Want to jump straight to the answer? The best online DAW for most people is definitely Soundtrap by Spotify.
As our world becomes more and more wireless, the cloud has become an integral part of both creation and collaboration. From file storage to untethered workflows powered by digital handoff Audio Assemble is here to put your head in the cloud.
Related: Best DAW with Built-in Pitch Correction
The Best Online DAWs & Cloud Collaboration Highlighted
Cloud collaboration has been at the forefront of the music industry’s mind for well over a decade or two, thus far no one has been able to get it right. The key components are all there, communities with 10s of thousands of users from all around the world clamoring to be a part of something greater than their own work, or at least make their own work greater.
The key problem with cloud collaboration up until a few years ago was the real-time performance issues, but with the advent of faster and faster internet and phone speeds around the world, everything is within arms reach. Though not all collaborations are made equal, each one of these services deserves a seat at the table.
1. Soundtrap
Soundtrap is the all-inclusive solution to musician/band cloud collaboration. Brought to you by Spotify, Soundtrap is a fully functional online DAW marketed as your everywhere studio — it has all of the features you would need to produce music collaboratively online.
Read More: Soundtrap Review – Perhaps The Easiest DAW (Start Free)
One thing that stands out above all others is the ease of use that Soundtrap comes with. After logging in you can start producing a track almost instantly. Its a breath of fresh air considering some of the installation requirements and issues that arise with other DAWs.
Features:
- Built-in Autotune, with our favorite Antares
- Beatmaking made easy
- A library of loops, presets, and samples
- Easily connect a microphone or instrument through an audio interface
- Platform ready for educators — connect a school account
Specs:
- Compatible DAWs: Built-in proprietary DAW.
- Stem Uploads: Yes.
- Storage Limitations: Unlimited.
Packages:
- For personal use – $13.99/mo billed annually, or $17.99/mo billed monthly. Free trial available — see here.
- For Educators – Currently due to COVID-19 there is a 120 free trial for educators. Regularly plans start at $249/year for 50 users with custom plans available based on user count.
2. BandLab
Singapore-based BandLab is the only cloud collaboration service on the list that is solely in the cloud. The 49% owner of Rolling Stones is a DAW that works on desktop and iOS devices but is untethered by installing any drivers or software. The DAW allows for real-time recording from any users that you add to a project, of course, the BandLab community if you so choose. The BandLab app allows for live on-the-fly recording and immediate backup to your BandLab account.
Features:
- Manually backup & pull projects.
- Bandlab Community Collaboration.
- Showcase your work or share it with the users you want.
- WebMIDI Enabled.
- iOS app with complete functionality.
- Cloud-based digital instrument suite.
- Free Landr Mastering.
- Project Forking.
Specs:
- Compatible DAWs: Only BandLab.
- Stem Upload: Stem Import and Project Upload.
- Storage Limitations: None that can be seen.
Packages:
- BandLab is free and unlimited.
3. Avid Cloud Collaboration
Taking control of their brand’s collaboration efforts while also moving light years ahead of what any other company is doing, Avid’s Cloud Collaboration platform is the only way to truly collaborate with Pro Tools. If you have ever had to work on a Pro Tools session with someone remotely, you know the only way to collaborate is one at a time, sending files back and forth. Pro Tools First & Pro Tools 2020 have solved that problem with the addition of the Avid Cloud Collaboration platform. Now you can collaborate with anyone in the world using the latest version of Pro Tools or Pro Tools first, Avid’s newest free DAW that can use Pro Tools formatted sessions.
Specs:
- Compatible DAWs: Pro Tools.
- Stem Upload: No.
- Storage Limitations: Based on plans.
Packages:
- 1 GB of Free Storage.
- 30GB for $9.99/month.
- 80GB for $24.99/month.
4. Soundslates
Swiss cloud-based production company Soundslates main focus is to bring everything from presets to plugins to the cloud. Their one size fits all model is great for cloud storage simply because it can work with anything. A great thing about the Soundslates backup system within its custom MPA (Music Production Assistant) is the ability to see versioning and access your files from anywhere in the world without having to install the MPA to the other computers by pulling stems directly from your private profile on their company website.
Features:
- Manually backup & pull projects.
- Soundcloud community postings for collaboration and jobs.
- Showcase your work or share it with the users you want.
- Preset sharing.
- A host of VST plugins to get you started on your musical adventure.
Specs:
- Compatible DAWs: Every major, and most medium side DAWs.
- Stem Upload: Yes.
- Storage Limitations: 100GB.
Packages:
- Freelance: 2GB of Free Storage.
- Pro: 100GB $99.99/year.
5. Blend.io
ROLI’s entry into the cloud collaboration marketplace is Blend. Blend is equal parts cloud storage and beat store, except you can sell more than just your beats, you can sell your tips, your presets and your sample packs. Though the backup process isn’t automatic, uploads to the Blend organizes your files one you publish them publicly or privately.
Features:
- Manually backup & pull projects.
- ROLI Community Collaboration.
- Showcase your work or share it with the users you want.
- Get your music on Apple Music, Beatport, and Spotify with the Blend Label distribution plan.
- Sell your beats, stems, tips and otherwise.
- Participate in remix competitions.
Specs:
- Compatible DAWs: A large range of DAWs, with all of the majors covered.
- Stem Upload: Yes
- Storage Limitations: None that can be seen.
Packages:
- From all that can be seen, Blend.io is free.
6. Splice
Before Splice became the Loopmasters-killer it now is (They now offer Loopcloud), it was created for artist collaborations. Though the collaboration aspect of the system never took off the way they initially intended, Splice does give users a lot to work with as a truly great cloud backup system. Included in your backups are versioning, tags, and pull files for each version of your work. When creating files in supported DAWs the system Splice notifies you to backup.
Features:
- Manually backup & pull projects.
- Splice Community Collaboration.
- Showcase your work or share it with the community.
- Participate in remix competitions.
Specs:
- Compatible DAWs: Ableton, Fruity Loops, Logic and GarageBand.
- Stem Uploads: No.
- Storage Limitations: Depends on Package.
Packages:
- Unlimited and Free with or without a subscription.
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Sean serves as our industry expert for music production. He holds a BS in Music Business and Marketing from Full Sail University and works as a Producer in New York City. You will find him writing amazingly detailed gear reviews, interviewing artists, and providing invaluable insight for our Audio Engineering learners.