Common questions about Max for Live – Cycling '74 Support

How do I purchase Max for Live?

Max for Live is automatically bundled with Ableton Live Suite, so if you own Live Suite, you own Max for Live.

Max for Live can also be purchased as an add-on for Live Standard. Live Lite and Live Intro are unable to utilize the Max for Live add-on. Since Max for Live is an Ableton product, the add-on for Live Standard is sold exclusively on Ableton's web store.

If I own Max for Live, does that mean I also own Max?

No. The version of Max that comes bundled with Live is a different product than the standalone Max application. Max for Live has a few limitations that Max standalone doesn't, including creating multichannel devices, saving Gen patchers, and integrated OSC support. Click here for a detailed breakdown.

What is the difference between Max and Max for Live?

Max and Max for Live are two separate products. The version of Max that comes bundled with Live is optimized for use with Live, but it is not the full Max 9 application, and is not intended to be used outside the context of Live.

The below chart provides a quick comparison of the features included in Max versus Max for Live. If you are interested in learning more about what the standalone version of Max has to offer, please check out our product page. Owners of Max for Live qualify for the Ableton customer discount on a full version of Max.

I own Max for Live, but Max says I'm not authorized

Within the Max application, if you go to Help > User Account and Licenses and see that you are not authorized, this is probably because you are using the standalone Max application, rather than Max for Live. Max for Live and Max are two separate products and require separate authorization. In order to switch back to Max for Live, follow these steps:

In Max, go to Help > User Account and Licenses. If you are signed in, click the "Sign Out" button.
Quit both Max and Live.
Open Live.
Add a Max for Live device to your Live set.
Click the edit button on the device to open the Max environment.
Go to Help > User Account and Licenses. You should see that you are authorized via Live. You should not have to sign in.

If you are still having problems with the authorization of Max for Live, try reauthorizing the Live application, or contact Ableton support.

If I own Live Suite and I want to use the latest version of Max, what should I do?

As of Live 10.0.6, Max for Live is bundled with your Live installation. Once you have installed Live, Max for Live is ready to use. However, since the bundled version is usually a little older than the current Max release, you may choose to use an external Max installation instead.

Download and install the latest version of Max.
Open Live and navigate to Live > Settings > File & Folder > Max Application.
Click “Browse”, locate the standalone version of Max, and click “Open”.
Restart Live for the change to take effect.

Features and improvements in the current standalone Max application will be integrated into a future Live release, but this can take some time. Please get the latest information about Max in Live from Ableton's Knowledge Base.

If you are a Max for Live or Live Suite owner and are curious about the standalone Max application, learn about the benefits of purchasing Max with the Ableton Customer discount.

Which versions of Max are compatible with Max for Live?

Please see the Recommended Max Versions article on Ableton's website. Note that we do not support running Max 9 in Live 11 (or earlier). To ensure compatibility between your Max for Live device and Ableton Live, devices intended to be used in Live 11 should be authored in Max 8.

Will Gen, MC, and Jitter Geometry objects work within Max for Live?

Yes. However, in order to save devices that use Gen, MC, and/or Jitter Geometry objects you must own a standalone Max license. Learn more about the Ableton Customer discount for the standalone Max application.

For features new to Max 8 (such as Gen event domain or Multi-Channel objects), you will need a Max 8 (or later) license. For features new to Max 9 (such as Jitter Geometry objects), you will need a Max 9 license. For legacy features like gen~ patchers, Max 7 licenses will be honored.

How do I find my Live or Max for Live serial number?

Log in to your Ableton account, click the "View serial numbers" drop-down menu under the list of products you own, then the serial number(s) will be displayed.

Where should I go for Max for Live support?

Depending on the issue, you should contact either Ableton or Cycling '74 for technical support.

Anything that happens before pushing the Edit button on a device is handled by Ableton Support. This includes:

Understanding of Max for Live functionality in Live.
Content related questions.
Installation and authorization.
Compatibility questions.
Bugs in Max for Live Devices provided by Ableton.

For issues that take place after pushing the Edit button, you should:

Contact Cycling '74 Support for bugs when working in the Max editor.
Contact Ableton Support for questions and problems related to Live's API.

For issues with third-party Max for Live devices (not created by Ableton or Cycling '74), please reach out directly to the device's developer. The developer will be able to contact us if there is a deeper issue with Max or Live, but often they're the best resource to handle questions about their devices.

Due to the high volume of support tickets we receive, we cannot help our users in creating custom devices. If you need assistance with the creation of a device, please consider using the Max for Live forum.

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