Apps Made for Making Music
In today’s dynamic music landscape, the power to create music transcends traditional boundaries. Once confined to expensive studios, music production is now a democratic art form, accessible to all, thanks to the marvel of modern technology. Computers, laptops, and even iPads have become portable recording studios, granting the freedom to record, produce, and release music from anywhere. In this blog post, we’ve curated a list of our favorite music production apps that have transformed the way we make music.
We share videos that best show off the apps featured, let you know if any discounts are available for students, and provide links to learn more and access those discounts.
Featured apps:
Think another app should be featured in our list? Let me know!
Garageband
Garageband is a beginner-friendly digital audio workstation (DAW) from Apple. It’s often pre-installed on Apple devices and is known for its user-friendly interface and a wide range of virtual instruments and loops. Garageband is suitable for music production, podcasting, and basic audio recording and editing.
Pricing: Garageband is free if you use Apple hardware
Cakewalk
Cakewalk by BandLab is a professional-grade DAW available for free on Windows. It offers advanced music production features, including multi-track recording, MIDI sequencing, virtual instruments, and audio effects. It’s known for its robust capabilities and is used by both amateur and professional musicians.
Keep an eye on the Cakewalk website as BandLab is soon to release new versions of Cakewalk, Next and Sonar.
FL Studio
FL Studio is a popular DAW with a strong emphasis on electronic music production. It features a unique pattern-based workflow, a variety of virtual instruments, and extensive support for third-party plugins. It’s known for its intuitive interface and is widely used in electronic dance music (EDM) production.
Pricing: FL Studio is available at a discount for students from participating retailers
Reaper
Reaper is a highly customizable and versatile DAW known for its efficiency and low resource usage. It supports a wide range of audio and MIDI hardware and offers extensive scripting capabilities. Reaper is popular among home studio enthusiasts, sound designers, and professionals due to its flexibility.
Pricing: Students can get Reaper for $60 USD
Ableton
Ableton Live is a DAW renowned for its real-time performance and electronic music production capabilities. It features a unique Session View for live performances and a traditional Arrangement View for song creation. It’s widely used by electronic musicians, DJs, and producers.
Pricing: Students get 50% off the Ableton Live 11 line of products
Mixcraft
Mixcraft is a user-friendly DAW known for its simplicity and affordability. It offers a wide range of virtual instruments, loops, and audio effects, making it suitable for musicians and producers at all skill levels. It’s often used for music production, podcasting, and scoring.
Pricing: No education discount could be found, but it’s still worth checking out.
Cubase
Cubase is a comprehensive DAW developed by Steinberg. It’s known for its powerful MIDI capabilities, extensive virtual instruments, and audio recording/editing features. Cubase is popular among professional musicians, composers, and audio engineers for various music genres.
Pricing: Stduents and teachers get 50%