Check out the Best Mac music software. GarageBand is essentially a toy, albeit a powerful one in the right hands. Itâs fine for the odd bit of recording and play, but pros favour more flexible.
What is the best music production software (DAW) of 2018?
Every year this question arises much discussion on electronic music forums and social networks. Opinions are dividedâ¦some producers even says that this top is pointless anyway because any producer will use the program that already usedâ¦orâ¦that did not matter what music software you use, a good producer can make music using any DAW. BUT, youâll notice the same names year after year in the top positions of the charts on music production websites, forums, blogs, etc.
Somewhere is a grain of truth because the best music software is also the most popular software used and loved by the majority. When you are looking to buy something, always ask yourself what others in your guild use? What is the most popular product? Then depending on your needs and budget, you will choose the product that suits you best.
Letâs get to the main topicâ¦
To find out which is the best DAW we asked the producers. How? We created a poll that was shared on our social networks and sent to our subscribers. More than 10,000 people voted, so here is what we concluded:
1. Ableton Live 10
Undoubtedly Ableton Live 10 is the best DAW of 2019, voted by most readers. Ableton Live 10 is a clip-based sequencer that can be used for both studio-inside music production and live performances. With a better audio warping engine, a great creative workflow, and MIDI editing refinements, Ableton Live 10 DAW offers more flexibility than ever. The advanced automation abilities such as adding curves to automation or duplicate certain automation plus a full range of effects and instruments are ready to turn any idea into reality.
Ableton Live 1 is available priced at EUR 79 (for Live 9 Intro), EUR 349 (for Live 9 Standard) and EUR 599 (for Live 9 Suite).
2. Image-Line FL Studio 20
FL Studio 20 was and is one of the best music software, used and appreciated by many electronic music producers across the globe. This year ranks second, and this says a lot.
FL Studio 20 brings some significant developments and innovations such as the new âvectorialâ GUI that allow FL Studio 20 to be scaled in real-time and to support high-resolution screens, up to 8K. For those who have made the transition from a previous version, the workflow remains fairly familiar, yet some few changes have been made. Another great feature, beside the vectorial GUI is the implementation of multi-touch support for touchscreen monitors.
Beatmakers such as Lex Luger, Shawty Red, Young Chop, Jahlil Beats , Hit Boy use FL Studio. If you did not know, Jay-Z and Kayneâs âN***** in Parisâ was produced with FL Studio.
So, if you are looking for a fun and easy-to-use DAW, with a graphical interface that looks great and that can be customized according to your preferences, then FL Studio 12 is a very good choice.
FL Studio 20 is available (just for Windows) in three versions: Fruity Edition ($99), Producer Edition ($199) and Signature Bundle ($299). Another strength of FL Studio is that once you have purchased a license, you will have updates free updates for! It is the only music software that offers this.
3. Presonus Studio One 4
Studio One 4 developed by PreSonus is a very solid update, bringing some exciting new features such as the Scratch Pads and the Arranger Track, offering more flexibility than ever. Besides all this, Studio One 3 brings some long-awaited virtual instruments add-ons such as Mai Tai, a brand new polyphonic analog modeling synthesizer and the Presence XT sampler, an enhanced version of the previous Presence sampler. Also, there are new effects, such as the newest Rotor audio processor, BitCrusher, and Note FX.
PreSonus listened to its customers and has managed to make from Studio One 4 one of the best music software of this year. Presonus Studio One 3 is available in two versions: Artist for $99.95 and Professional for $399.95.
4. Cockos Reaper 5
Reaper from Cockos is a brilliant piece of music software providing all tools you need to make the best music. Reaper is a multi-track audio and MIDI recording, mixing and mastering, editing and processing digital workstation for both Windows and MAC OS.
Reaper 5 was released this summer and brings many improvements such as FX VST3 support, video support and performance, new GUI layouts, new automation options, extra fancy new theme and much more. This music software is one of the most affordable, for an individual non-commercial license you pay only $ 60. For those who want to test it, can download a 60 days fully-operational demo version of Reaper.
If you thought to change your DAW, Reaper 5 can be a good alternative, with a very active forum and many free tutorials online.
5. Apple Logic Pro X
Appleâs Logic Pro X is an MAC-only music software, very powerful and affordable with strong production capabilities.
After Logic Pro X 10.1, which was a big step forward, bringing many improvements, Logic Pro X 10.2 brings even more upgrades and more obvious is the addition of Alchemy, the next-generation sample manipulation synthesizer with over 3000 presets ready for all types of electronic music. Besides Alchemy synth, there are more features such as the Logic Remote from where you can control your DAW from any corner of your studio using an iPad.
Logic Pro X is available for MAC users priced at $199.99, affordable compared to other recording software from this list.
6. Steinberg Cubase 9
Cubase 9 developed by Steinberg is their latest and greatest version of Cubase music software with many new features and comes in two versions: Artist and Pro. Cubase Pro has all the features of Artist, plus a lot of features such as a Full Scoring Editor, VariAudio for pitch correction, Surround Sound, VCA Faders, Direct Routing, Wave View, significant performance increase and many GUI refinements.
Cubase 9 is available for Windows and MAC OS priced at $699 (PRO) and $399 (Artist).
7. Cakewalk Sonar 2018
Cakewalk Sonar 2018 is one of the more advanced digital audio workstation for Windows (PC) available today. Sonar 2018 comes with a brand-new interface (âSkylightâ), mix recall modes, vocal sync, Melodyne integration and some great new useful tools and new effects. Also, SONAR (Platinum, Professional) comes with Addictive Drums 2 (a great drum virtual instrument) included.
You can choose to get SONAR on a monthly or an annual basis. As long as you choose to pay a license, monthly or yearly, youâll get access to all updates and downloads. Sonar 2018 is available for Windows in three versions as follows: Artist: $99 upfront or $9 monthly, Producer: $199 upfront or $19.99 monthly, Platinum: $499 upfront or $49.99 monthly.
8. Avid Pro Tools 12
AVID Pro Tools is the next generation of the industry-standard music making audio software with artist collaboration support via Avid Cloud Collaboration.
Pro Tools with new updates and improvements for Editing, AudioSuite, Bounce, Audio, and Video Engines, Delay Compensation, I/O Setup, MIDI, and Satellite workflows to further improve stability.
Pro Tools is available for both Mac and Windows-based computers, priced at $599.
9. Bitwig Studio
Bitwig Studio is one of the newest DAW on the market. However, it quickly became one of the most stable and well-featured music software. Bitwig Studio 1.3 is the latest update and was released just a few days ago bringing and improved workflow and the touchscreen technology. Now Bitwig Studio can be used on any touchscreen device that runs on Windows, Linux and a special display profile for Microsoft Surface Pro. It can be said that at first sight Bitwig Studio looks quite well as Ableton Live, as this DAW is a clip-based sequencer.
Bitwig Studio is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux at a price of USD 299.99 / EUR 299.00, quite affordable.
You might also like to check our Bitwig Studio Review.
10. Propellerhead Reason 10
On the tenth position is the Propellerhead Reason 10, a music software with a different approach than many of its competitors and more than 10 years of development behind. Its GUI mimics the design of an actual studio rack, even giving you rear access for cable patching.
The latest version, released this year, Reason 8, introduces several enhancements that make this DAW a more modern one, easier to use and manage. Some buttons and controls were changed, now being much more intuitive, clean and logical to use.
Reason 10 is the latest update, released back in June and brings new sounds and a faster flow plus a massive update to Reasonâs classic RV7000 Advanced Reverb.
Reason 10 is available in two versions, the main version priced at â¬369 with all instruments, effects and all features included and another âEssentialsâ version priced at just â¬49, with some limitations.
Letâs not forget the other mentions of our readers who have voted for Renoise, Magix Samplitude Pro, MOTU Digital Performer, Apple GarageBand, Steinberg Nuendo, Acoustica Mixcraft and MuTools MuLab.
We hope this list will help you to choose the best DAW for you, whether you are a beginner or want to switch to another music software. From our experience, all these music programs are good, each can be used to create a great hit and can be used in any professional studio or in personal home-studios. The differences are mostly the price, workflows, tools included and support.
A Recording Studio for Your PC
There has never been a better time to buy digital audio workstation (DAW) software. Twenty years ago, to record a music album at a professional level, you needed a sizable mixing console, several eight-track digital records (such as ADATs or DA-88s), and a good selection of outboard compressors, reverb units, and other effects, plus a two-track deck to mix down to. In other words, you were looking at about $10K to $15K worth of gear to startâand that's before you got to microphones, speakers, and other accessories.
If you were on a budget, you'd probably stick with a tried-and-true Tascam or Yamaha four-track tape recorder and Alesis compressor, get used to bouncing tracks in mono, make peace with tape hiss, and remember to clean the tape heads every week. And you'd be sharply limited in the kinds of projects you could produce. The only easy multitrack recording you could do at the time was with MIDI, with hardware synthesizers or samplers, and maybe with a Mac or an Atari ST computer attached as a sequencer.
It's an entirely different world now. Software packages that cost a few hundred dollars now deliver hundreds of audio tracks and incredibly flexible editing. Some programs are even free. You can create as many instances of effects plug-ins as you want, including spot-on emulations of compressors that cost several thousand dollars each, and attach them to as many mixer channels as you want. It's all nearly unlimited and 'in the box' now.
Choosing the Right DAW
From the standpoint of someone recording 20 or 30 years ago, a DAW today is like a giant candy store; it's as if you can do almost anything. For the newcomer, though, it may seem almost hopelessly complex. Choosing the right audio software can be quite difficult. Most of the famous packages like Pro Tools and Logic have been around for decades. They've grown incredibly powerful, and as a result have user interfaces that are as complex asâ¦well, professional mix consoles.
So how to decide? To help with this task, we went out and tested the most popular DAWs. Numerous venerable (and excellent) recording magazines have reviewed these applications many times over the years. That's great for the existing user base of each DAW, but maybe not always quite as clear for newcomers. In each of our reviews, we did our best to approach each product as a whole, rather than devoting the majority of the space to just the latest features that were added in the most recent point update.
Before we get to the specifics, the simplest program for audio editing is a two-track editor; probably the most famous example here is the free Audacity. While Audacity aspires to some extremely basic multitrack recording with overdubs, its real use is as a solid stereo editor. If you're recording a podcast or editing a clip of your kid's piano recital that you recorded on your phone, Audacity is an excellent choice; you can probably start and stop there. If you need something more sophisticated, read on.
It helps to think about the kinds of projects you want to create. Are you planning on producing beats for hip-hop or fully electronic compositions? Do you want to record multiple musicians playing live instruments at once? Will you be using your setup to score for picture, or creating sound effects and dialogue for TV and video games? Do you need to produce fully polished, printed scores, or otherwise prefer to work with musical notes and staves? Do you plan on tuning the pitch of vocal performances? Working out the answers to these kinds of questions up front will help you narrow down your choices.
Best Music Software For Making BeatsWhat Comes With Each DAW?
The good news is all of the packages can we tested can more or less do all of the above tasks, with a few notable exceptions. The trick is that each program has strengths in different areas, and some tasks may be a bit more complicated in one than they are in another. One overarching rule to decide faster is to look at what your colleagues or friends are using, and then choose the same package. That makes it easier to share tips or even projects between each other, rather than being the lone person using a particular product and then introducing session import issues.
Another is to look at what's bundled with each program. Would you prefer a DAW that comes with a ton of virtual instrument sounds, such as synthesizers, sampled violins, guitars, and electric basses? You may want to look at something like Logic Pro X, Cubase Pro, or Studio One, all of which include many gigabytes of sounds and loops. Do you have or plan to buy your own instrument plug-ins you want to use? Reaper is a fully stripped down DAW at an excellent price, and it makes an excellent host for third-party VSTs. It's also great if you're recording a band full of live instruments and don't need much in the way of virtual ones. Do your tastes lean toward the electronic and synthesized realm? FL Studio, Reason, and Ableton Live are inspired choices with plenty of built-in synths, though you can produce electronic music with just about any of these programs.
Often, it comes down to the details and the editing philosophies. Do you prefer pattern-based recording for electronic music? FL Studio is going to have plenty to offer. Would you rather have a 'do-it-all' DAW with a large built-in sound library at a low price? PreSonus Studio One beckons. Do you want to not just be able to bring projects into major studios, but collaborate online and also open sessions directly as you work on them with others? It's impossible to top Avid's Pro Tools for this. Is the music already done, and you work in post-production and want to produce more professional podcasts or videos? Adobe Audition is a prime contender for these tasks. And if you've got a Mac, it's worth giving the free GarageBand a spin, if only because it's more powerful than it ever was and you already own it.
How Much Do You Want to Spend?Best Music Editing Software For Mac Free
Closely correlated to the bundled instruments and effects is price, and that's a factor that can cloud the issue a bit. Many of the top-tier packages also have less expensive (or even free), feature-limited editions available. It's not as simple as saying 'Reaper is a budget DAW at $60 and Studio One 3 is a professional-level DAW at $399,' because you can also buy the stripped-down (but still pretty feature-rich) Studio One Artist for $99. What do you lose? What do you gain? We try and touch on this as much as possible within each review.
Which DAW Is Right for You?
In short, read our reviews (linked below) and try some demos where you can. But otherwise, don't sweat it too much. We spent countless hours testing these products and putting together both the reviews and this guide. Despite the complexity of the software here, we've found it's honestly tough to go wrong. It's not like computers or cameras, where you can clearly see that of the latest crop of products, a few perform well and a few don't perform as well as the leaders. These are all mature, well-established products, each with thousands of fans.
Best Music Software For Mac
As a result, more than half of the packages in this roundup score at least four out of five stars. You can get professional-level results with all of them. Each has some specific workflows that work really, really well for some peopleâhence the endless 'X is the best and Y is garbage' arguments on the internetâbut they all can work for just about anyone.
Even so, we single out two DAWs, one on the Mac and one on the PC, for Editors' Choice awards: Apple Logic Pro X, for its absolutely unbeatable value with its built-in instruments and effects plug-ins, and Avid Pro Tools, for its seamless audio editing and suitability up and down the pro studio chain. But we'd happily use any of the programs listed below for new projects. Choose one, learn its secrets, and get to work creating and editing amazing music and audio projects.
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