Can You Run Ableton Live On A Macbook Air in 2024? (Explained)

Ableton Live is an awesome DAW for beginners and pro musicians, but not all computers are compatible with it.

Producers often wonder if their computer will be able to run Ableton Live on a MacBook Air so they can start putting their ideas down.

The MacBook Air’s design overhaul was revealed by Apple back in 2022. Although it’s still a powerful system, many producers still wonder if it will run Ableton Live.

Back in the day, the MacBook Pro was the only system thought to handle music production software such as Ableton Live.

In this article, we check out whether you can run Ableton Live on a Macbook Air.

Let’s get into it.

Can You Run Ableton Live On A Macbook Air?

Yes, Ableton will run comfortably on the 2022 Apple Macbook Air with an acceptable number of third-party plugins. The version of Ableton is also important because of the higher requirements of the system.

Unlike the MacBook Pro, the Air has slightly limited capabilities in terms of CPU power and storage space.

The Macbook Air has an 8-core CPU and features up to 2TB of storage space.

That doesn’t mean a Macbook Air and Ableton setup won’t work, it just means you’ll need to be careful with CPU-intensive projects.

An 8-core CPU is more than enough to run Ableton Live’s version 11, which only requires around 4 cores to be stable.

For the Ableton on Macbook Air setup, the standard version of Ableton Live needs around 12GB of storage space, which the MacBook Air can comfortably provide.

System requirements for Ableton Live on MacBook Air

As such, to run Ableton Live for music production, you’ll need to meet most of these specifications on your system. Older computers with lower specifications can also run Ableton but might run into compatibility issues.

With these specifications, the amount of RAM and CPU are some of the most important components.

The computer must be able to handle a lot of threads on the CPU and the third-party plugins need enough RAM to run smoothly.

As for storage space, 50GB of free space will be enough for the initial installation of Ableton Live on Macbook Air.

If you’ll be using third-party plugins such as Xfer Serum or u-he Diva will also need a lot of storage space.

All this power for the MacBook Air Ableton Live setup allows Ableton to run smoothly in professional studios.

The MacBook Air also features a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display screen with a resolution of 2560 by 1664 pixels.

This is big enough to run the Ableton interface and the different views together with the different plugins’ GUIs.

Does Ableton Work Well On MacBook Air?

Yes, the MacBook Air is more than capable of running Ableton Live even with the M1 chips. The system will run Ableton Live Lite and standard versions smoothly.

In most cases where issues arise from a new Ableton on a MacBook Air installation, the settings and preferences are not set correctly.

Fortunately, on most systems, the installation is ready to go without any issues.

Another feature of Ableton Live on Macbook Air is that it’s quite portable to move around with and make music on the go.

The Retina Display is also quite anti-reflective so you can also work in sunlit areas with minimal screen reflection.

With the advent of Apple Silicon, the MacBook Air will run most music programs such as Ableton Live 12 will run smoothly as well.

It’s not only smooth but renders tracks and audio really fast when you’ve learned how to use Ableton Live.

At this point, the performance of a MacBook Air for music production is almost similar when compared to a MacBook Pro in music production.

The differences are somewhat negligible between the two systems when it comes to programs like Ableton Live.

It’s now common to see the Macbook air in professional studios, which was not the case back in the day.

In recent years, Apple made improvements to the Air’s capabilities and hardware upgrades.

Is The Apple M1 Chip Good Enough For Ableton Live?

Apple’s M1 chip is great for music production software such as Ableton Live and other DAWs. The M1 chip has a memory limitation of 16GB of RAM and that can be a problem if you want to upgrade for a better experience.

The M1 chip is almost equivalent to an 11th-generation Intel core i5 processor. This means it can handle some of the most demanding programs out there.

It’s great for music production software such as Ableton Live and with enough memory, you won’t have to worry about your plugins being sluggish.

“It’s important to note that the more plugins you have within a project, the more a toll it will have on the CPU.”

Even though Ableton can smoothly on a minimum of about 4GB of RAM, it is recommended to have at least 16GB of RAM.

For system-intensive programs like DAWs, the more RAM you have the better.

Unfortunately, the M1 chip on the MacBook Air can only handle 16GB of RAM at max. This limitation is quite worrying because the more plugins you have in a project the slower the computer will get.

There are some tips and tricks to implement if you’re having problems with Ableton Live being sluggish or audio pops and crackles.

Setting and preferences inside Ableton Live are available to make it run smoother on systems with lower RAM and CPU requirements.

Unfortunately, the M1 chip on the MacBook Air cannot be upgraded to a higher RAM memory.

Because it’s a laptop, there are limitations such as cooling, and hardware upgradeability. The Macbook Air for music production will run into these issues when doing complex music projects.

To run Ableton Live on a Macbook Air, these are just some drawbacks you’ll have to consider.

How well does the MacBook Air M3 handle Ableton Live?

A Macbook Air M3 Ableton combination is a huge upgrade for any music producer. The processing speed of a base Macbook M3 is 50% faster than the base M1.

The MacBook Air M3 is powered by Apple’s newest M3 chip, which delivers significant performance gains over previous models.

This chip ensures smooth and efficient handling of Ableton Live on Macbook Airs, even when working with multiple tracks and complex projects.

The combination of the M3 chip’s speed and the MacBook Air’s lightweight design makes it a portable powerhouse, perfect for on-the-go music production.

“It’s no surprise that the design hasn’t changed: when Apple released the M2 MacBook Air it featured a complete redesign that eliminated the tapered design and implemented a look that’s similar to the 14-inch MacBook Pro,” exclaims Karen Haslam from Macworld.

For music producers seeking a powerful, portable, and efficient setup, the MacBook Air M3 with Ableton Live is an unbeatable combination.

It’s been dubbed as the best Macbook for Ableton because of its enhanced performance, exceptional battery life, and stunning display.

What Is The Best Mac For Ableton?

The MacBook Pro is often considered the best Mac for Ableton. Its powerful processors and a large amount of available RAM allow you to run intensive plug-ins and effect chains without experiencing lag or crashes.

I’ve used my 2019 MacBook Pro for years of Ableton production and it still delivers buttery-smooth performance.

But, it’s now 2024 and most producers have their eye on the newest MacBook Pro with M3 chip for their Ableton Projects.

With such quick updates between systems, it’s even more difficult to determine what laptop is best for Ableton Live.

Apple 2024 MacBook Pro Laptop M3 chip

Consider External Storage

No matter which Mac you choose, I’d recommend budgeting for external storage too. Over time, your Ableton project files and sample libraries can consume a lot of space.

An external SSD gives you hundreds of extra gigabytes to store all your creations.

Go For More Memory

It’s easy to get by with 16 GB of RAM now but that amount can fill up fast if you run many plug-ins. I often max out my MacBook Pro’s memory with complex tracks. Splurging on a Mac with 32 GB or more lets you breeze through CPU-heavy tasks.

So What Laptop Is Best For Ableton?

The best Macbook for Ableton is the one that fits your budget while meeting Ableton Live requirements.

Don’t get too hung up on specs, run Ableton Live on a Macbook Air the most important thing is finding a workflow that lets your creative projects flow easily.

While any Mac works, in my experience Ableton Live on Macbook Air is the go-to option if you’re on a tight budget.

The MacBook Pro or iMac systems will provide greater performance for complex music projects. The speedy M2 or M3 Pro chip and optimization for pro apps make them superb music production machines.

Can You Run u-He Diva VST On Apple M1 Chip?

Diva VST will run quite well on an Apple M1 chip with enough RAM if you open multiple instances of Diva in a DAW. The Apple M1 chip can run up to about 14 instances of the famous Diva VST.

Diva is a great-sounding virtual analog synthesizer with many sound capabilities and a clean interface. It is beginner friendly and a go-to third-party plugin for a lot of professional music producers.

On Ableton Live 12, the Diva VST will run smoothly on M1, M2, and M3 chips with about 8GB of RAM on the Apple machine.

The advent of the M3 chip on Apple MacBook Airs has also allowed a variety of third-party plugins to be compatible with the system.

Even though Ableton Live on Macbook Airs runs smoothly, VSTs like Diva will likely need more processing power.

As soon as you load too many instances of Diva in your project or your Set on Ableton, the audio will start crackling and popping to show that the system is struggling.

There are common issues with Ableton that can be solved by simply changing around some settings so that Ableton is able to handle the added stress.

Is U-He Diva VST Worth The Money in 2024?

Yes, Diva is one of the best virtual analog synthesizers in the music industry. It comes with a huge library of more than 1,200 factory-made presets to get you started.

Diva now costs $179 for the latest version and you get lifetime updates free of charge.

It got Computer magazine’s Performance and Editor’s Choice awards and rightfully so.

The only drawback is that Diva isn’t a standalone plugin and will need to be installed in your favorite DAW’s VST folder.

Even though the U-He company produces other amazing VSTs and effect bundles, Diva remains one of their best-selling plugin and a firm go-to for producers.

Can You Run Xfer Serum Vst On Apple M1 Chip?

Yes, Xfer Serum VST will run comfortably on Apple systems with the M1 chip. Even though Serum is a CPU-intensive plugin, the majority of M1 chips with enough RAM and cores will run it efficiently.

This plugin is a go-to for most electronic music producers and it is no surprise why. This award-winning synth hits all the right notes with its high-quality sound and clean interface.

Dubbed the “dream synthesizer” you can get it to go as soft or as hard as you want. The sound is clean and so is the intuitive and creative workflow in the interface.

Just like the Diva VST, Serum is likely to be slower for Ableton Live on Macbook Air setups.

You get an unlimited number of possibilities with the plugin’s engine and the factory presets are amazing. This plugin is also one of the most beginner-friendly wavetable synthesizers around.

Because it has such a huge engine to produce those beautiful sounds, it sometimes has trouble with certain M1 chips.

On some M1 chips, the plugin can produce some crackling and popping sounds.

To run Ableton Live on a Macbook Air and use Serum, you’ll notice that some presets use a lot more cores than others with different oscillators, voice polyphony, and a number of wavetables.

As soon as you start duplicating a Serum track on a project, the CPU usage will jump up and start crackling.

With Apple M2 chips, the architecture and cores are now way more efficient and will handle multiple instances of Serum quite efficiently.

Xfer Serum VST Requirements

• Windows: Windows 7 SP1 or later
• Macintosh: macOS 10.11 or later
• 64-bit VST2.4, AU, or AAX-compatible host software.

Where Can I Download Xfer Serum Skins?

Along with an endless list of downloadable Serum presets, the new Serum update 1.213 allows installing skins for a new and fresh look.

Serum skins add more appeal to the interface and a fresh look according to which skin you choose to download.

You can download skins from Reddit forums for Serum and a quick Google search will give great results for freely downloadable Serum skins.

The Massive Serum skin seems to be among the most popular among producers.

Other Popular Serum Skins:

• Virtual Riot serum skin
• Promethium Serum skin
• Ableton Serum skin
• Minimal Serum skin
• Anthracite By Aevi Serum skin
• Massive Serum skin

“Important: Serum skins Reddit forums can offer will be user-made third-party skins that might not be optimized enough. As such, it is best to have a backup of the original serum skin just in case something doesn’t work.”

This then brings us to our next point, price, and value to run Ableton Live on a Macbook Air.

Conclusion – Run Ableton Live On MacBook Air

With all that said, Ableton is a great DAW with magnificent capabilities, and coupled with Apple’s M1 and M2 chips, it gets the job done and then some.

Apple is forever upgrading its hardware and judging from the M2 chip, performance will show significant improvements. This will be a welcome relief for music producers and live performers who run Ableton Live on Macbook Air.

The M2 chip will also run plugins such as u-He Diva and Xfer Serum super smoothly even with multiple instances open in a single project.

The future is looking bright for the music production industry!

FAQs

What’s the best laptop for Ableton Live?

The MacBook Air M3 is an excellent choice for running Ableton Live. While it may not be as powerful as the higher-end M1 or M2 chips, the M3 chip still provides strong performance that can handle Ableton Live well.

Can you run Ableton on a MacBook Air?

Yes, you can run Ableton Live on a MacBook Air for music production, including the latest M3 model. However, the performance will depend on the specific configuration.

Is the Macbook Air good for music production?

Yes, the MacBook Air, especially the latest M1, M2, and M3 models, can be a great choice for music production due to its impressive performance, portability, and seamless integration with macOS and Apple’s music ecosystem.

Is Ableton Mac only?

No, Ableton Live is available for both macOS and Windows operating systems, though the performance may be slightly better on macOS, especially with the latest Apple Silicon Macs.

Mike Harwood

Mike is a skilled musician, guitar technician, and music producer with a passion for audio and gear. He excels in teaching guitar, editing podcasts/videos, and creating captivating soundscapes using cutting-edge hardware, software, and plugins. Mike’s talent and commitment make him highly sought-after in the industry, inspiring fellow musicians worldwide.