What about sessions with hundreds of markers or tempo changes?

Unableton handles any number of tempo changes and markers. Film scores with 300+ tempo changes, sessions with 150+ markers — all are processed. The MIDI file format has no practical limit on the number of events it can carry.

Complete Guide

Transfer Ableton Tempo Maps to Any DAW in 60 Seconds

Q: Does Unableton work with Ableton Live 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12?

Yes. Unableton supports .als files from Ableton Live 8 through Live 12. The .als XML format has remained stable — older projects work without any special handling.

Q: How does Unableton export tempo maps if Ableton has no native export?

Unableton reads the .als file directly — it's an XML archive containing your session data including the tempo envelope, time signature track, and locators. It encodes that data into a Standard MIDI File (Type 0) with tempo events on a single track, which every DAW can read.

Q: Which DAWs support tempo maps from MIDI files?

All major DAWs read MIDI tempo maps: Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Reaper, Cubase, FL Studio, and Studio One all import tempo data from standard MIDI files. The compatibility table in this guide shows exactly what's supported for each.

Q: Can Unableton handle sessions with complex time signatures?

Yes. Unableton reads all time signature events from the .als file — 4/4, 7/8, 5/4, 11/16, and any other meter your session uses — and encodes them as proper MIDI time signature events in the output file.

Updated May 2026 · 8 min read · Works with Live 8 through Live 12 · Covers Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Reaper, Cubase, FL Studio, and Studio One

Why Ableton tempo maps don't transfer automatically

Ableton Live stores your tempo map — every tempo automation point, every time signature change, every locator — inside a proprietary .als binary archive. No other DAW can read it. There's no "Export Tempo" button, no native interchange format, no bridge to Pro Tools, Logic, Reaper, or any other software.

This isn't a bug. It's an architectural choice: Ableton designed the format for Ableton. The result is that every time you hand off a session to a mixer, composer, or post-production engineer running a different DAW, you lose your tempo data. The receiving engineer spends 2–6 hours manually recreating what you already have, stored correctly, inside a file they can't open.

2–6 hrs manual recreation time per session

0 DAWs with native Ableton tempo import

The workaround — the only one that's existed until now — is a Standard MIDI File. Every DAW reads tempo from MIDI. The problem is that Ableton doesn't generate that file. You have to build it by hand, bar by bar, BPM by BPM.

Unableton closes that gap. It reads your .als file and generates a MIDI file with your complete tempo map — all six major DAWs, all data intact.

DAW compatibility at a glance

The table below shows what transfers when you import a MIDI tempo map into each major DAW. All six DAWs read tempo and time signatures from standard MIDI files — but the experience, workflow, and marker handling vary significantly.

DAW	Tempo Events	Time Signatures	Markers (named)	Import Method
Pro Tools	✓	✓	✓	Import MIDI > Enable Tempo Import
Logic Pro	✓	✓	✓	File > Import > MIDI File (select options)
Reaper	✓	✓	✓	Drag MIDI file > Enable tempo read
Cubase	✓	✓	✓	MIDI Import Options > Read Tempo
FL Studio	✓	✓	Partial	File > Import > MIDI file
Studio One	✓	✓	✓	Import > MIDI File (tempo auto-detected)

Legend: ✓ Full support Partial Markers import but may need manual naming ✗ Not supported

Step-by-step guides for each DAW

Every guide assumes you've already used Unableton to generate your tempo map MIDI file. If you haven't, upload your .als file here first — it takes about 30 seconds.

Pro Tools

Importing your tempo map into Pro Tools

Pro Tools import instructions

Open your Pro Tools session (or create a new empty session at your session's nominal tempo).
Go to File > Import > MIDI File.
Select your Unableton-generated .mid file and click Open.
In the MIDI Import Options dialog, check Import Tempo. Leave the other options at their defaults.
Click OK. A new MIDI track appears with your tempo events. The session's tempo track is now populated with all your Ableton tempo changes.
To verify, open the tempo ruler (View > Tempo) and confirm the automation matches your Ableton session.
For markers: after the MIDI import, go to Markers > Import Markers from MIDI File if your markers didn't import automatically with the file.

Logic Pro

Importing your tempo map into Logic Pro

Logic Pro import instructions

Open your Logic Pro project (or a new empty project).
Go to File > Import > MIDI File... — or press Shift + ⌘ + I.
Select your Unableton-generated .mid file and click Open.
In the dialog that appears, select Create new tracks and check Import Tempo and Import Markers.
Logic creates a MIDI region with your tempo data. The Tempo track is now populated with all your Ableton tempo changes.
Open the Markers track (View > Markers > Show Markers) to see your Ableton locators appear as named markers at the correct bar positions.
Confirm the tempo grid against a reference bounce from Ableton — especially for sessions with many tempo changes.

Reaper

Importing your tempo map into Reaper

Reaper import instructions

Open your Reaper project.
Drag your Unableton-generated .mid file from Finder/Explorer into the Reaper arrange window.
A dialog will appear asking about tempo. Check Apply embedded tempo map to project (or the equivalent option in your Reaper version).
Click OK. Reaper reads the MIDI tempo events and applies them to the project's tempo map.
To confirm: open the tempo track editor and verify that your tempo changes appear at the correct bar positions.
For markers: Reaper handles markers as part of the MIDI import. Open View > Markers > Show Markers to see your Ableton locators as named markers.

Cubase

Importing your tempo map into Cubase

Cubase import instructions

Open your Cubase project.
Go to File > Import > MIDI File.
Select your Unableton-generated .mid file.
In the MIDI Import Options dialog, enable Read Tempo (or the equivalent option).
Click OK. Cubase reads the tempo events and populates the tempo track.
Verify by opening the tempo editor — your tempo changes appear at the correct bar positions.
For markers: Cubase imports markers from the MIDI file. Check the marker track after import to confirm all locators are present.

FL Studio

Importing your tempo map into FL Studio

FL Studio import instructions

Open FL Studio. Create a new empty project.
Go to File > Import > MIDI File.
Select your Unableton-generated .mid file and click Open.
FL Studio reads the MIDI file and applies the embedded tempo events to the project tempo. For best results, open the Tempo track in the event editor to confirm all changes came through.
Note: FL Studio's marker system is different from other DAWs. Named markers from the MIDI file may appear as named events on a dedicated marker track — check the P躺 section after import for marker data.
Set your project's bar offset to bar 1 if your Ableton session started at bar 1 and the grid looks offset.

Studio One

Importing your tempo map into Studio One

Studio One import instructions

Open your Studio One project.
Go to Import > MIDI File or drag the .mid file directly into the arrange window.
Studio One auto-detects the embedded tempo map and applies it to the project tempo track.
Confirm by opening the Tempo track and checking that all tempo changes appear at the correct positions.
For markers: Studio One imports marker names from the MIDI file. Open the Marker track to see your Ableton locators as named markers.
Verify the tempo grid against a reference bounce if available.

The Unableton fix: 60 seconds, not 4 hours

Unableton reads your .als file directly and outputs a Standard MIDI File with your complete tempo map — every tempo change, time signature, and locator with its name intact. The same file works in all six DAWs above.

Pro Tools Logic Pro Reaper Cubase FL Studio Studio One

Upload your .als file — drag it onto the converter at unableton.polsia.app. No account, no signup.

Get the MIDI file — Unableton parses your session and builds a MIDI file with every tempo event, time signature change, and locator encoded at the correct positions.

Import into any DAW — drop the MIDI file into Pro Tools, Logic, Reaper, Cubase, FL Studio, or Studio One. The tempo map, time signatures, and markers all land correctly.

What used to take 2–6 hours per session — or a day for complex sessions with hundreds of tempo changes — now takes 60 seconds. And when the Ableton session gets revised, you run it again instead of starting over.

Convert your .als file now

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Frequently asked questions

Does Unableton work with Ableton Live 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12?

Yes. Unableton supports .als files from Ableton Live 8 through Live 12. The XML structure inside .als files has remained stable across versions — older projects work without any special handling or version selection.

How does Unableton export tempo maps if Ableton has no native export?

Unableton reads the .als file directly — it's an XML archive containing your full session data including the tempo envelope, time signature track, and all locators. It encodes that data into a Standard MIDI File (Type 0) with tempo events on a single track, using the standard quarter-note-per-MIDI-clock format every DAW can read.

Which DAWs support tempo maps from MIDI files?

All six major DAWs — Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Reaper, Cubase, FL Studio, and Studio One — read tempo data from standard MIDI files. Each has an import option to apply the embedded tempo map when you drop in the file. The table above shows the exact import path for each DAW.

Does Unableton export Ableton markers too?

Yes. Every locator in your Ableton session — with its name, position, and color — is encoded as a named marker in the output MIDI file. When imported into Pro Tools, Logic, Reaper, Cubase, or Studio One, markers appear with their original labels intact. FL Studio's marker handling varies slightly depending on session configuration.

Can Unableton handle sessions with complex time signatures?

Yes. Unableton reads all time signature events from the .als file — 4/4, 7/8, 5/4, 11/16, and any other meter your session uses — and encodes them as proper MIDI time signature events in the output file.

What about sessions with hundreds of tempo changes or 150+ markers?

Unableton handles any number of tempo changes and markers. Film scores with 300+ tempo changes, sessions with 200+ locators — all are processed completely. The MIDI file format has no practical limit on the number of events it can carry. The conversion is done server-side in seconds.

Is there a free option or trial period?

Unableton is free during the beta period. No account required, no signup, no payment. Upload your .als file and download your tempo map MIDI immediately.