Top 10 Best Music Creation Software
As time goes on, you no longer need to know how to play an instrument and know music theory in order to write music tracks. It’s enough to learn how to use a few types of programs and learn the basics of constructing music in modern genres. But it’s not easy to immediately choose a successful audio editing application that will cover all your needs and provide beginners with a minimal set of tools.
Ideally, such an application shouldn’t have a confusing interface. But at the same time, the program must have a minimum of built-in tools and effects and not turn into a pumpkin when you learn to write simple tunes and want more. Strangely enough, programs that meet these requirements can be found even among the popular free applications. Let’s tell you about the best of them.
Free Music Creation Software
SunVox
One of the most popular among free music writing applications. SunVox is a fairly simple yet feature-rich music editor. Although the first version was released back in 2002, the program is still being finalized to modern standards and is available on Windows computers and iOS and Android devices.
The main difficulty with SunVox is its confusing interface. Its modular structure and many windows can confuse the newcomer, even despite the full translation into Russian. Nevertheless, you can create quality tracks with the built-in tools – there is a synthesizer and a drum machine. There is an advanced DrumSynth synthesizer installed by default, which offers all the necessary effects (echo, chorus, reverb, flanger and so on) and many tools for experiments (like vocoder, which imitates human voice).
Also disappointing is the lack of support for the most popular audio format MP3 – you’ll have to work with WAV and rarer extensions. But this is a trifle.
NanoStudio
Unlike the previous program, NanoStudio is a handy utility for iOS devices, in which newcomers will be able to quickly understand. However, although the interface is simple, but does not have an official translation into Russian.
The functionality of the program is narrower, although it still provides control over the track and a small set of tools. You have at your disposal a more modest synthesizer with basic effects, as well as a drum machine – thanks to it you can create your own beats right on your smartphone. Despite the ability to record from a microphone, for the creation of more complex musical compositions, the program is simple and does not give the necessary functionality in the form of installing extensions.
MadTracker
MadTracker, on the other hand, is designed for its users to build their own virtual but full-fledged studio. From the serious disadvantages of the application it is possible to note a minimum of built-in instruments and presets – you have to download and install synthesizers, effects, drum machines and other necessary things by yourself.
This definitely will not scare away professional musicians, but for beginners and amateurs it can be a serious obstacle. On the other hand, the interface is quite usable and even simple, except that its old-fashioned nature will scare some people away. All of the main audio tracks are displayed prominently on the screen and fixed, that is, it is impossible to change their assignment. This limits the space for imagination when writing music, but it will not let you get confused.
DarkWave Studio
DarkWave Studio is great for creating electronic compositions: it has a user-friendly interface, a minimal set of decent-sounding synthesizers and effects, a drum machine and even a set of templates for tracks. But to work with melodies you need to understand the structure of musical scores, that is, know the notes.
It’s not necessary in order to record audio, but when working with synthesizers in this program will have to deal with the musical notation. However, the program has a built-in automated score generator, but it will hardly write a real hit for you.
At the same time, it is not very convenient to use the program as an editor for processing files – the built-in set of tools is narrow and is intended for writing melodies. However, you can always install third-party plug-ins and turn DarkWave Studio into a professional virtual studio – it is a good free option, but don’t forget about the need to know the notes for writing the score in the local editor.
Wavosaur
This completely free software solution focuses primarily on processing sound files rather than writing music. With its built-in functionality, you can quickly and easily remove gaps of silence from audio files, level out the volume, and apply simple effects (like echoes or sound filters). But it’s not very convenient to write music with Wavosaur because it has no built-in musical instruments and effects, and the interface is designed to work with one track instead of several tracks.
On the other hand, the program supports the VST plugin standard, so if you load enough virtual instruments and effects, you can compose music with Wavosaur. In this case, the convenience and simplicity of the program and its good optimization will be a plus – for most tasks you won’t need a powerful computer.
Other disadvantages of Wavosaur are that because of some interface features, the program is not very convenient for recording. This effectively puts an end to working with live instruments through this application.
Paid Music Creation and Editing Software
MuLab
This is a simple music editor whose main feature is a huge number of samples – pre-recorded sounds from which you can compose entire individual instrumental tracks. Other than that, it has a standard set: a simple synthesizer, a set of sound effects and the ability to edit tunes without having to be proficient in music notation.
Despite the fact that the program is paid, the free version is more than workable at first. It is not limited in time of use, but does not allow you to create more than four tracks with instruments (this may be not enough for writing a full composition). However, by the time the user wants to use more tracks, it is time to try something more serious.
Mixcraft
Unlike most of the programs we reviewed earlier, Mixcraft is a complete solution for creating full-fledged music tracks. However, you will have to buy the most expensive version of the program at the producer’s web-site, because only in this way the main features will be available. Among them – a large number of samples of live instruments, such as different types of guitars, basses, drums, pianos, violins and other strings. In other programs, you have to buy them separately and install them yourself.
Musicians also appreciate this app for the ability to work with sound in high 64-bit quality, while others are limited to 48 bits. This is important for those who work with music professionally and prepare their tracks for listening on expensive audio systems. In addition, Mixcraft even has video editing functionality. But compared to professional programs from this area like Adobe Premiere it is primitive.
n-Track Studio
Another popular music software among beginners. The program supports high sound quality and has a standard set of virtual instruments and effects, but still not enough features for professional use.
First of all it is about track editing – if there are no questions about the processing functionality of n-Track Studio, then the program has limited opportunities to change the melodies because of the simple editor. However, everyone can decide for himself whether these features are enough for him or not – users are given a free 10-day trial period with unlimited functionality.
n-Track Studio is available on virtually all types of devices: there are versions for computers running Windows and macOS, as well as for mobile devices running iOS and Android. However, you can use the program on several platforms only if you buy the most expensive version.
Cakewalk Sonar
The program is aimed at creating full-fledged compositions from scratch, but its functionality is particularly extensive in the area of vocals. Most of the default tools and effects are designed just to work with the recorded voice, not to create instrumental parts.
Few other virtual studio programs offer such extensive vocal processing functionality. But working with recorded audio files is very demanding, so you need a powerful computer to use Cakewalk Sonar comfortably. Also the program is distributed by subscription, which must be renewed annually, and many important processing tools like multiband compressors and equalizers are included only in its most expensive version.
All in all, Cakewalk Sonar is a real professional music creation software, and beginners should look for something simpler and more affordable.
MAGIX Music Maker
Unlike Cakewalk Sonar, solution from MAGIX, on the contrary, is focused on creation of an instrumental part and possibilities in vocal processing are very limited here. Orientation on the creation of unique melodies provided as a wide range of initially available tools, effects and samples, and a good editor. The latter allows you to change the notes and their durations without knowledge of musical notation.
Advanced audio editing capabilities are not uncommon among digital audio software, but Music Maker is also capable of working with video. From a technical point of view, Music Maker is a joy to work with, especially when it comes to supporting different formats. The program supports a lot of extensions for both audio and video files, which makes it easy to use different sources in your projects.
You can even use MAGIX’s solution to reformat files for other, more format-hungry programs. It would be too expensive to buy a subscription for that, but a free 30-day trial period is fine.
Conclusion of the article about the best programs for creating music
In the end, there is no clear cut answer as to which music production software is the best. However, by reading our reviews on the website, you should be able to make an informed decision about which program works best for your needs. We hope that this article has helped you learn more about music production software and how it can benefit your musical endeavors.
