Skip to content

11 Free DAW Software for Beginners


    Best-Free-DAW-Software-for-Beginners

    In this blog post, we mention some of the best free DAW software for beginners. Anyone can get started in music production with the availability of these free music-making software. They’re also a great way to learn the basics before you upgrade to a paid option.

    But can the best free DAW match professional music software? No, is the simple answer. From our hands-on experience, they’re often quite limited in terms of features and functionality, and often have other irritations such as advertising or export limitations.

    We’ve include options that have enough features for you to complete a full song with no trial versions. They’re also compatible with either Windows or Mac computers, as well as Linux. So no matter what device you want to work on, we have you covered.

    Best Free DAW Software for Beginners

    1. Presonus Studio One Prime

    Presonus-Studio-One-Prime-Best-Free-DAW-Software-for-Beginners

    Studio One Prime provides everything you need to get started in content creation and audio production.

    The great thing about Studio One Prime is the fact that it functions like a full product (as opposed to a demo version), in the sense that you won’t be interrupted by annoying nag screens, time-outs or track number limitations It comes with unlimited tracks, and a powerful complement of virtual instruments and native effects that sound just as good (and frequently, better) than third-party effects.

    When compared to commercial versions of Studio One (Artist and Pro), Studio One Prime, lacks 3rd party plugin support and you are stuck with the stock plugins. The stock plugins are by no means bad, but the only instrument plugin is Presence, which is limited.

    Operating System: macOS and Windows

    Where To Download Free Presonus Studio One Prime

    How to use Presonus Studio One Prime

    2. Ableton Live Lite

    Ableton-Live-Lite-Best-Free-DAW-Software-for-Beginners

    Ableton Live Lite is good and worth incorporating into music production. It helps you in achieving the kind of music you want with its incredible interface and workflow.

    Live Lite features eight input channels, sufficient for a professional sound. The Lite edition also supports five audio file formats to edit tracks from multiple sources. It’s essentially a watered-down version of Ableton Live.

    Be that as it may, Ableton Live Lite has its limitation when compared to the Live Standard. One obvious limitation is the track limit as the Live Standard supports an infinite number of sounds. Additionally, Ableton Live Standard supports up to 256 input and output channels, while Lite supports up to eight.

    Operating System: macOS and Windows

    Where To Download Free Ableton Live Lite

    How to use Ableton Live Lite

    3. WavTool

    WavTool

    WavTool provides a professional-grade DAW experience without having to leave the browser, and it uses AI to help you become a better producer.

    One of the most unique features of WavTool is that it can AI to help generate melodies, chords, accompaniments and more, which you can then edit to your own requirements. It also has a chatbot which can help you navigate complicated DAW interfaces, or even make changes directly to the mix or the arrangement for you. This makes it a great choice for beginners who are unfamiliar with complicated DAW UIs, or to simply automate repetitive tasks.

    It’s completely within the browser, which means no installation required! The free tier is very generous and provides everything you need to make music, including use of its AI features.

    Where to use WavTool

    4. GarageBand

    GarageBand-Best-Free-DAW-Software-for-Beginners

    GarageBand is one of the most user-friendly audio editing platforms out there. Simple things, like working audio fades, are easiest in Garageband compared to any other audio editing software.

    Even though it has simple to use features, it’s a fully equipped music creation studio right inside your Mac — with a complete sound library that includes instruments, presets for guitar and voice, and an incredible selection of session drummers and percussionists.  With the Touch Bar feature for MacBook Pro and an intuitive, modern design, it’s easy to learn, play, record, create, and share your hits worldwide.

    Operating System: macOS and iOS only

    Where To Download Free GarageBand

    How to use GarageBand

    5. MPC Beats

    MPC-Beats-Best-Free-DAW-Software-for-Beginners

    Historically, Akai Professional have best been known for their MPC sampling and sequencing hardware. Now, their MPC Beats is a free ‘beatmaking DAW’ that puts the classic MPC workflow on your PC or Mac

    It has everything you might need to make tracks, including MIDI, audio, built-in plugins and VST and AU support, a mixer, and plenty of sounds to get started. While it only has up to eight tracks of MIDI and audio (compared to the original version’s 128 tracks), each MIDI track can host an entire drum kit, meaning you’re unlikely to hit walls any time soon.

    Nonetheless, for those coming from other DAWs or just starting, the MPC software can seem a little cryptic. The workflow is by no means difficult, but it is different and limiting in some ways. The limitation of the sample engine is not a disadvantage, but rather a challenge for a user to maximize their creativity.

    Operating System: macOS and Windows

    Where To Download Free MPC Beats

    How to use MPC Beats

    6. Serato Studio

    Serato-Studio-Best-Free-DAW-Software-for-Beginners

    Popular DJ and music production software company Serato released a free version to its Serato Studio DAW. This free edition is feature-limited, but it does let you make, save, and export tracks.

    It has features that are geared toward DJs and beat-makers. It integrates with Serato’s DJ software so you can quickly make edits or mashups of tracks you already have. It also includes DJ-style channel mixing strips and works with Serato DJ-compatible controllers, so DJs can use them to make music with Serato Studio.

    Having said that, the free version has most of the functionality of the full edition, but with restricted use. The amount of audio sources you can work on at one time is limited, you can only export tracks as a single MP3 file, and automation is disabled.

    The free edition probably isn’t a good solution for someone who wants to make robust tracks that use a lot of audio sources. But it could be useful for beginners and DJs who want to alter songs for use in live performances.

    Operating System: macOS and Windows

    Where To Download Free Serato Studio

    How to use Serato Studio

    7. Cakewalk

    Cakewalk-Best-Free-DAW-Software-for-Beginners

    Cakewalk Sonar has been a staple for home recording and professional studios all over the world. The unique layout, combined with a feature-rich set of tools, such as the integration of Melodyne and the Pro Channel has proven successful.

    Cakewalk has powerful features that make it a very capable DAW for professional use. Although available exclusively for Windows, Cakewalk’s effortless workflow makes it a must-try for songwriters, producers, and engineers alike.

    Moreover, Cakewalk on its own lacks some of Sonar Platinum’s bundled plug-ins and instruments, what’s most important is that you can now get Platinum’s functionality completely free. Cakewalk has quite a few features that are rare at best, and some you won’t find anywhere

    Operating System: Windows

    Where To Download Free Cakewalk

    How to use Cakewalk

    8. Audacity

    Audacity-Best-Free-DAW-Software-for-Beginners

    Audacity is a powerful, free, open-source audio editor that’s been available for years. You can use it to make your own recordings, remove noise, cut and combine clips, apply special effects and much more, and achieve truly professional results.

    Audacity is geared more towards those who want to record simple vocal audio compared to those who want a fuller studio experience where they can create multi-track beats with vocal audio paired with loops, or MIDI instruments.

    However, Audacity lacks some of the more complex audio editing capabilities that a studio-level platform would have, but it’s understandable given that it is free. While you get unlimited undos and redos, Audacity’s edits are almost always destructive, so it won’t replace a proper digital audio workstation.

    Operating System: macOS and Windows

    Where To Download Free Audacity

    How to use Audacity

    9. Tracktion Waveform Free

    Tracktion-Waveform-Best-Free-DAW-Software-for-Beginners

    Waveform Free is one of, if not the, best DAW that’s free to use. It offers no artificial limits, third-party plugin functionality and a streamlined interface that’s easy to get started with but also complex enough to cater for even pro users.

    The interface is quite clinical and vector-based, which makes cross-platform development easier as well as enabling interface customization without headaches. Here you can choose theme colors, and many tabs, windows and sections can be resized, moved, floated and docked.

    In contrast to many other free DAWs and ‘light’ versions, Waveform Free does not have any major restrictions – most importantly, you can use an unlimited number of tracks and plug-ins. As many as your setup can handle, anyway. The software is also notable for running on platforms such as Linux and the Raspberry Pi.

    Operating System: macOS and Windows and Ubuntu and Raspberry Pi

    Where To Download Tracktion Waveform

    How to use Free Tracktion Waveform

    10. Cubase LE

    cubase-le-Best-Free-DAW-Software-for-Beginners

    Cubase LE is a special, compact version which uses the same core technologies as Cubase Pro.

    The built-in audio effects and vst are sufficient for any producer with medium knowledge. I like how intuitive and stable the software is to record, edit and mix both audio and Midi, either with external instruments or with built-in vst, it also has a huge sound library. You get 48 tracks of audio and 64 MIDI tracks. The only difference between LE and SE there is that SE has unlimited MIDI tracks, but 64 is hardly going to feel limited.

    Operating System: macOS and Windows

    Where To Download Free Cubase LE

    How to use Cubase LE

    11. LMMS

    lmms-Best-Free-DAW-Software-for-Beginners

    LMMS is an open-source audio editing and music composing solution that helps creators manage projects, synthesize sounds, create beats, fine-tune notes, automate songs, and more on a centralized platform. It enables users to manage note playback via MIDI or typing keyboards and import hydrogen project-based files.

    However, without attaching a midi keyboard or other controllers, it can be quite time-consuming and a bit clunky to put in notation with a trackpad. It also takes a little while to get used to how things work. The user interface can be improved. But overall, it is a very good program since it is free and users will get used to it eventually.

    Operating System: Linux and Windows

    Where To Download Free LMMS

    How to use LMMS

    Polish your sound, the professional way

    You may also like:


    submit your music popup