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FL Studio by Imagine Line is one of the most popular DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for music producers and beat makers. Unlike other DAWs, like Ableton Live or Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio comes with free lifetime updates included in the purchase price, but the software is not cheap to buy in the first place.
That's why we researched the cheapest ways to buy FL Studio. So if you don't want to download an illegal crack and decide you want to buy, this musicmanta guide can help you get the FL Studio for the best deal.
We researched all options we could find, and listed them in order. To help you guide to the best option for you, just follow the decision tree:
Before any potential purchase of expensive software, such as FL Studio, we recommend you try first. But not every manufacturer offers this (such as Native Instruments), or functionality can be severely limited through intermittent white noise or the inability to save anything.
FL Studio however offers a generous free, time unlimited trial*. You can even save your projects, and export projects to WAV or MP3, but you cannot open any projects.
The trial version is equivalent to the Producer Edition, and comes with all FL Studio plugins. The trial is available for Windows and macOS, so just head to the download page* and install it.
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The top of the range FL Studio Signature Bundle* is available as a special Academic Bundle, matching all its features. You can only buy the Academic Bundle from third party sellers, not directly from Image Line. FL Studio prices seem to vary by country, with the best discounts offered in the US, at the time of writing:
(FL Studio prices for the Academic bundle were last updated on 5th December 2021.)
You can buy the Academic Bundle from the following retailers:
Both students and teachers qualify for the FL Studio Academic Bundle.
You can only buy the FL Studio Academic Bundle through an official FL Studio reseller.
Take a look at the FL Studio Q&A on student discounts for further information.
Our Ultimate Guide to Student Discounts lists top brands offering up to 66% discounts, including AVID Protools, Ableton Live, Native Instruments Reaktor, Output, Antares Auto-Tune and many more
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Image Line does not announce future sales, and rarely gives any discount off the FL Studio price. However, Black Friday is different. Our research shows that in the last years, the FL Studio price was significantly reduced in November.
Don't want to miss the latest FL Studio deals? Sign up to the musicmanta newsletter and we will keep you up-to-date. Plus, you will receive a free 130 MB sample pack, exclusive competitions, the latest news and reviews, and much more.
Some retailers choose to sell FL Studio at a lower price than the FabFilter shop and other retailers. This may take a bit of time to research, but the savings are worth it - and we did some research for you.
At the time of writing, we found Thomann* to be the cheapest official FL Studio reseller. The most popular version, FL Studio Producer Edition, was sold at up to 15% discount when you buy in US Dollars and are based in the United States, for example. Discounts vary in other countries.
Here are the best selling FabFilter plugins with live prices from Thomann*. If this doesn't show your local currency, you can change this on the website.
Do you want to find the cheapest ways to buy FabFilter plugins with up to 60% off? Then check out one of musicmanta's most popular articles.
FL Studio offers a range of editions*, priced from $99 up to $499. We recommend you compare the features carefully, and first buy the cheapest edition right for your needs, and then upgrade later in a sale for a big discount.
Check out the full comparison of features for each FL Studio edition and their prices* on the FL Studio website.
Does FL Studio ever go on sale? How can I get FL Studio discounts?
In recent years, FL Studio was offered at a discount during November. The sale was in November 2021, when FL Studio All Plugins Edition was reduced by 20% (or $100) from $499 to $399.
If you don't want to miss the next FL Studio sale, sign up to the musicmanta newsletter.
Does FL Studio offer a student discount or educational license to students and teachers?
Yes, you can get 50% discount off the full FL Studio price as a student or teacher. You can only buy the FL Studio Academic Bundle through a reseller. The Student ID will be verified as part of the purchase process. The documents required vary by reseller. Normally this includes: a valid student or faculty ID card, or an employment contract with a school.
Can I sell or transfer my FL Studio license or buy a used FL Studio license?
No. Image Line prohibits the license transfer of FL Studio in their End User License Agreement.
Is FL Studio free?
No, not the fully functional version. You can download and try FL Studio for free*, but there is a serious limitation. You cannot open any save projects again.
You can however render any projects as MP3 or WAV files. So if you want to produce a quick beat in one session and render it, you can. You can save it, but not re-open it again until you buy the full license.
Is FL Studio worth it? Is FL Studio good?
We recommend you try for yourself with a free trial. If you like it, use the musicmanta guide to find the cheapest way to buy. We also recommend you try all other DAWs you can, such as Ableton Live. In the end, you have to decide for yourself.
A few factors that speak for FL Studio:
Which FL studio version is best to buy?
It depends on your needs. We recommend you try the full edition with all plugins first, but work out carefully which features you actually need and use most. Most people start with the Producer edition, as the Fruity edition is limited with no audio editor or clips supported.
Here are all editions available:
Check out the full comparison of features for each FL Studio edition* on the FL Studio website.
Do you have a question not covered here, or found another way to buy FL Studio plugins at a discount? Help us help others by letting us know.
*When you decide to buy using this affiliate link, you will help fund the running of musicmanta as we will receive a commission. It won't cost you anything but you help us create great content in the future. We will always recommend the cheapest and best option for you - even if we don't receive any commission. Check our Principles to find out more.
