How to Open a Newer Ableton Live Project in an Older Version (Simple Method)

 

1. What you need

• 7-Zip

• Notepad++ (or any text editor)

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2. Make a copy of the .als file

• Copy the Ableton .als project file

• Put it in another folder
  (do not edit the original file)

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3. Open the .als file with 7-Zip

• Right-click the .als file

• 7-Zip → Open archive

• Select *

• Click Extract and choose a folder

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4. Open the extracted file

• Inside the extracted folder, you will find one file without an extension

• Open this file with Notepad++

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5. Replace the Ableton version line

Find the second line of the file. It looks like this:

<Ableton MajorVersion="..."
MinorVersion="..."
SchemaChangeCount="..."
Creator="Ableton Live ..."
Revision="...">

❗ Do not guess these values

Correct way:

• Take an .als file created in your older Ableton version

• Repeat steps 3–4 on that file

• Copy the second line from the old file

• Paste it over the second line in the newer project file

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6. Save and rename

• Save the file in Notepad++

• Rename the file and add .als at the end

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7. Open in Ableton

• Open your older Ableton Live version

• Load the edited .als file

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Important notes

• This is not an official method

• Always backup your files

• It may fail if the project uses:

  • New Ableton devices

  • New automation features

  • New Live 12.2+ schema changes

If you see this error:

Unknown Compound Stream Type

➡️ The project cannot be opened in an older version.

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Summary

• Works best with audio-heavy projects

• More likely to fail with MIDI + new devices

• Not guaranteed across major version gaps