First released in October of 2001, Ableton Live was developed by a German company called Ableton AG, who produce and distribute Ableton Live alongside lots of sample libraries. What helps Ableton stand out in comparison to other music softwares is that it can be used for both music production, and live performance. Ableton can be used in either an arrangement view (horizontal) or a session view (grid). Within the session view, an artist is able to play back sequences live, whereas the arrangement view allows sequences to be moved around more freely. The software has a large range of instruments, sample sounds and effects, so it can be used to produce music in many genres. Ableton Allows you to record audio from multiple inputs. However, it is more suited to producing and editing rather than vocals.
A lot of well-known artists such as David Guetta, Marshmellow, The Chain Smokers and Steve Aoki use Ableton as part of their productions and within live performances. David Guetta says that Ableton is his top choice when creating songs, as it has allowed him to make some of his most popular tracks including ‘Titanium’ ft. Sia, and he hasten released step by step tutorials on how he creates his music using the software. The Chainsmokers have also had huge success with songs made on Ableton, including; Closer ft. Halsey, Something Just Like This ft. Coldplay and Don’t Let Me Down ft. Daya.
Ableton is a great software for beginners due to how simple it is to use. When opening the software, it has almost everything visible which you would need to make a simple track. It is also easy to add audio effects using the drag and drop method, and inputting instruments or audio is made easy by you not having to put it through a mixer beforehand.
Many DJ’s are beginning to incorporate Ableton within live performances. The loop feature allows them to produce tracks using samples from either their own material, or other people’s material. It’s good because you can come up with a different performance every time, which makes it more unique. The time warp feature allows you to make samples fit in with the track’s rhythm, rather than it sounding out of time in comparison to the rest of the instruments etc. used.