Arrangement View vs Session View: What’s The Best Way to Run Tracks in Ableton Live?

Everyone’s got an opinion and a preference. But - let’s find the truth.
I’ve run tracks in both session view and arrangement view. Are they both great and valid ways to run tracks?
NO. They’re not. I’m going to settle this once and for all and compare setting up and running the same tracks in both session and arrangement view so that we can know - without any doubt - which view is better suited for running backing tracks.
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0:00 Session View vs Arrangement View: Which views is better for running tracks?
0:15 The Purpose of This Video: Comparing Session View and Arrangement View
1:47 Scenario 1: Loading Stems into Ableton for Session View vs Arrangement View
3:57 Scenario 2: Adding and Accessing Individual Song Sections in Session vs Arrangement View
12:21 Navigating Song Sections in Each View During Live Performances
13:44 Playing Songs Regularly and Linearly in Each View
20:28 Scenario 3: Editing Song Sections in Session View and Arrangement View
22:55 Scenario 4: Adding Crossfades Between Song Sections with Both Views
27:51 Scenario 5: Adding in a New Stem in Session View vs Arrangement View
29:49 Which is better for live performances, session view or arrangement view?
31:09 Use My Free Templates and Access My 6-Day Course
32:17 Thank You for Watching and Subscribe for More Tutorials
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[@danielo174]

Very useful and great video. You answered a lot of my curiosities by explaining everything so slow and thoroughly. You have no idea how much this helps. Subbed!

[@JamesBermingham]

Ableton Live is truly an amazing DAW. The fact that we have the options of session view or arrangement view is fantastic. The host in this video explains the set ups perfectly.

[@fromstudiotostage]

Thanks for watching!

[@heartsinbeta]

this is a brilliant tutorial thank you very much, im fairly new to ableton and gravitated to arrangement view but def good to see benefits of both

[@TheRobBrennanLive]

This was great! I had no idea it was that easy to take a small chunk of the arrangement view and convert it as a new scene in session view. Time to explore and play!!

[@fromstudiotostage]

It’s a great way to take a finished song and convert it into a live looping setup. Bring all your parts over and then remove what you don’t need and build loops in session

[@dwii.oficial]

amazing video! I have one question, using arrangemnt view for live performance lopping.. it is possible to quantize a midi ?

[@Beebsentrance]

Excellent video. Thanks ❤

[@jayrydel]

thank you. this is exactly what i was looking for... so difficult to find

[@eccentricresoundingsounds517]

Thanks 🙏 all your videos have been amazing!!!

[@fromstudiotostage]

Thanks for watching!

[@danielettorre1239]

Great video. I’ve actually only learned arrangement view so far. My band uses lots of loopers in addition to samples so being able to draw automation is the basis of our live set. Thanks so much for the stuff you’ve taught me.

[@fromstudiotostage]

Thanks for watching Daniel! I might use session if you’re using looper. Or maybe record into clips in session. Some fun stuff when you start to do that!

[@nataliaferlin8893]

Great video as always! thanks! One question, is there a way to unable the jump for the next locator as ableton plays? I'm asking because, as my locators are only set in the begining of each song, I'm afraid is jumps to the next song in case of a accidental press in the "Next" button

[@GiancarloCordon]

I would say simply dont add any locators... then you wont have that problem.. :)

[@mshrabel]

This is what I've been looking for. Thanks.

[@nichetone6547]

Thanks for all of this great info! I would LOVE if there was a way in arrangement view to be able to click one button that would that would loop a whole section without having to manually hit the return button. And stay looping until you turn off the loop. This can be done with loop brackets but then youd have to constantly move them to fit the section. That's one benefit to session view with being able to loop a section and jam for however long - but then it is not fun to have to manually change every single section if you are just going to play it as you arranged it. Are there any seamless ways of switching between the two views during a performance?

[@SamSoundProductions]

Great Video. Can you tell a locator to play a section continuously in arrangement view ? like if I want a drum loop to run after a song.

[@fromstudiotostage]

Yes! Search for my repeat track videos on the channel

[@Tapepusher]

You’d just double click the clip, enable loop and then drag it out across the arrangement

[@stoneblossoms1688]

That click DOES sound beautiful! Can you share where you got it from?

[@GiancarloCordon]

I think if you would have covered "Building a Set List", Arrangement View would have also been the clear winner on ease of adding a 2nd, 3rd and 4th song... "Looks too messy on Arrangement View"?? Once you use the "Group Tracks" Feature on Arrangement View, it truly cleans up the look...

[@jarrettbakersr]

Is there any way to use BOTH and toggle between views in the same session? I prefer arrangement view for songs with stems and I’ve been using your template. I do prefer session view for songs that we run with just a 4 bar loop. Is there a way to use them both? That would be a game changer for my workflow.

[@fromstudiotostage]

I don’t suggest using both because of “back to arrangement”. I would set up a loop in arrangement instead. A few diff. Videos on the channel showing a few approaches.

[@richroberts1657]

I made a track in the arrangement view and wanted to try out session view with the track i made so i found this info, set the loop bracket to the length of the section you want to transfer, right click to open the context menu, & select "consolidate time to new scene." As if by magic, your clips will appear in session view, cropped and in perfect loops, without affecting your composition in arrangement view. Then you can delete all the tracks in the arrangement view, arrange all your clips and scenes in the session view, i usually use 4 bar loops here as when you launch clips they get launched in time with 4 bars. Then when you are happy you can hit 'record' and all of your arranged clips will record to the arrangement view it's so good! You can record to the arrangement view live in time in the session view too!

[@kurtwerntgen71]

thanks, that was a lot of good info. I'm new to Live so it was helpful to see these real-world examples of how to accomplish things. ;-)

[@fromstudiotostage]

Thanks for watching Kurt!

[@36drummer09]

This has been great insight!

[@k21112]

Interesting video Will but how do you use arrangement view when using Push 2?

[@fromstudiotostage]

I dont ever use my Push for playback, in session or arrangement view. For live looping, or clip launching yes, playback no. You can use user mode, but you end up with a bunch of pads with no feedback

[@k21112]

@@fromstudiotostage Ar, that's why I was confused. Thanks for the reply buddy

[@3danR]

Great video, I much prefer working in arrangement view. It's definitely easier to set up but unfortunately I always go back to session view for a couple of reasons: 1. Being able to make a section trigger without quantize. Great when you want to go off tempo and then suddenly 'jump back in' 2. A looping section with some parts that don't loop My usage is probably niche 😅

[@fromstudiotostage]

nice!

[@emilianoibarra3537]

is there a way, on session view, to scroll through tracks individually and launch different clips in different positions?

[@muzycznykanal]

Is it possible to loop the scene in arrangment view? But not clickin Cntr+L. I mean if u want to stay for a while in particular scene and than change it.

[@fromstudiotostage]

Check out my videos on the channel on a few great ways to loop in arrangement

[@adambuchanan4972]

I love your videos. pro all the way. but some wishes/thoughts i hoped for. 24:10 I have no idea of these work arounds and im disappointed you didnt explain them. seems the point of the video to deep dive :( 29:05 Likewise would of liked a run though of these 'hacks' for the purpose of education. Also, you didnt dive into improv capabilities of session regarding starting/stopping clips as wanted on single scenes or a multitude of scenes - and how this compares to arrangement, if its concept is re-creatable, which i would of really liked your insight on. I learned a lot regardless. thank you heaps :)

[@chrisminor6362]

What's the click?

[@sendforacar9323]

This is a legitimate question. Why would you want to jump around in a song using backing tracks in a live environment? If the band is practiced, wouldn't this lead to possible confusion during a performance change? I don't get the practicality of introducing repeat sections or jump markers. Can you explain, please?

[@fromstudiotostage]

Fair question… To not be “tied” to an arrangement. Sing a chorus a few times longer, to feel like you’re “locked” into an arrangement. Ableton gives you that benefit, but you don’t have to use it. But…in rehearsal, a MASSIVE time saver. Jump right to the correct section

[@Sheilabobeila]

"If you're an accountant it's your dream come true when it comes to making music." DEAD 😂😂

[@aeiplanner]

Thanks to this video I'm becoming a bigger session view fan.

[@fromstudiotostage]

Nice! Yeah session view is great!

[@brianm643]

Thanks!

[@fromstudiotostage]

Thanks for watching Brian!

[@MarinSubasic]

Hi, thanks for all your content, but from my perspective there´s an importnant thing you´re leaving out: I´m a musical director for over 25 years and have been using Ableton since version 3. When you have concert and you need to change the setlist like 1/2 an hour before the gig, so rearranging the order of the setlist, how do you wanna do this in arrangement view?? In session view you simply drag the songs to the place in the right order and DONE! AND: it´s completely unnecessary to program follow actions. You take the song as a whole in the first cell and then you can lay out verses, bridge and choruses in the following cells. So in case the artist messes up the form of the song you simply go to the appropriate cell and fire it off, simple as that!

[@RickHicksMusicMix]

I have a device called the LIO Box.... awesome for those situations, i use it with session view but it works with Arrangement view as well

[@alparker2800]

There are a couple things out there that solve this problem for arrangement view. One I use is called Setlist by Strange Electronic. I believe it's a max for live device. I bought mine for $99

[@MarinSubasic]

@@alparker2800 Yeah there´s also AbleSet, which is amazing

[@fromstudiotostage]

Oh gosh, I left lots out :) As far as re-arranging songs in arrangement view, it’s super easy. Lots of content on the channel showing how. And yes, that’s another way to use session view, as is using follow from isotonik, keeping your song one scene, and others. For me, I can’t get the flexibility I need for rehearsal or live in session view. I spent many years in session view, unwillingly to try arrangement. Glad I did-and not going back for a playback situation anytime soon. The best advice I can give any of my students is apply what I’m teaching and if it works great, if not-stick with what you’re already doing.

[@alparker2800]

@@MarinSubasic yeah that one is sweet too!

[@synthesaurus]

Hopefully Ableton will bring key commands customization soon

[@JasonCastellanos]

Nice video!! I work on session view in a big production and is just amazing how control you can have, but some limitations to edit... In your scenario 4, it is mentioned about adding crossfades or fade in or fade out in session view but there is no example on how to do it.. Can you give us an example of it? Many thanks

[@fromstudiotostage]

yes, check out my video on creating crossfades

[@romanstwelveone]

As soon as Ableton will allow a user to copy and paste or import locaters a the game will change.

[@fromstudiotostage]

I don’t know that will ever come. If you setup your set properly it takes 1 minute to add them or have Ableton automatically add them

[@romanstwelveone]

@@fromstudiotostage tell me more about having Ableton automatically add them