FL Studio

Last updated

FL Studio
Original author Didier Dambrin
Developer Image-Line Software
Initial releaseApril 26, 1998;27 years ago (1998-04-26) (as FruityLoops)
Stable release
2025.1.2 / July 28, 2025;6 months ago (2025-07-28) [2]
Written in Delphi, Assembly language [3] [4]
Operating system macOS, Windows, Android
Available inEnglish, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese
Type Digital audio workstation
License Proprietary
Website image-line.com

FL Studio (previously known as FruityLoops) is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by the Belgian company Image-Line. It features a graphical user interface with a pattern-based music sequencer. [5] It is available in four different editions (including FL Mobile) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. [6] After their initial purchase, lifetime updates of the software are free to registered users. [7] [8] Image-Line also develops FL Studio Mobile for Android, iOS, macOS, and Universal Windows Platform devices. [9]

Contents

FL Studio can be used as either a Virtual Studio Technology (VST) or Audio Unit (AU) instrument in other audio workstation programs, and as a ReWire client. Image-Line offers its own VST and AU instruments and audio applications.

Overview

FL Studio comes in several editions with different levels of functionality. The free trial version includes all of the program's features, all plugins, and allows users to render project audio to WAV, MIDI, MP3, FLAC and OGG. [6] Projects saved while in demo mode, however, can only be opened once FL Studio and its plugins have been registered. Also, instrument presets cannot be saved and the audio output of some instruments is cut out momentarily every few minutes until the program and its plugins have been registered. [10]

History

On December 18, 1997, Image-Line Software partially released the first version of FruityLoops (1.0.0), developed by Didier Dambrin. [11] In early 1998, Image-Line would officially launch FruityLoops, when it was still a four-channel MIDI drum machine. [12] Dambrin became Chief Software Architect for the program. [8] Image-Line would later rename FruityLoops to FL Studio, [13] [14] after the company's attempt to obtain a US trademark prompted concerns from Kellogg's. [14] Software piracy was a concern for the company in its early years, and it took nearly 5 years for the company to turn a profit from users purchasing legitimate licenses. [15] Later on May 22, 2018, a macOS-compatible version of FL Studio was released. [16]

System requirements

FL Studio processes audio using an internal 32-bit floating point engine. It supports sampling rates up to 192 kHz using either WDM- or ASIO-enabled drivers. [8]

Audio can be imported or exported as WAV, MP3, OGG, FLAC, MIDI, ZIP, or the native project format with an .FLP filename extension. [8] The trial allows users to save projects, but does not allow reopening them. Tracks may be exported to any of the available file formats. [17]

Dedicated hardware

As with other DAW developers, Image-Line has collaborated with hardware manufacturers on two occasions, resulting in the release of products branded and compatible with FL Studio. [18]

The first was the Akai Professional FIRE, a MIDI controller with touch and pressure-sensitive buttons modelled after the software's channel rack pattern editor. Released in 2018, it can be used as a pattern editor, keyboard, drumpad, multi-colour peak visualizer and performance controller. A distinctive feature of the Akai FIRE is that up to 4 units can be connected to a single instance of FL Studio, chained together or with a different mode set for each. It is sold in two variants, one coming without extra software (aimed at existing FL Studio users), and one bundled with an exclusive version of the Fruity edition called the Fruity Fire Edition.

The latter of these involvements is currently the Novation FL Key line of controllers. It consists of two redesigned MIDI Keyboards – dubbed the FL Key Mini and the FL Key 37, the latter being larger in keybed and size – originally from Novation's own Launchkey line, modified to have a grey case and an FL Studio-themed RGB lighting palette. They later released the FL Key 61, a larger version with the same features.

Despite some initial traction regarding the Akai FIRE's unusual velocity implementation, both units have gone on to receive broadly positive reception from the professional press. [19] [20]

Plug-ins

FL Studio comes with a variety of plugins and generators (software synthesizers) written in the program's own native plugin architecture. FL Studio also has support for third-party VST and DirectX plugins. [21] The API has a built in wrapper for full VST, VST2, VST3, DX, and ReWire compatibility. There has also been support for the CLAP plugin format since FL Studio 2024. [22]

Although FL Studio's own plugins are set to be available only in their native format in the future, some of them also function independently as standalone programs and can be purchased in VST format for use with other DAWs.

Reception

FL Studio has been praised for its simplicity, power, and ease of use. [14] Jamie Lendino of PCMag wrote that "While [FL Studio is] still clearly geared for electronic music production 'in the box,' as opposed to recording live musicians playing acoustic instruments, you can record or create just about any kind of audio project with it." [13]

Criticisms include a difficult audio recording system. [23] [24]

References

  1. ↑ "What fruit is the FL Studio logo?". Archived from the original on November 17, 2025. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  2. ↑ "History | FL Studio". image-line.com. Image-Line Software. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  3. ↑ Deahl, Dani (May 23, 2018). "Music production software FL Studio is now available for Mac". The Verge . Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Image-Line Software Case Study". Embarcadero Technologies . Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Working with Patterns in FL Studio 20". MusicTech. September 5, 2018. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  6. 1 2 "What is FL Studio?". image-line.com. Image-Line Software. Archived from the original on June 26, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  7. ↑ "FL Studio Overview". image-line.com. Image-Line Software. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "FL Studio Video". OVGuide. Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  9. ↑ "FL Studio Mobile". image-line.com. Image-Line Software. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Limitations in demo version". image-line.com. Image-Line Software. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  11. ↑ "History". FL Studio. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  12. ↑ Silva, Joe (2008). "Review: Image-Line FL Studio 8". Music Tech Magazine. Archived from the original on January 15, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  13. 1 2 Lendino, Jamie (March 8, 2024). "Image-Line FL Studio Review". PcMag. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  14. 1 2 3 McGlynn, Declan (April 20, 2020). "How FL Studio changed electronic music forever". DJMag.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  15. ↑ Weiss, Dan (October 12, 2016). "The Unlikely Rise of FL Studio, The Internet's Favorite Production Software". Vice. Archived from the original on May 12, 2025. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  16. ↑ Deahl, Dani (May 23, 2018). "Music production software FL Studio is now available for Mac". The Verge. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Version Features". www.image-line.com. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  18. ↑ "MIDI Controllers". FL Studio. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  19. ↑ Truss, Si (February 4, 2019). "Akai Professional Fire review". MusicRadar. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  20. ↑ Jones, Hollin. "Novation FLkey 37 & FLkey Mini review: Excellent controllers for FL Studio with deep project integration". MusicTech. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  21. ↑ Kirn, Peter (March 31, 2010). "Image-Line FL Studio 9: Creative Jump-Starter Like No Other". Keyboard Magazine . Future Publishing. Archived from the original on May 12, 2011.
  22. ↑ "FL STUDIO 2024 | What's New?". Image Line. July 1, 2024. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  23. ↑ August 2018, Si Truss 19 (August 19, 2018). "Image-Line FL Studio 20 review". MusicRadar. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ↑ Walden, John (March 2021). "Image Line FL Studio 20.8". Sound On Sound. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
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