--- title: "Live Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is Live the right Audio Editing solution for you? Explore 127 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/186429/Live/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" --- Live 4.8 (127) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/186429/Live/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated July 20th, 2026 # Reviews of Live Ease of use 4.1 Customer Service 4.5 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Michael Z OwnerMusic, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “This support for students was pivotal to me switching as I received a 50% discount to help kickstart my career.“ April 15, 2026 Michael Z OwnerMusic, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I haven't come across too many cons with Live besides crashes - however that may be my computer instead of the service.“ April 15, 2026 ZM Zal M Program ManagerEducation Management, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It's ability to both be a great recording tool, plus a powerful live music platform has always been great.“ May 29, 2026 MD Mitchell D Sales AssociateMusic, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “It can be overly complex at times when compared to it's peers such as logic, because ableton tends to be a little to complex or technical for casual users“ January 15, 2025 Michael Z OwnerMusic, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “To this day I use Live to record for fun and professionally for myself and other clients.“ April 15, 2026 Jade G Creative DirectorDesign, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The interface isn't great, and depending on your sample structures the requirements on disk and memory are a bit overblown.“ November 8, 2023 MD Mitchell D Sales AssociateMusic, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Live was amazing for producing beat driven music and heavy drum and synth instrumentals, I feel it's primary use is as a DJ software“ January 15, 2025 MS Michael S StudentEducation Management, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “VST integration can be hard sometimes“ January 4, 2024 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 127 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Bryce C. Music Producer Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very High-Tier D.A.W" February 18, 2026 5.0 9/10 experience. Overall an amazing DAW, and would absolutely recommend it to others who are learning music production, and audio design. Pros When it comes to audio editing, Ableton is one of the top of the line. It is a great value of money and quality for the price you pay. Cons Occasional has a bug or recording issue here and there, but overall works well. Security could be better, since you can just give people your account and they download it, essentially pirating the software. Switched from [Soundtrap](https://www.capterra.com/p/209734/Soundtrap/) Ableton works and runs much more professionally and has a smoother workflow. Much better features as well when it comes to plug-in capability. Review Source Daria J. Marketing Associate Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "One of my favorite DAW's" August 27, 2024 5.0 This is my to go DAW to experiment with many different sounds in real time. Also great tool for live performances,I am using it for years and it delivers the fastest sound processing experience in no time and minimal latency.2 work flows give the best overview of the song and option to try many different arrangements before recording the final one. Pros Very versatile software that offers many good quality internal tools, VST instruments included, as well as audio editing options. Cons The warping modes gets changed with every update making it tough for user especially if you already got used to the workflow. Same with the software interface. File manager gets worse and worse with each update.Now it is hard to find files that belong to the same project and if you export any loops to external drive Live won't find it and it appears as "file offline". Switched from [Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/p/214601/Cubase/) Too complicated interface, too slow, doesn't support all the VST instruments and plugins, too expensive. Review Source ZM Zal M. Program Manager Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "One of the originals and still one of the best" May 29, 2026 5.0 I have used Ableton Live for a good 15+ years now; it was what got my into my love of recording music, and realising the power of home-computing and recording capabilities. Pros Live has been a DAW that I have used for many, many year. It's ability to both be a great recording tool, plus a powerful live music platform has always been great. It makes editing simple, and has always allowed for amazing manipulation of tracks. Cons While I know it's an intentional decision, the UI of Live hasn't changed a lot over the years of using it - it's very simple, and can feel slightly dated, but at the same time it suits the application. There's no unnecessary fluff and polish where it doesn't need to be Review Source SAB Sid Ahmed B. Music Producer Music Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Ableton Live - Review" October 4, 2021 3.0 Pros The Partnerships of Ableton with a lot of Companies that manufacture equipment related to music production Cons the fille of ASD are everywhere in my pc if you make it in one folder or in the temp that will be great and need a bypass to hear the song before and after effect in one click no need to close it one by one or need to make a groupe Review Source Michael Z. Owner Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Ableton Live helped launch my career!" April 15, 2026 5.0 The value of Live was extremely important for me as I was able to use a 3-month free trial before purchasing as a student. This support for students was pivotal to me switching as I received a 50% discount to help kickstart my career. Overall, Live has excellent quality free plugins to help you learn recording techniques, editing techniques, and gain confidence in the world of music production. To this day I use Live to record for fun and professionally for myself and other clients. Pros I love Live's workflow and intuitive structure. I am very structured and plan oriented person, so I required a DAW that made me feel focused and supported. Over my 5+ years producing on Live, I have always felt this way. Cons I haven't come across too many cons with Live besides crashes - however that may be my computer instead of the service. Review Source Wesley G. Self-Employed Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Live 11 update made this my default digital audio workstation" March 17, 2021 5.0 Pros For most producing, arranging, mixing, and mastering tasks, Ableton Studio's stock plugins and software infrastructure make for an effective, efficient music creation environment. What makes this program invaluable, though, is its endless possibilities for sound design (especially with new randomization features built in to each track) and, perhaps obviously, its optimization for live performance. As a solo musician and producer, being able to create complex tracks on the spot is deeply liberating, and no other DAW (digital audio workstation) that I've used allows for this (although, I've read other DAWs are beginning to implement more live-looping and tempo syncing features). Cons It takes a little work to organize 3rd party plugins, but Ableton Live gives you multiple ways to approach this, which is more than some DAWs provide. Alternatives considered [Studio One](https://www.capterra.com/p/214600/Studio-One/) Reason for choosing Live Live performance capabilities and large stock sound/plugin library Review Source AR ALAN R. producer Music Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "BIG MAN THINGS" October 12, 2025 5.0 enjoyable. great fun if this is your sort of thing.As i mentioned i have now been useing ablton for over eight years so that should speak for itself Pros sound quality I found to be realistic the programme software isnt so hard to understand i have now been useing ableton for over eight years introduced from a friend of a friend at the time and i have been at it eversince. Cons the sampler i found not to be the quality sampler i expected or maybe im asking to much for what i payed because you get this brilliant software.haveing so much ideas but needing a sampler were i think it should be included Review Source Brett C. Producer Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Live for the electronica!" August 21, 2025 4.0 Its just awesome for making any kind of electronic music and is my cover for that genre. I found out not so much for recording and mixing of recorded name music, but still good. I love using it with my APC40 MKII controller, takes it to another level! Pros This DAW is great for all kinds of music production, especially great for electronic music making in which it excels at. Cons It tends to have high CPU impact when your project gets large, especially when using many plugins and audio samples. Review Source TC Tyler C. Owner DJ Producer Sound Tech Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "10 years with Live and still going " July 2, 2025 5.0 I have been using Ableton for over 10 years now. They have done a great job with every aspect of their DAW. Their onboard FX are getting better every year as well. I am using external plug ins less and less Pros Innovation on every update. So much more user friendly than other DAWs I went to school for. I love having the ability to play live as well, it opens up a whole new world of live performance. Cons I really can’t think of anything negative with Live. Everything we ask for always seems to come through on the next version. Review Source JCS JEAN CLAUDE S. tutor Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "best digital audio workstation" March 10, 2025 5.0 EXCELLENT truly genius for live performances but even the sequencer area is pretty cool just got for it Pros EVERYTHING ease of use functionality all Cons NOTHING i like everything excellent customer support very friendly and always helpful always listening to us artists and providing for us all Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Associate Pastor Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Perfect solution for Tracks in Worship" January 23, 2025 5.0 Pros I use this mainly for live band settings. The flexibility to make everything sound the way you want is great. The 2 different views are perfect. Cons Extremely steep learning curve - however you can learn a lot on Youtube. Review Source aK ayham K. Electronic Music Producer Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The first DAW but not the last" November 28, 2024 5.0 Mostly positive although I found myself more at home with other DAWs Pros Live is full of cutting edge features and the most popular among electronic music producers so it makes collaboration was simpler. Cons How clunky and unappealing the user interface is. Also, I find myself often getting lost in understanding what the virtual devices do and how they can be used. Review Source RH Ruth H. Music producer Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent software for music production" December 1, 2022 5.0 The main benefit I have received from the software is it reliability. If I am in a hurry with a project, I can count on this software to work, even if I am introducing new plug-ins. Pros I am very impressed with the number of tasks I can do in the software without any glitches. I’ve used other music production software, and had crashes because I do unique instrument recording. This software is extremely reliable and flexible and offers for more options for a creative musician, or a music producer than others. It also plays nicely with third party plug-ins. Easy install. Instructions are readily available because it is so popular. Cons There was a bit of a learning curve coming to this software. I was a logic user who composes classical music. I wasn’t familiar with the layout, but in a short period of time I adjusted, and I’m very happy with the software. The other con is that it’s pricing is very high. Review Source MH Marlon H. Retired Disable Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "ABLETON LIVE great for beginners " April 6, 2022 5.0 i love working in LIVE it takes a little getting use to but just spend time in the tutorials going through all the features Pros super user friendly i also like the way you can go into preferences and change the look and color or you work view both session and arrangement view Cons well again this software needs a step by step book with pictures , configurations, more of a 1. 2.3. approach Review Source Jose P. Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "LIVE excellent option for a DAW" September 8, 2022 5.0 LIVE is an excellent option for setting up a home or professional studio, it allows you to bring any project to life! Pros One of the great virtues of LIVE is that it has a large community of users! This allows you to find information on the WEB about any functionality or trick that is necessary. Regarding the functionalities, it has everything, surely much more than what we use on a daily basis. It is an excellent option! Cons Although I do not mention it as a con, LIVE is designed as its name indicates for a LIVE execution, the user interface is designed to fulfill that objective. In my specific case I use a DAW to make planned recordings with which I feel more comfortable with a traditional recording console style interface. Review Source DC Dorian C. Producer Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Ableton Live - preferred DAW" May 2, 2023 5.0 Pros I find Live and extremely intuitive DAW, features are where I expect them to be. It emphasises creatively and is hands down the best DAW for composition. Cons I have very few complaints, but some of the live audio manipulation struggles to live up to Pro Tools counterparts. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Assembler Biotechnology Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Ableton Live: Changing the world of music production one clip at a time." March 6, 2021 5.0 My experience with Live is I used it as an effect module of sorts. I would alter the speed / pitch of sample inside of Ableton then export those files to my hardware digital samplers for further sound manipulation and composition. Pros What drew me to Ableton Live is it's ability to change the pitch of a .wav file without affecting the tempo, and without adding distortion to the file. Ableton also has swing templates that allow you to duplicate the swing settings of vintage drum machines, like the E-mu SP1200. This is a game changer because it allows producers to program drum tracks with a more natural, human-like feel. Cons Ableton is one of the higher priced music creation programs on the market, and with good reason. The program contains numerous pro level audio processing tools that has made it the choice of music producers worldwide. Though they offer a "Lite" version of their software, it's limited to 16 tracks, which may not be enough for producers and engineers completing large projects. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Creative Director Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Still the best for live tracks playback" November 8, 2023 5.0 Overall I find Live is the best option I've found for live tracks playback and manipulation on the fly. Its a steep learning curve but well worth the time and effort. Pros The flexibility and adaptability for live workflows is outstanding, the warp and transpose features, plus the auto trigger functions are something I can't do without! Cons The interface isn't great, and depending on your sample structures the requirements on disk and memory are a bit overblown. Review Source FF Frederic F. Software Engineer Consumer Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "With ableton you got a 1000 watts solution very powerfulll" October 6, 2021 5.0 Pros All the tools , all the option make you the possibility to create magical sounds Cons The interface is a little bit to dark for me Alternatives considered [Logic Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/214597/Logic-Pro/) Switched from [Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/p/214601/Cubase/) The lack of oscillator Review Source IS Ivars S. Musician Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Ableton the best!" June 28, 2023 5.0 Super!!! Zupā!!! Pros In Live, it's easy to manipulate instruments. What's important to me as a musician... It's important to me to create a new, unprecedented sound. Cons Live doesn't have a lot of good synthesized instruments, but it's not that bad because I can synthesize myself. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Producer/DJ Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Amazing Software Better Support" November 4, 2021 5.0 Pros Have had such a great experience with their support team reordering parts I needed for a controller and issues within the software. Cons Expensive. Isn't cheap by any means but you absolutely get what you pay for. Review Source GS Görkem S. musician Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "High Quality" December 3, 2021 4.0 Great product. Pros It's detailed and easy to workspace. Mixing screen makes it easy to play live which is unique and fun. Cons Having bugs time to time. That crushes the DAW. Review Source MM Maurice M. music producer Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Game changer" June 10, 2021 5.0 It has been awesome working with this software and it has changed my sound from amateur to pro Pros \[1\] The software has got high quality sample sound \[2\] the provision to convert audio file into piano role \[and this has been a prayer answered to beat makers.... sampling has not been difficult anymore Cons \[1\] It has got profession sound \[2\]you use one tool whether live or recording session \[3\] the color is perfect for eyes Review Source JB Jeff B. Consultant/Coach Construction Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Live/Ableton Review" July 31, 2021 5.0 I have worked in the music industry both professional and personally the balance of my adult life- Ironically except at this moment in time- I have used many a product and have really been comfortable with implementing and utilizing the Live suite! Pros I moved to this software via purchasing new recording hardware- I really was able to get right into the recording process without too much major learning- Thus far all features and functionality have met my needs and as I get deeper into the process I am really enjoying the workflow! Cons The only issue I have encountered thus far is while doing vocals there is either a redundancy or doubling of my signal- No matter how dry I make the signal it still has some featured effect on it- I have been yet to solve that issue Review Source Edison N. Musician Music Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great tool for creating professional music at home" March 25, 2021 5.0 I recently bought this program and I do not regret it, my musical quality has improved, you can make big changes in a short time, everything is easier in Live. Pros My first DAW was Fl Studio. It accompanied me for many years, but I found Live and I couldn't stop using it, at first it's not easy to adapt but once you learn to use Live, you won't go back. Cons The interface at first is not easy to learn, I recommend watching tutorials on YouTube about Live, you will not regret using this great tool. Review Source Similar Products Featured