Why is FL Studio so popular?

[Lusamars]

Fruity loops was such a delight to use back when it got released!
And then throughout the dacades Image Line developed a very comprehensive DAW with a lot of merits. I'm happy they made it for all the joy it gives to its users.
I've been using all along different applications but I have always a soft spot for FL. FL Studio is so popular because its a great application.

[wuworld]

Envy over the sheer amount of attention FL Studio receives online and in popular culture generally, as compared to their own preferred DAW of choice.

I hear these kinds of comments and don't know what to make of them. I know about a dozen people using a DAW and most use Ableton Live, a couple use Ardour and Garageband and one Cubase. Not one uses FL Studio. I talk to a lot of people and in the last 10 years, I don't recall a single person who when talking about music software, mentioned FL Studio.

And again, as I have mentioned previously, looking at the marketing of various midi controllers and hardware that has some sort of DAW integration, they all mention Live and almost none mention FL Studio.

My conclusion is that FL Studio is not as popular as some people claim it is. I also note that Image-Line recently stopped selling their instruments as VST's. That does not speak to me of a company that is flourishing. But who knows.

My favorite DAW is Bitwig and it is totally niche and I'm fine with it being so. As long as it has enough users to stay comfortably in business, I'm happy. As for the big boys duking it out, I would say Live is the top dog and that Ableton doesn't even think about FL Studio as an important competitor.

FL Studio is for sure popular. Hip Hop is all over the charts, and most of today's hit are produced with it. Imageline not selling VST's is nothing. They have been more engaging with customers, and have done a better just with releasing updates consistently with FL Studio. Ableton go ghost. FL Mobile is doing well, and more. FL 21 will be a bigger release than when Live with 11. Bitwig meh. Barely see anyone using that compared to FL.

[MrJubbly]

Envy over the sheer amount of attention FL Studio receives online and in popular culture generally, as compared to their own preferred DAW of choice.

I hear these kinds of comments and don't know what to make of them. I know about a dozen people using a DAW and most use Ableton Live, a couple use Ardour and Garageband and one Cubase. Not one uses FL Studio. I talk to a lot of people and in the last 10 years, I don't recall a single person who when talking about music software, mentioned FL Studio.

So therefore, your theory that FL Studio is not as popular (as it apparently is), is largely based upon anecdotal evidence of your own particular circle of friends' personal preferences?

This reminds me of how (for an example), certain Stoke City football fans, could honestly proclaim that most of their friends and family (or even online associates) tend also to be Stoke City football fans.

However, outside of that personal bubble of a 'dozen-or-so' associates, the rest of the world continues on regardless, and other far more popular football clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid's of this world continue to be FAR more popular, irrespective of any of their perceived current successes, or popularities within a relatively small clique of non-fans of those clubs. Simply because, more people overall (outside of the niche echo chambers) prefer those more popular clubs.

And again, as I have mentioned previously, looking at the marketing of various midi controllers and hardware that has some sort of DAW integration, they all mention Live and almost none mention FL Studio.

Well, that's certainly a nice attempt at circumventing and obfuscating an obvious truth. However, to base your assertion by trying to ascertain the popularity of those given products by comparing the relative marketing of (separate) third party products, is inherently flawed.

Case in point, can we know there are not extra incentives in play, or kickbacks offered to certain hardware manufacturers that engage in such promotional marketing schemes by other DAW developers. Or have you even queried either of their motives for doing so? Perhaps, (as seems apparent) it is to help further market and promote their DAW software over their more popular rivals, for example?

Arturia, to name but one current hardware manufacturer, certainly seem to have some sort of an incentivized deal in place with Ableton. Given that so much of Arturia's hardware, ships with free bundled-in licences for 'Ableton Live Lite'. Clearly perpetrated as a way of helping to promote that DAW, since why would any Arturia customer who already owns 'full Ableton Live' ever need to have an additional 'Lite' version of that software?

Another (perhaps more realistic) conclusion could easily be drawn from that exact same evidence, that perhaps Image-Line simply don't need to enter into such partnership deals with third party hardware manufacturers quite so much as Ableton or other rival DAWs do? Since they are not anywhere near as lacking in popularity (or even as desperate?) as their competitors are?

Far more accurate conclusions could surely be drawn via a more 'direct analysis' of the available statistics for the popularity/engagement of the respective userbase of directly those specific products (i.e. the DAWs themselves in question).

i.e. How many people actually create online content/media posts for each product itself, and what are the comparative popularity stats for the views/engagements/watch times for the content of each DAW instead?

YouTube videos (including the total number of views), along with other social media measurements and Google Trends search results (often an accepted method used to gauge the general popularity of all manner of things across the spectrum, not only DAWs) would appear to be a far more reliable source, than simply resorting to anecdotal accounts, or a roundabout supposition based upon some third party hardware wheeling and dealing marketing promotions.

My conclusion is that FL Studio is not as popular as some people claim it is. I also note that Image-Line recently stopped selling their instruments as VST's. That does not speak to me of a company that is flourishing. But who knows.

Well, I believe we've already clearly established now, that your particular methods upon which you drew those conclusions were rather 'ropey' to say the best.

My favorite DAW is Bitwig and it is totally niche and I'm fine with it being so. As long as it has enough users to stay comfortably in business, I'm happy. As for the big boys duking it out, I would say Live is the top dog and that Ableton doesn't even think about FL Studio as an important competitor.

And by that token, why would Image-Line think or do any differently with regard to the apparently less-popular Ableton, given their current disparity of 'observable popularity' between each DAWs' respective userbases (i.e. when using more reliable, less anecdotal evidence, that is).

At least there's more evidence of Ableton being the one reaching out towards (and making deals with) other third-party hardware manufacturers, in attempts to help increase their userbase for Ableton Live (by flogging in free licences for their basic DAW).

Image-Line don't seem anywhere near as desperate by comparison. I don't see them throwing free FL Studio 'Fruity Edition' licences here there and everywhere, like Ableton Live do with hardware manufacturers. With Image-Line, there's the bespoke AKAI fire, and that's about it. Image-Line don't really seem very invested in partnering up with other third party hardware manufacturers in attempt to lure more users to their DAW with 'gateway' versions of their DAW bundled in. And yet, their DAW continues to be far more popular regardless.

MIDI scripting which has improved a lot recently, will no doubt make it much easier for more native external controller support (which is already happening, irrespective of the DAW's popularity itself). Also, something that is missed on many non-FLS users is just how superior FL Studio's piano roll is to use over rival DAWs implementations, largely negating the need for external controllers for many users.

Personally, I own two external MIDI controllers, both Arturia (and yes, both bundled with unused promotional Ableton Live Lite licences, lol, sorry Ableton, you won't hook me in that way, but there are new suckers born every minute, so...)

Oh, and by the way, thanks to the aforementioned MIDI controller scripting improvements within FL Studio, both my Arturia MIDI Keyboard controllers work flawlessly within FL Studio and Image-Line didn't even have to try to bribe me to use their DAW with a free 'Fruity Edition' licence bundled in, lol.

[jancivil]

the whole trip of arguing over DAWs is essentially football team fan vs the other in the end, isn't it.
I have dissed the failure to know what a time signature is in the original and been contentious with their rep dissing the need for a time signature after it was implemented, which is , but still, who cares. Use what you use for the reasons that make the most sense to you.

I don't know what's interesting about popularity contests. Some appear to want what what's popular, tho

[meatmeat]

I've used FL Studio off and on since like... 2003. For throwing together ideas and building it into a song, it's great. I'll probably never stop using it for that.

Not so good for mixing, I've recently discovered -- but I'm only recently trying to do that.

[pdxindy]

Bitwig meh. Barely see anyone using that compared to FL.

For sure... Bitwig is niche. I don't care if it is popular. As long as it stays in business, that is fine. Bitwig works great for me. It's good that FL Studio works for you. That is why it's good there are different DAW's which suit different people.

[xbitz]

I've used FL Studio off and on since like... 2003. For throwing together ideas and building it into a song, it's great. I'll probably never stop using it for that.

Not so good for mixing, I've recently discovered -- but I'm only recently trying to do that.

mixing ... from the latest version (20.9) plugins can be added to multiple tracks in one step and https://www.waves.com/plugins/cla-mixhub has a 'lite' bit more CPU friendly version

just tried this why mention it (has 8 assignable buckets so perfect for smaller projects)

ps. probably I would add

to its extra slot (from 8:20)

[andypryce]

If you have the chops…

https://twitter.com/cynaxs/status/14727 ... 84902?s=21

[chk071]

I'm sure that I could do everything I do in FL Studio. I'm sure 99.9% of users on this site could do everything thery do in FL Studio as well.

Not much more to say about that, in my opinion. The question is rather if one would WANT to do everything one does in FLS.

[meatmeat]

I've used FL Studio off and on since like... 2003. For throwing together ideas and building it into a song, it's great. I'll probably never stop using it for that.

Not so good for mixing, I've recently discovered -- but I'm only recently trying to do that.

mixing ... from the latest version (20.9) plugins can be added to multiple tracks in one step and https://www.waves.com/plugins/cla-mixhub has a 'lite' bit more CPU friendly version

just tried this why mention it (has 8 assignable buckets so perfect for smaller projects)

ps. probably I would add

to its extra slot (from 8:20)

Interesting... thanks! I'll have to check it out.

[pdxindy]

I'm sure that I could do everything I do in FL Studio. I'm sure 99.9% of users on this site could do everything thery do in FL Studio as well.

Not much more to say about that, in my opinion. The question is rather if one would WANT to do everything one does in FLS.

Seems like an excellent all around DAW... and regularly improved. The one thing that is important to me that it is lacking is MPE support.

Many people talk about how good the piano roll is so I have watched a few videos and it does have a lot of capability. The FL piano roll is kinda lost on me cause I mostly play parts not program them. I'm happy with the relatively simple piano roll in Bitwig.

My one other observation when watching FL Studio videos is that it seems to require a fair bit of clicking around and the basic paradigm is not my favorite. But I am sure I would get used to it were I using it.

[xbitz]

I mainly miss some Cubase-like visibility configuration subsystem which would help to reduce the number of visible track/mixer/etc. elements especially the mixer is annoying there is no folder or similar track in it and the visibility of the arranger <> mixer can't be synced together similarly to S1/Cubase/etc. even Bitwig has a project/group track dropdown



but from the latest version it has proper undo, able to do the same operation on multiple tracks in the playlist also able to duplicate tracks in it etc.

worth to watch from 8.30 so pretty usable

[excuse me please]

There must be a simple explanation. It's from Belgium

[Hink]

I'm sure that I could do everything I do in FL Studio. I'm sure 99.9% of users on this site could do everything thery do in FL Studio as well.

Not much more to say about that, in my opinion. The question is rather if one would WANT to do everything one does in FLS.

well this was my issue exactly, it's no secret back in the early days I was a big FL user, but I never did everything in FL, in fact Adobe Audition was my audio editor in FL if needed, I only did midi in FL because back then recording audio was cumbersome to me and not straight forward, AA was far more geared toward recording my playing guitar and worked better with my workflow (for instance bavk in the day I was screaming for autopunch). I would render my midi tracks in FL and import them into AA. Then I got a killer crossgrade in 2007 on my current DAW, having both midi and audio under one roof was better for my workflow.

What was the most difficult thing about changing hands down was the piano roll, what turned me off to FL for a bit was for a while anytime I would mention my problems with audio recording the same staff members would come here and be jerks about it. Telling me I am wrong, they would constantly show that the steps and why they are not that complicated and it was me, not FL.

The only thing they were right about was it was me, and that's how the world works, we are not all alike, I moved on. Later the narrative would be we have this now, that now. But I was content, my workflow is now established...if it aint broke, I just stopped posting on anything, anywhere about FL

I know a lot of people love to DAW jump, check em all out and why not? A younger me would be doing the same, if back in the day I had what is available I surely would. I am several versions behind on my DAW, I get all the things added, but I dont need them for what I do.

FL was awesome for me, I praise FL, I even bought two licenses and of course it will always be mine. The reality is that in learning my first DAW it opened my eyes to what a DAW should be for me and it actually helped me to discover what is best for me and it wasnt FL. I have no doubt in my mind that this happens all the time, not just with FL but every DAW, people get their first DAW, learn and often enough I am sure people find another DAW they realize that is better for the workflow they have been developing.

[xbitz]

I've used FL Studio off and on since like... 2003. For throwing together ideas and building it into a song, it's great. I'll probably never stop using it for that.

Not so good for mixing, I've recently discovered -- but I'm only recently trying to do that.

mixing ... from the latest version (20.9) plugins can be added to multiple tracks in one step and https://www.waves.com/plugins/cla-mixhub has a 'lite' bit more CPU friendly version

just tried this why mention it (has 8 assignable buckets so perfect for smaller projects)

ps. probably I would add

to its extra slot (from 8:20)

Interesting... thanks! I'll have to check it out.

Neutron even more CPU friendly or at least even more multithread friendly