TOP 5 Best FREE DAW Music Production Software

The Best Free Music Production Software (DAW)

A tale of a broke musician…

Not every talent has a financial background that provides expensive headphones, microphones, top-notch computers, or the latest DAW software with a price tag of a golden bar. Well, if you found yourself in this description, keep on reading – we’re bringing you a list of the best free production software.

1. AUDACITY

To start it off with a classic we have all been using for at least some period of time to record something on the go or just to swiftly add an effect – Audacity. Not an actual DAW in terms of making an instrumental, but more likely to add a casual delay or reverse the recording. You will be able to convert your audio files, edit them, change speed, pitch, etc., cut, copy, slice, and even write your own plug-ins. It started off as a project developed by a group of volunteers under General Public License and still going strong today – over 17 years later.

Link:Audacity

2. T7 (Tracktion 7)

This full music production workstation offers everything needed to finish off a quick demo or record a session. T7 by Tracktion offers a single-screen interface with a mixer that consists of EQ, leveler, pan, and some plugins. It has a surprisingly responsive UI for free software and will provide you with additional features like automation, an unlimited number of tracks, and minimum requirements for any major OS (Mac, Linux, Windows).

Visit their site and try it out: tracktion.com

3. LMMS

LMMS DAW started out as a Linux based media studio, but outgrown its roots and now covering three operating systems (Mac, Linux, Windows). It is one of the most popular free music editing suites and takes the crown for the most comprehensive one that is free. Easy to use interface is based on only four elements. It even includes synthesizers, sequencers, great effects, and support for other plug-ins. Built-in VST instruments are surprisingly well done and the effects, although basic, do their job.

Link: LMMS

4. Rosegarden

In development since 1993, this great tool for music production is powerful and easy. There are plenty of ways to create music with this software. Rosegarden supports sequencer, score-writer, works with MIDI controllers, plug-ins, etc. The ability to export in various file types and a variety of languages included as standard raises a bar for free DAW software. It is still impressive to see how much much quality and accessibility it offers for basically nothing.

Link: Rosegarden

5. Studio One 3 “Prime”

Stripped down version of PreSonus is a great DAW experience for beginners. Not only you get a full production software for free, but a great name behind it, too. With over 1.5 gigabytes of libraries and plugins and various effects, you will have more than enough to get you started with Studio One 3 “Prime” edition. If you get bored of built-in presets, there is plenty to choose from downloadable content (free of charge). Of course, some features simply hurt – like the inability to export MP3 files, but all in all PreSonus is a great start!

Link: Studio One 3

These are some great freeware DAW can be very useful even for more advanced users. There are downfalls to every story, but it is what you make of it. Have you tried any of these DAWs? Let us know in the comments below!

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