In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of installing FL Studio 20 on your Chromebook. FL Studio is a powerful digital audio workstation (DAW) that's widely used for music production. While it's primarily designed for Windows, we can get it running on a Chromebook with a few clever workarounds.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, it's important to note that this tutorial is specifically for Chromebooks with Intel or AMD processors that support Linux Apps. Unfortunately, this method won't work on Chromebooks with ARM64 architecture CPUs. If you're unsure about your Chromebook's specifications, you can check our guides for Intel and AMD Chromebooks.

Video Tutorial

For a visual guide, please refer to the video tutorial above. It provides a step-by-step walkthrough of the installation process.

Installation Steps

Follow these steps carefully to install FL Studio 20 on your Chromebook:

1. Enable Linux Apps

First, you need to enable Linux Apps on your Chromebook if you haven't already. Go to your system settings, click on the "About Chrome OS" section, and under the Developers section, choose to set up Linux.

2. Run Necessary Commands

Open a terminal and run the following commands. These will install packages that FL Studio and Crossover require:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
echo "deb https://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bullseye_chrome_os_made_simple.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install libjpeg62 libnss-mdns:i386 libglu1-mesa:i386 libxcursor1:i386 libxrandr2:i386 libcapi20-3:i386 libfontconfig1:i386 libgsm1:i386 libldap-2.4-2:i386 libmpg123-0:i386 libopenal1:i386 libosmesa6:i386 libpulse0:i386 libsane:i386 libv4l-0:i386 libxcomposite1:i386 libxinerama1:i386 libxml2:i386 libxslt1.1:i386
sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bullseye_chrome_os_made_simple.list

These commands add 32-bit architecture support, temporarily add a Debian repository, update package lists, install necessary libraries, and then remove the temporary repository.

3. Install Crossover

Crossover is a compatibility layer that allows Windows applications to run on Linux systems. Download Crossover from this link and install it following the instructions in the video tutorial.

4. Install FL Studio 20

Download the FL Studio 20 installer from this link. Use Crossover to install FL Studio 20 as demonstrated in the video.

Important Notes

Please be aware that this method installs the trial version of FL Studio. If you own a licensed copy, you should be able to activate it using your account credentials.

For those who can't afford the Crossover license fee, there's a workaround to use it for free. You can use the 14-day trial period, and after it expires, remove your Linux Apps in your system settings and set everything up again. While not the most convenient method, it does work for those on a tight budget.

The FL Studio installer used in this tutorial is a standard installation package exported as a .deb file. By using this installer, you agree to Crossover's installation terms, the dependencies FL Studio requires, and FL Studio 20's agreements.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues during the installation process, here are a few tips:

• Make sure your Chromebook's software is up to date
• Ensure you have enough free space on your device
• If a command fails, try running it again or rebooting your Chromebook
• For persistent problems, check the error messages in the terminal for clues

If you still face difficulties, feel free to leave a comment on our YouTube video, and we'll do our best to assist you.

Conclusion

Installing FL Studio 20 on a Chromebook opens up new possibilities for music production on these versatile devices. While it may seem complex at first, following this guide step-by-step should result in a successful installation. Remember, practice and experimentation are key to mastering any new software, especially in a non-native environment like this.

For more information about Chromebooks and their capabilities, check out our Chromebook comparison and Buyers Guide.

Happy music making on your Chromebook!