Want to jump straight to the answer? Our choice for the best Music Production Software is Pro Tools 2020!
With payment plans becoming ever more prevalent, trying out different DAWs and keeping multiple on hand is easier than ever. You can even work in a different DAW for each step of the production process if you want to. Finding the best music production software for you is key to not only improving your skills but the overall outcome of your projects.
Quicklook: Best Music Production Software
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7 Best Music Production Softwares
1. Pro Tools 2020
Who’s it for? Those who want to use a professional/industry-standard DAW
Price:
- Total – Perpetual Licenses Starting at $599.00
- Subscription – Starts at $24.99/month
Compatibility: Mac and Windows
When it comes to a professional look and high quality results, Pro Tools is the number 1 choice of many engineers and has been for over 30 years. It is used in studios all over the world. It can handle every different type of track there is out there as well as offer a multitude of new helpful features with the 2020 updates.
To learn more, take a look at our review here.
One of the largest complaints that circulates regarding Pro Tools is how easy it is to overload the CPU. But as long as you keep track of what plugins are on, you should be good.
2. FL Studio
Who’s it for? Engineers looking to produce electronic music and more
Price: Starts at $99.00
Compatibility: Mac and Windows
Wanting a versatile DAW that is able to work well with both with raw audio and to produce electronic music is exactly what FL Studio is for. FL Studio has an incredible multitude of plugins to use on your audio that can be purchased in addition to the DAW itself.
All of the new features of FL Studio have improved the overall usability. TO learn more about FL Studio as a whole, check out this comparison and these options to learn the ins and outs of FL Studio.
3. Soundtrap
Who’s it for? Beginning Engineers and Collaborators
Price: Subscriptions Start at $7.99/month
Compatibility: Mac and Windows (With an updated web browser)
Soundtrap is a completely online DAW that provides a wonderful list of tools for users to learn with. It is perfect for anything from learning audio, to producing a podcast, to producing entire songs.
Get a FREE trial of Soundtrap by clicking here!
With Soundtrap you can quickly and easily release your tracks directly to Spotify for the world to hear! Not only are there amazing plugins, but there are also some great guitar VSTs and samples for you to use.
4. Acid Pro
Who’s it for? New Producers and Engineers who want to work with Loops
Price:
- Subscription – $9.99
- Total – Starting at $199.00
Compatibility: Windows
This DAW is the best choice when it comes to not only learning digital audio but also when it comes to sampling audio. With its built in Stem Maker 2 from zynaptiq, you can extract specific instruments from songs and deconstruct them within Acid Pro. Perfect for pulling out that vocal sample or guitar riff.
With its unique morph pads, you can take the dynamics of your MIDI tracks to a whole new level, and boost your dynamics and clarity even further with their new sidechaining methods.
The recent release of Acid Pro 10 has brought this DAW into the new era of digital audio, improving its overall functionality and performance capabilities. Try it out with the Free Trial!
5. Logic Pro
Who’s it for? Producers who want a professional DAW integrated with Mac
Price: $199.99
Compatibility: Mac
When it comes to writing songs, Logic is absolutely one of the best. Between the intuitive interface and the amazing list of virtual instruments and sounds, you have endless tools and assets at your disposal.
Logic may only be able to be used on Mac, but it is easily one of the most used DAWs with a multitude of learning avenues on Youtube and even more.
6. Cakewalk
Who’s it for? Producers Looking for a Professional DAW for Free
Price: FREE
Compatibility: Windows
Cakewalk is a completely free DAW that works with professional plugins beyond what comes with it. You also have access to free mastering assistance on the Bandlab website. With a DAW that can match what pretty much every other professional DAW is doing, how could you say no?
Learn how you can improve your mixing with the award-winning Cakewalk by Bandlab. While it is compatible with 3rd party plugins, you may not even need them with the top-notch plugins that are included with Cakewalk itself.
7. Sound Forge Pro
Who’s it for? Engineers and Producers looking to
Price:
- Subscription – Starting at $14.99
- Total – Starting at $399.00
Compatibility: Windows
With Sound Forge Pro, you can work on every step of your process. You can create and work with your own recordings up to 32 channels. You can also mix and clean your audio with the included RX 7 Elements from iZotope.
Working on your own mastering is easier than ever with Ozone 9 Elements which has its own built-in mastering assistant.
What To Look For When Choosing the Best Music Production Softwares
When you are looking for the right DAW for you, you have to ask yourself different questions regarding your sessions and workflow. It is important to accurately evaluate what you need in a DAW because that can mean a difference of hundreds of dollars.
Price
Finding the right price as well as payment method is key. It used to be that you only had one method of getting a hold of a DAW and that was an outright purchase. Now, many offer ways to do a payment plan or a subscription for your DAW which could save you a lot in the long run.
Compatibility
It is extremely easy to get a hold of a DAW that works great with whatever operating system you are using whether that be Windows or Mac. If you are like me, you can jump back and forth fairly often. If I am on the go, I use my Macbook all of the time, but at home I have a PC sitting at my desk. With a DAW like Pro Tools, I am able to pull up sessions off of a harddrive on either computer with no issues whatsoever.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Jarrett is a hardcore Lover-Jazz Lover-Rock Lover-Blues Lover-just a music lover. He has the hair to match — Jarrett and provides in-depth insight into all things guitar and music engineering.