Exporting Your Show Back to Ableton

Export a whole setlist as one Ableton Live Set with every arrangement in order and LTC timecode tracks pre-configured.

This is the payoff. Once you've got a few songs in your library and a setlist in show order, Pliris™ can hand you the entire night as a single Ableton Live project — every arrangement stitched together, in order, with LTC timecode tracks already in place.

That's what "from stems to set in seconds" means at the scale of a whole show.

Who can do this. You need manage access on the band — band admin, or permission to manage arrangements or create setlists. That's the only requirement: exporting works on every plan, including free, and there's no flag to request. What your plan changes is which template you can build on — see Pick your template below.

What you get

Export a setlist and Pliris builds one Ableton Live Set containing:

• Every arrangement in the setlist, in order — the same order you set when building the setlist.
• LTC / SMPTE timecode tracks, pre-configured — so the whole show is ready to sync lighting, backing gear, and anything else that follows timecode.
• Your stems, routed and grouped, on a Playback template.

Open the .als in Ableton Live and you're ready for soundcheck — no manual session-building, no wiring up timecode by hand.

Export from a setlist

1. Open the setlist you want to export.
2. Click Export Ableton in the setlist toolbar.
3. Pick how much you want in the download:

The two local options show their download size right in the menu, so you know what you're getting before you click. (Build on server shows a LEVELED badge instead — its size isn't known until the build runs.)

4. What happens next depends on which you picked:
   • Project file only or With samples — the download starts right away. Pliris assembles the .als on a Playback template in your browser, bundles what you chose, zips it, and hands you the file.
   • Build on server — nothing downloads immediately. The build is queued and runs on our servers, showing its progress as it goes ("Waiting in queue", "Downloading stems", and so on). When it finishes you get the .zip. Don't worry if no download appears the moment you click — that's expected.

LTC is automatic. There's no "include LTC" toggle to remember: any song in the setlist that has LTC assigned gets its timecode track built into the export for you.

Pick your template

The set is built on a Playback template. Depending on your plan and access you can build on:

• Playback Pro
• Playback Standard
• Playback Intro

Your available templates depend on your plan. Free accounts can build only on the Playback Intro template. Playback Standard, Playback Pro, and custom .als templates require a paid Pliris subscription.

Pro tip: Exporting a full setlist is the big version of downloading a single arrangement as an Ableton Set. Same idea — a real, editable .als — scaled to the whole show instead of one song.

Good to know

• It runs as you. You can only export sets for bands and setlists you have access to — the same permissions that apply everywhere else in Pliris.
• Re-run anytime. Each export starts a fresh build, so you always get the current stems and arrangements. Tweaked a song right before the show? Export again and it's included.
• Lighter option. If you'd rather not bundle all the audio, you can build a set that references local samples instead — smaller file, but you'll need the audio on hand.
• One project, whole night. Because every arrangement lands in a single set in order, you can run the show straight through in Ableton without loading a new project between songs.

The round trip

Export isn't a one-way door. Open the set in Ableton, make your edits, and you can bring section changes back into Pliris by re-importing the .als — which doesn't cost credits. See Importing a Song from Ableton Live for that loop.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a paid plan to export a setlist to Ableton?

No. Exporting works on every plan, including free — you just need manage access on the band (band admin, or permission to manage arrangements or create setlists). There's no separate flag to request: with manage access, the Export Ableton button is already there. What a paid plan changes is the template you can build on — free exports are built on Playback Intro, while a subscription unlocks Standard, Pro, and your own custom templates.

Which Playback templates can I build my export on?

Depending on your plan and access, Pliris can build the set on Playback Pro, Playback Standard, or Playback Intro. Free accounts can build only on the Playback Intro template; Playback Standard, Playback Pro, and custom .als templates require a paid Pliris subscription.

If I change a song, do I have to rebuild the export?

Just export again — each export starts a fresh build, so you always get the current stems and arrangements. Tweak a song right before the show, re-run the export, and it's included.

Can I export a set without bundling all the audio?

Yes. Instead of bundling stems, Pliris can build a set that references local samples — a smaller file, but you'll need the audio on hand.

Can I bring edits made in Ableton back into Pliris after exporting?

Yes. Open the exported set in Ableton, make your edits, and re-import the .als to bring section changes back into Pliris — the re-import doesn't cost credits. See Importing a Song from Ableton Live.

Where to go next

• Haven't ordered your show yet? Start with Building and Sharing a Setlist.
• Need standalone timecode audio for your gear? See Sending LTC / SMPTE Timecode.
• New to the whole flow? Read Your First Five Minutes with Pliris.

Hit a snag exporting, click the support bubble in the bottom-right of any page, or email support@fromstudiotostage.com. You'll hear back within 24 hours.