Live Packs are an excellent way to distribute and download Live content. From samples, presets and clips to instruments, FX, and more, Packs are collections of curated sounds designed for Live users. Build new ideas, distribute your sessions or put the finishing touches on existing projects using Live Packs.
Hi, I’m Ben from Live Aspects and this guide will outline everything you need to know about Live Packs.
- | What Is A Live Pack?
- | Are Ableton Packs Free?
- | Where Are Packs Stored?
- | How To Install Packs
- | Are Ableton Packs Royalty-Free?
Without further ado, let’s get started!
| What Is A Live Pack?
A Live Pack is an additional content pack made specifically for use in Live. They contain a unique set of content often including instruments, audio and MIDI effects, samples, presets, clips and/or grooves; each designed to inspire your next project. Live Packs give you an extensive palette of sounds to work with.
The Suite version of Live comes with 33 Packs while the Standard edition comes with 8 and only 2 with the Lite version. For a full list and a description of each of the Packs in the three versions of Live, visit the edition comparison here.
| Core Library Live Pack
Live comes with a core library pack which contains all of the instruments, audio and MIDI effects, samples, presets, clips, grooves and other creative content readily available for you to use in your projects. You can access the contents of the core library in each of the following browser categories:
- Sounds
- Drums
- Instruments
- Audio Effects
- MIDI Effects
- Max for Live
- Samples
| Are Ableton Packs Free?
There are both free and paid options available for Live packs. If you’re looking to expand your collection of packs, a great place to start is the Packs section on Ableton’s website. You can access this collection by clicking on the link at the bottom of the installed Packs in Live’s browser or by clicking here. There are hundreds of free and paid options available on the Ableton website alone, not to mention the countless other online sources.
Paid Packs typically contain more content, providing you with a larger variety of sounds to choose from. Investing in a few paid packs can last you years before you might decide to find something new. Try exhausting the countless free options before spending money on packs.
| Where Are Packs Stored?
The default location for installed Packs on Mac devices is:
Macintosh HD/Users/[YourUsername]/Music/Ableton/Factory Packs
The default location for installed Packs on Windows devices is:
\Users\[user]\Documents\Ableton\Factory Packs
To access Live’s Packs within your project, head on over to the Browser on the left side of the Live interface. Next, select ‘Packs’ under the ‘Places’ heading.
| How To Install Packs
| Browser Method
Step 1: Access Live’s Browser
Navigate to the Browser on the left of your screen. Select the triangle in the top left corner to open it. Next, select ‘Packs’ under the ‘Places’ category.
Step 2: Select Pack
Scroll to the bottom of the list of installed Packs and select ‘Available Packs’ to reveal a list of Packs you can download and install. Locate the Pack you want to install, then click the download icon to the right of the Pack (downward arrow).
Step 3: Install Pack
Monitor the progress of the download and select ‘Install’ once it is complete. Once you have clicked ‘Install,’ wait for the installation dialog to complete. The contents of your new Pack will now be available in Live’s browser and any available lessons open in the Help view.
| Downloaded .alp File Method
Step 1: Download Pack
Download a Pack from Live’s selection of Packs here (or by using an external website). Your Pack will be an .alp file type.
Step 2: Install Pack
Once you pack has finished downloading, double-click on the .alp file or drag and drop it anywhere in Live to install it. Upon the completion of the installation, your new Pack will now be available in the ‘Packs’ section of Live’s browser.
Additional Information:
For packs purchased from Ableton’s website, each requires an individual serial that will be added to your account upon purchasing.
| Are Ableton Packs Royalty-Free?
All content included in Ableton Live Packs is royalty-free for license holders. This means you can freely use Ableton content without any running into any copyright issues, providing you have legally acquired the content.
Want To Know More?
Here at Live Aspects, we have dozens of useful lessons and tutorials created to enhance your music production skills and help speed up the learning process. You can access our huge range of music theory lessons and production tips and tricks here.
