The Live 12 Browser
You can explore factory content, Packs, user presets, and any added content using the Live 12 Browser. The Browser's contents are described in detail below.
To show or hide the Browser, unfold the symbol at the top left of the screen, or use the key commands: [CMD/CTRL + ALT + B].
As of Live 12.1, you can enable the option Full-Height Browser, to extend the Browser panel to the bottom of Live’s window. You can enable or disable "Full-Height Browser" in the drop-down menu next to the Show/Hide Browser toggle or in Live’s View menu.
The following video tutorial demonstrates the Live 12 Browser's features and workflows:
For answers to frequently asked questions, visit the Browser and Tags in Live 12 FAQ.
Live 12 Browser Contents
Filters
Search
Search History
Tags
The Core Library
The User Library
Packs
Collections
Collections allow you to quickly collect and access items within the Browser, using up to seven color-coded customizable groups. Learn more about Using Collections.
Library
Live’s Browser is organized into labels like Drums, Instruments, Plug-ins, etc., where you can access devices, instruments, presets, and samples. As of Live 12, these are located in the Library section. For Live 11, these are located under the Categories heading. Available labels vary depending on your version of Live.
Each label under the Library section will give you access to all the presets, samples, and devices within it. The items will be listed alphabetically.
You can reorder labels in the Browser’s Library section, except for the All label, by dragging each label to the desired position. As of Live 12.1, to restore labels to the default order, you right-click on the Library section header and select Reset order to default.
Filters
With Filters, you can explore your Live files in the Browser. To show or hide Filters, click on the arrow next to Filters, in the Browser.
You can use and combine the filters while selecting the All label to have access to any file independently of Live’s categorization in the Library section.
To narrow your results by file category, you can use the Content filters to select Clip, Device, Groove, Preset, Sample, etc. Alternatively, you can navigate through the labels in the Sidebar.
For example, if you select the Sounds label and click on the Bass filter, you'll get a list of all the presets for Live devices that are tagged as bass.
To see the same results sorted per Live Device, instead of choosing the Sounds label, you can choose the Instruments label in the browser, then select the Bass filter. This way, you will have access to a list of the presets tagged as bass, categorized by Device.
To save your current Browser view as a custom label, including any search keywords and any active filters, click the "+" button in the header of the Results view.
The new label will appear in the sidebar, under the Library section.
To remove a custom label, select it and click Delete, or right click on it and select Remove from Sidebar.
To rename a custom label, right click on it and select Rename, or:
- on macOS, select it and press CMD + R,
- on Windows, select it and press CTRL + R
Search
You can use the Search field to search for keywords. The result of your search will be displayed alphabetically. You can navigate through the Labels in the sidebar and use the Filters combined with your search to narrow your results.
In the example below, the results of the search show all the samples that have “ambient” in their names.
Search History
Clicking on the arrows next to the search field shows all the locations you previously navigated through, including previous search results.
Tags
In Live 12, Browser contents are pre-tagged for easier identification. You can customize tags to suit your workflow. To do that, open the Tag Editor, by clicking on the Edit button, in the top right corner of the Filter area.
You also have the option to create your own tag groups and tags, independently of the default categorization. To add a new tag to an existing group of tags, click on Add Tag.
To add a tag group, roll down the Tag Editor area until you reach its end. Then, click on Add Group.
To remove a tag or a tag group, right click on it and select Delete. To rename a tag or a tag group, right click on it and select Rename.
As of Live 12.1, the following features are now available for tagging in Live's browser:
- It is possible to create nested tags up to one nesting level. To create a nested tag, right click on it and select Add Tag in…
- It is possible to reorder tag groups and tags in the Tags Editor. To restore the default order, you can right click on a tag group in the Tags Editor and select Reset Tag Order. Filter groups in the Filters view will follow the custom order set in the Tags editor. Note that only the groups available in the Tags Editor can be reordered.
- Tags will be automatically assigned to user samples up to 60 seconds long.
- Automatically assigned tags can be shown and hidden in the browser with the Auto Tags toggle and can be removed or edited in the Tags Editor.
The Core Library
The Core Library contains Live's factory content and can't be changed by the user. It is installed in the following locations:
- Windows: C:\ProgramData\Ableton\Live\Resources\Core Library
- Mac: Macintosh HD/Applications/Ableton Live Suite > Right-click > Show Package Contents > Contents/App-Resources/Core Library
The User Library
The User Library is where you can save your own default presets, Grooves, Racks, samples, etc.
The default locations of the User Library are:
- Windows: \Users\[username]\Documents\Ableton\User Library
- Mac: Macintosh HD/Users/[username]/Music/Ableton/User Library
It’s possible to define a custom location for the User Library in Live's Preferences > Library.
Packs
Live Packs are stored in the Places section of the browser. Each Pack can be unfolded to reveal its contents.
The default locations for installed Packs are:
- Windows: \Users\[user]\Documents\Ableton\Factory Packs
- Mac: Macintosh HD/Users/[YourUsername]/Music/Ableton/Factory Packs
You can also define a custom location for Packs in Live's Preferences > Library.
The download locations for Packs are:
- Windows: \Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Ableton\Cache\PackDownloads
- Mac: /Users/[YourUsername]/Library/Caches/Ableton/PackDownloads
Cloud and Push labels
If you have Ableton Note, you can enable the Cloud label, to be able to transfer files from Note to Live. Learn more about Setting Up Ableton Cloud.
If you have Push 3 Standalone, you will transfer your files from Live to Push through the Push label. Connecting Push 3 to your Computer.
To show or hide Cloud and Push labels, go to Live’s Preferences > Library tab > Browser Behavior.
Places
To preview and load your own samples or Live Sets from the browser, you can add them to Places. To add a new folder to Places, click on Add Folder, or drag and drop a folder from your computer onto Places. Only readable content will be displayed in Places, such as audio files, Live Sets and Live Presets.