10 Ways to Supercharge Your FL Studio Workflow and Finish More Music

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in the middle of a project in FL Studio, staring at your screen like it's a blank canvas, you’re not alone.

We’ve all been there! But guess what?

There are some killer tips and tricks that can help you streamline your workflow and get those tracks from your head to your speakers faster than ever.

Let’s dive into 10 ways to supercharge your FL Studio workflow and start cranking out more music!

1. Use Templates to Kickstart Your Projects

Why reinvent the wheel every time you start a new project?

Save time by creating and using templates. Set up your go-to instruments, effects, and routing once, then save it as a template.

Next time you open FL Studio, boom - you’re ready to go.

This is especially helpful if you have a specific genre or style that you work in frequently.

Pro Tip:

Include basic structure markers (like intro, verse, chorus) in your template to jumpstart your arrangement process!

You can do that by navigating to the Playlist menu and select Time markers > Add one.

2. Master Keyboard Shortcuts

You’d be surprised how much time you can save by mastering keyboard shortcuts. From quick zooms to effortless copying and pasting, shortcuts are your best friend.

For instance, hit Ctrl + Shift + L to instantly assign your selected channels to the mixer. Trust me, learning these will cut down on repetitive tasks and keep you in the creative flow.

Pro Tip:

Print out a list of FL Studio’s keyboard shortcuts and keep it next to your setup until you’ve memorized your favorites.

3. Utilize the Browser Like a Boss

The browser is your ultimate toolkit in FL Studio. But are you using it to its full potential?

Organize your sounds, samples, and presets into custom folders so you can find everything you need in a blink of a second.

I like to sort my sample packs into loops and one-shots.

Then make sub-folders of those containing the different types - like:

Drums
Synths
Basses
SFXs
Etc.

You can even preview samples in the tempo of your project by right-clicking the preview button—game changer!

Pro Tip:

Drag your most-used folders to the top of the browser for easy access, and don’t forget to use the star feature to mark your favorites.

[Also read]: How to Save Mixer Presets in FL Studio

4. Group and Color-Code Tracks

Let’s be honest - things can get messy with 50 tracks of layered goodness. Keep your project clean and organized by grouping similar tracks together (like drums, synths, vocals) and color-coding them.

This not only makes your project look neat but also helps you find what you need without wasting time.

I can navigate my projects much faster now when everything is nicely organized and named.

That’s boosting my FL Studio workflow a lot!

Pro Tip:

Use Ctrl + G to group selected tracks and Alt + C to quickly color them. Boom, organized!

5. Leverage the Power of Macros

Macros are like tiny workflow wizards that automate repetitive tasks.

Whether you’re clearing all your automation clips or resetting your mixer levels, FL Studio’s macros can save you loads of time.

Find them under Tools > Macros and let them do the heavy lifting.

Pro Tip:

Set up a custom macro to instantly arm all your tracks for recording or to clear unused channels - this can be a huge timesaver during the creative process.

My favourite Macro is the Purge unused audio function.

It deletes all unused audio clips in the project. It’s a great way to tidy up your project browser and only focus on the stuff you actually use in the session.

6. Create a Drum Rack Using FPC

The FPC (Fruity Pad Controller) is an underrated gem in FL Studio.

You can load up all your favorite drum samples into it, and voila, you’ve got a customized drum rack.

This is especially handy for beatmakers who want quick access to their drum kits.

Pro Tip:

Save your custom FPC setups as presets so you can load them into any project in seconds. It’s like having your own virtual MPC.

[Also read]: How to turn sounds into mono in FL Studio

7. Automate Smarter, Not Harder

Automation is where the magic happens, but it can be tedious if not done right.

Use the last tweaked parameter function to instantly create automation clips for any knob or slider you just adjusted. It’s a huge time-saver when you’re deep in sound design.

Pro Tip:

Organize your automation clips in a separate group and color-code them to avoid confusion later on.

8. Custom Shortcuts for Your Favorite Tools

Did you know you can create your own custom shortcuts in FL Studio? If there’s a tool or function you use all the time, assign it to a key for instant access.

Go to Options > General Settings and set your custom shortcuts under the “Typing keyboard to piano keyboard” section.

Pro Tip:

Assign a custom shortcut to toggle between different Snap settings. It’ll make precise editing a breeze.

9. Use the Playlist Like a Pro

The Playlist in FL Studio is incredibly versatile, but many producers don’t use it to its full potential. Make use of the Track Mode to automatically route your instruments and audio to the mixer as soon as you place them in the Playlist.

Also, don’t forget about using Alt + P to quickly bring up the Piano Roll for any selected clip.

Don’t forget to use the track grouping features. It’s a brilliant way of organizing your tracks by type - like:

Drums
Synths
Vocals
Bass
SFXs
Automation
Etc.

Pro Tip:

Layer your sounds directly in the Playlist by dragging and overlapping clips. This can help you visualize your arrangement and layering better.

10. Bounce to Audio Early

There’s nothing worse than CPU overload mid-project. To avoid this, bounce your MIDI tracks to audio as soon as you’re happy with them. This will free up CPU resources and keep your project running smoothly. Plus, working with audio can sometimes spark new creative ideas.

Pro Tip:

Use Ctrl + Alt + C to quickly consolidate tracks to audio clips within the Playlist. It’s perfect for locking in that sound without losing flexibility.

Read this blog post if you wanna learn how to save more CPU in FL Studio 👈