Jan 16, 2020 Step 3. Start to Mix Music. At the moment you are okay with the audio files on the Program’s Media Library, you are ready to mix music on Mac. Simply click on the “Audio Mixer” button on the toolbar to access the “Audio Mixer” tool in this music mixing software. The Audio Mixer feature will be displayed on a pop-up window. MixPad is free music recording and mixing software for Mac OS X designed for easy audio production. Simply drag and drop your audio clips onto the timeline then mix music, vocal and audio tracks, adjust the volume, pan, fade, and add audio effects including EQ, compression, reverb and more. Jan 11, 2012 Sure the mixing mechanic is pretty good for an iOS app but gimme a break. I have to either play live, or nobody can even hear what I'm playing, if I can even play it. Then instead of it being an easy sharing process, you either lose the recording all together and have a fake link that doesn't work so you end up deleting a whole 20m mix. MixPad Multitrack Mixer lets you record and mix an unlimited number of audio tracks into studio-quality files. Export to Mp3, CD or upload to the web. MixPad is a versatile multitrack audio recording and mixing app for professional audio production. If you store all your music as MP3s, WAV, AIFF, MIDI or FLAC for example, then third-party music app integration isn’t essential for you. Nowadays most DJ software on Mac can import almost all major audio and in some cases, video formats including mp3, aac, m4a, wma, wav, flac, ogg, aiff and video avi, mpeg, mp4, mov, m4v, flv, mkv, wmv. Mix Pad Music Mixer Free is another music recording app for Android that provides excellent recording features. It is free and offers the users with ultimate satisfaction of creating personally identified tracks. The user gets powered with professional recording, editing and mixing experience.
The momentous surge of Internet has transformed the music production landscape in ways aplenty. Gone are the days when a budding musician had to depend on a music label for crafting some sublime music. Now anyone can create beautiful melodies confined in the realms of their home and put out their songs for the world to marvel at. Thanks to modern music production software, creating music has become so ridiculously easy! However, getting hold of a decent music production tool can be a daunting task. Especially when there are so many expensive software lingering on the internet. So, how can an aspiring songwriter find and download a decent free music production software? By going through our list of the best free music production software for beginners, of course!
The free programs or DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that we have handpicked offer an abundant collection of free synths and VSTs that are compatible with modern OS, be it Mac OS X or Windows (7, 8, 8.1), and Windows 10. For selecting a suitable music creation program, do give credence to the responsiveness of the user interface as well as ease-of-use. Luckily, all the programs in our roundup of the best free music production software meet all the aforementioned criteria.
Mixing music free download - TubeMate, Groove Music Pass, MP3 Juice - Free MP3 Downloader, and many more programs. Popular Apps Related Searches. Music Mixing for Pro DJs.
No matter if you are seeking a powerful all-encompassing DAW, a robust synth + electronic drum machine or a free sampler program, all the programs mentioned in our list will make it easier to select what you’re scouting for. You can also download full version of these goodies for free! So, are you ready to find out the best free music production software for beginners? Let’s get started.
Note: If you are a budding hip-hop, or EDM producer, you might as well want to check out our roundup of the best free beat making software for Windows and Mac.
1) Tracktion 6 [For PC & Mac]
If you are seeking a full-fledged DAW that delivers the goods no matter what genre of music you create, Tracktion 6 is a behemoth that can’t be overlooked. For starters, it supports loads of AU plugins as well as VSTs that can be further enriched through Tracktion’s brilliant automation tool which allows users to automate any parameter on a plugin.
In fact, it won’t be a hassle to sift through hundreds of plugins thanks to a nifty plugin management system. Coming onto the intuitive single-screen interface, any novice can learn the ropes of song composition, recording, editing, mixing and mastering with ease and grace in no time.
Some of the highlights of Tracktion 6 comprise: beat time correction tool kit, Z-Plane’s elastique pro time stretch algorithm, tape-style start/stop effects, a robust “super comp” audio compiling tool, and Warp-time audio editing features. All together, Tracktion 6 is a formidable workflow-oriented tool for music production.
2) GarageBand [For Mac]
GarageBand has been a staple of Macs since time immemorial, and still remains one of the best free music production software for beginners who want to create some great sounding music. What’s more, the GarageBand UI seems very smooth and responsive wherein you can rack up to 255 tracks, add a virtual session drummer and suss out hundreds of AU plugins, electronic synth pads, guitar and drum loops.
In fact, GarageBand also offers a realistic array of amp emulators traversing genres such as Indie, Grunge, Classic Rock and Metalcore if you are into guitar-based music production. So much so, you can also revel in presets for guitar, voice, and percussion sounds to create, record, edit and share your sick tunes worldwide.
What’s more, GarageBand is a brilliant stepping stone for beginners who, once they have honed their skills, can get hold of the elder brother of GarageBand i.e. Logic Pro for more advanced music production features.
3) Reaper [For PC & Mac]
To be precise, Reaper is not intrinsically ‘free’, but the weird part is you can still use it. Makes sense? Well, Reaper offers a 60-days trial period, but you won’t be coaxed to shell out the nominal $60 fee for full access after that period is over, so you can use it all you want. Reaper proffers powerful MIDI routing to multiple media formats at any bit depth and sample rate. Not to mention, a crafty Notation Reader for reading and writing music, and real-time FX processing. Also, Reaper is pretty efficient for users with low spec computers since it doesn’t hog the memory. Besides, it can even produce songs with over 100 layers of audio tracks in the mix.
But, the real novelty factor for Reaper is its seamless integration of third-party VSTs, AU plugins, MIDI plugins, real-time pitch shifting, auto plugin delay compensation, real-time stretch, et al. Also, the amount of customization options that Reaper offers are very impressive, in the sense, that it empowers every user to craft music whichever way they want. What’s more, you can revel in ReSurround for spatial visualization and process stereo and multichannel audio (up to 64 channels).
Novices will find the customizability of Reaper’s drag and drop layout very enticing considering its outboard windows can be docked, shown, or hidden on a separate monitor. Also, it is very easy to overdub, record multiple takes and loops, or punch in and out thanks to simple resizing, trim, and glue tools which promise a lot of accessibility to beginners.
4) Ableton Live 9 Lite [For PC & Mac]
Despite being a limited edition suite, Ableton Live 9 Lite is one of the best free music production software for beginners to fiddle with. You can use up to eight recording tracks on the lite version for MIDI sequencing and harness an eclectic collection of SFX (drum sampler, EQ, delay, chorus, reverb, compressor, etc.) as well as AUs and VSTs to create professional quality audio.
Moreover, you can even pair up MIDI equipment such as keyboards with Ableton Live Lite 9. What’s more, it is also compatible with the Export live set feature of many iOS apps so that you can play your EDM set on the go, anywhere.
Beginners will find Ableton Live 9 Lite’s fast and intuitive workflow-based interface fairly easy to write and record music with as well for producing their own songs. Some other spellbinding features of Ableton Live 9 include: Analog-modeled filters designed on the lines of vintage hardware models, inbuilt slicing and warping capabilities, and more.
5) LMMS [For Mac & Windows]
If simplicity of interface were to be the sole criteria for choosing a DAW for beginners, then LMMS takes the crown. It’s still suitable for all levels of electronic music producers, but there is something “familiar” about the layout that hooks you right in. LMMS boasts five editors for creating melodies (Song Editor), an FX editor for your own mixes apart from a Beat + Bassline Editor for rendering those groovy beats.
LMMS also has a gamut of instrument synthesizers (including emulations of Roland TB-303), and native multichannel support for Soundfont for quality instrument patches and banks. Moreover, LMMS is renowned for its compatibility with other DAW files and support for drop-in VSTs and LADSPA plug-ins with which you can incorporate a multitude of extra effects into the music track.
Of course, you can also use the usual fare: piano-roll editor, inbuilt compressor, distortion and bass enhancer, limiter, delay, reverb, and spectrum analyzer. Lastly, you can export your files into WAV, MP3, and AIFF formats as well as import MIDI files from different music production software such as Hydrogen.
6) DarkWave Studio (For PC Only)
A slick alternative for PC users, DarkWave Studio doesn’t consume much storage space, but it is a powerhouse of rich features such as Pattern Editor, Virtual Studio, Multitrack Hard Disk Recorder and Sequence Editor. We were very impressed with the Sequence Editor which allows users to line up patterns that can be played in any arrangement. In fact, you can also mix all the track patterns together.
DarkWave is also renowned for supporting all kinds of ASIO audio drivers and VSTs that provide a variety of instruments to choose from on its slick drag and drop interface. What else injects DarkWave Studio into our roundup of the best free music production software? DarkWave Studio includes 19 different plugins which can be harnessed to add virtual effects to your tracks. However, some beginners might find DarkWave a little bit complex viz-a-viz dealing with many separate windows and menus.
7) Ardour [For Mac & PC]
Ardour is a unique DAW that piqued our interest in many ways. For starters, it supports a large swathe of VSTs, AU plugins, FX plugins which are pivotal for audio enhancement in every DAW. The USP, herein, lies in Ardour’s ability to automate parameters within the plugins.
In fact, the mixing console of Ardour is one of the best in the industry in terms of flexibility and ease-of-use thanks to a well-defined and soothing interface that hardly looks like a hotchpotch of random widgets and buttons.
Also, Ardour is a non-linear editor (with virtual stacking for showing overlapping regions) like some programs on our list of the best free music production software for beginners. Which means that multi-track MIDI editing becomes an easy affair. Moreover, Ardour can also be used to edit the soundtrack of a video with a frame-by-frame timeline of the video displaying by the side in a separate monitor window.
8) Hydrogen [For Mac Only]
For those budding musicians who are on a tight budget, but yet seek a nifty program with modular interface to create beats, Hydrogen fits the bill just right. It is a great free option for creating and customizing your rhythm-based songs. Although Hydrogen is not riddled with as many features as some expensive DAWs on the market, it gets the job done especially if your sole focus is on sampling drum beats.
Don’t be fooled by its limited features, Hydrogen is an advanced drum machine that comes loaded with a pattern-based sequencer which can blend in hordes of patterns into a song. There is also a sample editor with cut and loop options as well as advanced tab tempo, time-stretch and pitch corrector. Of course, there is MIDI input support and rendering options available for formats such as AIFF, WAV, FLAC, OGG, et al.
9) MULab [For Mac & PC]
If you are on the lookout for a top-notch modular synth and effects engine, MULab is a surefire no-brainer and one of the best free music production software for beginners looking to create, record, edit and render multi-track audio and EDM tracks. The modular interface of MULab is flexible enough to support audio, MIDI playback and automation parts. Coming onto the programmable synths and drums, you can harness the MuSynth workhorse synth/sampler (a library of world-class synths) and MuDrum module for tweaking sampled drum loops.
MULab’s intuitive visual routing options including a streamlined and versatile mixing desk making it a cinch for you to carry out edits that are normally complex and time-consuming. For instance, its automation parts let you swiftly automate any parameter, as well as provide auto mono/stereo handling. Some other highlights include an arpeggiator, step sequencer, and many more.
10) Audacity [For Mac & PC]
What would a lineup of the best free music production software for beginners be bereft of a mere mention of Audacity? It is compatible with a plenty of VSTs and boasts some features (pitch corrector, delay) that are essential for a beginner learning the ropes of audio production. Also, Audacity is a multitrack audio editor with options to edit mono and stereo files separately. Sporting a simple and easy-to-pick-up interface, Audacity can invariably process audio files, edit samples, songs, and export files into numerous formats such as WAV, MP3, AIFF, FLAC, etc.
However, unlike other programs(DAWs) in our list of the best free music production software for beginners, Audacity is actually an open-source digital audio editor, not a digital audio workstation (DAW). Its primary pursuit is to manipulate audio data instead of helping users organize loads of different audio waveforms into a coherent mix. Also, it lacks in many features that can be found in a full version DAW. On the bright side, you can at least download and set it up quickly.
And…that’s a wrap! Did you like our roundup of the best free music production software for beginners? Did we miss out on any great software that you know of? Sound off in the comments and don’t forget to download full version of these beauties.
SEE ALSO: Best Free Online Guitar Lessons
Smooth workflow is one of the reasons why Audio and Video Professionals prefer Mac to Windows. As long as you have the right apps, you wouldn’t face any glitches, per se. If you want to record audio for music production, podcasts or something else, you need the best audio recording software for Mac.
By default, Mac allows you to record audio from Mac internal mic, which is fine if you want to take quick audio notes. However, if you want professional audio quality, we recommended using a USB mic like Blue Yeti. If you want to record system audio, install Soundflower on your Mac. Most the following Mac Audio recorder allows you to change audio source. Down below, we have covered some of the best audio recording software for Mac that you can use.
Read: 10+ Best Voice Recorder Apps For iPhone
Best for – simple audio recording
QuickTime, as you may know, is an inbuilt utility in macOS. It’s usually used for video/audio playback but it lets you record audio content as well. Just so you know, QuickTime also lets you record video using a webcam or a connected device. Now, coming to the audio recording feature of QuickTime, everything is super-easy. You have a really intuitive interface with minimal customization options.
It’ll take you a few extra clicks to start recording audio with QuickTime. First, launch the app from the Spotlight, and go to File > New Audio Recording.
For instance, QuickTime lets you change the recording source — pick between the internal microphone and the system audio (with SoundFlower). You can also change the Recording quality between High and Maximum. Once these are set, just hit the Record button. As the program records your voice, you can see the size of the recording file also. Once you’ve recorded the whole thing, you can export the file as MPEG-4 Audio file. However, there is no option to pause audio recording, you can only stop it and start a new one.
Pros
Cons
The Verdict
QuickTime is the best Mac software for casual audio recording. It gets the job done — with minimum things at stake. You don’t have to worry about complex customizations or exporting. Everything you record will be available in a single file. That having said, we would not recommend QuickTime for professionals.
QuickTime Comes Built into Mac
Best for – recording voice over and editing
Audacity is a free and open source audio recording software for Mac. We use for recording audio for our YouTube channel. You have an option to choose the recording source (we use it with Blue Yeti mic), recording channel type, audio type etc. As you can see below, it does offer a wider range of control as well. But, the best part about Audacity for Mac is that it comes along with a bunch of editing tools. In fact, Audacity is a digital audio editor, first, and recorder later.
Unlike QuickTime, Audacity lets you perform basic audio editing tasks like editing. You will also find options like effects, voice generation, noise removal, and track-based management. In case you are into professional audio recording and editing, there is a wide variety of Audacity plug-ins to choose from. Another bright side is that you will be able to export the audio recording in almost any format.
The reason, why we prefer Audacity is because it’s cross-platform support (available for Windows, Mac, and Linux) Just as Photoshop save the file in PSD and have all the properties intact, you can save audacity files in AUP, which can be later open and edited from any computer that audacity installed in it.
Pros
Cons
The Verdict
As we said, Audacity is made for professionals. Did we say that Audacity is free to use? It’s free, open-source and cross-platform. Considering the features you get, it’s an awesome deal as well. At least, you would not have to worry about paying a huge amount for your DAW.
Check Out Audacity (Free and Open Source)
Best for – quick audio recording
Simple Recorder is a truly simple solution for audio recording in Mac. It doesn’t come with many bells or whistles, but it gets the job done. Unlike QuickTime and Audacity, which takes multiple mouse click to start the recording, Simple Recorder sits in the menu bar and can start the audio recording in just two clicks. Best solution when you want to take quick notes.
You can select the source of recording from the drop-down menu. It also lets you set up the volume. In just a single button, Simple Recorder would start the recording process. In the Preferences section, you can pick the recording format, Sample Rate, Channel etc. There are some Pro features like Status Icon, Shortcuts and some levels of Automation.
Pros
Cons
The Verdict
Simple Recorder is the best Mac audio recording app for the intermediate users. Unlike QuickTime, it offers a standard set of customization options. That having said, unlike Audacity, the features aren’t that suitable for professionals either. So, if you think you need somewhat control over recording, go for this.
Check Out Simple Recorder (Free, offers a Pro plan as well)
Best for – recording audio for music production
Technically speaking, GarageBand is a digital audio workstation, not a digital audio recorder (like QuickTime) or a digital audio editor (like Audacity). In simple words, if you are into recording audio for music production, GarageBand is one of the best choices in town. It’s rich with features and offers the best level of compatibility. Last but not the least, you’d not have to pay a single penny for this program.
Like Audacity, GarageBand supports MIDI recording and editing out of the box. However, unlike Audacity, GarageBand has a smaller learning curve and is more stable. Also, it’s compatible with any iOS device.
Although it’s a fully-fledged DAW, you don’t need rocket science to record audio using GarageBand. It even has a dedicated mode for Voice, where you can also select the type of voice recording. For instance, it offers different options for recording Narration Voice and Bright Voice. Just hit the Record button and you can do the exporting part later.
Pros
Cons
The Verdict
GarageBand is the recommended choice for professionals out there. If you need the best quality, control as well as performance, you should go for this built-in tool. Although the UI is simple, learning GarageBand will surely help you as an audio professional.
Check Out GarageBand (Free, Built-in in Mac)
Best for – recording podcast
Piezo from Rogue Amoeba is a simple and wonderful audio recording software for podcasts. If you want to make some amazing podcast recordings with precision, you can count on Piezo. Unlike all of the tools we’ve talked about earlier, Piezo lets you record voice from popular apps like Chrome, Skype, FaceTime, Messages etc. It is one of the best features for getting precise podcasts, you know.
Settings in Piezo are very easy to manage. That having said, it lets you change the Music Quality only. Still, you don’t have to do guesswork here. Piezo has set up some quality pre-sets for music, audio, spoken word etc. By default, the recordings will be saved in MP3, which is convenient for most people. Just as you can see, the interface is a bit unconventional.
Pros
Cons
The Verdict
Piezo is the best audio recording software for doing podcasts on Mac. You can simply record your own voice or get inputs from common apps like Chrome or Skype. It is basically minimal but you have options to extend the capabilities of Piezo.
Check Out Piezo ($23, free trial available)
Best for – recording audio from multiple sources
Macsome Audio Recorder is one of the voice recorders that promise to do almost anything. Without bringing all the professional features, Macsome Audio Recorder lets you record audio from multiple sources such as the internal microphone, different apps on your Mac and other hardware. Unlike some other apps, however, it doesn’t offer any kind of optimization.
Despite all these features, the program has a minimal footprint to offer. Did we say mention that Macsome Audio Recorder has one of the best recording management interface as well? You can even use ID tags for organizing your recording files. We really liked how Macsome Audio Recorder works. You can add separate recording profiles for apps/hardware and start the recording process in a single click.
Pros
Cons
The Verdict
As it promises, Macsome Audio Recorder is one of the best all-in-one audio recorders for Mac. It might not have the best UI in town, but there are many productive features. When you want a tool that records podcast, music, and speech with the same efficiency, Macsome Audio Recorder would be our take.
Check Out Macsome Audio Recorder ($29.95, Free Trial available)
Best for – advanced video recording
We already talked about Piezo from Rogue Amoeba, right? Audio Hijack is also from the same developer but it offers advanced features and control. Inside a nice package, you will find tools for recording almost every type of audio from your Mac. You can even use Audio Hijack for scheduling recordings. It would be the best option when you’re recording audio from the web.
The best part is that Audio Hijack comes with different session templates — you have one for internet radio, DVD Audio, Application audio and Web Audio etc. When it comes to Application mode, you can pick an app from the list and start recording. You can also check out a bunch of built-in effects and filters in Audio Hijack. It also has an interesting UI that lets you manage how the recording process works. Overal Audio Hijack is one of the best audio recording software for Mac if you are looking for advanced features.
Pros
Cons
The Verdict
Audio Hijack is one of the very few Mac audio recording software that is worth paying for. You get a whole bunch of features like filters, effects, and top-to-bottom control. Even if you’re not into it, you can get a cool audio recording and management experience.
Check Out Audio Hijack ($59, Free Trial available)
Quicktime player 7.6.6 free download for mac. Aug 04, 2011 QuickTime Player 7.6.6 - For Mac OS X 10.6.3 Snow Leopard users only. Download the latest versions of the best Mac apps at safe and trusted MacUpdate. Jul 05, 2015 QuickTime Player for Mac, allows the playback of QuickTime movie files (.mov) and lots of other file formats including, audio, still images and graphic files. QuickTime Player for Mac not only delivers crisp quality, but the app is easy to use with a simple interface. Key Features Include.: Playback of older media formats such as QTVR.
Best for – take audio notes during lectures
AudioNote lets you combine a note-taking app and audio recording app. This is how it works: you can open AudioNote and start recording the lectures, interviews or something else. When you make notes on the screen, it will be synced with the audio. So, during the playback, you can listen to the audio as well as seeing all the notes on the screen.
There are some really cool features too. For instance, you can tap on one section of your notes to jump into the corresponding section in audio. As a note-taking software, you can bring text, shapes, annotations and a lot more things. Once you are done, you can also convert your notes to a PDF document. The best part is that you have everything in sync.
Pros
Cons
The Verdict
AudioNote is the best option for students and professionals alike. With this tool in your hand, you don’t have to worry about getting the list in the notes. You would know what the professor was talking about when you’d written something. Pretty cool, isn’t it?
Check Out AudioNote ($14.99)
Well, these are the different kind of audio recording software for Mac, for different needs. For your day-to-day casual recording needs, Simple Recorder is the best option, indeed. On the other hand, if you are into the world of podcast recording, go for Audio Hijack from Rogue Amoeba. Options like GarageBand as well as Audacity are for those who need professional-quality control over the recording quality and process. Still, you can take an effort to step up the game.
Read: 4 Best Voice Recorder Apps for Android