How to export your data from Ableton Live

Ableton Live has no cloud account or admin data-export feature — it's a locally installed DAW. To get your work out you either render finished audio to WAV/AIFF/FLAC/MP3 via Export Audio/Video, or move the whole project (the .als file plus every sample it uses) with the Collect All and Save command and a manual file copy.

Formats: WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP3, Live Set (.als)Plan: Any edition (Live Intro, Standard, or Suite) — a Set built with Suite-only features opens with saving and exporting disabled in lower editionsRole: N/A — Live is a single-user desktop app with no workspace/admin roles

✓ Verified against Ableton Live's official documentation, September 2026

Step by step

1Open the Live Set (project) you want to move or archive.
2Go to File → Collect All and Save (or File → Manage Files → Manage Project → External Files → Collect Into Project) to copy every referenced audio/video sample into the Project folder's Samples → Collected subfolder and every used Max for Live device into Presets.
3In the Collect All and Save dialog, check the boxes for the file types you need — check 'Files from Factory Packs' too if the destination computer doesn't have the same Ableton Packs installed.
4If any track uses third-party VST/AU plugins, note Collect All and Save does not copy plugins; use Freeze and Flatten (Live 11) or Bounce (Live 12) on those tracks first if you need the processed audio without reinstalling the same plugins elsewhere.
5Locate the Project folder on disk and ZIP/compress the entire folder (it now contains the .als file plus all collected subfolders) to transfer it.
6To pull out finished audio instead of, or alongside, the project file, use File → Export Audio/Video (Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows / Cmd+Shift+R on Mac), pick a Rendered Track option (Main, All Individual Tracks, Selected Tracks Only, or a single track), and set the Render Start and Render Length.
7Enable Encode PCM and choose a File Type (WAV, AIFF, or FLAC) and Bit Depth (16, 24, or 32), and/or enable Encode MP3 for a 320 kbps file, then click Export.
8If migrating an entire machine, also transfer your User Library and update its path in Settings → Library so Live can auto-relink samples, or use the automatic search/File Manager on the new computer to relink anything stored outside the Project folder.

What the export includes

✓The Live Set (.als) itself — tracks, clips, automation, and device chains
✓Audio and video sample files used in the Set, once copied in via Collect All and Save
✓Max for Live devices used in the Set, once collected
✓Rendered stereo or mono audio (and video, if the Set has video clips) in the format, sample rate, and bit depth you choose

What it doesn't include

✗Third-party VST/AU plugins themselves — never copied by Collect All and Save; must be installed separately on the destination machine
✗Plugin licenses/authorizations
✗Factory Pack content, unless you explicitly check 'Files from Factory Packs' in the Collect All and Save dialog
✗Audio processed through Audio Unit (AU) plugins when moving cross-platform, unless frozen/flattened or bounced first (AU is Mac-only)

Before you start

⚠There is no one-click 'export my whole account' or API — every transfer is a manual file operation (Collect All and Save, then ZIP and copy the Project folder)
⚠Opening a Set that uses Suite-only features in Live Lite, Intro, or Standard deactivates saving and exporting for that Set
⚠MP3 exports always get a small amount of silence added at the start regardless of the chosen render start point, which can misalign the file when imported elsewhere — export WAV/AIFF/FLAC instead if timing matters
⚠Cross-platform transfers (Windows ↔ Mac) only carry over VST/VST3 plugin formats; tracks using AU plugins need Freeze and Flatten or Bounce first
⚠Collect All and Save duplicates files into the Project folder rather than linking them, so a fully collected project with many long samples can get very large

Where to take your data

Free and cheaper tools that can take a Ableton Live export. See all Ableton Live alternatives →

Reaper

Ableton's .als format isn't natively read by Reaper. Export your Set's stems or full mix as WAV/AIFF/FLAC via Export Audio/Video, then import those audio files as new tracks in Reaper and rebuild routing/automation manually.

Ardour

Same approach: render individual tracks (Rendered Track = All Individual Tracks) to WAV/AIFF, then import the resulting stems into a new Ardour session as separate tracks.

Cakewalk by BandLab

Export stems or a full mixdown from Ableton (WAV/AIFF/FLAC), then drag the exported audio files into Cakewalk's track view to continue mixing there.

Exporting from Ableton Live: common questions

Can I export my whole Ableton project as one file?+

Yes — use File → Collect All and Save to copy every referenced sample and Max for Live device into the Project folder, then ZIP the whole folder (the .als file plus subfolders) for transfer. Third-party plugins are not included.

Does Ableton let me download my account data like a typical SaaS tool?+

No. Live is a locally installed application with no cloud account to export from — your projects and samples already live in folders on your own disk.

What audio formats can I export to when leaving Ableton?+

WAV, AIFF, or FLAC as lossless PCM files, and/or a 320 kbps MP3, all via the Export Audio/Video dialog (File menu or Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+R).

Will my plugins come with the export?+

No. Collect All and Save does not copy plugins into the Project folder — you need the same plugins installed on the destination machine, or freeze/flatten/bounce the affected tracks first.

Can I move an Ableton project between Windows and Mac?+

Yes, Live Sets are cross-platform, but only VST/VST3 plugins carry over between operating systems; tracks using Audio Unit (AU) plugins must be frozen/flattened or bounced first.

What happens if I open a Suite-only Set in Live Standard, Intro, or Lite?+

Saving and exporting are deactivated for that Set until it's opened in an edition that supports the Suite-only features it uses.