DAW SCHOOL
How To Use Ableton Live
Whether you’re brand new to Digital Audio Workstations, or have experience with a different DAW, this practical, interactive course will get you familiar with Ableton Live in no time.
Curated by experienced music makers, it cuts through many thousands of features to show you only what you need to create great-sounding music – mixed, mastered, and ready to release.
Lifetime access. 30-day money-back policy
learn how to write, record, mix and master
DAW School courses are focused on getting great results, and what you need to know to get there.
First, you'll get acquainted with the Ableton Live interface. Then you'll explore the intricacies of MIDI, digital audio, controllers, busses, effects, and more advanced functions.
By the end of DAW School, you'll not only be confident in navigating Ableton Live but also be equipped with the skills to produce, mix, and master your own music.
The course features:
- Over six hours of engaging video tutorials
- Interactive videos to test your skills and explore your creative choices
- Downloadable stems and project files to practice getting great results
- Quizzes, tasks, and shareable projects to get you familiar with Ableton workflows
CURATED AND TAUGHT BY PRO MUSICIANS
CRAIG LOWE
Craig has been an Ableton Live tech for artists such as Sam Fender, Mel C, Years & Years, Salute, and Zemfira, to name a few. In addition, he works as a playback tech on two primetime FOX TV game shows. Craig is also a university lecturer teaching at some of the UK's most popular music institutions. Over the years, he has created course content for thousands of students.
Lucy Hackett
Lucy is a composer specialising in music for visual media. Her music has been published worldwide (Netflix, PHMG, EVC Music), including a selection in an anthology of piano works by women composers. She is also a recipient of a 2024 Sound and Music ‘Seed Award’, enabling her to pursue a project focusing on music for animation.
BRADLEY JORDAN
COURSE BREAKDOWN
module 1
getting started
Module 1 introduces the foundational aspects of Ableton Live, guiding you through installation, interface navigation, and basic music production tasks to create a simple track. By the end, you’ll be equipped with the essential knowledge to begin your journey in music production with Ableton Live.
module 2
WORKING WITH MIDI
Module 2 focuses on MIDI editing, teaching you the intricacies of MIDI technology and how to manipulate MIDI data effectively within Ableton Live. By the end, you will be able to refine your musical compositions using your newly developed MIDI editing techniques.
module 3
WORKING WITH DIGITAL AUDIO
Module 3 covers essential audio recording, editing, and processing techniques in Ableton Live, empowering you to produce high-quality audio tracks. By the end, you’ll have the skills to create clean and dynamic audio recordings.
module 4
CONTROLLERS, BUSSES & EFFECTS
Module 4 explores more advanced music production techniques in Ableton Live, including mastering MIDI controllers, routing, and project organization. By the end, you will have the expertise to produce higher-quality music with efficiency and creativity.
module 5
ADVANCED FEATURES
Module 5 delves into advanced Ableton Live-specific functions, such as transformative and generative MIDI and Max for Live, enabling you to leverage Ableton Live's unique capabilities. By the end, you will have a deeper understanding of some of Ableton Live's advanced features and how to use them effectively.
module 6
MIXING, MASTERING & EXPORTING
Module 6 focuses on mixing and mastering within Ableton Live, equipping you with the knowledge and skills to achieve more polished and professional-sounding tracks. By the end, you will be able to navigate the mixing window, implement automation techniques, and implement basic mastering processes on your tracks using Ableton Live's stock plugins.
course INtroduction
PRACTICAL projects
HANDS-ON LEARNING WITH STEMS & TASKS
DAW School offers much more than just in-depth video tutorials, because one of the best ways to learn is by doing.
Our MinusOne tasks provide downloadable Ableton Live files and audio stems for semi-complete projects. You then complete the missing parts yourself, using what you’ve learned in the accompanying tutorial. So you’re not starting with a blank page, and you can focus on learning one specific area.
There are also step-by-step Tasks and Projects which allow you to follow along with the videos to get familiar with Ableton Live workflows.
Note: Project files are provided for Live 12 and won't open in earlier versions.
DISCORD SERVER
LEARN WITH FELLOW MUSIC-MAKERS AROUND THE WORLD
This course includes lifetime access to our ever-growing community of music makers on Discord. You can chat to other people taking the course, pick up and share tips, and grow your network. You can also share your MinusONEs and Projects from the course to gain useful feedback and pointers from your peers.
Don’t worry if you’ve never used Discord before, it’s simple to get set up, and totally free.
Buy now, start anytime
- An enjoyable, hands-on course for creating and mixing music in Ableton Live
- Interactive videos to test your skills and explore your creative choices
- Downloadable stems and project files to practice getting great results
- Lifelong access to our worldwide Discord network of music makers
Lifetime access. Start, finish and revisit anytime.
30-day money-back policy
Or buy together with DAW School for Cubase and Logic Pro to save 30%. Learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any questions not answered here, please get in touch using the contact details below and we'll get back to you.
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