Browser and Tags in Live 12 FAQ

As of Ableton Live 12, you can filter content in Live's Browser and save your search results. Sounds are pre-tagged with instrument categories and descriptors, and you can also create your own custom tags. This guide answers frequently asked questions about the Live 12 Browser, search, filters, and tags. Learn more about Live 12 Browser features and Working with the Browser.

Note: Take care when opening earlier versions of Live if you have multiple versions installed. Custom tag assignments may be removed if you open a version earlier than Live 11.2.x.

Browser and Tags in Live 12 FAQ

Browser labels
Keyword search
Filtering search results
Using and creating tags
Collections

Browser labels

Why do some sidebar labels display a long list of different kinds of files?

Files in Live’s Browser are categorized into labels, including Drums, Instruments, Plug-ins, and others, which may be grouped by function rather than file type. When you select a label, its contents are displayed alphabetically. Some labels, like All or Sounds, contain a variety of file types, including presets, samples, and devices. These can show a large number of files, including multiple file types, depending on how much content is loaded into your Live Browser.

How can I hide the Cloud and Push labels in Live’s Browser?

In Live’s Preferences → Library, under Browser Behavior, you can disable the settings Show Cloud and Show Push.

Keyword search

Why does my keyword search result in an unsorted list, including .wav files, .alc files, presets, and devices, all mixed together?

When you create an unfiltered search using a keyword, the results will include all relevant items, regardless of categorization, whether they are samples, devices, or presets. To narrow results to presets, devices, live samples, templates, etc, choose a label in the Browser sidebar, or a filter in Filter View.

How can I access previous searches and Browser navigation results?

To access Browser history and previous searches, click the arrows next to the search field.

What's the difference between the “Clear” button and the “x” in the search field?

The x button clears text from the search field. It does not clear currently selected filters. The Clear button clears the entire search, including filters and search field text.

Filtering search results

How do I narrow my keyword search results?

You can narrow search results by clicking on a label under the Library heading. You can also narrow the results by selecting one or more filters. For how to customize the Results view, see the guide to the Live 12 Browser.

• To narrow your results by the the type of content, you can use Content filters to select Clip, Device, Groove, Preset, Sample, etc.
• Or, you can narrow the search using a label in the Sidebar. For example, if you select the Sounds label and click on the Bass filter, you'll see an aggregated list of all presets for Live devices tagged as bass, sorted alphabetically.
  
  
• To view results sorted by Live Device, select the Instruments label. This will show a list of presets organized under each corresponding Live Device.
  
  

How do I store the results of a search or filtered list?

To save a Browser view, including any search keywords and active filters, click the + button in the header of the Results view.

A new custom label will appear in the sidebar, under the Library section. 

• To remove a custom label: right-click → Remove from Sidebar. 
• To rename a custom label: [CMD/CTRL + R] or right-click → Rename. 

Is it possible to select multiple filters at once?

To multi-select filters, hold [CMD/CTRL].

Is it possible to sort by Live device?

To view content sorted by Live device, select Instruments in the Library section. Then select one or more filters in the Sounds filter group. Results are grouped under the respective device.

Do third-party plug-ins and their presets appear in a filtered search?

Your installed third-party plug-ins and presets will appear in a filtered search if you select either the All or Plug-ins label. If you have third-party plug-in presets stored in your User Library, those presets will also appear in the User Library label, in Places. However, third-party plug-ins will not appear in the Sounds label in the Library section, even if you have manually tagged them with a Sounds tag.

Using and creating tags

How do I see the tags applied to a Browser item?

To see which tags are applied to a file, select its name in the Browser Content Pane and open the Tag Editor using the arrow to the right of the search field. Categories that contain applied tags are marked with a solid-square menu arrow.

As of Live 12.2, you can also enable Open Quick Tags to see the tags assigned to an item at a glance. Learn more about Quick Tags.

How do I add a tag to a Browser item?

Select the name in the Browser Content Pane and open the Tag Editor. To add or remove a tag, check or uncheck the box next to the relevant tag. 

• You can apply multiple tags to the same file by checking multiple boxes.
• To tag several files at once, hold [Shift] and select multiple files before applying the desired tags.

Can I reorder tag groups?

In the Tag Editor, you can drag and drop tag group names to re-order them. To restore the default order, right-click on a tag group and select Reset Tag Order. Filter groups in the Filters view will follow the custom order set in the Tags editor.

How do I add, remove, or rename a tag in the Tag Editor?

To modify the list of available tags, open the Tag Editor. Factory tags cannot be renamed or deleted. 

• To add or remove a tag, unfold the relevant Tag Group and click Add Tag.

• To add a tag group, scroll to the bottom of the Tag Editor and click Add Group.

• To remove a custom tag or a tag group, select it and press Delete, or right-click on it and select Delete [Tag name].

• To rename a custom tag or a tag group, right click on it and select Rename.

Can I create nested tags?

To create a nested tag, right click on the tag and select Add Tag In...

Which tags are automatically assigned?

In addition to pre-tagged factory content, tags are automatically assigned to user samples up to 60 seconds long. Automatically assigned tags can be edited in the Tags Editor, and shown and hidden using Enable Auto Tags in the Filter View Menu.

How do I search by tag?

In the search field, to use auto-complete search for a tag, type # immediately followed by a keyword. For example, search for #bass or #voice, then select the desired auto-completed result. To search for a tag containing # or @, add a space in front of the # or @ character.

How do I use Quick Tags?

Quick Tags lets you quickly view, add, or remove tags for selected browser items.

• With Open Quick Tags enabled, you can remove a tag from a selected item (factory tags cannot be removed or edited) by clicking the x icon.
  
  

• With multiple items selected, any tags not assigned to all the items are displayed with an asterisk.
  
  

• Double-click a tag in the Quick Tags panel to open the corresponding tag in the Tag Editor.

• Use the shortcut [CTRL/CMD + E] when the browser is in focus to go directly to the Add… field of the Quick Tags panel, to assign more tags to an item.
  
  

Can I tag folders in Library and Places?

As of Live 12.1, you can tag folders in Library and Places. When a folder is tagged, the tag also applies to its content.

How do I show presets saved in the User Library and in folders under Places in the Sounds label?

Presets of Live devices (.adv and .adg file types) saved to the User Library, or in folders added to Places in Live’s Browser, will only appear in those labels, respectively. They will not appear in labels in the Library section.

• To allow presets of Live’s instruments to appear under the Sounds label in the Library section, you can tag them manually.
• Select the file in Live’s Browser and check the desired box in the Tag Editor. The file can then be found using the respective filters. 
  
  

If you select a label other than Sounds, such as All or Plug-ins, manual tagging is not needed for the preset to be displayed.

Note: Only Instruments presets (e.g. presets for Analog, Operator, etc.) will appear in the Sounds label if tagged with a Sounds tag. Effects presets (e.g. presets for Delay, Reverb) will not appear under Sounds.

Collections

What is the role of Collections in Live 12?

As in previous versions of Live, Collections offers a maximum of seven color-coded sections for quick access to your preferred presets, samples, files, and other content within the Browser.

Can I expand my Collections using tags?

Live 12 adds flexible organization beyond seven Collections. You can create as many different custom tags as you need to categorize and access your content. For an introduction on how to seamlessly incorporate tags into your workflow, watch the video Learn Live 12: Live's Browser.

Can I still use Collections in Live 12?

You can use Collections to organize content in Live 12, in addition to the expanded options offered by tagging. 

Can I transfer and sync Live 12 Collections and tags to another computer?

• You can transfer Collections, as well as and tags applied to Core Library content, Factory Packs, Collections, Devices, and Plug-ins, by transferring your User Library to the new computer.
• To transfer custom tags applied to items in Places, transfer the entire folder in which the relevant samples are saved.

Learn more about Using Collections.

More information

• Tutorial video: Learn Live 12: Live's Browser.
• In Live, visit Help → Built-in Lessons → What’s New in Live → Browser Filtering and Tags.
• For tips on most features in Live, type [?] to show Info View, then hover your cursor over the relevant feature. For in-depth explanations of Browser features, visit the Ableton Reference Manual.