How to Add Refills to Reason 13: A Complete Guide to Expanding Your Sound Library

Reason 13, the digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Reason Studios, uses a proprietary sound and instrument format called Refills (.rfl files). If you've just discovered that your current library feels limited, or you've purchased a new Refill pack and aren't sure where to put it, this guide walks through exactly how the process works — and what factors affect your experience along the way.

What Is a Refill in Reason 13?

A Refill is Reason's native sound library format. Think of it as a self-contained package that bundles together samples, patches, loops, and instrument settings into a single compressed file. Refills can contain anything from drum kits and synth presets to full orchestral sample libraries.

Reason 13 ships with its own built-in Refill content, but the format has been part of the platform since early versions, which means there's a large ecosystem of third-party Refill content available — from official Reason Studios packs to community-created libraries.

How to Add a Refill to Reason 13

The process for installing a Refill is straightforward, but the exact steps depend slightly on how you obtained the file and your operating system.

Step 1: Obtain the Refill File

Refills are distributed as .rfl files. You can acquire them through:

• Reason Studios' own shop (via the Reason+ subscription or individual purchases)
• Third-party sound designers who build Reason-compatible content
• Legacy libraries you may already own from older Reason versions

If you purchased through Reason Studios' shop or the in-app browser, the installation may happen automatically. Third-party files you download manually require a few extra steps.

Step 2: Locate the Correct Folder

Reason 13 looks for Refills in specific directories. On most systems, the default locations are:

You can also store Refills in a custom location and point Reason to it — more on that below.

Step 3: Copy the Refill File

Simply move or copy your .rfl file into the appropriate Refills folder. You don't need to unzip or extract it — Reason reads the compressed format directly. Avoid placing Refills inside nested subfolders unless you're using a custom path setup, as Reason may not always scan recursively by default.

Step 4: Point Reason to the Location (If Using a Custom Path)

If you're storing Refills on an external drive, a secondary internal drive, or any non-default folder:

1. Open Reason 13
2. Go to Preferences → Locations
3. Add your custom folder as a search location
4. Reason will index it and make the contents available in the Browser

This is particularly useful if you manage large libraries and don't want to fill your system drive.

Step 5: Access Your Refill in the Browser

Once the file is in place:

1. Open the Browser panel in Reason (the magnifying glass or folder icon in the toolbar)
2. Navigate to the Refills section in the left-hand sidebar
3. Your new Refill should appear — click it to expand and browse its patches, samples, and instruments

If it doesn't appear immediately, try restarting Reason so it re-scans the directory.

🎛️ Variables That Affect Your Experience

Adding a Refill file is technically simple, but several factors shape how smoothly it integrates into your workflow.

File Size and Drive Speed

Some Refills — especially orchestral libraries or multi-layer sample packs — can be several gigabytes in size. If you're loading from a slow external hard drive (HDD rather than SSD), you may notice latency when browsing or triggering samples. Faster storage generally means more responsive playback.

Compatibility with Reason's Version

Most Refills built for older versions of Reason are backward compatible with Reason 13, but this isn't guaranteed for every pack. Refills that rely on instruments or rack extensions not included in your current setup may show missing content warnings. Always check a Refill's listed compatibility before purchasing third-party packs.

System Memory (RAM)

Large Refills that load many samples simultaneously into memory will benefit from more available RAM. If Reason is already running a complex project with multiple instruments, adding sample-heavy Refill content can push memory limits on lower-spec machines.

Reason+ vs. Perpetual License

If you're on a Reason+ subscription, some Refill content is streamed or licensed differently than content tied to a perpetual license purchase. Ownership vs. subscription access can affect whether certain packs remain available if your subscription status changes.

Different Users, Different Workflows

The same installation process plays out very differently depending on who's using it:

• A bedroom producer adding a single drum Refill to their boot drive will barely notice the addition — it just appears in the browser and works.
• A professional composer managing dozens of large libraries across multiple drives will spend more time configuring custom paths, managing disk space, and ensuring their NAS or external SSD setup is properly indexed.
• A Reason newcomer migrating from another DAW may be unfamiliar with the Refill format entirely and need to understand that it's Reason-specific — these files won't open in other DAWs.

The installation steps are the same across all of these profiles, but the organizational and performance decisions surrounding them vary significantly based on project scale, hardware, and how deeply embedded Reason is in the overall workflow.

What works cleanly for one setup may require more planning in another — and that depends entirely on the details of your own system and how you use Reason day to day. 🎚️