No Laptop. No Limits. The New MPC Live III Is Here

The MPC® Live III Delivers Breakthrough Standalone Performance With Expressive MPCe™ Pads, 16-Step Sequencing, Built-In Mic And Speakers, And Unmatched Portability

CUMBERLAND, R.I. (October 2, 2025) – Akai Professional today announced the launch of the MPC® Live III, its most powerful and advanced standalone music production center to date—reimagined for today’s beatmakers, producers, and live performers. Building on the success of the MPC® Live II, the Live III introduces a new level of creative control and power with next generation expressive MPCe™ pads, a dedicated 16 button step sequencer and touchstrip, Clip Matrix for real-time performance and arrangement. With built-in microphone for vocals and field recording, studio monitors and rechargeable battery, the MPC® Live III is an all-in-one production powerhouse—delivering four times the power and memory to truly earn its place as the most powerful MPC yet.

"The MPC Live III is more than a product—it’s a movement. For decades, Akai Professional has shaped how music is made, giving artists the tools to create outside the bounds of traditional studios," said Andy Mac, Creative Global Marketing and Artist Relations Manager at Akai Professional. "With Live III, we’re meeting the demands of a new generation of creators—those who want power, portability, and expressive control in one device. This is the future of music-making and live performance: fully standalone, fully untethered, and fully in your hands."

Incredible Expressive Control

Building on the breakthrough design of the MPC Live II, the new MPC Live III pushes creative boundaries with innovative features that transform how music is made. The ultra-responsive MPCe pads feature 3D-sensing technology that goes beyond aftertouch and enables X/Y control of one-shot layers, seamless sample blending, and dynamic note repeats and articulations per pad, creating a more expressive connection between artist and instrument than ever before. Also, for the first time in MPC history, Akai Professional introduces dedicated 16-step sequencer controls to deliver a truly all-in-one powerhouse production tool. A new performance Clip Matrix enables real-time loop creation and arrangement that empowers creators to craft beats and melodic ideas at the touch of the screen, recording and playing MIDI and audio loops of different lengths in any launch combination—all in real time, without interrupting their workflow.

Artists who have experienced the MPC Live III firsthand are already embracing its transformative capabilities. "The MPC Live III is so much more dynamic than the features even on the Live II," said mgk. "You can kind of one-man-band a vibe and hold the attention span for as long as you want to be up there doing it."

“I feel like the new expressive pads on the Akai Professional MPC Live III will enhance my performance,” said music producer JBlack (BeatsbyJBlack), “It's going to take the thing I'm missing out of my beats... this exciting factor. The booms, the FX's... now it's right there and it's all on one pad.
Standalone Power And Portability

The MPC Live III delivers complete creative independence as a fully standalone music production studio that requires no computer or additional hardware. Powered by a new 8-core processor with 8GB RAM and advanced MPC3 OS 3.6 operating system, the device supports up to 32 simultaneous plug-in instances, 16 audio tracks, desktop-quality Pro Stems Separation, Super Timestretch and enhanced CV Playground features with lightning-fast performance. Portability features include a new built-in microphone for capturing everything from vocals to field recordings, discrete ultra-compact studio monitors with studio-quality punch and low end sound for instant playback, and an internal rechargeable battery for the ultimate on-the-go music production freedom. Professional hardware integration includes an intuitive 7-inch touchscreen interface, stereo XLR/TRS combo inputs, 6 line outputs, enhanced MIDI and CV I/O, USB-C for 24 channels of audio transfer with 32 channels of bi-directional MIDI, and smart device direct sampling, making it effortless to create, record, and produce complete tracks using one piece of equipment.

Expanded Creativity with MPC3 Pro Pack*

To unlock even greater creative potential, the MPC Live III includes the new MPC3 Pro Pack, a comprehensive feature expansion that takes the MPC Live III workflow to the next level. The MPC3 Pro Pack includes premium effects and tools like AIR Reverb Pro, AIR Visual EQ4, AIR Fabric Select and AIR Utility. Enhanced workflow features include MPC Clip Launch with Matrix and Clip Edit mode, follow actions, row launch tempo and snapshots, and Ableton Live set import. Also included are advanced CV capabilities, a Q-Link envelope follower and LFO, and Super Timestretch algorithm. This expansion lets creators push their artistic vision with further depth and polish, redefining what's possible in music production. *Also sold separately for all MPC3 OS compatible units. Visit akaipro.com for details and compatibility.
Modernizing A Cultural Legacy

The MPC Live III continues the legendary heritage of the original MPC sampler launched in 1988 that served as an iconic sampling workflow for hip-hop, electronic music and dance music genres. From Dr. Dre's groundbreaking work on The Chronic to DJ Shadow’s legendary electronic album Endtroducing, the MPC's sampling workflow became a catalyst for cultural movements, enabling artists from all backgrounds to transform their musical visions into chart-topping hits. Over the decades its influence has expanded far beyond its hip-hop and electronic roots, now giving voice to producers and artists across genres from Latin music to bedroom pop, spanning the globe and empowering creators from all backgrounds. The MPC's distinctive workflow and sound have become embedded in modern music's DNA, with modern artists and producers such as Jermaine Dupri, mgk, Papatinho and Illa J.

As part of the MPC Live III launch, legendary finger drummer JBlack, celebrated for his lightning-fast precision, jaw-dropping performance videos, and innovative live beat-making headlines the hero video campaign—showcasing the next-level creative possibilities of the instrument. Additional launch content features Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, mgk, Tricky Stewart, Mike WiLL Made-It, Sonny Digital, Decap and Honorable C.N.O.T.E., each getting a firsthand sneak peek at the MPC Live III and sharing their initial impressions of its creative capabilities. Building on this rich legacy of creative expression through sound, the MPC Live III ensures the next generation of artists and producers continue to drive music forward in studio production and live performance settings.
Key features include:

DAWless Power & Standalone Portability