Every way to move a project between Logic Pro and Ableton Live (2026)
Updated July 2026
For fifteen years the only honest answer to "how do I move my Logic project to Ableton?" was bounce stems and rebuild it by hand. In 2026 there are real options — a free open-source tool, a veteran session translator, an open format that isn't supported yet, and a converter that rebuilds the project natively. Here they all are, fairly. Yes, including the free one that isn't ours.
Manual stems + MIDI export — free, and hours of work
The forum-approved workflow since roughly 2010: bounce every track as a 24-bit stem from bar 1 so everything lines up, write down the tempo, import the stems into the other DAW at that tempo, sort out warping, export your MIDI regions separately, and rebuild every instrument, plugin, send and automation lane by hand.
It works, it costs nothing, and it's the right call if you only need audio. But you lose automation, buses and sends, markers, and all editability — the stems are baked. A 30-track project is realistically an afternoon or more of rebuilding, and you'll do it again for every revision. Our switching from Logic to Ableton guide covers this workflow step by step if you want to do it manually.
logic2ableton — the free, open-source converter
Credit where due: logic2ableton is free, MIT-licensed, on PyPI, and at v2.0.3 (March 2026) ships desktop installers for Windows and macOS plus a CLI. It's bidirectional, moves your audio stems onto the timeline with the tempo, extracts note-accurate MIDI to importable .mid files, and generates a report with plugin suggestions.
Its own README is upfront about the limits: automation is not recreated; there's no bus or send routing; no plugin parameters or state; software instruments, devices and racks aren't recreated; and the Ableton→Logic direction produces a "transfer package" you rebuild manually in Logic rather than a native .logicx. If you're comfortable rebuilding mix decisions yourself and want free and open source, it's a genuinely good tool.
AATranslator — the veteran session translator
AATranslator ($79 Standard, $249 Extended; Windows-only, though Mac users run it via Wineskin or Crossover) has translated sessions between DAWs for a long time and supports Ableton .als natively. The catch for this pair: it reaches Logic only through OMF/AAF interchange (Extended version), and the vendor states plainly that this path doesn't convert plugins, effects or MIDI. If your project is mostly audio regions and you already own it, it's serviceable; for a MIDI-heavy or mix-heavy project it isn't the tool.
DAWproject — the right idea, not usable here yet
DAWproject is a free, open interchange format and the right long-term answer for the whole industry. Bitwig, Studio One, Cubase 14+, Nuendo and Cubasis all support it. But neither Logic nor Ableton has adopted it — there are open feature requests on both forums — so today it cannot move a Logic or Ableton project. Worth watching; not worth waiting for.
Doseedo — native rebuild, both directions
Doseedo is ours, so judge this section against the table below. It's a web converter for exactly one DAW pair — Logic ↔ Ableton — and it rebuilds the actual project natively in the other DAW's format, both directions: .logicx → .als and .als → .logicx. You get a real editable project, not stems.
What carries over: tracks in order with names and colors; audio clips with fades and clip gain; MIDI notes, CC and pitch bend; tempo and time-signature maps (multi-point); arrangement and section markers; volume, pan and breakpoint automation lanes; buses and sends; and off-rate audio resampled to the destination sample rate. On plugins, the honest version: stock compressor, reverb, and delay settings map to the destination DAW's native devices with their core controls intact; other plugins arrive placed on the right track as device slots to re-fill — third-party preset state isn't reconstructed. The full spec is on the what-carries-over breakdown.
Your project uploads over an encrypted connection into a private space only you control — delete it anytime. It's free to start (see current plans), and there's also a desktop app for round-trip work, which preserves Ableton warp markers across round-trips (macOS, Apple silicon today).
Side-by-side: every method compared
| Manual stems + MIDI | logic2ableton | AATranslator | DAWproject | Doseedo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Directions | Both, by hand | Both (Ableton→Logic is a manual-rebuild package) | .als native; Logic via OMF/AAF only | Neither — Logic & Ableton haven't adopted it | Both, native |
| Audio on timeline | Yes (baked stems) | Yes, with tempo | Yes (audio regions) | — | Yes, with fades & clip gain |
| MIDI in editable tracks | Manual .mid export/import | .mid files to import | No (not on this path) | — | Yes — notes, CC, pitch bend |
| Automation | No — baked into stems | No (per its README) | No (not on this path) | — | Yes — volume, pan, breakpoint lanes |
| Tempo & meter maps | Single tempo, noted by hand | Tempo carried with stems | Not on this path | — | Yes, multi-point maps |
| Markers | No | No | Not on this path | — | Yes |
| Buses & sends | No | No (per its README) | Not on this path | — | Yes |
| Plugins | Rebuild everything by hand | Suggestions report only | No plugins/fx converted | — | Stock comp/reverb/delay map to native devices; others placed as slots to re-fill |
| Native project both ways | No — you rebuild it | No — .als one way, rebuild package the other | No — interchange files, not projects | No | Yes — .als and .logicx |
| Price | Free (plus hours) | Free, open source (MIT) | $79 / $249 | Free (format) | Free to start |
One caveat that applies to every row: no tool in this table reconstructs third-party plugin preset state. Anyone claiming a full-fidelity plugin transfer between Logic and Ableton is overselling — the plugin formats and device models are simply different.
Try the native rebuild
Upload a project and get a real, editable project back in the other DAW's format. Free to start — see current plans.
Logic to Ableton → Ableton to Logic →FAQ
Is there a free way to convert a Logic project to Ableton?
Yes, two. logic2ableton is free and open source (MIT), and moves your audio and MIDI onto the timeline — you rebuild automation, routing and plugins yourself. Doseedo is free to start and rebuilds the whole project natively; see current plans for details.
Can any tool convert my third-party plugin presets?
No — no tool in this comparison can. Third-party preset state isn't reconstructed by any of them. The best available today is Doseedo's approach: stock compressor, reverb, and delay settings map to the destination DAW's native devices with their core controls intact; other plugins arrive placed on the right track as device slots to re-fill.
Can I use AAF or OMF to move a project between Logic and Ableton?
Not directly — Ableton Live doesn't import AAF or OMF. A translator like AATranslator can sit in the middle (it reads .als natively and reaches Logic through AAF/OMF), but the vendor states plainly that this path doesn't carry plugins, effects or MIDI.
Does DAWproject work with Logic Pro or Ableton Live?
Not yet. DAWproject is supported by Bitwig, Studio One, Cubase 14+, Nuendo and Cubasis, but neither Logic nor Ableton has adopted it — there are open feature requests on both companies' forums. Until one of them ships support, it can't move a Logic or Ableton project.
Do I get a real, editable project or just stems?
It depends on the method. Manual stems and the AAF/OMF route give you audio, not a project. logic2ableton gets audio and MIDI onto the timeline, with the rest rebuilt by hand. Doseedo rebuilds a native project — a real .als or .logicx with editable tracks, MIDI, automation and routing — in both directions.