Free Music Production Software Downloads For Aspiring Music Producers
You love music, and you want to make some too. But what free music production software should you get started with? Out of all the options available, there are a few music production tools you’d love to learn about that can get you started on the right note (pun intended).
In this post, we'll be reviewing 5 free music production software downloads that you can try on your computer today to get started with creating your music! We'll go over some of their pros and cons. And by the end, you’ll know which one suits you better for what you're looking to do at the moment.
If you can only use free music production software, for the time being, learning about the paid ones is beneficial too because ultimately you wanna get comfortable with these music production tools so that you can collaborate with other music producers.
And yes, even if you just want to produce music with virtual instruments at home and are looking for free music production software, give this article a read you’ll have a good starting point for your music production road. Let's get after it.
Free Music Production Software #1: Apple GarageBand
This is a Mac-based free digital audio workstation (DAW) that comes with a set of music production software instruments and sound libraries. It also includes guitar and piano lessons. It's pre-installed in many new Mac products or can be downloaded for free on the App Store. Garage Band is like a milder free version of Logic Pro, which is Apple’s flagship music production DAW. For many, it is the best free music production software to get started with if you’re in your early days as a music producer.
If you’re already a musician but feel like you’re lacking in the tech aspect of things you’d love GarageBand. Its learning curve is not long at all and you’ll be able to start producing music pretty much right away. Also, you’ll see there are some templates that you can use such as a keyboard collection, an amp collection, and even songwriter templates that will speed up your creative process.
Free Music Production Software #2: HOFA System Basic
HOFA System Basic is a music production software that gives you access to a suite of plugins that include chorus, revered, delay, various types of flanger, and phaser, just to mention a few. You can use the plugins separately or connect them inside the system matrix, a separate window that lets you route audio to other plugins in many ways.
A quick tip: if you’re looking to create new sounds or make a flat sample sound cooler, you should consider using the music production plugins inside the system matrix because you won’t be dealing with multiple things at once so it’ll be easier for you to try out different processing options and notice how your audio is impacted right away.
Now there’s a downside to using plugins inside the system matrix, which is that there’s a limit to how many parameters you can change compared to if you were using them individually. Just keep it real for you, you know?
Free Music Production Software #3: Cakewalk by BandLab
Cakewalk is a free Windows-only DAW by BandLab (digital audio workstation) with some very cool features. It has a very intuitive and customizable suite that’s up there with some of the next DAWs, even Logic Pro.
Arguably its best feature is the ProChannel Strip, which is a set of audio effects such as EQ, compressor, saturation, console emulation, and tape emulation that are meant to color and shape sound before it hits any other processing.
Another cool thing is that it’s easy to make changes without having to look through plugin windows because the whole strip is tweakable in the mix window (similar to how things work in a physical studio).
And of course, not everything is perfect in music production or when you create music. Some areas could use some improvement. For example, the first-party software instruments are quite basic and it doesn’t have a native sampler plugin or midi multi-track recording. So if you want to program drums using your samples you’d need to use a VST. But, if you’re cool with finding virtual instrument solutions then this won’t be an issue for you.
Free Music Production Software #4: RoughRider 3
This is probably one of the most widely-used free compressors ever. What’s a compressor for? It's a music production tool for taking an input signal and bringing the quiet parts up while lowering the lowest down a bit. This one, in particular, gained its popularity greatly due to how good drums, bass, and guitar sound with it!
If you’re using it correctly you’ll be able to hear the compression. That’s because RoughRider isn’t a “transparent” or “clean” compressor like Tube-Tech CL 1B. So depending on how you use the knobs, this compressor will distort or saturate your audio, which makes it perfect for parallel compression and drum bus processing.
Rough Rider has a very simple control scheme: threshold, ratio, and make-up gain with attack, release, mix, and output level. It’s naturally very exaggerated, which makes it very easy to understand how it impacts your signal. If you’re dealing with track elements that seem too quiet or thin, you can use Rough Rider aggressively to give your instruments some bite.
Free Music Production Software #5: Verberate Basic 2
Verberate Basic 2 gives you access to four different algorithmic reverbs (room, hall, plate, and “lush) that you can use to give your sounds new life and presence. This is a rudimentary music production plugin that only gives you the option to switch between revered modes and a dry/dirty knob. But, that's all you need for a sound to come to life sometimes!
Each one of these great-sounding revered algorithms is taken straight from the full version of Verberate Immesrice 2, one of the most well-respected revered plugins on the market. And even though you can’t control parameters like decay and early reflections in the free plugin, you won’t have to deal with annoying resonance (unwanted loudness that may arise when there’s a lot of build-up for a specific frequency).
Bottom Line
If you’re serious about getting into music production you should get comfortable with at least one music production software, ideally with many. And no worries if you're on a budget. There are many free music production software options out there!
The more you experiment, the more “weapons'' you´ll be able to add to your arsenal, which will ultimately make you a more versatile music producer, and capable of taking full advantage of those “in the zone” inspiration moments we all get from time to time.
But if you’re getting started and don’t have thousands of dollars to blow up, it’s better to start exploring using free music-making software options like the ones we just shared with you above. If you're just getting started or haven't been at it for that long make sure to check any free music production software you can get your hands on.
Ultimately, you gotta get comfortable with everything! From digital audio workstations and midi tracks to processing various audio files, virtual instruments, and even mastering tools (these are not just for advanced music producers. Make it a goal of yourself to lay a very strong foundation for your music career!
And of course, as always, if you have any questions, whether they are about songwriting, how to process audio files, audio tracks, midi tracks, beat making, or free music production tools, feel free to drop them in the comments section below and we'll help you out!