Initially developed as a successor to the KRISTAL Audio Engine, it was acquired by PreSonus and first released in 2009 for macOS and Microsoft Windows.

Since September 2024, users who purchase & register a copy of Studio One receive a permanent license for the software, alongside one year of subsequent feature updates.

[1] Although development for this follow-up began in 2004,[2] it transitioned in 2006 to a cooperation between PreSonus and KristalLabs Software Ltd., a start-up founded by former Steinberg employees Wolfgang Kundrus and Matthias Juwan.

[4] Juwan was the author of the original KRISTAL Audio Engine, wrote the specification for version 3 of the VST plug-in standard, and had also worked on multiple Steinberg products, including Cubase, Nuendo, and HALion.

[19] Following teaser images on social media websites in the preceding weeks,[20] version 4 of Studio One was announced via a YouTube live stream event on 22 May 2018, and released simultaneously.

[24][25] The release of version 4.6 was preceded by a launch party event, hosted by PreSonus at the Red Bull Studios building in London.

[33] The new release included enhancements focused on making the application "simpler [and] more intuitive" (as previously alluded to by Fender CEO, Andy Mooney),[33] such as "smart" templates, additional UI customization, song lyric support, and cloud-based collaboration (via their PreSonus Sphere subscription service).

[33] Following the launch, Evan Jones, Fender CMO, stated that the company was "fully invested in supporting the continued expansion and adoption of Studio One as the total solution for professional and committed at-home creators.

[37] The announcement also confirmed that the lower-priced Artist and free Prime editions of the software would no longer be offered, shifting instead to "one DAW for all," specifically called Studio One Pro.

[37] PreSonus' general software manager, Arnd Kaiser, described version 7 as an iteration which "breaks down the barriers between different workflows..."[38] A number of the release's features included aspects augmented by artificial intelligence, including stem extraction,[39] enhanced tempo-detection,[39] and full integration with the Splice platform and it's AI-powered search features (making Studio One the first DAW to implement this integration).

[45][46] Studio One features support for importing & exporting multiple audio and video file formats, including WAV/AIFF, M4A (AAC/ALAC), FLAC/MP3,[43] DDP,[47] and MPEG‑4/M4V (using H.264/AVC and HEVC).

[52][53] Additionally, Studio One includes support for the importing & exporting of open-source DAWproject (.dawproject) files, to exchange project information with other DAW applications.

[33] In addition to its standard song workflow, which most closely resembles a typical DAW, Studio One also provides two additional workflows and dedicated user interfaces for specific focus areas: A project interface, with tools for mastering, managing the metadata of, and exporting one or more songs simultaneously, including options for creating Red Book Standard CDs or disk images,[55][56] and a show interface, focused on performance rather than creation, for use in coordinating all aspects of live performances from a single location.

[56][58] Studio One has several panels that function alongside the traditional, linear timeline view common across DAWs: Scratch pads allow users to experiment with different song layouts without impacting the original version,[19] whereas the launcher is a dynamic grid of audio and/or MIDI loops & patterns, with real-time editing features.

Multiple aspects of Studio One functionality are supported by artificial intelligence (AI), such as audio tempo detection (including for free-tempo recordings) powered by neural network technology,[39] AI-powered un-mixing to extract stems (such as vocals, bass, and drums) from a combined audio track (to allow separate processing on each),[39][59] and full integration with Splice for browsing & previewing of royalty-free samples, including via its AI-powered sample search.