11 Best Music Making and Production Software

We are big fans of creativity, and the more popular the application for production the more we want to know which is the best. It was difficult because there were so many people out there, but we were able to regulate 10 of them. These are the 10 best music production applications on the market today.

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List of 11 good music production software

If you are a beginner, you can use free music production software. However, if your interest for music creation has grown and you want to take it to the next level, you should use premium music production software. The end result will definitely be worth every penny you spent on the software.

FL Studio 12

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FL Studio 12, formerly known as Fruity Loops is a very popular digital audio workstation and for a good reason: it is the most user-friendly, reliable and popular music player software. This sophisticated music production software brings everything you need to compose, arrange, record, edit, mix and master music – all in one place.

FL Studio comes in three versions: Signature, Producer and Fruity. All three versions share a few common features, but Signature and Producer offers many additional features and effects, allowing you to create true masterpieces.

Decide which version you buy according to your needs. The tool also has a selection wizard that can help you decide which version of FL Studio to buy.

FL Studio 12 is used by international artists, such as: Avicii, AfroJack, DeadMaus, Martin Garrix and many more. This tool has everything you need to create hits.

If you are looking for a music software product for beginners, FL Studio 12 is a pretty good choice. It is made to be user friendly so even newbies can get satisfaction out of every music creating experience. While it may seem intimidating at the start, you'll quickly get the hang of it thanks to its user-friendly interface and the tutorials that Imagine-Line posts on YouTube. It has a trial/introductory version, but if you have some intentions about your future in the music industry – you will have to pay the price for more features and support from the developer team.

Before you hit the download button, make sure your computer meets the requirements to run this tool properly.

FL Studio 12 system requirements:

1. Intel Pentium 4 / AMD Athlon 64 (or later) 2Ghz compatible processor with full SSE2 support.
2. 32 or 64 Bit versions of Windows 10 / 8.0 / 8.1 / 7, Vista, XP (service pack 3)
3. Requires 1 GB RAM or more
4. 1 Gb of free disk space
5. Sound card with DirectSound Driver.

Ableton Live Music software

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Ableton Live is a powerful music creation software that helps you put your ideas into practice. This tool has everything you need to create hypnotic songs.

The Live feature features advanced MIDI recording, allowing you to work with hardware or software synthesizers, samplers, and drum machines. The audio recording feature allows you to capture any sound from the real world.

Live also has a musical sketchpad that you can use to mix and match musical ideas without the rigidity of a timeline. Feel free and play with sounds.

When you're happy with the results, use Live Arrangement View to organize your notes and build your song. You can edit every detail by moving the music block or interval around.

Ableton Live offers a unique distortion feature that allows you to change tempo and timing, in real time, without stopping the music. If you ever run out of ideas, you can use the tool's set of sounds. There are over 3000 sounds you can choose from, including acoustic instruments, multiple sampler drum kits, and much more.

Want to download Ableton Live? Before you hit the download button, make sure your computer meets the requirements to run this tool properly.

Ableton Live system requirements:

1. Windows 7, 8, 10
2. Multi-core processor
3. 4 GB RAM
4. Disk space required for basic installation: 3GB free disk space.
5. Disk space required if all included sounds are installed: 6 GB free disk space.

Ableton Live comes in three variants: Intro, Standard, and Suite. Price tags range from $90.00 to $685.00.

Cubase music production software

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Steinberg is a synonym for quality. When you hear a digital audio workstation powered by Steinberg, you know it must be a very high quality instrument.

The company proudly says that its Cubase music production software is the best digital music player ever. The instrument provides crystal clear sound quality, and many advanced features will satisfy even the most demanding musicians.

Cubase is a complete tool, covering all stages of the creative process from composing, recording, editing and mixing. The software doesn't come with rigid restrictions, allowing you to put creativity first and follow your own workflow.

Cubase software comes in three different versions, perfectly suited to your experience and needs. Whether you're a beginner, or a music veteran, whether you only have a hundred dollars or a few hundred dollars to spend on music production software, you'll find a tool that meets your needs. Meets every need, budget, experience or choice of music.

Cubase software versions:

1. Cubase Elements  means turning your computer into a fully equipped music production system. You can record, edit and mix audio and MIDI songs and let your creative genius surface.
2. Cubase Artist  provides additional editing and arranging tools that musicians often use.
3. Cubase Pro  is the perfect tool for music veterans, producers and experienced musicians. Cubase Pro offers excellent sound quality, and a variety of advanced audio tools and MIDI tools.

Want to download Cubase? Before you hit the download button, make sure your computer meets the requirements to run this tool properly.

Cubase software  system requirements:

1. Windows 64-bit 7, 8, 8.1, 10
2. Intel or AMD 64-bit multi-core processor (Intel i5 or faster)
3. 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended)
4. 18 GB free 3D space
5. Graphics card with DirectX 10 and WDDM 1.1 support.

You can purchase Cubase software starting at $114.00.

PropellerHead Reason

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PropellerHead Reason is a complete digital music player that allows you to create, compose, edit, mix and perfect your music. The user interface is very intuitive and easy to use, just click and drag the sounds and instruments you want to the rack and just play.

The stand is the heart of the tool, and it's a dynamic feature. You build the rack as you create songs, adding instruments, plugins, sounds, and effects.

The reason is that it's a very versatile music creation tool. If you need more creative options, Reason allows you to add additional VST plugins, as well as Racks Extensions.

The tool isn't at all intrusive, allowing you to focus on your music first. Recording is easy, and you can perfect it once you're done with the software's powerful editing tools.

PropellerHead Cause system requirements:

1. Windows 7, 8, 8,1, 10
2. Intel or AMD processor with dual core
3. 4 GB RAM (8 GB or larger recommended for Expansion Trays or Rack Extensions)
4. 4 GB of free hard disk space on the system drive (the program can use up to 20 GB of disk space initially)
5. Audio interface with ASIO driver

You can download PropellerHead Reason for a free 30-day trial or purchase the software for $325.00.

Avid Pro Tools 12

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Avid Pro Tools 12 is a powerful music production tool that will help you unleash your inner creative genius. This tool offers many options that allow you to compose, record, edit, mix and share songs.

Avid Pro Tools 12 comes in three editions, each tailored to specific needs:

1. First Pro Tools is ideal for singers, composers and musicians new to recording or Pro Tools.
2. Pro Tools Pros is suitable for those looking for advanced tools for music creation
3. Pro Tools HD is ideal for audio and production professionals who need maximum volume, performance and surround sound.

Avid Pro Tools 12 offers a host of unique features that truly set it apart from its competition:

1. Users can work with up to 10 collaborators in the cloud on a single project, including Pro Tools First Users.
2. Revision Project  is a feature that keeps all the version history and data organized for you. This feature lets you discover new versions of songs or soundtracks, take notes, and quickly return to any previous state from anywhere.
3. Track Freeze  is a useful feature that allows you to quickly freeze or clean plug-ins on a song to free up processing power.

Avid Pro Tools 12 system requirements:

1. Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8/8.1 64-bit or Windows 10 64-bit
2. Intel Core i5 processor (minimum)
3. 8 GB RAM (16 GB or more recommended)
4. 15GB of disk space for installation
5. USB port for iLok authorization (requires iLok 2 or iLok 3)
6. USB port or FireWire port for ASIO-powered audio devices

You can purchase Avid Pro Tools 12 for $599.00 and receive a perpetual license with an annual upgrade plan. Or you can get a $24.92 monthly subscription.

Cakewalk Sonar

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Cakewalk Sonar is an impressive music production tool that lets you build your tracks from above. Musical synths let you quickly create your beats, while editing and mixing features let you polish your creativity.

Like Presonus Studio One, Cakewalk Sonar relies on world-leading audio editing software for precise audio editing, audio to MIDI conversion, etc.

Sonar also includes support for VST3, the most stable, accurate, and efficient plug-in format for Windows computers. Its compatibility with touch devices adds a sense of analog to the creation process and enhances work efficiency.

Cakewalk Sonar system requirements  :

1. Operating system: Windows 7, 8/8.1 or 10 (32- or 64-bit)
2. Processor: Intel or AMD 2.6GHz multi-core processor or at least Intel i5 or AMD A10 APU
3. Memory: 4GB
4. Hard drive: 5GB for minimum installation (20GB recommended)
5. Audio Interface: ASIO compatible hardware is recommended

Cakewalk Sonar Access is available in the following versions:

1. Sonar Home Studio is available for $49
2. Sonar Artist is available for $99.00
3. Sonar Professional is available for $199.00
4. Sonar Platinum is available for $499.00

Audacity (Free)

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Audacity is one of the more famous open source audio editors that has had millions of downloads. This is a cross-platform package compatible with macOS, Windows, and Linux. Click the  Download Audacity 2.1.2 link  on the software's home page to add the program to Windows.

With Audacity, you can record music from a variety of sources and process virtually any type of audio. This software allows users to apply a variety of effects to music, adjust pitch, treble and bass and even analyze songs using its frequency analysis tool. The program presents tracks as editable waveforms that the user can edit. Users can also edit audio files by cutting, copying and pasting, or use additional truckloads for enhanced efficiency and audio analysis. Audacity has built-in support for LV2, LADSPA and Nyquist plug-ins.

Studio Darkwave (Free)

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Darkwave Studio is free software that gives users a quasi-modular sound studio that supports both VST and ASIO. The program supports 64-bit Windows platforms from XP to 10. It only requires 2.89 MB of storage and you can add it to your desktop or laptop. Note that Darkwave Studio also has adware, so check what third-party programs provide in the installer.

The first thing most users will probably note about Darkwave is its elegant tabbed interface design. Darkwave has a streamlined user interface with many options and settings in separate windows and context menus. The software incorporates up to eight separate modules including a sample editor, HD recording, sequence editor, MIDI input and percussion pad. With the sample editor, you can select and edit digital music samples. The sequence editor allows users to combine song samples together. The HD recording tab includes recording options for streaming. The program also includes 19 built-in plug-ins for adding virtual effects to songs, and you can add many more VST/VSTi plug-ins to the software.

Visit this website to download Darkwave Studio for PC. This is free software.

Presonus Studio One

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Studio One Prime is a freeware version of the Presonus Studio One software, supplemented by Artist and Professional editions with a retail price of $450. Studio One Prime is a stripped-down version of the packages that you can add to your software library with your my.presonus.com account. The software is compatible with more recent Windows platforms, and you also need at least 4GB of RAM and 30GB of storage for it.

Although the freeware version lacks some of the options and native audio effects offered in Studio One Artist and Professional, it still has a similarly intuitive drag-and-drop interface for creating new tracks and adding effect. Studio One Prime includes unlimited tracks, FX, and virtual instruments.

You can also add nine native sound effects to your music. Latency compensation, easy chain orientation, and system mapping-MIDI control linkage are a few of the mixing and control tools retained in the freeware version. In addition, the One Prime has multiple MIDI and multitrack (for frozen tracking) multimedia editing tools. So even though this is a stripped down version of Studio One, it still has most of the essential tools for creating recordings.

Download Studio One Prime for free.

Hydrogen

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Hydrogen is open source music production software that is more specifically a digital drum machine that mimics drums. The program is compatible with Windows, Linux and MacOS. Note that the Windows version is still in beta, so there may be a few bugs. Click  Hydrogen 0.9.7  on this page to save the Hydrogen installer to Windows.

Hydrogen has a built-in GMkit that includes Snare, Jazz, Ride Jazz, Ride Rock, Stick, Snare Jazz, HH with high cover, Pedal HH and Cowbell drums. Among others. The software's sample sequencer has an unlimited number of models and allows users to connect samples together within a track. Users can select and arrange different drum sound effects on a file and even overlap them. Mixer Hydrogen is another handy tool with which you can adjust the amount of drums and also apply some special effects. The latest version of the software allows users to export and import song samples into songs, and it also includes a director window with an automated engine and a sample editor with cut and loop options. . So if you need to cook up some drum beats,

Download Hydrogen for free for PC

LMMS (Free)

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LMMS, also known as Linux Multimedia Studio, is a comprehensive open source music production application that features five editors and a variety of other synthesizers to fine-tune your tracks. This is cross-platform software you can run with Windows, Linux (Ubuntu, Mint and Debian) or macOS. Press one of the LMMS buttons   on this web page to save or install 32 or 64-bit for Windows.

As mentioned, LMMS has five editors including Deep Editor for composing tones, Beat + Bassline Editor for merging instrumental tracks with, Piano Roll, Auto Editor and FX Editor which you can combine FX channels. Users can import MIDI and Hydrogen project files with Song Editor. LMMS boasts a wide variety of synthesizers, among them a Roland monophonic bass, oscillator, wavetable, NES, organic and mallets synthesizers. The program also supports VST and LADSPA plugins with which you can incorporate a multitude of additional effects into your tracks. As such, LMMS certainly packs a punch into many music production tools.

Download LMMS for free for Windows/ Mac/ Linux

Those are 11 audio production tools for Windows that have many of the tools you need for music production. The tools listed above are suitable for beginners, intermediate, advanced music lovers, as well as professional musicians. If you have used the software listed in this article, you can tell us more about your experience in the comments below.

If you want us to add other tools to the list, let us know in the comments.

David Pac

Update 05 October 2023