In this video I update the list of the best free DAW software for music production on Windows 10 in 2020. If you're getting into home studio recording or jus.
If youâre a serious musician, podcaster, or budding audio engineer, you care about the quality of your recordingsâor you should. And thatâs why the audio recording programs you use matter.
However, Iâd like to add that itâs not the software that makes the music. Itâs your skills as an audio engineer.
To illustrate, Iâd like to tell you a story of an interesting email thread a while back. This guy was looking for a home studio, and he was asking around for where to go.
An acquaintance of mine chimed in with his answer, with some details about studios and such but there was one comment that infuriated me:
âYou might want to have someone whoâs recording onto protools. (sic)â
Ughâ¦
Now, I know that not all musicians are engineers so I should let that slide. And this person is a great musician, but heâs a little off in what makes up a great studio.
The thing that bothers me is that software companies are so good at brainwashing the public into believing that their software is crucial to the makings of a good record.
It REALLY isnât.
It doesnât matter whether you use Pro-Tools, Nuendo, Cubase, Sonar Producer, Logic Pro, Digital Performer, GarageBand, Live, or any of the other software thatâs for sale out there.
Itâs the least important thing in the grand scheme of:
âhey I want to know how to record my songs or have someone do it for meâ¦.what should I buy first?â
The software isnât going to tell you what sounds good. Itâs not a robot that knows how to engineer a great guitar sound. It canât tell you if youâre overcompressing your drums or flooding your vocals with reverb. This is something that the engineer needs to know. This is the skill of the engineer, regardless of what software heâs using.
Pro-Tools is not going to make your music sound any better.
Ask yourself:
If you install [insert preferred software here] onto your computer, is it going to make the acoustics in your room any better?
No.
Is it going to make the sound of your pre-amps any better?
No.
Free Music Studio Software For Pc
Will it walk out of the computer, look at your monitors and say, âGee, maybe you should space those monitors a little further apart for better imaging.â
No, itâs not some mega nerdy Cylon engineer.
Itâll just do what you tell it to do. And if you feed it garbage it will give you trash.
Skills Make Sounds â Not Software
So think more about what skills you need to record a great sound than the software that âtheyâ tell you that you desperately need to get.
Yes, you need software. But any software is great if you, or the engineer you hire, is excellent at using it. I use Logic. Do I recommend Logic to everybody. Not really.
My philosophy is that any software that youâre comfortable using is the best software for your situation. The skills and knowledge of engineering are infinitely more important than any audio recording software thatâs out there.
Now that weâve got that rant out of the way letâs talk about what software solutions you have available, both free and paid.
A quick search on Amazon will show you a lot of different options that will give you decision anxiety, so weâve compiled a list for you to reduce your hyperventilating so that you can go back to what you set out to do before, make music.
71 Free Shortcuts to Easy Separation and Balance in Your Mixes
If youâve been struggling to hear all the instruments in a mix, my EQ cheatsheet will help you out.
Top 5 Free Audio Recording Programs
Most run-of-the-mill, audio recording apps that come pre-installed on your computer just wonât cut it (with the possible exception of GarageBand for Macs, a reasonably high-quality recorder for simple projects), and you also may not be willing or able to spend an arm and a leg for professional grade software.
However, youâre in luck. There are some great free tools that actually donât suck and can produce the kind of quality recording that will make anybody who listens to your works of art â or wit if youâre a podcaster â it up and take note of what you have to offer.
Here are some of the very best, completely free recording tools that will help bring your sounds to life.
1. Audacity
Available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux
Audacity is the go-to open-source audio recording application, and as long as your goals arenât overly ambitious, it puts an enormous amount of power in your hands. It can record just about anything you throw at it, whether itâs from a microphone, through the line-in jack, or live streaming audio (if supported by your sound card), all in a lightweight and clean interface. Many recording enthusiasts, especially podcasters, appreciate Audacityâs uncomplicated user experience and ease of use.
Audacity supports recording in sample rates from 44.1 to an excessive 192 kHz, which sets the stage for studio-caliber and even ultrasonic recordings if you have the hardware to handle it. Also included is support for 32-bit floating point, providing ample headroom for your recorded signal.
It comes with effects such as an equalizer with helpful presets, pitch, speed and tempo controls, delay, reverb, compressor, fade in/out, and a noise remover. You can expand this palette thanks to Audacityâs generous support of VST, LADSPA, Nyquist and Audio Unit plugins.
Audacityâs strength is its simplicity. While you can make it do multi-track recording if youâre so inclined, it will never gain centerpiece status in a true recording studio. However, it is beginner-friendly, easy to use for quick edits you need to make on the fly (whether that means filtering out unwanted noise, boosting vocals or other frequencies through equalization, or just cutting and pasting), and extremely well-suited for hobbyist and podcast recording applications.
2. Garageband
Available for Mac OS only
Garageband comes free with any Mac computer and is pretty legit for most recording needs.
Although it canât do major processing like its big brother Logic, itâs more than able to do any multi-track recording and minor mixing work.
Highly recommend for the bedroom recordist thatâs just starting out and needs a simple solution to lay down some demos.
3. Traverso
Available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux
Traverso, another fully featured DAW thatâs sure to meet common recording needs, is all about convenience.
This program eschews a traditional âmenuâ structure in favor of innovative keyboard and mouse shortcuts, which brings a crisp immediacy to recording tasks. Thereâs no doubt about itâthere will be a bit of a learning curveâbut the developers claim to have integrated input and execution so seamlessly that you practically learn how to do things as you go along. Furthermore, users have an array of options that make recording demo CDs a snap. You can create tables of contents and burn discs without ever leaving Traverso.
Other features that dovetail nicely with the âstay out of the wayâ philosophy behind Traverso include non-destructive editing, or the ability to use plugins and make edits without changing the actual sample, and lockless real-time audio processing, which reduces latency and streamlines performance. Traversoâs commitment to intuitive recording and mastering controls makes the program stand out among its similarly free counterparts.
4. Ardour DAW
Available for Mac OS and Linux
Ardour is yet another great free DAW: one that is taking aim at cream-of-the-crop professional software and is promising for real studios with low budgets.
It features non-destructive editing, 32-bit float, supports unlimited tracks, and has extremely flexible routing capabilities. With support for LADSPA, LV2, and VST plugins, youâll be able to make your favorite customizations without a hassle. Synchronization with video is supported, and full handling of MIDI recording, playback and editing are expected with the highly-anticipated release of the third edition of Ardour.
The thing that sets Ardour apart from the rest of the pack is whatâs under the hood. It runs on JACK, an underlying sound server that facilitates low-latency audio recording and communication among various programs. Although Ardour itself only runs on Mac OS and Linux at present, a Windows port has been conceptualized, and efforts towards building one are in full swing as of June 2012, and JACK is already a true cross-platform utility that runs on the aforementioned systems as well as Windows. JACK is excellent at handling MIDI so that Ardour will take full advantage of that upon the release of the third edition.
Ardour is complex and certainly not for newbies. Some have complained about the potentially confusing graphical user interface (GUI), which is quite inaccessible to someone whoâs never seen or seriously worked with a DAW before. But if youâre an audio engineer of any level of experience and strapped for cash, you may find that Ardour fits the bill for your projects quite nicely.
5. Jokosher
Available for Windows and Linux
Jokosher is billed as the âmusicianâs DAWâ and the Linux alternative to GarageBand, the standard, pre-installed, easy-to-use workstation for Macs. Here, you wonât find advanced editing and mastering tools by the names that most engineers know: itâs a program that speaks in a music makerâs language.
While not as heavyweight as its counterparts, Jokosher takes a lot of the guesswork out of the recording process for people who are new to it. All of the basic, expected editing tools are at the userâs disposal. Startup is fast, easy and straightforward. Tracks are called âinstruments,â and you can set them up based on the type of instrument you intend to record. If itâs an acoustic guitar for example, simply select âAcoustic Guitar,â and the track will be clearly labeled as such with a cute picture to boot, providing an excellent visual layout of instruments used in the mix.
Jokosher supports LADSPA plugins only, and as of June 2012 itâs still in its early development stages. But for musicians and podcasters who want to record simple products and get a first taste of manipulating tracks in a DAW, this simple program is hard to beat.
Alternative to Pro-Tools That Wonât Break the Bank
Most of the big pro studios are using Avid Pro Tools to make all the records going to the radio these days, but itâs slowly losing its status as an industry standard due to the quality of its competitors. There are plenty of lower-cost DAWs and a wealth of free and inexpensive plug-ins that bring professional studio sound right to your computer.
Even though Pro Tools is the premier name in the industry, there is really no special voodoo under the hood. It is simply a graphical user interface that lets you move some bits (and thus sounds) around inside your computer. There is no difference in the way Pro Tools sounds and the way any of its competitors sound, period.
So you can comfortably make a foray into saving money by purchasing one of the many alternatives to Pro Tools ânone of which will cause even your fans to hear a difference.
1. Steinberg Cubase
There is the perennially popular Steinberg Cubase, which is perhaps the granddaddy of them all so to speak. The German-engineered application is perhaps the Mercedes-Benz of DAWs, offering pioneering technology and reliable performance.
And if you need a guide to Cubase, my buddy Chris Selim over at Mixdown Online has just the training you need. (affiliate link)
2. Logic Pro X
Apple has two DAWs in its stable: Garageband, a veritable staple discussed before, and Logic Pro. In both cases, the quality of these programs is very high and both will work with a wide assortment of audio hardware.
3. Cockos Reaper
Perhaps the best-kept secret in the world of DAWs is Reaper. Reaper is a heads-on contender for any other DAW on the list, including Pro Tools. The best part is that Reaper is not only among the best, it is also one of the least expensive, coming in at only $60 for the discounted license. All the features are there: real-time recording and editing, unlimited track count, VST and DX plug-in support, and more.
4. Studio One
Presonusâs Studio One is a great option as well. It contains everything you need to produce music and seems very intuitive and easy to use.
In fact, itâs probably the only DAW that might make me switch from Logic. A lot of my producer and engineer friends use it, and they swear by it, citing its ease of use, sound quality, and simplicity with production.
There is nothing wrong with using Pro Tools, of course. But if you canât afford to shell out the big dollars for the industryâs biggest name, you still get the great results with the above applications.
Audio Recording Programs for Any Situation
All of the above are solid apps with unique feature sets and strengths, dedicated fan bases, and active support and development teams. The free DAWs donât have the advanced functionality of much more expensive, industry-standard solutions, but depending on your needs Iâm sure youâll find something that works for you.
Try them out and decide which combination of user experience and specific features works best for you.
Happy recording!
Parts of this post were contributed by Daniel Kimbrel and Jessica Josh. If you would like to submit a guest post, check out the guidelines here.
Daniel is a movie buff and freelance writer. He contributes to a number of music sites online. Jessica Josh is an Australian freelance writer and blogger. Since 2007 she has been writing about weddings, fashion, and music.
Image by: Shawn Econo
Are you an aspiring artist who wants your own recording studio? They say start small, but where do you really start?
Having a home recording studio is something that is now becoming fairly common among music producers, artists, and even hobbyists. The thing about the modern recording studio today â is you really donât need much to start producing music.
Thousands of branded studio equipment have now become accessible and affordable more than ever, and the digital age has made it easier â with computers and plugins replacing studios.
Know what you need and work within your budget
If youâre on a tight budget, you can go for a minimalist approach and buy gear thatâs compact and affordable. As long as it does the job, youâre better off starting with the basics. However, if you have more money to spend, you can go ahead and splurge on a more intermediate set of studio equipment.
Before buying anything, itâs important to set a specific goal.
Is music production going to be a hobby? Or is it something you want to take seriously and make a living from?
Knowing the reason you set your studio will determine the type of equipments youâll invest in â so write down your goals and purpose.
Written them? Letâs talk about the essentials for a home recording studio.
1. A Music Production Computer (Laptop or PC)
Your computer will be the heart of your studio. Generally speaking, a laptop or PC with at least 8GB of RAM, running on a Core i5 processor is a good start.
Read more:Should I use Mac or Windows for Music Production?
Get A Laptop for Music Production if:
Get A PC for Music Production if:
Obviously, the reasons to go for either a laptop or computer will vary depending on your needs. However, youâll get further with building your own custom music production PC, compared to a laptop. When it comes to computers to do recording and producing â faster storage drives (SSDs), bigger RAM and CPU is your friend.
Iâm however a fan of mobile music making. And from experience, depending on the type of music you do, sometimes even a laptop will suffice.
Few music production computers to give you an idea.
Read More: Top 10 Best Laptops for Music Production
2. Choosing a Right Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
Your DAW is the software that you use for recording, editing, mixing and generally to produce music.
If you own a Mac computer, it already comes with a basic DAW, Garageband. You can then upgrade to the full version called Logic Pro X, available on the Apple store for $199 â which honestly, is one of the most complete DAW, widely used by music producers.
Choosing a DAW again depends on your needs and goals. With so many to choose from, allow me to shed some light:
i. Reliability and Support
Choose a DAW that has good support and updates. It helps to go for DAWs that has a community forum filled with active users. This would be valuable whenever you have questions to ask and thereâs a community to help you.
DAW makers like Presonus Studio One and Reaper has strong communities like these. The company also constantly listen to user requests and builds new features into the DAW.
ii. Cross-Platform
These days it pays to use DAWs that works on both Windows and Mac. This opens up more opportunities to collaborate with other music producers around the world who might not be using the same computer OS as you.
iii. Industry Standard DAWs
Like it or not, if you work professionally with music â youâre going to bump into scenarios where youâll have to work in âindustry-standardâ DAWs like Pro Tools or Steinberg Nuendo. It pays itself to be a producer who knows how to use Pro Tools.
Other than that, Iâd suggest you try a few DAWs to get a feel of producing with them, before settling for a DAW.
Depending on your needs, look for how intuitive the interface is and if it helps you produce music more efficiently. Are the effects, plugins and instruments that come with it enough for your production needs?
Otherwise, here are some quick suggestions.
Read more on choosing that perfect DAW: How to Choose a DAW to Produce Music
3. Audio Interface
An audio interface is like an external soundcard that helps you record analog audio (microphones & instruments) into digital audio on your computer. It also ensures better audio quality for tracking and mixing.
Youâll need an audio interface if you plan on doing any type of recording like vocal recording, guitars and as well as capturing live performances.
For producers who donât do recordings, having a dedicated audio interface helps you with lower audio latencies â especially when using virtual instruments and plug-ins. Better audio interfaces with good DACs (digital audio converters) also helps with more accurate audio representation on your headphones or studio monitors.
For starters, an audio interface with a basic amount of inputs and outputs is good enough to get the ball rolling. This will, of course, depend on your needs, as well as the type of music you produce and which tasks you need to get done.
You should also consider the type of connectivity that youâll need and have access to. USB is the most common among users, but Thunderbolt is faster and comes with lower latency.
Some of the most popular interfaces for beginners are:
You might want to research more on which interface will run smoothly with your chosen DAW because itâs quite inevitable that there will be compatibility issues along the way.
You can explore other options and check out last yearâs top-rated audio interfaces by reading this post:
4. MIDI controller
When it comes to producing music, relying on real instruments to help you finish a project isnât always applicable to everyone. There are some people who own and can play real instruments but there are also others who donât. This is where a MIDI controller becomes essential.
While music production is constantly evolving, more and more people are using virtual instruments that sound as realistic as they should be. A MIDI controller enables you to play virtual instruments using keys and pads, while adding musical expressions with the use of effect knobs, pitch bend wheels and other controls.
So how do you know which one to buy?
If youâre a piano player who wants to be able to play without limitation, you can buy a controller with 61 keys. On the other hand, a 25-key controller is perfect for someone who is just starting out, which can later on be upgraded to 49 keys if you want more flexibility without breaking the buck.
You can start with these affordable options:
A few cons that you might encounter will include some complexities in terms of keyboard to software configuration and a few build issues here and there. Nonetheless, it is still quite competitive for the size, price and features.
If youâre planning to invest in a more mid-range option, you can check out this post which also includes some MIDI controllers on the higher end:
5. Microphone
There are many kinds of microphones for different studio needs.
For starters, including a dynamic or condenser microphone on your list will be valuable if youâll do a lot of vocal and instrument recording.
You can go for a USB-powered microphone if you want something quite basic and youâre skipping to buy an audio interface. On the other hand, buying a decent dynamic or condenser microphone will be a good investment for your recording needs.
Choosing the best microphone for your studio will depend on several factors.
If youâre a vocalist or a voice over talent, your vocal style and gender will matter, given that both male and female vocals differ in pitch, texture and timbre. This means that most microphones will capture and translate these vocals differently since each of them also have their own frequency responses.
For instance, an MXL 770 will sound just right for raspy female vocals, as well as rap male vocals. A Rode NT1, however, will capture female vocals quite differently and might give it more of that sibilance, while making some male vocals sound a bit warmer.
Choosing the right microphone for your voice will be tricky at first, so itâs better to try it out at a local audio store before buying.
Another factor to take into consideration is the genre of music you want to record. While condenser microphones are often used for Pop, Hip-hop and other related genres, dynamic microphones are great for Rock, Grunge and Metal.
The type of microphone to buy will also depend on what you want to record, aside from vocals. Condenser microphones are often used to record single instruments like an acoustic guitar, while dynamic microphones are better for recording drums.
Here are a few options to start with:
Just in case youâre looking for a more in-depth and detailed guide on how to choose the perfect microphone for your studio, here are more posts to read:
6. Headphones
In order to be able to monitor while recording audio and maybe mix-master on the go, youâll need a decent pair of cans that can accurately translate your recordings.
While there are many types of headphones for different uses, the most common for recording are the closed-back types. For monitoring, it is best to pick a pair of headphones that wonât bleed noise into the mic while youâre recording.
Apart from monitoring while recording, you can also use your headphones as an extra reference for mixing and mastering. Take note that it is not advisable to rely on headphones alone, as it may cause hearing fatigue and ear damage.
Mixing on headphones is also considered to give you that unnatural way of hearing sound, given that it will be too close to your ears â disregarding the space and environment which lets us hear music the normal way.
Nevertheless, a pair of headphones is an essential element in audio recording and music production.
Check out these options if youâre just starting out:
Check out this post to see more options:
7. Studio monitors
To give you the most accurate and transparent monitoring, studio monitors are one of the most essential items that you cannot skip in order to help you create better mixes.
Although this is one of the items that will be more expensive to buy, investing on it will give you the best results and best value for your money. Choosing the right brand will depend on your preferences, as well as the size of your recording studio.
Start with smaller monitors if you have a small space. Most monitors will come in different sizes for different room sizes. If you have that extra money to spend, you can consider buying them with a stand or a pair of isolation pads. Donât forget to buy cables that will match your setup.
These are some of the most popular ones to check out:
Read more about studio monitor options here:
8. Acoustic foams and panels for acoustic treatment
More often than not, most beginners start with buying expensive gears before considering to treat their rooms or home studios acoustically. Although this is the most overlooked factor among newbies, buying the right kind of acoustic treatment will go a long way, especially when it comes to recording, mixing and mastering.
Take note that soundproofing a room is different from acoustic treatment. When it comes to soundproofing, the goal is to keep the sound from leaking into the outside of your room and vice versa. If you have that extra money to spend, you can, of course, include this item on your list.
In acoustic treatment, however, you are simply controlling how sound is reflected; balancing its diffusion and absorption in order to make better-sounding recordings.
At first, you may not have an idea of which ones to buy and where to put them. Good news is, some companies specializing in these products have room analysis services which you can get for free. Some of them even have an app for both Apple iOS and Android which you can use to analyze your own room or studio.
Once you get an idea of what to buy and where to put them, you can either find a local distributor of these brands in your country, have them shipped or you can also buy these items off Amazon if you want something more affordable:
9. External hard drive
As you explore the world of audio recording and music production, youâre going to have to deal with a lot of files. You may think that your laptop has enough storage but you will surely be overwhelmed once you start to take your recordings and music production to the next level.
To get the most out of your computerâs performance, make sure that you separate the programs from your audio files by compartmentalizing your storage with an external hard drive.
Install your DAW, plug-ins and VSTâs on your computerâs drive and save your exported files, sample libraries and other files on your external one. This will optimize your workflow and save you from those dreaded crashes and slow loading times.
Here are some options worth checking out:
Best Music Studio Software10. Cables, adapters and other studio accessories
The last item on the list are your recording accessories. This may not be the main focus when setting up a studio but youâll be surprised at how often youâll use them.
In the beginning, youâll need to take note of which type of cables your setup requires for microphones, studio monitors, audio interfaces, etc. The most commonly used ones are XLRs and ¼ inch instrument cables or TRS cables. An RCA might come in handy as well, if ever you would want to explore other options for connectivity.
Adapters might also be used for headphones and other purposes. It is best to do your own research on which ones to include so that every accessory will just be within your reach if ever the need arises.
Other studio accessories will include microphone stands, studio monitor stands, reflection filters or portable vocal booths, equipment bags and cases â the list goes on depending on how basic or how advanced you want your home recording studio to be.
Top 10 Free Music Studio Software DownloadsConclusion
Now that you have an idea of the essential pieces of equipment to buy in order to put up a home studio, you can go ahead and do more research on brand and product reviews. This will help a lot in terms of choosing the right products and spending your money wisely.
For any questions or tips regarding this topic, feel free to leave a comment below.
Best Free Music Studio Software
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