How to Export a Click Track WAV and Import It Into Logic Pro, Ableton or Reaper

A click track is only useful if you can get it into your playback rig — and for most bands, that means importing a WAV file into a DAW or playback app. Here's how to do it in the three DAWs most commonly used by gigging musicians: Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and Reaper.

If you haven't built your click track file yet, Dashplan's Click Track Builder exports a 44.1 kHz mono WAV file that's ready to drop into any DAW.

Importing Into Logic Pro

In Logic Pro, create a new empty project and set the project BPM to match your click track. Create a new Audio track, then drag your WAV file from Finder directly onto the track at bar 1, beat 1. Because the click file was built to a specific BPM, it will align to Logic's grid automatically if the project tempo matches.

If your set file covers multiple songs at different tempos, use Logic's Tempo Track (Sequence menu → Tempo Track) to program tempo changes at the right bar numbers. This keeps the project grid honest across the entire file.

Importing Into Ableton Live

In Ableton, use Arrangement View for playback (not Session View, which is loop-based). Create an Audio track, then drag your WAV from Finder into the arrangement at 1:1:1 (bar 1). Disable Ableton's Warp on the clip — right-click the clip, select "Warp" and turn it off — so Ableton plays the audio at its native speed rather than trying to time-stretch it to the project tempo.

Set the project tempo to match your click track file. For multi-song set files with multiple tempos, use Ableton's Tempo Automation to map out tempo changes in the arrangement.

Importing Into Reaper

In Reaper, create a new project and set the BPM in the transport bar. Drag your WAV file into the arrange view at position 1:01:000. Reaper will ask if you want to apply time stretching — select "No" to play the file at its native speed.

Reaper's tempo map editor (accessible from the View menu) is powerful for multi-tempo files — you can program tempo changes at specific bar positions with high precision, which is useful for theatre and musical productions with complex tempo maps.

Running the Click Live from Your DAW

Once the file is in your DAW, route the audio output to your IEM transmitter or headphone amp. Most bands use a two-output interface — the click file goes out of output 1 or 2, and that channel feeds directly to the IEM mix. Set your DAW to not show timecode to the audience (keep your laptop screen angled away or covered) and hit play at the downbeat of your count-in.

For a simpler option that doesn't require a DAW at all, apps like MainStage (Mac), AUM, or even a basic music player app can play WAV files reliably for live use.