We put together this comprehensive list of the top music production software to educate anyone looking to start producing music or to update people that may have taken a break from composing music. We have chosen five digital audio workstations to discuss in detail. We will talk about the User Interface, included instruments and effects, and any other unique factors relating to a particular Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) so you can learn which software is the best for you and your production style.
FL Studio
FL Studio is one of the world's most popular DAWs, and it builds on 20 years of revolutionary development to provide you with a complete package that includes all of the tools you need to write, arrange, record, edit, mix, and master professional-quality music. The advanced audio specifications ensure multi-track recording, time-stretching, and pitch shifting capabilities, while the sequencing tools, such as the industry-leading piano roll editor, control patterns, and linear workflow, ensure that you can easily compose precisely what you need with an intuitive and user-friendly layout. Multi-track mixer automation and control VST plug-in compatibility provide complete control over your audio.
| FL Studio 20 |
Fruity Loops 21 Fruity Edition is a powerful, cutting-edge DAW that includes a plethora of professional sound design and music production tools for producing high-quality audio. The attractive, colourful interface is inviting yet professional. Double click any audio file to apply pitch and modulation effects quickly, with excellent results thanks to the FL’s sampler editor. You can reverse, time stretch, invert audio, etc. So you know you are gaining a flexible and diverse sampler.
You receive over 80 instruments and effects plugins to get you started. These include powerful software synths and incredible effects plugins. Ideal for not just vocals but pads and basses for adding vocal movement-style distortion.
FL Studio Fruity Edition includes a wide range of instruments and effects, including automation, sample playback/manipulation, synthesisers, compression, delay, EQ, filtering, flanging, phasing, reverb, chorus, distortion, and bit-crushing tools, allowing you to compose any music in any genre or style. If the wealth of instruments and effects isn't enough for you, FL Studio supports all VST standards 1, 2, and 3 and gives you access to a wide choice of third-party plug-ins. You can even rewire FL and use it as a VST inside another VST host.
Ableton Live 12
Quite simply Ableton has quickly grown to become one of the most popular music production software packages available on the market. Ableton Live 12 is a fast, fluid, and adaptable music creation and performance software. It has a variety of effects, instruments, sounds, and creative tools, allowing you to create any type of music. Create your own sound with Live's extensive library of instruments and effects, or remix a range of well curated Packs to create something completely unique.
| Ableton Live 10 |
Create your own sound with Live's extensive library of instruments and effects, or remix a range of well curated Packs to create something completely unique. Furthermore, because the programme lets you to do everything in real time and is completely customisable, it is ideal for live performances and hands-on play, independent of your setup.
Set up your music in Live 12's linear Arrangement View, or utilise the Session View to improvise and experiment with ideas outside of a timeline. Live's warping feature allows you to adjust the pace and timing of any audio in real time without breaking the song. Record MIDI or real-world instruments, vocals, or other sounds, and then use Live's creative tools to improve your performance, generate new ideas, or turn spontaneous moments into music. Use MIDI Transformations to change your patterns, and MIDI Generators to generate new ones that you may incorporate into your own. Use Sound Similarity to identify presets and sounds similar to the ones you're working with.
Logic Pro X
This DAW has been around for a while now and they have gained quite the reputation for being a reliable workstation for producers. This is in part due to the simplistic user interface as well as the effects which have been received well by producers for giving impressive sonic results.
The layout shares similarities to Cubase and ProTools, which will make those coming from a more traditional arrange page/large-mixer format feel more at home.
Logic Pro 10.4 is the latest iteration from Apple and comes with some impressive features. Such as new plugins Phat FX and Alchemy which were inherited from Camel Audio, upon Apple's purchase. The Phat FX draws inspiration from CamelPhat, a legendary distortion plugin that has been hyped by many music producers from the electronic music scene.
Logic’s stock plugins are pretty good for the most part, certainly giving you enough for you to be able to complete stable, loud, or dynamic mix. Logic Pro X’s compressors are even modeled on classic hardware compressors from the likes of Teletronix and Universal Audio. These are decent enough. However, you can find 3rd party plugin providers that have modeled the compressors with greater accuracy to bring them more in line with the actual hardware (UAD or Waves perhaps?).
One big drawback is that this a Mac-only product and compared to some of the other DAWs on this list can be quite CPU hungry. With this in mind Logic Pro is still a fantastic digital audio workstation that features many great factors, not to mention the accessibility. You can download this instantly from the Mac App Store and be up and running within an hour.
Reason 12
When it comes to producing sounds and beats, the Reason Rack is one of the most powerful and adaptable tools available. To create the sound you want, you can assemble virtual instruments, synthesisers, drum machines, sound-shaping effects, Player MIDI effects, and mixing tools on a virtual rack.
| Reason 11 |
Reason 12 includes 17 instruments, 29 effects, high-resolution graphics, a smarter browser, and the Mimic Creative Sampler, which allows you to quickly trigger, chop, and modify any audio source in real time. Combinator has been modified to provide for additional sound design possibilities, and the new rack architecture provides a significantly improved workflow experience.
Cubase 13
Cubase is an outstanding digital audio workstation, known for its incredible routing and mixing ability, as well as featuring really great audio plugins and instruments. Cubase was very important in the early days of digital audio production software. Cubase was the first software to feature virtual studio technology (VST) which became the industry standard and opened the door to third-party manufacturers to push the technology even further. Cubase provides artists with a wide range of cutting-edge tools for writing, recording, editing, and mastering music with ease.
| Cubase 10 |
From electronic beats to orchestral arrangements, Cubase is adaptable to any genre, meeting the creative needs of musicians of all types. Cubase has a multitude of high-quality VST instruments, plug-ins, and sounds, allowing you to create masterpieces right out of the box. MixConsole in Cubase allows you to create professional mixes with easily customisable channel strips and comprehensive routing options for simple, optimal control.
This DAW is extremely versatile being Mac and PC compatible. One slight disadvantage is that Cubase can be CPU heavy compared with other DAWs. Not a problem if you have a fast PC. Other than that, this may be the best music production software on this list.
Conclusion
We hope that you can take away useful information from this list so you can make the best decision for yourself. To help you get the music production software that allows you to write to your style, yet still provides you with the creative inspiration to design sounds. Integrate all of your 3rd party plugins into any of the following DAWs for those that just fancy a change of scenery.
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