Aug 12, 2018 Choosing a good audio editing software or a digital audio workstation (DAW) can be quite a daunting task, what with the variety of software available out there. Some are free, some bring in additional features, some are specific to a particular operating system and what not. The top 4 DAW’s I recommend are: Audacity – the most popular 100% free open-source DAW software on the planet for many years now. Garageband – the super-cheap, (though not technically free) DAW for Mac OSX, which many folks say is easier to learn than Audacity.

There are many DAWs, and most of them cost a lot of money. If you are just starting, you don’t have to pay for DAW software since there are some free alternatives that you can download just by creating an account and signing up on the software’s website. In this post, we will list some free DAWs and count all the advantages and disadvantages they have.

Studio One 4 Prime (Mac, Win)

Studio One 4 is developed by former Steinberg and Kristal developers, and it’s also a freeware to make you want to get the paid version Studio One 4. In the free Prime version, you’ll get unlimited audio, MIDI, effect tracks and buss tracks. But you are limited to the 9 effect plug-ins and the sound generator Presence XT that was pre-installed and cannot install your own. But this freeware DAW is definitely enough to start your first project. A user account with Presonus is mandatory for getting access to Studio One 4 Prime.

Ardour 5 (Mac, Win, Linux)

This Open Source DAW was originally developed for Linux and looks a bit old. Meanwhile, Ardour 5 is also available for Windows and macOS. Ardour 5 is an all-round DAW software, where the only limitation can be the hardware you use. You also have to install some effects on it since not a lot of them come pre-installed.
Keep in mind that Ardour 5 is free only if you compile the DAW software yourself by following the instructions. If you’re not familiar with doing this, you can buy the pre-compiled installer for at least $1 per month.

Pro Tools First (Mac, Win)

Everyone has certainly heard the name Pro Tools before since it was one of the first DAWs and Avid calls it the industry standard. In addition to a paid subscription or annual licenses, there’s also a completely free version. This version is much lighter than the full version and contains 16 tracks at 48 or 96 kHz in mono or stereo. A maximum of 4 inputs can be recorded on 4 tracks simultaneously. Also, there are 16 instruments, MIDI and AUX tracks. The video functionality is missing. You are not allowed to load external AAX effects, but there are at least a few plug-ins included in the package. It’s an appetizer for the big version.
For Pro Tools First you need to sign up for an account at Avid, and also sign up for an iLok account at Pace.

Cakewalk by Bandlab(previously known as Sonar) (Win)

This DAW was previously known as Sonar Platinum. Trials in tainted space platinum 190. After Bandlab acquired Cakewalk from Gibson, they decided to offer this DAW completely free. Since then, Cakewalk has become the most comprehensive free DAW out there. It offers a variety of effects, amps, virtual synthesizers, tracks, functions, loops, etc. All you need to do is sign up for an account at Bandlab, and get their download manager to download the DAW software.

Podium Free (Win)

Podium’s free version has been available for download since 2014, and even though this DAW software is already a bit old, it is still available for free for Windows in 32 and 64 bit. The free version is limited to MIDI in and out, mixing is done in 32 bit, and ReWire, surround and multiprocessing are disabled for plug-ins. If you don’t need the latest version and can live without these features, you should check the free version of Podium.

Music Maker Free (Win)

This DAW software is considered as the entry into the world of digital audio production for a lot of producers and music makers. Magix Music Maker does not only allow you to push loops and samples together but also to record and arrange your own stuff or compose with the sound generators it offers. The downside of this free DAW software is that you are limited to only 8 tracks in the latest version Music Maker 2020.
Creating an account at Magix is mandatory for using the free Music Maker.

Tracktion 7 (Mac, Win, Linux)

For years the company Tracktion has been releasing older versions of their DAW for people to download it free of charge. Meanwhile, the driving force and Tracktion’s successor is called Waveform, which is why you can download the latest version of Tracktion 7 completely free of charge. The package not only includes a slightly different DAW with more intuitive operations for beginners, but also a mixer, effects, editing functions and more. Also, Tracktion Cross-platform works, meaning their DAW software is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux and you can continue working on your projects in all of these operative systems.

Daw software, free download

Linux MultiMedia Studio (Mac, Win, Linux)

Linux MultiMedia Studio also is known as LMMS for short, has taken this name because it was originally released for Linux only. Meanwhile, the DAW is also available for Windows and macOS. It is often called the free alternative to FL Studio because of its similar functionalities. The interface and the usage is also relatively similar to FL Studio. You can easily record, arrange and mix audio and MIDI in the mixer. Editing is a bit more complicated in LMMS, but it is possible once you get the feeling of the software.
You don’t need an account to download and use LMMS, but since it’s a free open source project, you should consider donating to the developers if you are using the software and benefit from using it.

It’s amazing how many free Digital Audio Workstations (DAW for short) are available these days for recording, creating, editing and mixing music from a simple home computer setup.

When I first started getting into recording music from home, I thought it was pretty much required to spend a few hundred dollars (at least) on music recording software, but it turns out that’s not the case at all.

In fact if you’re a beginner just starting out, you’re much better off not buying a DAW right away.

It’s better to test a few different DAWs at first, some free versions and demos, to find out what fits your style and workflow the best.

There’s nothing worse than spending several hundred dollars on software that you later find out that you don’t like, so it’s important to take some time when it comes to choosing a DAW.

If you’re looking for a new DAW or are just starting out, here’s a list of the best free Digital Audio Workstations that are currently available to download and try out.

Pro Tools First

Pro Tools has been one of the top Digital Audio Workstations for a long time. It is used in many professional studios and is considered the industry standard in some circles. But Pro Tools also receives a lot of criticism for the way Avid chooses to handles things.

Avid released a completely free version of Pro Tools earlier this year called Pro Tools First. It has a lot of good things going for it, with a couple of significant drawbacks. The free version is a great way to try out Pro Tools without having to commit to spending a fortune on a full license or a subscription plan.

Here’s a comparison chart that lists the differences between the free and paid versions of Pro Tools.

Pros

• Supports recording 16 mono/stereo audio and instrument and MIDI tracks.
• Supports ReWire.
• Comes with Xpand!2, a virtual instrument plugin with 1000’s of built-in sounds for drums, strings, pianos, loops, synths, etc; plus over 20 Pro Tools plugins are included.

Cons

• Plugins can only be purchased through Avid’s marketplace; you can’t install plugins from outside sources.
• Supports just three projects at one time.
• Projects are stored in the cloud (with offline caching).

Studio One 3 Prime

The other big-name free DAW up for the taking that works with Mac and PC computers is Studio One Prime. Unlike most other free DAWs it offers unlimited audio tracks, MIDI tracks, buses, and FX channels. The main limitation is you can’t load 3rd party plugins with the free version because there is no VST support—and that’s a pretty big issue.

The $99 PreSonus AudioBox USB audio interface comes with a free download of Studio One 3 Artist, which sells for $75 separately. It’s a step-up from the free version and adds a number of additional features, but VST and ReWire support costs an extra $79 as an add-on.

Here’s a comparison chart at PreSonus listing all the different features between each version of Studio One.

Pros

• Impressive interface and workflow, with advanced multi-track editing and comping, automation, and full MIDI support.
• Supports unlimited audio tracks, MIDI tracks, buses, and FX channels.
• It comes with 9 high-quality effects, including Ampire, Beat Delay, Chorus, MixVerb, EQ, Presence XT sampler, etc.

Cons

• No VST plugin support.
• Just one virtual instrument included.

Podium Free

One of the better options for a free DAW is Podium Free, the freeware edition of Podium. It’s a fully-functional DAW for Windows that supports recording and editing audio and MIDI, and it can load VST plugins as well.

Pros

• VST plugin support.
• Identical to the commercial version of Podium, with a few limitations.
• Can download and use freely, registration optional.

Cons

• Windows only.
• Plugin multi-processing is disabled on free version.
• ReWire and 64-bit mixer engine disabled on free version.

Tracktion T5

If you truly want to go the free DAW route, Tracktion 5 is one of the best options. It’s not encumbered by the usual limitations like other brands. It’s a fully-operational DAW, complete with VST and ReWire support and unlimited tracks. T5 also supports automation and it has audio comping, latency management, track freeze, MIDI learn, and more.

Pros

• Supports unlimited VST/AU plugins and ReWire.
• Unlimited number of audio and MIDI tracks supported.
• Works with Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Cons

• Single window user interface.
• Less overall features than the big name stuff like Pro Tools First.

DarkWave Studio

DarkWave Studio is another freeware DAW that is available for Windows. It’s designed with an emphasis on creating electronic music. It supports VST and VSTi instrument and plugin effects. DarkWave Studio features a modular approach and it comes with a bunch of bundled plugins.

Pros

• VST plugins supported.
• Multi core & multi CPU support.
• Regularly updated.

Cons

• Windows only.
• Not well known, not much info.

Reaper

Reaper is a popular DAW that’s loaded with tons of features and a very user-friendly license policy. There’s an older free version of Reaper available, v0.999. It hasn’t been updated in 10 years and won’t be updated again, but it still has a number of useful tools for recording and editing music.

However, it doesn’t really make any sense to even bother with the free version of Reaper because the full version only costs $60. Don’t let the price fool you. It’s a full DAW with the same level of features as the expensive stuff. Plus it has a 60-day trial period to demo the full software.

Additional Options

Audacity – It’s not a DAW precisely but Audacity is highly-capable open source audio software for multi-track recording and editing—it even supports VST plugins. It works with Windows, Mac, and Linux and it’s free.

LMMS – While it does not offer any type of external audio recording, LMMS is free open-source software for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It comes with some included effects and instrument plugins. It supports MIDI and 3rd-party VST plugins.

Ableton Live Lite 9 – A fully-functional DAW that’s main limitation is it only supports 8 tracks/scenes. It’s not free exactly but it does come free with a number of MIDI and audio interfaces. One of the best and most capable free software add-ons if you can get a hold of it.

MuLab Free – A free version of MuLab that supports four tracks and eight VST plugins per project. Works with Windows and Mac OSX.

Ardour – A fully functional DAW for OSX and Linux. It’s not free but it can be purchased for as little as $1.

Best Free Daw Software For Mac

Wavosaur – Wavosaur is a free audio editor and audio recorder program that supports wav and mp3 files. Wavosaur can install VST plugins for real time effects processing. The program is freeware for Windows computers.