Microsoft Expression is Microsoft's product line for web design and web development. It first started as part of Office 2007, and was later distributed as a separate product line. Expression Studio 4 is the latest and final release. The installation files were available from Digital River, however, the downloads have been removed by now.
Important Note February 2015
Microsoft has taken down all previous and current download servers (msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent.net, msft.digitalrivercontent.net, digitalrivercontent.net and drcdn.blob.core.windows.net)! At this point it is unlikely that the downloads will ever come back.
If you need installation media for and old Expression Studio edition, and have proof of purchase, you can try to order a replacement disk for a small processing fee.
Expression Web 4 is Freeware
Microsoft no longer distributes Expression Studio as a product line. Any future versions will be integrated into Visual Studio. They have, however, released a couple of components as freeware. In the Microsoft Download centre you'll find free versions of Expression Web, Expression Web Super Preview, Expression Encoder and Expression Design.
Free Upgrade from Expression 3 to Expression 4
Expression Studio 4 can be installed on top of Expression Studio 3 without needing to provide a new activation key. This upgrade works from Expression Studio 3 to Expression Studio 4 Ultimate, as well as from Expression Web 3 to Expression Studio 4 Web Professional.
Purchase an Expression Studio Activation Key
Although Microsoft no longer officially offers Expression Studio for purchase, many packages are still available through Amazon or eBay. The following links point to some products I was still able to make out on Amazon for each edition. Pricing is not always logical, and newer or better edition might indeed be cheaper:
Purchase Expression Studio 1
- Expression Studio 1
- Expression Web 1 (single component)
- Expression Blend 1 (single component)
- Expression Media 1 (single component)
Purchase Expression Studio 2
- Expression Studio 2
- Expression Web 2 (single component)
- Expression Blend 2 (single component)
- Expression Encoder 2 (single component)
- Expression Media 2 (single component)
Purchase Expression Studio 3
Purchase Expression Studio 4
Former direct download links, only for reference
The following table is provided for reference only, so that you know which file name is which Expression version, in case you find some of the files from an alternative download source. The downloads in this table are no longer working.
Expression Studio 1
| Language | Expression Studio 1 | Expression Web 1 | Expression Blend 1 | Expression Media 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese, traditional (Taiwan) | X13-83794.exe | X13-09220.exe | X13-83601.exe | X13-83737.exe |
| English (USA) | X13-80453.exe | X13-09221.exe | X13-74270.exe | X13-80454.exe |
| French (France) | X13-83785.exe | X13-09222.exe | X13-83594.exe | X13-83730.exe |
| German (Germany) | X13-83790.exe | X13-09223.exe | X13-83597.exe | X13-83733.exe |
| Italian (Italy) | X13-83789.exe | X13-09224.exe | X13-83596.exe | X13-83732.exe |
| Korean (Republic of Korea) | X13-83792.exe | X13-09226.exe | X13-83599.exe | X13-83735.exe |
| Spanish (Spain) | X13-83786.exe | X13-09227.exe | X13-83595.exe | X13-83731.exe |
Expression Studio 1 Tutorials (English only)
| Product | Link |
|---|---|
| Total Training Expression Web 1 | X13-72004.exe (old) X13-82416.exe (new) |
| Total Training Expression Blend 1 | X13-73715.exe (old) X13-84372.exe (new) |
| Total Training Expression Media 1 | X13-74272.exe (old) X13-84327.exe (new) |
| Total Training Expression Design 1 | X13-81759.exe |
Expression Studio 2
| Language | Expression Studio 2 | Expression Web 2 | Expression Blend 2 | Expression Encoder 2 | Expression Media 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese, traditional (Taiwan) | X14-89890.exe | X14-89926.exe | X14-89910.exe | X14-89918.exe | X14-89895.exe |
| English (USA) | X14-89884.exe | X14-89927.exe | X14-89911.exe | X14-89919.exe | X14-89896.exe |
| French (France) | X14-89885.exe | X14-89928.exe | X14-89912.exe | X14-89920.exe | X14-89897.exe |
| German (Germany) | X14-89886.exe | X14-89929.exe | X14-89913.exe | X14-89921.exe | X14-89898.exe |
| Italian (Italy) | X14-89887.exe | X14-89930.exe | X14-89914.exe | X14-89922.exe | X14-89899.exe |
| Korean (Republic of Korea) | X14-89889.exe | X14-89931.exe | X14-89915.exe | X14-89923.exe | X14-89900.exe |
| Spanish (Spain) | X14-89888.exe | X14-89932.exe | X14-89916.exe | X14-89924.exe | X14-91003.exe |
Expression Studio 3
| Language | Expression Web 3 | Expression Studio 3 |
|---|---|---|
| English (USA) | X15-66092.exe | X15-66091.exe |
| French (France) | X15-67872.exe | X15-67876.exe |
| German (Germany) | X15-67874.exe | X15-67878.exe |
| Korean (Republic of Korea) | X15-67885.exe | X15-67881.exe |
Expression Studio 4
| Language | Expression Studio 4 Web Professional | Expression Studio 4 Ultimate | Expression Encoder 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| English (USA) | X16-88712.exe | X16-88716.exe | X16-88717.exe |
| French (France) | X16-93414.exe | X16-93402.exe | X16-93408.exe |
| German (Germany) | X16-93412.exe | X16-93418.exe | X16-93406.exe |
| Italian (Italy) | X16-93416.exe | X16-93404.exe | X16-93410.exe |
| Japanese (Japan) | X16-93411.exe | X16-93417.exe | X16-93405.exe |
| Korean (Republic of Korea) | X16-93413.exe | X16-93419.exe | X16-93407.exe |
| Spanish (Spain) | X16-93415.exe | X16-93403.exe | X16-93409.exe |
Microsoft Expression for Mac
| Language | Expression Media 1 | Expression Media 2 |
|---|---|---|
| English (USA) | X13-74322.dmg | X14-89903.dmg |
| French (France) | X13-83739.dmg | X15-01126.dmg |
| German (Germany) | X13-83742.dmg | X15-01132.dmg |
| Italian (Italy) | X13-83741.dmg | X15-01127.dmg |
| Spanish (Spain) | X13-83740.dmg | X15-01133.dmg |
