Free Music-Making Software
Waltons New School of Music
Although commercial software such as Ableton Live, Cubase, Pro Tools, Reason and Sibelius are both versatile and powerful, newcomers to music technology may not be in a position to purchase them immediately. To begin with, you can download either ‘demo’ versions of the above software (in which saving is disabled) or full versions that expire after a set time in order to try them out.
For those interested in exploring the possibilities of music technology without investing in commercial software, there are also a number of free music-making software packages – including digital audio workstations (DAWs), virtual studios, audio recorders and editors, sequencers and music notation programmes – now available, and more are being created all the time. Here are some examples, in alphabetical order.*
| SOFTWARE | PLATFORM(S) | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| Ardour | Windows, Mac, Linux | A comprehensive DAW that features non-destructive editing, supports unlimited tracks and has extremely flexible routing capabilities. With support for LADSPA, LV2, and VST plugins, it is also easy to customise. |
| Audacity | Windows, Mac, Linux | A widely used (and easy-to-use) audio recorder and editor for a range of operating systems. |
| BandLab Cakewalk | Windows | Formerly known as Cakewalk SONAR, this was one of the first ever DAWs and is still one of the best. Its owner Gibson halted development, but the cloud music creation platform BandLab has made it freely available to download. |
| DarkWave Studio | Windows | This DAW features a modular virtual studio, pattern editor, sequence editor and multi-track recorder. |
| GarageBand | Mac | This fun, powerful and easy-to-use DAW is one of the most popular music-making apps ever. |
| Integra Live | Windows, Mac | Developed as part of an international project led by Birmingham Conservatory and supported by the Culture programme of the European Union, this ‘software environment’ is designed for both composition and making music with live electronics. |
| Jokosher | Windows, Linux | This DAW is the Windows and Linux alternative to GarageBand. While not as comprehensive as its counterparts, it takes a lot of the guesswork out of the recording process for people who are new to it. |
| Kristal Audio Engine | Windows | A multi-track recorder, sequencer and mixer – free for personal and educational use. |
| Let’s Make Music | Windows, Mac, Linux | A fun, easy-to-use DAW that allows you to create melodies and beats, synthesise and mix sounds, and arrange samples – and comes bundled with an assortment of instrument and effect plugins. |
| MuseScore | Windows, Mac | This free and full-featured music notation and composition software is used around the world and is the most popular software used by Leaving Cert. Music students. The large community of MuseScore users means that you can easily find the answer to any questions you may have about it. |
| Pro Tools Intro | Windows, Mac | This freeware version of the famous industry-standard DAW uses the same format as the full version. It allows multiple audio tracks and includes a number of useful plogins, including dynamics and EQ; effects, filters, and emulators; reverb and delay; and virtual instruments and loops. The New School’s Introducing Music Technology course uses Pro Tools Intro. |
| Reaper | Windows, Mac | A complete DAW for both Windows and Mac, offering a full multi-track audio and MIDI recording, editing, processing, mixing and mastering toolset. |
| Sibelius First | Windows, Mac | Although the full version of Sibelius allows composers to create large, complex arrangements, this freeware version of the famous music notation software allows you to work with up to 16 staves. You will need to create a free account with Avid in order to download it. |
| Spitfire Audio | Windows, Mac, Linux | Spitfire Audio, an English technology company that creates virtual instrument sample libraries, has a large number of free, high-quality sound samples to download, divided into three sections. BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover includes samples of 33 instruments of the orchestra, LABS includes many software instrument instrument samples and Pianobook includes hundreds of instrument samples created by a global community of samplists. |
| SyndtSphere | Windows, Mac | An accessible software synthesiser, developed by an innovative Stockholm based production company. It includes a unique ‘morphing’ function that allows you to morph between sounds. |
| Traverso | Windows, Mac, Linux | This full-featured DAW is designed to meet most common recording needs. It eschews a traditional ‘menu’ structure in favour of keyboard and mouse shortcuts that speed up recording and production tasks. |
| Waveform Free | Windows, Mac, Linux | Another full-featured DAW that is described by Tracktion, the company that produces it, as an unlimited free DAW. It lets you work with MIDI and audio and includes templates for band recording, podcasting, songwriting and EDM production. |
Are you using – or have you used – free music-making software that you recommend but isn’t on this list? We want to make music-making and recording accessible to as many people as possible, so please contact us and let us know!
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