Adding refills to Reason 13 means downloading sound packs from Propellerhead Software or third-party developers and installing them into your library
Reason 13 comes with a built-in sound library, but you can expand it by adding refills — the file format Propellerhead uses for bundled instruments, loops, samples, and effects. A refill is a single downloadable package that contains organized sounds you can use in your projects. You read the refill file, place it in your Reason refills folder, and Reason automatically loads it the next time you start the program.
The process is straightforward because Reason scans a specific folder on your computer for refills every time it launches. You do not need to install anything or run a separate installer — just move the file to the right location and restart Reason.
Key Takeaways
- Refills are downloaded as single files and placed in your Reason refills folder, which Reason checks automatically when you start the program.
- Official refills come from Propellerhead's website or in-app shop, while third-party developers sell refills through their own sites or music software marketplaces.
- Windows and Mac store refills in different default locations, so you need to know which operating system you use before moving files.
- Once a refill is in the correct folder, you can browse its sounds in Reason's browser panel without any additional setup steps.
Finding the Reason refills folder on your computer
Reason looks for refills in a specific folder that varies depending on whether you use Windows or Mac. On Windows, the default location is C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\Propellerhead\Reason\Refills. On Mac, it is /Users/[Your Username]/Documents/Propellerhead/Reason/Refills. You can find your username by looking at the folder name in your Documents directory.
If the Refills folder does not exist yet, you can create it yourself. Open your file manager (File Explorer on Windows, Finder on Mac), navigate to Documents, then create a new folder called Propellerhead. Inside that, create a folder called Reason. Inside that, create a folder called Refills. Reason will recognize it the next time you launch the program.
You can also check where Reason is looking for refills by opening the program, going to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Reason > Preferences (Mac), then clicking File & Folder. The Refills folder path is listed there, and you can click Browse to open it directly.
Downloading refills from Propellerhead
Propellerhead sells official refills through their website at propellerheads.com and through the in-app shop inside Reason itself. The in-app shop is the easiest route — open Reason, click the Shop icon in the browser panel on the left side, and browse available refills by category. You can preview sounds before you buy, and purchased refills read automatically to your refills folder.
If you buy from the Propellerhead website instead, you will receive a read link in your email. Click the link, save the .rfl file to your computer, then move it to your Reason refills folder. The file name usually ends in .rfl, which is Reason's refill format.
Propellerhead regularly releases new official refills for instruments like Wavetable, Operator, and Thor, as well as loop packs and effect bundles. Check the shop periodically or sign up for their email list to see what is new.
Installing third-party refills
Many independent developers create and sell refills for Reason. Common marketplaces include Splice, Gumroad, and individual developer websites. When you purchase a third-party refill, you receive a read link that gives you a .rfl file. The installation process is identical to official refills — read the file and move it to your Reason refills folder.
Some third-party refills come as .zip files that you need to unzip first. Right-click the .zip file and select Extract (Windows) or double-click it (Mac), then move the resulting .rfl file to your refills folder. Do not move the .zip file itself — Reason only recognizes .rfl files.
Before buying a third-party refill, check the developer's website to confirm it is compatible with Reason 13. Most modern refills work across recent versions, but older packs may not load in the latest version of Reason.
Organizing refills in your library
Once a refill is in your refills folder and Reason has restarted, the sounds appear in your browser panel under the category the developer assigned them. You can search for sounds by name using the search box at the top of the browser, or browse by instrument type — Drums, Keys, Synths, Loops, and so on.
If you have many refills, you can create subfolders inside your Refills folder to organize them by developer or category. Reason will still recognize all .rfl files in any subfolder. For example, you could create a folder called "Drums" and move drum-focused refills into it, then move that folder into your main Refills folder. Reason scans subfolders automatically.
You can also disable a refill temporarily without deleting it. Move the .rfl file out of your Refills folder to a backup location, restart Reason, and the sounds will no longer appear. Move the file back to re-enable it.
Troubleshooting refills that do not appear
If you added a refill but the sounds do not show up in Reason, first restart the program completely. Reason only scans the refills folder when it launches, so new files will not appear until you close and reopen the process.
Next, verify the file is actually in the correct refills folder. Open your file manager and navigate to the path listed in Reason's Preferences. Make sure the file ends in .rfl — if it is a .zip file, you need to unzip it first. If the file is there and Reason still does not see it, try moving it to the Documents > Propellerhead > Reason > Refills path manually, even if you created a custom location.
If Reason is an older version (before 12.0), some newer third-party refills may not be compatible. Check the refill's system requirements on the developer's website. You can also try moving the refill to a temporary folder and restarting Reason to see if it generates an error message that explains the problem.
Managing storage and backup
Refills can range from a few megabytes to several gigabytes, depending on how many samples they contain. If you have limited storage space, check the file size before downloading. Most developers list the size on their product page.
Back up your refills folder regularly, especially if you have purchased many paid refills. Copy your entire Refills folder to an external drive or cloud storage. If your computer fails or you reinstall Reason, you can restore your refills by copying the folder back to the correct location. This is faster than re-downloading everything and ensures you do not lose access to refills you paid for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to restart Reason every time I add a refill?
Yes. Reason scans your refills folder only when the program starts, so you must close and reopen Reason for new refills to appear. If you add multiple refills, you only need to restart once — Reason will load all of them.
Can I use the same refill on multiple computers?
That depends on the refill's license. Official Propellerhead refills are tied to your account, and you can read them on any computer where you log in. Third-party refills vary — check the developer's terms. Some allow installation on multiple personal computers, while others restrict it to one machine.
What happens if I delete a refill from my folder?
The sounds disappear from your browser the next time you restart Reason. Any projects that used sounds from that refill will still open, but those sounds will show as missing. You can re-read the refill to restore them.
Can I move my refills folder to a different location?
Yes. Create a new folder wherever you want, move your .rfl files into it, then tell Reason where to find them. Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Reason > Preferences (Mac), click File & Folder, and change the Refills folder path to your new location. Restart Reason and it will scan the new folder.
Are there free refills available?
Yes. Propellerhead occasionally releases free refills, and many third-party developers offer free packs on their websites or through sites like Splice. Search for "free Reason refills" to find current options, though availability changes over time.