Most major DAWs are cross-platform, meaning your options aren’t limited by the type of computer you’re running. This is great because it evens the playing field whether you’re comfortable on Windows or Mac operating systems. Apple users do have a slight advantage with Logic Pro X, which is arguably the best DAW for Mac as one of the few operating system-exclusive DAWs available.

Whatever software you choose, your options aren’t limited as an Apple user!

Ableton makes Push and Live, hardware and software for music production, creation and performance. Ableton´s products are made to inspire creative music-making. However, I’ve been in the electronic music scene for some time now, and IMO there seem to be 4 pieces of software that electronic music producers favor quite a lot. Logic Pro (only for Mac) and Ableton Live are probably two of the most popular DAWs in many professional electronic music studios and used but a majority of well-known artists.

Garageband

Right off the bat, if you own an Apple computer or mobile device, you also own Garageband. It’s free and a surprisingly capable DAW. A stripped-down version of Logic Pro X, Garageband is the perfect place to tinker with tracking, MIDI, and mixing before taking the plunge with weightier software. Its intuitive design makes it easy for beginners to jump in and test the waters.

Logic Pro X

One of the biggest advantages Logic Pro has over other DAWs is a massive built-in virtual instrument and audio loop library and excellent MIDI capabilities. If you lean more towards the creative side of music production rather than technical, Logic is an obvious choice. It has an intuitive, attractive interface as well, which is a factor when searching for your first DAW.

Logic is a great all-around DAW, though it leans toward music production and songwriting. The included Drummer instrument for example, which automatically grooves along to your song, is designed to help write music efficiently.

If you’re a producer and songwriter running an Apple machine, consider Logic for your audio needs. Its cost is attractive as well, particularly for what you get in stock plugins and instruments, making it the best DAW for Mac all around.

FL Studio 20

FL Studio is a standout choice for electronic and hip hop producers. Its workflow is one of the most unique out there, really lending itself to making beats quickly. Of course, it’s evolved over the years to be a capable audio editor and mixer, though it still shines primarily as a production tool.

If you’re interested in music making, you can’t go wrong here. FL Studio has come a long way from a four-channel drum machine to a full-fledged DAW.

FL Studio was previously Windows-only, though it has since opened up to Mac users, so it’s a notable choice here.

For electronic music production, FL Studio is perhaps the best DAW for Mac. Plus, it has a bunch of price points for whichever suits your needs.

Reaper

Reaper sometimes flies under the radar. It sort of has an “underground” following of devout users, but doesn’t always get the love it deserves. Reaper is an inexpensive, fully-functioning DAW. Its efficient 64-bit internal audio processing engine supports media in almost format at any bit depth and sample rate.

If this sounds like gibberish right now, just know that it’s a very capable program, and maybe the best DAW for Mac at its price point. There are no operating system limitations with Reaper!

Perhaps the biggest drawback with Reaper is that it doesn’t come with any of its own virtual instruments. If you plan to produce music, you may have to look elsewhere if you don’t plan on buying any third-party instruments right away.

Ableton Live

After its introduction in 2001, Ableton changed the expectation of what a standard DAW could be. Ever since, it’s gained massive popularity amongst electronic and hip hop producers.

Ableton really stands out in its MIDI sequencing. Some platforms are just plain clunky compared to Ableton’s workflow. Depending on which of the packages you choose from, the program comes with up to 70 GB worth of sounds, 13 software instruments, 41 audio effects, and 15 MIDI effects.

Ableton is a clear choice for EDM, hip hop, and other electronic-based music production. The Intro kit, starting at just $99, contains the following to get you started:

PreSonus Studio One

PreSonus Studio One 4 is another good choice for music production, offering a the full DAW experience. Sharing in Logic Pro X’s intuitiveness, Studio One keeps the artist in mind; not everyone wants to be an engineer, after all!

Features like “Arranger Track” and “Scratch Pad” allow users to make quick adjustments to arrangement or audition composition changes without committing to them. This makes Studio One great for composers working with dense arrangements.

Additionally, Impact XT and SampleOne XT are new virtual instruments in version 4, intended for beat-making and loop-based composition.

Studio One Prime is the DAW’s free version, with the Artist version coming in at just $99.95.

Cubase

Cubase, now in its 10th version, is the culmination of nearly three decades’ worth of Steinberg’s design and development expertise in music production.

A cutting edge, highly capable DAW, Cubase is utilized by a everyone from hip hop producers to film composers, and anyone in between.

Cubase’s sound quality is touted as industry-leading, and its intuitive handling reduces the learning curve. If you’re after a fully capable, all-around DAW, look no further.

Pro Tools

No list is complete without Pro Tools…

Avid’s Pro Tools is an industry leader. You’d be hard pressed to find any comparison like this which doesn’t mention it. It excels at tracking, editing, and mixing, so it’s obvious why the DAW is considered a gold standard.

At first glance it looks a bit daunting, but then again so does any audio editor and mixer. Once you’ve spent a bit of time with Pro Tools, its power becomes evident. Where it falls short, in many people’s opinions, is in the MIDI sequencing and music production arenas. It just doesn’t cater to quickly building a song in the way some other DAWs do, and the included virtual instruments are limited.

If you’re going to be tracking live audio and mixing all the time, however, Pro Tools is the best DAW for Mac or Windows!

Whether you’re starting music production as a hobby or planning to become the next superstar DJ, it’s best to begin with free music production software. Later on, when you evolve into an advanced user, you can switch to premium options that give you more freedom and a greater variety of tools.

In this article we have picked out some of the best free music making software for beginners.

1. GarageBand

When it comes to beginner-friendly music making software, GarageBand is the number one free option. It’s easy to download from the Mac App Store, and it teaches even beginner musicians how to use some powerful tools.

GarageBand also happens to be one of the easiest platforms to make great music. It allows you to create a song with up to 255 tracks and even offers a virtual session drummer.

However, even with all its visual simplicity, GarageBand can be rather intimidating for beginners. If you find this free music production software somewhat overwhelming, check out our step-by-step guide to GarageBand How to Use GarageBand: A Step-By-Step GuideGarageBand is a powerful audio recording and editing software for Mac, but getting started is tough. This tutorial will show you how to use GarageBand. Read More .

To speed up your learning process, we recommend installing it on all of your devices (Mac, iPhone, and iPad). ICloud gives you the flexibility to work on your music no matter where you are or which device you’re using.

If at some point you feel you’ve outgrown the free software, you can transfer all of your GarageBand files to Apple’s premium music production offering: Logic Pro.

Download: GarageBand for macOS (Free)

2. DarkWave Studio

An alternative for PC users, DarkWave Studio is a free music production software that supports Windows 7 or later. It doesn’t need much storage, which is perfect if you plan to use the free software to make music on a laptop (the best laptops for making music The Best Laptops for Music Production for All BudgetsYou don't need more than a laptop to start producing music. Here are the best laptops for music production. Read More ).

Although while DarkWave Studio is free, there are a few in-app ads you need to put up with.

Bob Headrick, HP Expert. I am not an employee of HP, I am a volunteer posting here on my own time. If your problem is solved please click the 'Accept as Solution' button. If my answer was helpful please click the 'Thumbs Up' to say 'Thank You'. Hp officejet 4500 print cartridge incorrectly installed. Learn how to fix an incompatible or missing cartridge error on HP OfficeJet, ENVY, and DeskJet 4500 and 4600 Printers.

This music production software comes with:

• Virtual Studio
• Pattern Editor
• Sequence Editor
• Multitrack Hard Disk Recorder

Select and edit digital music patterns using the Pattern Editor. The Sequence Editor allows you to line up patterns to play in any arrangement and mix the tracks together. And the Hard Disk Recorder includes recording options for live audio.

DarkWave Studio also includes 19 different plug-ins, which you can use to add virtual effects to your tracks.

With this many options and settings in separate windows, DarkWave Studio may seem a little difficult to use at first. However, you can find plenty of tutorials and support online, making this one of the best free music making software programs for beginners.

Download: DarkWave Studio for Windows (Free)

3. Audacity

Unlike the software we already covered, Audacity is a digital audio editor, not a digital audio workstation. Its main purpose is manipulating audio data rather than helping you organize different audio tracks into a coherent whole. You can read more about the difference in our comparison of Audacity and GarageBand GarageBand vs. Audacity: The Best Music Production Software ComparedGarageBand vs. Audacity is one of the big battles in music production software. Both are free, and provide a lot of features, but which will work better for you? Click to read our full comparison.. Read More .

Audacity lets you edit samples, process audio files, and export music as a wide range of formats, including MP3, WAV, or AIFF. It’s great if you’re looking for free music production software to put together beats and samples for songs.

Take a look at the best free DAW software for Windows The Best Free DAW Software for WindowsThere are plenty of great free DAW software programs to choose from. Here are the best free DAW for Windows. Read More if you need something more powerful.

The interface is simple to use, yet at the same time, the variety of effects and settings can be tough to wrap your head around. It might take you a few days to get comfortable with everything.

Audacity is available for download on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It’s one of the most popular music production software options and a great way to get started making music for free.

Download: Audacity for Windows macOS Linux

4. LMMS

LMMS (which used to stand for Linux MultiMedia Studio) is a cross-platform music production software, available on macOS, Windows, and Linux. It’s suitable for all kinds of music production and is a great free software option for beginners.

LMMS has multiple different windows to help you create music. Edit melodies in the Piano Roll and create a rhythm section with the Beat+Bassline Editor. Get an overview of your structure in the Song Editor, then mix everything together with the FX Mixer. You can even automate effects and volume using the Automation Editor.

LMMS has a wide variety of instrument synthesizers, so it’s a great piece of software to make music for free.

Among other good qualities of LMMS is its compatibility with third-party apps. The program supports VST and LADSPA plug-ins with which you can mix a multitude of extra effects into the music track.

When your music is ready, export it as MP3, AIFF, and WAV, or transfer files to different music production software.

Download: LMMS for Windows macOS Linux

5. Tracktion T7

Tracktion T7 was once a premium music production software. Rather than drop T7 when the next software came out, Tracktion decided to give it away completely free, making it one of the most feature-packed options on this list.

There are no track limits, plugin limitations, or 30-day trials with Tracktion T7. The clean, single-window interface is easy to wrap your head around, while still packing in a lot of different features.

You can use Tracktion T7 to edit audio, compose MIDI, add effects, and automate different instrument parameters. It gives you everything you need to start making music.

Tracktion T7 works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. If you get on well with the free software, you can always upgrade to Tracktion Waveform. This has even more features, including Groove Doctor, Subtractive Synthesizer, and Celemony Melodyne Essential.

Register for a free account on the Tracktion website to download Tracktion T7 to your computer.

Download: Tracktion T7 for Windows macOS Linux

6. Cakewalk by BandLab

Just like Tracktion T7, Cakewalk SONAR used to be a paid software that you can now get for free. It’s all thanks to BandLab buying Cakewalk in 2018.

Rebranded as Cakewalk by BandLab, this free music making software benefits from over 30 years of development. It’s another powerful option that you can use to compose, record, edit, mix, master, and share your music.

Add unlimited audio or MIDI tracks using its award-winning user interface. Then take advantage of Cakewalk’s VST3 software instruments and studio-quality effects, like convolution reverb and dynamic compression.

Cakewalk by BandLab is only available to Windows users. It’s compatible with Windows 7 and later, so long as your computer runs on 64-bit architecture. BandLab recommends you use a computer with at least a multi-core Intel processor and 4GB of RAM.

To get it, you first need to sign up for and install BandLab. Then you can choose the instrument and effects packs to download with Cakewalk SONAR using the Bandlab app.

Download: Cakewalk by BandLab for Windows

Find the Free Music Production Software for You

This list is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s a huge variety of free music making software out there. Researching and reading about other people’s experiences with it can help, but the best way to find your favorite option is by trying some of them out.

When you’re ready to move on to the next level, you’ll probably notice a bigger difference by buying a better computer for music production The 8 Best Computers for Music ProductionYou don't have to own a studio to find best computer for music production. Here are some of the best PCs for every budget. Read More rather than upgrading your software. Especially since so many of the options on this list offer everything you need already.