{{short description|Digital audio workstation}} {{Redirect-distinguish|FruityLoops|Froot Loops}} {{primary sources|date=September 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox software | name = Image-Line | title = FL Studio | logo = FL_Studio_11_just_logo.png | logo caption = The program's original logo depicted a strawberry with a worm crawling out of it <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://djmag.com/longreads/how-fl-studio-changed-electronic-music-forever}}</ref>, while the current logo (above) seems to be an elongated persimmon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.image-line.com/action/knowledgebase?ans=586|title=What fruit is the FL Studio logo?|access-date=Nov 17, 2025|archive-date=Nov 17, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251117161124/https://support.image-line.com/action/knowledgebase?ans=586|url-status=live}}</ref> | logo size = 120px | logo alt = | screenshot = | caption = FL Studio 20 | screenshot size = | screenshot alt = | collapsible = | author = Didier Dambrin | developer = Image-Line Software | released = {{Start date and age|1998|04|26}} (as FruityLoops) | discontinued = | latest release version = 2025.2.5 | latest release date = March 12, 2026 | latest preview version = | latest preview date = | programming language = Delphi, Assembly language<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/23/17384580/music-production-software-fruity-loops-20-mac-compatible|title=Music production software FL Studio is now available for Mac|last=Deahl|first=Dani|date=2018-05-23|website=The Verge|language=en|access-date=2020-04-28|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109010057/https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/23/17384580/music-production-software-fruity-loops-20-mac-compatible|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.embarcadero.com/case-study/image-line-software-case-study|title=Image-Line Software Case Study|website=Embarcadero Technologies|language=en-gb|access-date=2020-04-28}}</ref> | operating system = macOS, Windows, Android, iOS | size = | language = English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean | language count = | language footnote = | genre = Digital audio workstation | license = Proprietary | alexa = | website = {{URL|image-line.com}} | standard = | AsOf = }}

'''FL Studio''' (previously known both as ''FrootyLoops''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2020-04-20 |title=How FL Studio changed electronic music forever |url=https://djmag.com/longreads/how-fl-studio-changed-electronic-music-forever |access-date=2026-04-20 |website=DJ Mag |language=en}}</ref> and '''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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Working with Patterns in FL Studio 20 |url=https://musictech.com/tutorials/working-with-patterns-in-fl-studio-20/ |date=2018-09-05 |website=MusicTech |language=en-GB |access-date=2025-07-21 |archive-date=September 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910084552/https://musictech.com/tutorials/working-with-patterns-in-fl-studio-20/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

This program is often used as a 'gamified' alternative to less accessible industry-standard DAWs such as Logic or Ableton.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=The Unlikely Story of FruityLoops & Its Reclusive Inventor |url=https://genius.com/a/the-history-of-fruityloops |access-date=2026-04-20 |website=Genius |language=en}}</ref> It is also seen as more cost-effective, and after the initial purchase, lifetime updates of the software are free to registered users.

It is available in five different editions (including FL Mobile) for Microsoft Windows and macOS.<ref name="what" /> <ref name="flstudio" /><ref name="ovguide">{{cite news|title=FL Studio Video|url=http://www.ovguide.com/fl-studio-9202a8c04000641f80000000001e8c37|publisher=OVGuide|access-date=2011-05-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317061959/http://www.ovguide.com/fl-studio-9202a8c04000641f80000000001e8c37|archive-date=2012-03-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> Image-Line also develops FL Studio Mobile for Android, iOS, macOS, and Universal Windows Platform devices.<ref name="mobile" />

FL Studio can be used either as an Audio Unit (AU) [macOS only] or a Virtual Studio Technology (VST) instrument in other audio workstation programs, and as a ReWire client. Image-Line offers its own AU and VST 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.<ref name="what" /> 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.<ref name="FL Studio 12.5 BETA 3" />

==History== On December 18, 1997, Image-Line Software partially released the first version of FruityLoops (1.0.0), developed by Didier Dambrin.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://flstudio.image-line.com/documents/history.php?entry_id=1286984399&title=10|title=History|work=FL Studio|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026044232/http://flstudio.image-line.com/documents/history.php?entry_id=1286984399&title=10|archive-date=2011-10-26|access-date=2015-12-13}}</ref> This was only two years after Belgian programmers Jean-Marie Cannie and Frank Van Biesen left Pavell Software to start their own company in Image-Line<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-20 |title=How FL Studio changed electronic music forever |url=https://djmag.com/longreads/how-fl-studio-changed-electronic-music-forever |access-date=2026-04-25 |website=DJ Mag |language=en}}</ref>. In the early days of the company, Image-Line had no aspirations of breaking into the music industry; instead focusing on adult video games, with its ‘Porntris’<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Unlikely Story of FruityLoops & Its Reclusive Inventor |url=https://genius.com/a/the-history-of-fruityloops |access-date=2026-04-25 |website=Genius |language=en}}</ref> finding significant success and recognition from rapper Ice-T, famously stating 'this game beats cocaine!'<ref name=":3" />. This game allowed them to enter the ‘Da Vinci’ contest hosted by IBM, where they met FL Studio’s primary producer, Didier (Gol) Dambrin<ref name=":3" />. Dambrin, only 19 at the time, agreed to sign with Image-Line and shortly produced the first version of FruityLoops Studio<ref name=":4" />.

In early 1998, Image-Line would officially launch FruityLoops with Dambrin as the Chief Software Architect for the program.<ref name="ovguide" /> The program was originally a four-channel MIDI drum machine,<ref name="techmag" /> with attempts to cater to a different audience than industry-standard DAWs. There was a video-game feel to the program, that drew young, aspiring musicians. Despite having no official musical background, Dambrin was able to combine elements of the sequencing program ReBirth 338 and the Hammerhead rhythm station drum machine in FrootyLoops Original Release<ref name=":4" />.

FruityLoops Studio found overnight popularity, with an explosion of users finding the program on websites like download.com and word of mouth through peer-to-peer networks like Kaaza<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Fruity Loops Changed Music-Making Forever |url=https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/05/fruity-loops-feature |access-date=2026-04-25 |website=daily.redbullmusicacademy.com |language=en}}</ref>. This caused early crashes of Image-Line’s servers and failed to turn a profit due to rampant piracy in the early days of the internet. Image-Line had to rely on its other revenue-generating business-facing enterprises to pay the bills and support Dambrin’s project in FruityLoops Studios<ref name=":4" />. It took nearly 5 years for the company to turn a profit from users purchasing legitimate licenses.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=The Unlikely Rise of FL Studio, The Internet's Favorite Production Software|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/fl-studio-soulja-boy-porter-robinson-madeon-feature/|last=Weiss|first=Dan|date=2016-10-12|website=Vice|language=en|access-date=2020-05-12|archive-date=May 12, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250512205056/https://www.vice.com/en/article/fl-studio-soulja-boy-porter-robinson-madeon-feature/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Image-Line would later rename FruityLoops to FL Studio<ref name=":2" /><ref name="McGlynn">{{Cite web|last=McGlynn|first=Declan|title=How FL Studio changed electronic music forever|url=https://djmag.com/longreads/how-fl-studio-changed-electronic-music-forever|date=2020-04-20|website=DJMag.com|access-date=2020-05-12|archive-date=April 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425105001/https://djmag.com/longreads/how-fl-studio-changed-electronic-music-forever|url-status=live}}</ref> during the release of their fourth version of the software, after the company's attempt to obtain a US trademark prompted concerns from Kellogg's.<ref name="McGlynn" /> Dambrin claimed that he thought users might interpret the software title as ‘Eiffel’ Studios, instead of simply an abbreviation of FruityLoops Studios<ref name=":3" />.

FL Studio began receiving mainstream recognition and success with the release of prominent hip-hop, grime, and EDM that was produced on the software. Hip-hop producer 9th Wonder produced Little Brother’s 2003 album ‘The Listening’ and Jay-Z’s ‘Threat’ and ‘The Black Album ' entirely on FL studio<ref name=":3" />. This commercial success brought a new flood of young producers to Image-Line’s program. Another significant boost to the program’s notoriety was Soulja Boy’s 2007 #1 hit ‘Crank That,’ which was produced using just the stock instruments on the trial version of FL Studio.

FL Studio continued to gain popularity and eventually released a macOS-compatible version in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Music production software FL Studio is now available for Mac|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/23/17384580/music-production-software-fruity-loops-20-mac-compatible|last=Deahl|first=Dani|date=2018-05-23|website=The Verge|language=en|access-date=2020-05-12|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109010057/https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/23/17384580/music-production-software-fruity-loops-20-mac-compatible|url-status=live}}</ref> Dambrin, who had been the sole architect of the program since its inception, left the company in 2015 and was reportedly replaced by no less than 12 programmers<ref name=":3" />. FL Studio continues to be a staple in Hip-hop, Rage, EDM, and Grime production.

==System requirements== FL Studio processes audio using an internal 32-bit floating point engine. It supports sampling rates up to 192&nbsp;kHz using either WDM- or ASIO-enabled drivers.<ref name="ovguide"/>

Audio can be imported or exported as WAV, MP3, OGG, FLAC, MIDI, ZIP, or the native project format with an .FLP filename extension.<ref name="ovguide" /> The trial allows users to save projects, but does not allow reopening them. Tracks may be exported to any of the available file formats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.image-line.com/support/flstudio_online_manual/html/app_feature.htm|title=Version Features|website=www.image-line.com|access-date=2018-01-12}}</ref>

=== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=MIDI Controllers |url=https://www.image-line.com/midi-controllers/ |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=FL Studio |language=en-US |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927132905/https://www.image-line.com/midi-controllers/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

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''<nowiki/>'s unusual velocity implementation, both units have gone on to receive broadly positive reception from the professional press.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Truss |first=Si |date=2019-02-04 |title=Akai Professional Fire review |url=https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/akai-professional-fire |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=MusicRadar |language=en |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927132905/https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/akai-professional-fire |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Hollin |title=Novation FLkey 37 & FLkey Mini review: Excellent controllers for FL Studio with deep project integration |url=https://musictech.com/reviews/controllers/novation-flkey-37-flkey-mini-review/ |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=MusicTech |language=en-GB |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927132907/https://musictech.com/reviews/controllers/novation-flkey-37-flkey-mini-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=={{anchor|Plugins}}Plug-ins== FL Studio comes with a variety of plugins and generators (software synthesizers) written in the program's own native plugin architecture, such as Harmor and Sytrus. FL Studio also has support for third-party VST and DirectX plugins.<ref name="jumpstarter"/> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-01 |title=FL STUDIO 2024 {{!}} What's New? |url=https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-news/fl-studio-2024-whats-new/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241220074251/https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-news/fl-studio-2024-whats-new/ |archive-date=2024-12-20 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=Image Line |language=en-US}}</ref>

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.<ref name="McGlynn" /> 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."<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Image-Line FL Studio Review|url=https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/image-line-fl-studio?test_uuid=06kBLZk02lnicdKVknWK9FI&test_variant=b|website=PcMag|language=en|access-date=2020-05-12|archive-date=May 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527100833/https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/image-line-fl-studio?test_uuid=06kBLZk02lnicdKVknWK9FI&test_variant=b|url-status=live|date=March 8, 2024|last=Lendino|first=Jamie}}</ref>

Criticisms include a difficult audio recording system.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Image-Line FL Studio 20 review|url=https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/image-line-fl-studio-20|last=August 2018|first=Si Truss 19|website=MusicRadar|date=19 August 2018|language=en|access-date=2020-05-12|archive-date=March 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318234811/https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/image-line-fl-studio-20|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Walden|first=John|title=Image Line FL Studio 20.8|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/image-line-fl-studio-208|website=Sound On Sound|date=March 2021|access-date=May 12, 2020}}</ref>

==References== <references> <ref name="flstudio">{{cite news |title = FL Studio Overview |url = http://www.image-line.com/documents/flstudio.html |publisher = Image-Line Software |website = image-line.com |access-date = 2011-05-28 |archive-date = June 16, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110616190534/http://www.image-line.com/documents/flstudio.html |url-status = live}}</ref>

<ref name="what">{{cite news |title = What is FL Studio? |url = http://flstudio.image-line.com/documents/what.html |publisher = Image-Line Software |website = image-line.com |access-date = 2011-05-28 |archive-date = June 26, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110626015548/http://flstudio.image-line.com/documents/what.html |url-status = live}}</ref>

<ref name="mobile">{{cite news |title = FL Studio Mobile |url = http://www.image-line.com/documents/flstudiomobile.html |publisher = Image-Line Software |website = image-line.com |access-date = 2011-05-28 |archive-date = June 22, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110622080259/http://www.image-line.com/documents/flstudiomobile.html |url-status = live}}</ref>

<ref name="techmag">{{cite news |title=Review: Image-Line FL Studio 8|first=Joe|last=Silva|url=http://www.musictechmag.co.uk/mtm/reviews/fl-studio-8|magazine=Music Tech Magazine|access-date=2011-05-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115041009/http://www.musictechmag.co.uk/mtm/reviews/fl-studio-8|archive-date=January 15, 2014|date=2008}}</ref>

<ref name="jumpstarter">{{cite news |title = Image-Line FL Studio 9: Creative Jump-Starter Like No Other |first = Peter |last = Kirn |url = https://www.keyboardmag.com/gear/image-line-fl-studio-9-creative-jump-starter-like-no-other |newspaper = Keyboard Magazine |publisher = Future Publishing |date = 31 March 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110512130127/http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/image-line-fl-studio/March-2010/110711 |archive-date = 2011-05-12 |url-status = dead}}</ref>

<ref name="FL Studio 12.5 BETA 3">{{cite news |title = Limitations in demo version |url = https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-learning/fl-studio-online-manual/html/basics_new.htm |publisher = Image-Line Software |website = image-line.com |access-date = 2014-02-12 |archive-date = October 20, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211020140939/https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-learning/fl-studio-online-manual/html/basics_new.htm |url-status = live}}</ref> </references>

==External links== {{Commons category|FL Studio}} * {{Official website|image-line.com/flstudio/}}

{{Audio editors}} {{Digital audio workstations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fl Studio}} Category:1997 software Category:Digital audio workstation software Category:Electronic music software Category:Music looping Category:Music production software Category:Soundtrack creation software Category:Windows multimedia software Category:Software programmed in Pascal Category:YouTube channels launched in 2007