What is a Track Flatten?

Track flatten is a function in some digital audio workstations (DAWs), such as Ableton Live, that permanently converts a track with instruments and effects into a standard audio track. It is often used after freezing a track to finalize the rendered audio.

When a track is flattened, the DAW renders the track—including any virtual instruments, MIDI data, and effects—into a single audio file. Unlike track freezing, flattening removes the original instrument and plugin processing, leaving only the rendered audio clip.

This process helps reduce CPU usage and simplifies a project by committing the track to audio. Producers often flatten tracks when they are satisfied with a sound or want to prepare a project for mixing, collaboration, or final export.