A first look at Ableton Live 13 has leaked. As Synth Anatomy reports, a YouTube video showing the next version of Live surfaced in early November, was taken down, and then reappeared elsewhere. Ableton has not made an official announcement, and price and availability are still to be announced. The official Ableton Live page remains the place to watch.
Live is one of the most popular DAWs among MPE players, so every new version raises the same question: what changes for per-note expression? Here is what the leak shows, what it does not, and what to look for when Ableton makes it official.
What the leak shows
Treat all of this as unconfirmed until Ableton announces Live 13. Per the leaked footage described by Synth Anatomy:
- A browser built into the device rack, opened with a "+" button inside a chain.
- A new drum synth device covering kick, snare, rim, hi-hat, clap, tom, cymbal and bell, with kick modes inspired by the TR-909, TR-808 and CR-78.
- A new drum sequencer with per-track length, rate, direction and swing, and per-step velocity, offset, length, repeat, pitch and chance.
- A clipper with a mode that lets you hear only the artifacts it adds.
- The Transient Shaper as a standalone device.
- A capture automation feature that was mentioned but not shown.
What the leak does not show
MPE is not mentioned. The only "expression" in the coverage refers to devices for building sequences that change over time, not to per-note MIDI expression. That is neither good nor bad news. A short leaked video rarely covers MIDI internals, and MPE features are hard to show on screen without a controller in shot.
For context, Ableton has added MPE features steadily since Live 11, which brought native MPE recording and editing. Live 12 versions continued that work, which we tracked in our coverage of Live 12.2's expressive chord tools and the Live 12.4 cycle. The Ableton MPE FAQ explains the current behaviour.
Five things MPE players should look for in Live 13
When Ableton publishes official release notes, these are the details that matter for expressive players:
- Per-note expression in the new sequencer. Can step sequences carry per-note pressure, slide or pitch curves, or only velocity and pitch? A sequencer that writes MPE data would be new territory.
- MPE in the new drum synth. Drum synths that respond to per-note pressure or slide let you play rolls and swells with one controller. It would be a natural fit for pads on Push 3.
- Capture automation and expression. If the new capture feature records expression gestures as well as knob moves, it could change how players commit live performances.
- Editing tools. Live's MPE note expression editor works, but many users want better curve tools, scaling and smoothing. See our explainer on steppy-sounding pressure.
- MIDI 2.0. Other DAWs are moving: Pro Tools 2026.11 added native MPE, and Cubase 16 expanded MIDI 2.0 Note Expression. Whether Live 13 goes beyond MPE is an open question.
Push owners
Synth Anatomy has also reported that Push is getting Live 13 features. Push 3 already has per-pad MPE, so any new device or sequencer that runs standalone on Push will be worth testing with expressive input. Check Ableton's Push features page for updates.
What to do now
Do not change your workflow based on a leak. Keep using Live 12 for current projects. If you rely on third-party MPE instruments, note which plugins you depend on so you can test them quickly when a Live 13 beta appears. Our DAW MPE support overview is a good reference while you wait.
We will cover the official Live 13 announcement, with a focus on MPE, as soon as Ableton publishes details.