Ableton announces Live 13, with ARA 2 support and a new Step Sequencer
The update arrives in early 2027, and the public beta is open now.
Ableton announced Live 13 , the next major version of the production software, set for release in early 2027. A public beta is open now.
The biggest workflow change is ARA 2 support, which lets plug-ins like Melodyne work directly inside Live for pitch, timing, and audio editing without bouncing out to another program. Live 13 Suite ships with Melodyne Essential. ARA 2 has been a long-standing request from Live users.
Live 13 also adds a new Step Sequencer for building MIDI patterns. Each row can run its own length and playback settings, which makes polyrhythms easy to set up, and individual steps take their own velocity, chance, repeat, and pitch bend. Capture Automation records knob turns and button presses as editable automation after the fact. Contextual Browsing lets producers load devices and swap presets straight from the device chain without opening the main Browser.
For sound design, there’s Drum Synth, a percussion instrument that covers classic drum machine hits and physically modeled sounds, and Looplet, a Max for Live device in Suite that loops four playheads across a single sample for textures and drones. Racks now hold up to 32 Macros, which can also act as modulators. Envelope Clips bring automation and modulation to effects on Return tracks, with per-scene settings in Session View.
On the mixing side, Live 13 adds Multiband and Mid-Side Racks, two new Suite effects (Clipper and Transient Shaper), Device Slots that show every track’s devices directly in the mixer, and a Classic Dynamics & EQ Pack built with Softube, which models FET and optical compression, British console EQ, and analog-style drive.
Push 3 gets its own headline feature: Custom Layouts, which let users arrange note areas, Session View, faders, and XYZ controls across the pads and save a different setup for every Set. A new Performance Mixer turns the pads into touch-sensitive faders under Session View, built for DJ sets and dub-style live mixing. The Step Sequencer and expanded Racks are both playable from the hardware.
Ableton is discounting all Live 12 editions by 20% until Live 13 comes out, and any Live 12 purchase includes a free upgrade to the matching Live 13 edition. Move, Push 3, and the Push Upgrade Kit are also 20% off through November 30. Existing owners can check their upgrade price by logging into their Ableton accounts.
Use compatible ARA 2 plug-ins to edit audio clips directly in Live.
Build beats, melodies and polyrhythms with Step Sequencer’s independent row settings and per-step controls.
Load devices and swap presets directly from the device chain and Device Slots in the mixer with Contextual Browsing.
Design and fine-tune your own percussion with Drum Synth’s classic, physical modeling and experimental engines.
Process different frequency ranges with new Multiband Racks, or shape the center and sides separately with Mid-Side Racks.
Add automation or modulation to Return track effects with Envelope Clips.
Drop a sample or capture audio directly into Looplet, then use four playheads to create layered loops, textures, glitches and drones.
Add classic studio color with five Softube effects for compression, EQ and drive, modeled on sought-after hardware.