You really can’t record music without a DAW.

Grammy Award-nominated engineer Dana Nielsen (SZA, Rihanna, Adele, Bob Dylan) says it’s the main piece of software you need to get started.

“The main thing [when getting started] is just to do it and to get your system together,” he told us. “Have a home studio and figure out what your DAW is.”

With that in mind, here are three of the best options to consider…

Image courtesy of Avid Pro Tools

Pro Tools is widely recognized as the industry standard in professional recording studios. It’s in every pro-level studio, and most of your favorite artists (or their engineers) use it.

Benefits of Pro Tools:

• Tested and Trusted: it’s become the industry standard because of its power and reliability.
• Real-Time Processing: Benefit from advanced real-time processing and low-latency monitoring for efficient workflow.
• Cloud Collaboration: Collaborate seamlessly with other Pro Tools users in real-time, no matter their location.
• Broad Compatibility: Works with nearly all computers and operating systems.
• Versatile Audio Interface Support: Compatible with almost every type of audio interface.
• Extensive Plugin Support: Supports a broad array of third-party plugins.

Downsides of Pro Tools:

• Cost: Pro Tools can be expensive, especially for the full-featured versions and subscription plans.
• Steep Learning Curve: Its advanced features and interface can be daunting for beginners.
• Limited MIDI Editing: While improving, its MIDI capabilities are still considered less robust compared to some competitors.

Logic Pro, an Apple-exclusive DAW, has established itself as an industry standard, rivaling Pro Tools in professional settings. Its key features make it a top choice for making music at any level.

Benefits of Logic Pro:

• Comprehensive Tools: Offers a complete suite of built-in tools for every stage of music production, all within a user-friendly interface.
• Advanced MIDI Sequencer: Known for having one of the best MIDI sequencers available.
• Extensive Virtual Instruments: Includes a vast library of virtual instruments to enhance your tracks.
• Royalty-Free Loops and Samples: Comes with a wide selection of royalty-free loops and samples that you can easily and legally use in your music.
• Versatility: Ideal for both bedroom producers and professionals working in high-end recording studios.

Downsides of Logic Pro:

• Mac only: Logic Pro is only available for macOS, limiting accessibility for Windows users.
• Resource Intensive: It can be demanding on system resources, requiring a powerful machine for optimal performance.

Reaper works with both Apple and Microsoft devices, and the full version of Reaper is available for free. For personal use, the cost is just $60 and it’s based on an honor system for payment.

Benefits of Reaper:

• Comprehensive Editing Tools: Reaper includes a full suite of professional-grade tools, like EQ, compression, reverb, delay, and many others.
• User-Friendly Interface: Its straightforward interface is easy to navigate once you get accustomed to it, and you can customize it to fit your workflow.
• Plugin Support: It supports both VST plugins and AU plugins.
• Flexible Routing and Automation: The routing and automation options are intuitive and straightforward once you get the hang of them, whether you’re bussing or automating effects.
• Active Community: There’s a ton of help articles, forums, and YouTube tutorials available, so finding help and learning new tips and tricks is always easy.

Downsides of Reaper:

• Interface Complexity: While highly customizable, the interface can be overwhelming for new users.
• Limited Built-In Instruments: It lacks a wide range of built-in instruments and sounds compared to other DAWs.
• Frequent Updates: While updates are good, they require you to adapt/update frequently.

Maybe you’re not ready to spend money on a DAW, and that’s okay. You can find a free DAW that works well enough. Here are three of the best options…

Image courtesy of Tracktion

Tracktion Waveform Free is an open-source DAW, offering unrestricted access at no cost. It’s an excellent choice for beginners, and if you find it valuable and want additional features, you can pay for the expansion features. However, the free version is already robust enough for starting out.

Benefits of Tracktion Waveform:

• Intuitive Interface: Its straightforward and user-friendly design ensures you can concentrate on making music without getting overwhelmed by complex controls.
• Built-In Sounds and Loops: The DAW includes a wide range of built-in sounds and loops, covering drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards.
• Built-In Effects and Tools: It offers a variety of effects and tools, like EQ, compression, and reverb, right out of the box.
• Active Community: Tracktion Waveform has a large and engaged user community, making it easy to find answers, share tips, and access tutorials to enhance your skills.

Downsides of Tracktion Waveform Free:

• Limited Features: The free version has fewer features compared to the paid version, which may hinder more advanced users who don’t upgrade.
• Occasional Stability Issues: Users have reported occasional crashes or bugs, particularly in the free version.

GarageBand is pre-installed on all Apple computers, making it a fantastic choice for beginners. Its user-friendly interface and extensive library of built-in sounds and loops offer a great starting point for creating music, all while ensuring that you’re using these resources legally.

Benefits of GarageBand:

• User-Friendly Interface: Its intuitive design is easy to navigate, perfect for those new to digital audio workstations.
• Built-In Sounds and Loops: With a diverse collection of sounds, including drums, bass, guitar, and keyboard, GarageBand provides a wealth of resources for your music without needing extra equipment. (Note: you can’t commercially release or sell the individual loops by themselves).
• Musical Typing: This feature lets you use your computer keyboard to play software instruments, eliminating the need for a MIDI controller.
• Recording and Editing Tools: GarageBand offers a comprehensive suite of tools for recording and editing, comparable to what professionals use.
• Software Integration: It integrates smoothly with other software like Logic Pro and Ableton Live, allowing you to expand your production capabilities as you advance.
• Sharing and Collaboration: You can easily share your projects via iCloud and collaborate with others in real time.

Downsides of GarageBand:

• Mac/iOS only: Like Logic, it’s only available on Apple devices, restricting accessibility for others.
• Basic Features: While great for beginners, it lacks advanced features needed for professional production.
• No Third-Party Plugin Support: GarageBand does not support third-party plugins, limiting sound design options.

Serato Studio is ideal for beatmakers and DJs, but it works great regardless of your genre. It has all of the tools you need to start making music.

Benefits of Serato Studio:

• Intuitive Interface: Its simple and user-friendly design makes navigation a breeze.
• Built-In Sounds and Loops: It includes a broad selection of sounds and loops, like drums, bass, and melody loops.
• Beatmaking and DJing Focus: Tailored for beat making and DJing, it allows you to easily create beats and loops, import and manipulate samples, and use its drum machine and step sequencer for intricate rhythms.
• Collaboration and Sharing: Sharing and collaborating on projects with other producers is straightforward.
• Integration with Serato DJ: Serato Studio integrates seamlessly with Serato DJ, letting you create beats and loops in Studio and then perform them live in Serato DJ for a smooth workflow.

Downsides of Serato Studio:

• Focus on Beatmaking: It’s primarily designed for beatmakers and may not have all the tools needed for full music production.
• Limited Audio Editing: Compared to more traditional DAWs, its audio editing capabilities are more basic.
• Subscription Model: The need for a subscription to access all features can be a turn-off for some users.

You’re looking for music making software, which means you’re probably looking for more than just the best DAW. So below, we’ll cover the best effects plugins and virtual instruments to get you started…

Effects plugins (often written “FX”) are a type of music making software that manipulate your audio in so many different ways. The four main FX plugins you’ll need are an EQ, a compressor, a delay effect, and a reverb plugin.

If you want to learn how to use these plugins, the best place to start is with your DAW’s built-in versions. Every DAW has an EQ, compressor, reverb, and delay plugin. Getting to know these simple stock versions will help you understand how they work and what they do, which will make it easier to use third party plugins.

Here are your best options for third-party plugins:

• EQ: FabFilter Pro Q3 (used by Grammy-winning artists, producers, and engineers)
• Compressor: UAD 1176 (emulates the compressor used on countless songs)
• Reverb: Valhall VintageVerb (used by Adele and Lana Del Rey)
• Delay: EchoBoy (used by Trent Reznor, Kenny Beats, and many others)

Virtual instruments are just what they sound like – software instruments that emulate live instruments. To play these instruments, you would control the software with a MIDI controller or by manually drawing the notes into your DAW.

The world of virtual instruments is endless, so we’re just going to look at a few options for each of the most common instruments you may want in your song.

Bass plugins:

• Modo Bass 2 (free trial)
• Trilian Total Bass Module (used by Charlie Puth)
• GarageBand/Logic Pro’s built-in bass instruments

Drum plugins:

• Addictive Drums 2 (Sound On Sound Magazine said it “sounds bloody marvelous”)
• Superior Drummer 3 (engineered by Grammy-winning engineer George Massenburg)
• Logic Pro’s built-in drummer

Piano plugins:

• Addictive Keys
• Spitfire Soft Piano (free)
• Noire (Nils Frahm’s concert grand piano sampled)

Synth plugins:

• Arturia Analog Lab V (thousands of sounds and presets, get 100 sounds for free)
• Arturia Pigments (used by Noel Gallagher, Tycho, Herbie Hancock, Hans Zimmer, and many others)
• Phase Plant