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- Waveform Free By Tracktion. Waveform Free is one of my personal favorites and is easily one of our top picks for this list. Waveform was originally Tracktion, and Tracktion was a DAW all its own before it became a developer.
- Cakewalk By BandLab. This is another stunning option for music producers and sound engineers. My advice – go and grab this DAW before BandLab decides they’re giving away too much.
- Live 10 Lite By Ableton. Access to Ableton Live Lite is quite ubiquitous. It often came (and probably still does) bundled with audio interfaces and other hardware gear.
- Pro Tools | First By Avid. I’ve never been bullish on Pro Tools. That said, it is an industry standard of sorts, and it’s nice to know that Avid gives you the option of using their software (a limited version of it) for free.
- Apple GarageBand. Mac. The most famous free DAW of them all comes bundled with every Mac, and makes it ridiculously easy for pretty much anyone to start making music.
- Tracktion Software Waveform Free. PC/Mac/Linux/Raspberry Pi. Already one of the best free DAWs around - and certainly one of the most fully-featured and least restrictive - Tracktion Software Corporation’s 2021 update makes Waveform Free even better.
- Akai MPC Beats. PC/Mac. Akai’s MPC products have been inspiring electronic music and hip-hop producers since 1988, which saw the release of the iconic MPC60.
- Serato Studio. PC/Mac. Launched in 2019, Serato Studio is a simplified PC and Mac DAW that’s aimed at the entry-level and DJs who want to move into music production.
Audacity is the world's most popular audio editing and recording app. Download Audacity 3.6.4. Download without Muse Hub. Produce music. Produce podcasts. Take total control of your sound. More about our new release.
Older versions of Audacity. Download older versions from Fosshub. Audacity. Audacity is an easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. Audacity is free, open source software. Links.
- Overview
- The best free music-making software of 2024 in full:
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Best
By John Loeffler
Contributions from
Daryl Baxter, Steve Clark
last updated 5 February 2024
Compose your finest work at no cost
1. Waveform Free
Best free music-making software overall
2. Apple GarageBand
Best free music-making software for Mac Our expert review:
3. AmpliTube Custom Shop
Best for guitarists
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The world's most popular audio recording and editing app. Free for all audio creators, forever. Download for desktop. 100M. downloads ... free, open-source software ...
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Audacity is the world’s most popular app for podcasters. Musicians and bedroom producers, who can edit multiple-parts, mix and add simple effects in an app that’s faster and more intuitive than most DAWs. Field recorders and educators, who can capture, edit or analyze the sounds of environments, ambience, animals and more.
