Where Does Ableton Live Store Preferences and the User Library?
Ableton Live Preferences.cfg and User Library locations on Windows and macOS, with versioned folder names.
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Ableton Live splits its data two ways. Preferences.cfg holds settings in a versioned folder, while the User Library (presets, clips, grooves) lives in Documents.
Both paths include the Live version, so upgrades orphan old folders instead of migrating them. That is worth knowing before deleting anything that looks stale.
Where Ableton Live stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\Ableton\Live [Version]\Preferences\Preferences.cfg
Folder name includes the Live version (for example Live 12 Suite). The User Library sits separately in Documents\Ableton\User Library. Close Live before touching Preferences.cfg.
~/Library/Preferences/Ableton/Live [Version]/Preferences.cfg
Folder name includes the version. The User Library sits in ~/Music/Ableton/User Library on newer installs (Documents/Ableton on older ones). Check both if migrating.
Frequently asked questions
How do I reset Ableton Live preferences?
Delete Preferences.cfg with Live closed. Live rebuilds it with defaults on next launch. Your User Library and projects are untouched.
How do I move my Ableton setup to a new computer?
Copy the User Library folder to the same Documents location on the new machine. Preferences rarely transfer cleanly across versions, so reconfigure those by hand.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.