How to Export Individual Tracks in Ableton Live 12

A mixing engineer needs every track of your Live Set as its own audio file, so the session opens in their DAW without your Set or your plug-ins. Live does this in one pass from the Export Audio/Video dialog. Each file is the post-fader signal of its track, so your fader moves and automation stay in. In Live 12 the master channel is called the Main track; in Live 11 and earlier it was Master, but the export works the same way.

Option names from the official Ableton Live 12 Reference Manual, section 5.1.3 “Exporting Audio and Video” (checked 31 October 2026). The levels and file spec are what our engineers ask for on every project.

Before you export: prepare the Set

Ten minutes here saves a round of re-exports. The longer checklist is in how to prepare a multitrack session before mixing.

1. Save a copy. File > Save Live Set As, and add “for mixing” to the name. Your original Set stays as it is.
2. Name every track. “Kick”, “808”, “Bass”, “Lead_Verse”. Live names each file after its track, so “3-Audio” tells the engineer nothing.
3. Play from the Arrangement. Click Back to Arrangement if it’s lit. Live exports what you hear, and a Session View clip still playing on a track ends up in that track’s file instead of the Arrangement part.
4. Bypass the Main track chain. Switch off the limiter, glue compressor or EQ on the Main track while you check levels, so you hear the tracks the way the engineer will get them.
5. Decide on effects. Switch off EQ, compression and reverb you added only to make the rough mix listenable. If an effect is part of the sound, such as an amp or a special delay, export that track twice: “Gtr_1_Dry” and “Gtr_1_Wet”.
6. Check editing and tuning. Tracks are exported as they play. If the vocal still needs comping or pitch work, do it now, or add vocal tuning and timing editing to the order.
7. Check levels. Play the loudest part and watch each track’s meter. Nothing should clip. Peaks somewhere around -6 dBFS leave plenty of room.

How to export all tracks in Ableton Live, step by step

1. Clear any time selection in Arrangement View, so the export covers the whole Set.
2. Open the export window: File > Export Audio/Video.
3. Rendered Track: All Individual Tracks. To export only some tracks, select them first and choose Selected Tracks Only.
4. Render Start and Render Length: check they start at the beginning of the Set and run a little past the last note, so reverb and delay tails aren’t cut.
5. Rendering options: Include Return and Main Effects off, Render as Loop off, Convert to Mono off, Normalize off. Sample Rate the same as your Set.
6. Encode PCM: on, File Type WAV, Bit Depth 24, Dither Options No Dither. Leave Encode MP3 off.
7. Export. Make a new folder named after the song and tempo, for example “MySong_125BPM”, and save.

What to do with the extra files

All Individual Tracks also writes a file for every Group track, every return track and the Main track. Sort them before you send the folder.

• Group track files contain the tracks inside the group. Delete them, or the engineer gets the drums twice: once as separate tracks and once as a “Drums” group.
• Return track files hold your reverb and delay returns, printed on their own. Keep them if those effects are part of the sound, and name them clearly, for example “Return_Vocal_Plate”.
• The Main track file is your full mix, with the Main track effects. If you switched those effects back on, it’s the rough mix the engineer should have as a reference. Rename it “MySong_RoughMix”.
• MIDI tracks are rendered through their instruments, so you get audio. Ableton’s manual notes that a MIDI track with no instrument and no audio effects isn’t exported, and one with effects but no instrument gives a silent file.

Common Ableton export mistakes

• Short or uneven files. A time selection in Arrangement View set the render range. Clear it and export again.
• Reverb printed on every track. Include Return and Main Effects was on.
• A limiter on every file. The same option also adds the Main track chain to each track.
• Normalize left on. Every file comes out equally loud.
• The wrong part on a track. A Session View clip was still playing instead of the Arrangement.
• Drums twice. Group track files were sent along with the tracks inside them.

Check the export and send it

Open a new empty Set, drag all the files in at bar 1, and play a few sections. Everything should be in sync and sound like your rough mix without the Main track processing. Then zip the folder and upload it with your order, together with the rough mix and a short note with the tempo and key.

The same job in other DAWs: FL Studio, Logic Pro, GarageBand, Pro Tools, Cubase and REAPER. Not sure what counts as a stem? See what stems are in music.

Tracks exported? Send them for a mix: mixing your Ableton tracks starts at $113 per song, and mixing and mastering together at $133, 2–3 days per song with 6 revision rounds included. Every price is on the pricing page.