, flexible DAW that brings the core of Ableton’s acclaimed music-making workflow to students, emerging artists and producers. With unlimited tracks, expressive MIDI editing, and a rich set of instruments and effects, Live Standard is built to help you create music in your own way, from first ideas to finished tracks.

Whether you’re building beats, writing songs, or just experimenting with sound, Live’s unique Session and Arrangement Views let you move between improvisation and structure seamlessly. Real-time time-stretching, advanced warping, and deep MIDI control make for a thrilling creative experience, while intuitive tools like Capture MIDI and linked-track editing make it easy to stay in the flow.

Live 12 Standard is also smarter and more streamlined than ever before — from the redesigned browser with sound similarity search and tagging, to powerful new MIDI transformations and support for alternate tuning systems. It’s a complete environment for learning, exploring and making music, with everything students need to go from basic recording to serious production.

Create, arrange and perform your way

Live 12 Standard gives you everything you need to start making music, whether you're recording instruments, programming beats, or building full productions from scratch. With unlimited Audio and MIDI tracks, flexible Session and Arrangement Views, and intuitive editing tools, you can move fluidly between sketching, structuring and refining your music – all in a creative, non-linear environment.

Powerful tools for students and producers

From expressive MIDI sequencing and advanced warping to audio slicing and linked-track editing, Live 12 Standard equips you with serious production capabilities. You can capture ideas instantly with Capture MIDI, experiment with Note Chance and velocity variation, and reshape performances using comping, automation lanes and complex warp modes – all designed to keep your creativity flowing.

A versatile palette of sounds and effects

Live 12 Standard includes 13 instruments, 42 audio effects and 14 MIDI effects, along with a curated selection of Sound Packs covering a range of genres and textures. From classic synths and drums to unusual textures and acoustic samples, everything is ready to tweak, combine and transform. With modulation tools and MPE support, your sounds can be as expressive as your ideas.

Smarter browsing and faster workflows

Live’s redesigned browser helps you find the right sounds fast, with improved tagging, custom labels, and a powerful Sound Similarity Search powered by machine learning. You can browse confidently with history and automatic tagging, and refresh your drum sounds in an instant with Drum Rack swapping – perfect for staying in the zone and exploring new sonic directions.

Enhanced MIDI creativity and control

Live 12 introduces new MIDI Transformations that make it easy to manipulate and reshape your musical ideas. Generate dynamic patterns, create strums and articulations, or apply humanised timing with a few clicks. Scale- and key-aware editing tools help you explore harmonic ideas quickly, while modulation options and polyphonic expression add new depth to your MIDI programming.

Explore alternate tunings and scales

Standard now supports microtonality and alternative tuning systems, so you're no longer limited to the 12-tone equal temperament. Use built-in tuning presets or load custom Scala files to explore global musical traditions, experimental harmonies, or just find a tuning that better suits your sound. Scale highlighting and fold-to-scale options make it easy to stay musical while trying something new.

Designed for learning and accessibility

With a clearer interface, accessible design features and support for screen readers, Live 12 Standard is built to support a wide range of users. Whether you're just getting started or building out your skills, it offers a professional-grade DAW experience that’s approachable, powerful and designed to grow with you.