FL Studio is the bedroom producer’s DAW. It began life as FruityLoops, a simple pattern-based drum sequencer by Didier Dambrin at Belgium’s Image-Line, released in 1997–98. Renamed FL Studio, it grew into a full production suite and the default first DAW for a generation of rap producers.
Why it spread
Its step sequencer and piano roll make programming drums and 808 slides fast, it was cheap to start with, and Image-Line gives lifetime free updates. It ran only on Windows until 2018, when it came to the Mac.
The hip hop connection
9th Wonder made Little Brother’s The Listening (2003) and beats for Jay-Z’s The Black Album in FL Studio. Soulja Boy made the No. 1 hit “Crank That” (2007) with stock sounds on the trial version. Lex Luger calls FL Studio “my pen to my paper,” Hit-Boy told Sound On Sound he still makes his beats in it, and Metro Boomin has made his music in FL Studio. Its fingerprints are all over modern trap.
Getting it today
Buy directly from Image-Line and pick your edition carefully, since higher editions unlock more features and plug-ins. Updates are free for life.
FL Studio videos: demos, history and breakdowns
