Mar 10, 2020 With unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, the easy-to-navigate Tracktion Waveform Free is another strong, “I can’t believe it’s a free DAW” contender. Studio One Prime V4 is a streamlined DAW with lots of potential, including an instrument and drum editor with drum and melodic patterns.
A Mac is a great computer for making music on, simply because there are so many digital audio workstations (DAWs) available to use with it. The best DAWs for Mac let you record instruments, capture MIDI performances, edit audio files, and export quality mixes.
Although some professional DAWs cost hundreds of dollars to buy, there are plenty of free DAWs for Mac. And these are the best free DAWs for Mac. Each of which offers all of the features you need to make professional-quality tracks. All without spending a penny.
1. GarageBand
GarageBand is free to download on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad and it lets you work on the same musical projects across all of your Apple devices. If you ever leave the Apple ecosystem, you might want to look at these GarageBand alternatives for Windows The 6 Best GarageBand Alternatives for Music Production on WindowsHere are the best alternatives to GarageBand, Apple's popular music production software, that you can run on your Windows PC. Read More . But none of them offer the same streamlined experience across multiple devices.
Don’t let GarageBand’s simple interface put you off. It’s a powerful tool for composing, arranging, and recording music. You can access an enormous library of Apple Loops to get started or write something new using the impressive virtual instruments. The Drummer feature is particularly great, letting you choose between 28 different styles.
GarageBand has all the bells and whistles you need to make music on your Mac. Work with audio and MIDI in the editor view. Tweak your instrumentation in the arrange window. And use a powerful set of plugins from the smart controls view.
But there are limitations as well.
The biggest downside to GarageBand is that there’s no mixer view. You’re also capped at a total of 256 tracks, although you’re unlikely to reach that limit. To bypass these restrictions you need to upgrade to Logic Pro.
In short: GarageBand is one of the best free DAWs for beginners to use on a Mac. This is thanks to its user-friendly interface and rich library of loops.
Download: GarageBand for macOS (Free)
2. Waveform Free
Tracktion makes software instruments, effects, plugins, and DAWs, including Waveform Free. This is a fully-featured DAW with unlimited audio or MIDI tracks, built-in synthesizers, samplers, and compatibility for third-party plugins.
Although you can pay for Waveform Pro to unlock extra features, Waveform Free has everything you need from a DAW to produce professional-quality music on your Mac. It’s also available on Windows, Linux, and Raspberry Pi. So you can collaborate on your music across any computer platform.
Don’t let the name fool you, Waveform Free isn’t a half-baked version of the Pro alternative. Instead, you get everything you might have paid for from a professional DAW except the very latest advancements.
If you do find yourself itching for extra features, you can upgrade to Waveform Pro for $69. Doing so unlocks quick actions, customizable layouts, plug-in macros, and other high-end features.
In short: A powerful DAW with zero track restrictions that includes a full set of editing and recording features. If you like it, level up your DAW with an affordable Pro upgrade.
Download: Waveform Free for macOS (Free)
3. LMMS
LMMS used to stand for Linux MultiMedia Studio, but that moniker dropped out of use when LMMS went cross-platform. It’s now available on Windows and macOS, too. And since it’s an open-source DAW, you can get LMMS on your Mac for free.
Open-source software Open Source vs. Free Software: What's the Difference and Why Does It Matter?Many assume 'open source' and 'free software' mean the same thing but that's not true. It's in your best interest to know what the differences are. Read More is built by the community, for the community. That means LMMS doesn’t have the same resources behind it that GarageBand gets from Apple. As a result, it feels a little awkward to use and isn’t as packed with features as other DAWs.
The biggest downside to LMMS is that it isn’t a recording-friendly DAW. You can import pre-recorded samples, but you can’t record audio directly into LMMS. Instead, LMMS is best for people working with MIDI instruments to make electronic music.
Create melodies and beats using the piano roll and step sequencer. Then tweak the sound using built-in virtual instruments. These include emulators of the Commodore 64 SID microchip, Roland TB-303, and the Nintendo Entertainment System.
In short: LMMS is a free DAW aimed at sequencing electronic music on your Mac. It’s best for working with samples and virtual instruments.
Download: LMMS for macOS (Free)
4. Studio One Prime
Presonus offers Studio One in a variety of versions: Professional, Artist, and Prime. Each version comes with a different set of features, but we’re most interested in Prime because it’s free. And it still comes with everything you need to make music.
Studio One Prime includes support for unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, nine Native Effects plug-ins, and almost one gigabyte of samples and loops. Unfortunately, you can’t use virtual instruments without upgrading. But Studio One Prime is great for working with audio.
Take advantage of Studio One’s single-window interface to record, arrange, and mix your music with ease. Presonus also boasts broad drag-and-drop functionality that lets you add effects, edit audio files, and work with sequencers.
To unlock more features, activate a 30-day free trial of Studio One Professional at any time. This offers the same clean interface as Studio One Prime, but with better virtual instrument support. You also get a larger library of effects and plugins.
In short: Studio One Prime is a capable DAW available for free on your Mac, with plenty of features to get you started. But it lacks support for third-party virtual instruments.
Download: Studio One Prime for macOS (Free)
5. Audacity
Although Audacity doesn’t look as attractive as the other free DAWs for Mac, it’s a powerful audio editor with a dedicated fanbase. Audacity is perfect for recording and editing audio, whether you want to find the perfect sample or create a brand new multitrack recording.
There are plenty of different ways to use Audacity, and it’s such a simple DAW that you don’t need to spend long learning how it works. Audacity includes a range of plugins and effects, including equalizers, reverb, echo, distortion, chorus, and more.
Unfortunately, you can only have up to 16 tracks of audio at a time. Audacity also doesn’t support MIDI recording, although you can import MIDI tracks from elsewhere.
Audacity is one of the best DAWs for beginners The Best Free Music Production Software for BeginnersIf you're just starting out making your own music, here's the best free music production software money can't buy. Read More because there aren’t too many features to get in the way. It’s particularly good for recording and editing podcasts or spoken word recordings.
That said, you might want to use another DAW alongside Audacity so you can access advanced features if you ever need them.
In short: Audacity is perfect for simple audio-editing tasks or multitrack recording up to 16 tracks. However, it doesn’t offer many advanced features outside of those tasks.
Download: Audacity for macOS (Free)
6. Ardour
Ardour is a comprehensive open-source digital audio workstation. It includes unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, non-destructive editing, plugin automation, video playback, and a mixing interface. Ardour might appear intimidating at first, but you can learn to use it by reading guides in the Ardour Community.
If you’re willing to put the time in, Ardour is a very powerful DAW that comes with all the features you’d expect from premium software. It’s available for Windows, macOS, and Linux so you won’t feel tied to a certain platform if you do learn to use it.
Unfortunately, there’s a minor catch.
Ardour is only available for free if you download the DAW source code and compile the Mac app yourself. This is a complicated and time-consuming process, and Ardour doesn’t offer any help with it.
That said, for $1/month you can download a ready-to-run version of Ardour that’s much easier to install. We kept Ardour in this list of free apps because it’s so powerful that you should seriously consider learning how to build it from the source code.
In short: The full package, but more intimidating to get started with. The learning curve is steep, but Ardour’s potential for producing, composing, and mastering is huge.
Download: Ardour for macOS (Free)
7. Pro Tools First
Pro Tools is an industry-standard DAW and is used in professional studios across the globe. Many consider it to be difficult to learn, limited in its compatibility, and too expensive. But it is also unquestionably powerful.
Fortunately, you can download Pro Tools First, a stripped-down version of the premium DAW, to use on your Mac for free. This allows you to get a feel for Pro Tools, learning how it works without needing to pay for an expensive software license.
With Pro Tools First, you can only have 16 audio or MIDI tracks at a time, using a maximum of four inputs. But you get access to 23 included plugins, and over three gigabytes of included sounds. You can also create an unlimited number of busses, allowing you to group effects together and reduce the drain on your CPU.
A paid Pro Tools upgrade unlocks over 100 plugins, alongside more editing tools such as a score editor and clip gain bars.
In short: Although Pro Tools First limits your track count and effects, it’s a powerful DAW that lets you learn to use an industry-standard piece of software.
Download: Pro Tools First for macOS (Free)
Use a Premium DAW for the Best Sound Quality
For most people, the free DAWs for Mac listed above offer everything you need to create great music. Record with audio or MIDI, import samples, work with sequencers, and use free plugins and effects to perfect your mix. There’s plenty to get your teeth stuck into.
However, for better audio quality you may need to pay for a professional DAW to unlock higher sample rates and bit-depths. If that’s something you might be interested in, take a look at the best music production software for audiophiles The Best Music Production Software for AudiophilesThe perfect digital audio workstation is waiting for you. Here are the best music production software for audiophiles. Read More . None come cheap, but they are the best of the best in terms of DAWs.
DAW software is computer software used in the music industry to record, produce and edit audio files. It can either be sound effects, songs, speeches or music productions. Before the existence of this software, music producers relied on tape-based studio setup, but in the recent times, DAW software has dominated the music production industry.
Related:
The software has been developed to accommodate many components whose control originates from a central computer.
Logic Pro
Logic Pro is a favorite of many. It’s almost as popular as Mac computers. The software that combines new synth, flexibility, and new features to make the best music is what you need to achieve the best results. The 10 New EDM, Hip-Hp Drummers, Spot Erase, and Drum Machine Designer are examples of features you will be interacting with if you choose this software.
Bit Wig Studio
No matter what your level of experience is in music production, you will always have the desire to take full control of your production; and you could use Bit Wig Studio to bring the best music on stage, even if you are new to the music industry. The best part is that the developers fine-tuned this solution to give you the best user experience, which means that producing the best music should be possible, to say the least.
Ableton
It has been operational for more than half a decade, and has a larger group of supporters. In fact, from the time the developers launched the software, until now, we’ve seen Ableton gain prominence as well as a well-defined audience. The software is cool, and you will love it the moment you start using it as your music production solution.
FL Studio
FL Studio has established a name for itself as a great brand in the market. In fact, it is one of the most popular solutions ever created. Because it has unique features that make music production easy, you will surely find the software useful. What’s even more interesting is the fact that FL Studio receives free lifetime updates.
Studio One
Studio One is a perfect software for song writing and music production. Music bigwigs and the wannabe can depend on this solution for the best production. Because it comes with amazing features meant to make your next a hit on the market, you should be depending on this software for your production.
Cakewalk
The software can act as a single software program on a laptop. The current version of DAW software allows the user to mix and alter several tracks and recordings to come up with a final music production. Catwalk is a powerful tool for those who want to take their music to the next level.
Audacity
The audacity team has improved its software to give you an amazing recording experience.
The latest version does not have any bugs; the developer team worked around all the errors in version 2.8.12, and now version 3.0.2 is more enjoyable and easy to use.
The spectrogram view, which is valuable for vocal work, has been improved.
Live New In 9.5
Ableton is a big name in the music industry today, particularly because it is the best music production software on the market today. Ableton is almost a perfect virtual studio for anyone who would like to do music without going to a real studio. It has new rich features to make music production even more fun.
Reason
Reason is the solution you need to turn your lyric concepts into real music. You can create any music effect, from synths, drum machines and sampler to loops and more. The software makes collaborating with other music makers possible. Get your music ideas into workable plans and produce the best hits for the next show.
DAW Software for Other Platform
The software can be bought on app stores. There are different choices to choose from when deciding on the DAW software to use. There is the paid version and unpaid version. The unpaid version has limited use and therefore it would not be a convenient choice for a serious music producer. There is also the full version DAW software and the limited version DAW software. The performance of DAW software is dictated by the version bought therefore, the key thing producers should keep in mind before making a purchase of the software is the performance and how long the software lasts.
DAW Software for Mac
Apple Garage Band
Apple Garage Band is one of the best DAW software for Mac computers. It is not only beginner friendly software but also it is free to download. It has a collection of decent instruments and high quality audio loops that can help you make cool music from scratch. There are many new features added to version 10.
DAW Software for Linux
Ardour
Ardour is the best Digital Audio Workstation for Linux computers. Version 4 of the software was the best one because it delivered some technical improvements the previous versions did not have. Ardour is cheap; the subscription is as less as $1 per month. Because the software is easy to use, it is suitable for both beginners and experts.
What is DAW Software?
DAW is an acronym for Digital Audio Workstation. It is the software used in music production. Computer-based DAW software has four main components. These components include digital audio editor software, a computer, audio interface or sound card and not less than one input device. The purpose of the input device is to modify the data. The computer on the other hand hosts the audio interface or sound card and the software provides the interface and functionality for audio editing.
During the first stages of music production, the music is usually in its analog form therefore, there is need for conversion to digital form. The sound card or external audio interface converts the analog audio signals into digital form. They can also be used to convert the digital signals back to analog signals when playing it back, and they may be used in helping in the further processing of the audio files.
How to Install DAW Software
Free Daw For Mac
The digital audio software is an integral part of the DAW software in music production since it controls all related hardware components and provides a user interface to allow for recording, playback, and editing. To install the software, please follow the instruction provided by the manufacturer or developer team of the software for accurate installation.
More Insight on the Topic
DAW software is designed to allow many user interfaces and they are generally based on a multi-track tape recorder metaphor, which makes it easier for recording. The multi-track DAW allows operations to be carried out on multiple tracks at once. A unique feature of the software is the existence of the ‘undo’ command, which allows the user to reverse a previous action.
This helps to prevent errors and mistakes that would have been made accidentally in the production process. DAW software is also used to set tempo, pitch, wave shape and filtering of sound. The software can also be used in phones through simple Smartphone-based DAW usually known as Mobile Audio Workstation (MAW). The MAWs are commonly used by journalists for recording and editing information on a scene.