How to create scenes in Ableton Live?

Learn how to create and manage scenes for song arrangement in Ableton Live Session View.

Editing · beginner level

Steps

  1. What Are Scenes

    Scenes are horizontal rows in Session View. Each scene contains one clip slot per track. Launching a scene triggers all clips in that row at once, making them useful for song sections (Intro, Verse, Chorus, etc.).

  2. Create a New Scene

    Go to Create > Insert Scene, or right-click in the scene list (Master track column) and choose Insert Scene. An empty scene row appears.

  3. Name Your Scenes

    Right-click a scene number and choose Rename (or select and press Ctrl+R / Cmd+R). Name scenes after song sections for clarity: Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Outro.

  4. Set Scene Tempo and Time Signature

    Type a tempo value in the scene name (e.g., "Chorus 140 BPM") and Ableton will automatically change the tempo when that scene launches. You can also include time signatures (e.g., "Bridge 3/4").

  5. Record Scenes to Arrangement

    Trigger scenes in order while the global Record button is active. Your performance is captured in Arrangement View as a full linear arrangement.

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