15+ Best FREE Music Production DAWs in 2024

Jump Straight To:

• Overview of free DAWs
• Free DAWs: honorable mentions
• Pro tips: choosing a free DAW
• What can I do with a free DAW?
• Final thoughts

Audacity

Although Audacity is technically referred to as a digital audio editor, it can essentially be used as DAW thanks to its wide range of features and its capacity for composing, recording, and editing music. Indeed, as PC Magazine remarked, "If you're looking to get started in podcasting or recording music, it's tough to go wrong with Audacity. A powerful, free, open-source audio editor that's been available for years, Audacity is still the go-to choice for quick-and-dirty audio work."

Pros

• Ideal for editing and cleaning up audio.

• Allows for MIDI recording and multi-track audio.

Cons

• Not as flexible or expansive as music-centric DAWs.

• Is fairly basic for more experienced music producers.

• Geared more towards editing audio or recording podcasts than music production.

Standout Feature

• Some of the best audio editing tools out there.

Garageband

Garageband may be the less impressive younger brother of Logic Pro X, but it deserves enormous praise on its own terms. With an extremely accessible learning curve, an intuitive layout, some terrific virtual studio instruments (VSTs), and a brilliant range of effects plug-ins, GarageBand is a high-quality starting point for producers. If you already have an Apple Mac (GarageBand is a stock application for Macs), Garageband will be enormously helpful for getting to know the basics of music production. You also have some fantastic built-in lessons for getting to grips with piano, guitar, and a range of other instruments.  Finally, there’s a simple and easy step up from Garageband to professional-level paid applications like Logic Pro.

Pros

• Shallow learning curve.

• Accessible layout.

• High-quality loops, VSTs, and plugins.

Cons

• Only available for Apple products.

Standout Feature

• GarageBand contains perhaps the strongest recording software of any of the free DAWs.

Ableton Live Lite

If you’re looking for high-quality, highly functional, and easily learnable free DAW, Ableton Live Lite is a good bet. Similarly to GarageBand, Ableton Live Lite should be used by producers who want to eventually upgrade to the professional, paid Ableton Live. If that’s your goal, Ableton Live Lite - which is simply a watered-down Ableton Live - is a surefire way to familiarise yourself with the interface, the plug-ins, and the general set-up. Thus, it's a great introduction and a good enough DAW to host your first few projects.

Pros

• Terrific audio editing software.

• An enormous range of VSTs and plug-ins.

• Wide-ranging versatility - Arrangement View or Session View.

Cons

• Slightly more geared towards electronic music.

• Divisive effects plug-ins.

• Not ideal for film scoring or band work.

Standout Feature

• Industry-best live performance capability. If you want to perform music live using Session View, Ableton Live Lite is your best bet. This is especially true for electronic music producers.

Ohm Studio

Ohm Studio has at various points been described as “game-changing”. The online DAW allows for easy collaboration between multiple individuals. That being said, what you gain in innovative collaborative capabilities, you lose in the DAW’s key features. Ohm Studio remains a very basic DAW; entirely functional and adequate for beginners but insufficient for producers who require expansive editing features, wide varieties of plug-ins, and top-shelf mixing software.

Pros

• Online collaboration.

• Compatible with third-party plug-ins.

• Perfect for beginners who want to collaborate.

Cons

• Very basic.

• Can be laggy.

• Not ideal for intermediate or experienced producers.

• Requires internet access.

Standout Feature

• Its unique capacity for online collaboration.

Cubase LE

Like with all of these options, whether you choose Cubase’s free version will depend on whether you want to eventually graduate to the paid version. Thus, the qualities of the paid versions shouldn’t be ignored. Among other things, Cubase LE has a seamless, glitch-free workflow, a high-quality MIDI editing interface, and some of the best VSTs in the game. Furthermore, producers enjoy over 5 GB of loops and sounds from the Cubase library. Nonetheless, some producers have mild complaints about the DAW’s shortcuts and the steepness of the learning curve.

Pros

• Incredibly reliable.
• Some top-notch plug-ins.

Cons

• The notoriously steep learning curve for those not familiar.
• Slightly awkward keyboard shortcuts.

Standout Feature

• Top-of-the-line MIDI editing.

SoundBridge

If you’re looking for a beginner’s DAW that is free, easy to learn, and has a highly-intuitive workflow, you can’t go too wrong with SoundBridge. SoundBridge is also one of the younger DAWs,  meaning that it is regularly updated and improved by the software’s developers. Though it’s not as detailed or expansive as some others on this list like GarageBand, Cakewalk by Bandlab, or Ableton Live Lite, Soundbridge’s simplicity and lack of extraneous features make it perfect for users who are just getting started with music production.

Pros

• Able to load third-party plug-ins.

• Good mixing and mastering capabilities.

Cons

• Fairly basic features.

Standout Feature

• Includes top-notch MPC-style drum sampler.

REAPER

If you scour the web for advice on the best DAWs, you’ll find many producers championing Cockos’ beloved REAPER. It’s easy to see why. With terrific MIDI and audio recording capabilities, an excellent workflow, and a reputation for quality, REAPER is a top-shelf piece of software. That being said, unlike most of the other DAWs on this list, REAPER offers a free-trial period of 60 days with full functionality. After this, you can purchase the standard or discounted version.

Pros

• MIDI and recording software.

• Intuitive and streamlined workflow.

Cons

• Free evaluation period rather than completely limitless free DAW.

• Occasional crashes.

• Fairly steep learning curve.

Standout Feature

• Highly customisable interface.

MPC Beats

If you're an aspiring hip-hop producer looking to make your first beat, Akai Pro’s MPC Beats is a fantastic place to start. This is a free, intuitive DAW that transfers the traditional MPC layout and workflow into your laptop. Though it’s heavily oriented towards hip-hop production, MPC Beats can also function as a DAW for other genres. You also have three VST plugins and eighty effects plugins.

Pros

• Perfect for amateur hip-hop beatmakers.

• Replicated the workflow and style of the classic MPC hardware.

• You can also use MPC Beats within your own DAW.

• Auto-mapping and seamless compatibility with AKAI hardware.

Cons

• Minor flaws with button layout and sizing.

• Not suitable for film composers or recording-heavy band work.

• Only 8 track channels for instruments.

Standout Feature

• When used in tandem with any of AKAI’s MIDI controllers, you can have a true hip-hop production experience.

Podium Free

Podium Free remains a favourite of many outlets and producers. With its stellar workflow, its modern intuitive interface, and a wide variety of audio editing tools, Podium is well worth a look. On the other hand, one of the few critiques of Podium arises from its inability to support multi-core CPUs for plugins.

The software - and any added plugins - will be run through one CPU core, leading to a high CPU load. Thankfully, if you use undemanding plugins and use the “freeze” feature on tracks,  Podium can be restored to its true potential. Finally, Podium is mostly geared towards electronic music producers.

Pros

• Compatible with VST plugins.
• High-quality audio recording and editing tools.

Cons

• CPU usage and performance.

Standout Feature

• Terrific interface and workflow.

Cakewalk by BandLab

Perhaps one of the more well-known free DAWs, Cakewalk by BandLab is a force to be reckoned with. This is partly because it retains all of the features of the discontinued Sonar platinum software. This was once priced at $499 and included features like Bluetooth MIDI recording, top-notch native FX (reverb, distortion, compressor, etc),  and excellent mixing software.

Pros

• Terrific console-style analog virtual mixer.
• Compatible with third-party plugins and VSTs.

Cons

• Not compatible with Mac OS.

Standout Feature

• The closest free option to a traditional, fully-functional DAW.

LMMS

This free DAW is perhaps most comparable to the design of FL Studio. Thus, beginners who might want to eventually graduate to the paid FL Studio may want to start here. LMMS is notable not only for its terrific layout and workflow but also for its relatively shallow learning curve. That being said there is also no sufficient audio recording capability. This is a huge impediment to recording vocals or instrumentation.

Pros

• Good layout and workflow.

Cons

• No audio recording function.
• Not good for anything beyond beginner.

Standout Feature

• Open-source.

Bespoke Synth

Though Bespoke is technically not a DAW (it is described instead as a  “software modular synthesizer”), it essentially functions like a DAW. The software, which describes itself as a “customizable playground for sound”, allows for a wild amount of experimentation. Working with patches, and synth modules, Bespoke Synth basically allows you to build your own DAW and build your own sound. That being said, the fact that Bespoke Synth functions without the typical DAW workflow and layout may confuse some users. Thus, if you’re just looking for a standard DAW, Bespoke Synth may be too complicated.

Pros

• Enormous creative freedom.
• Terrific flexibility.
• Compatible with VSTs, FX plugins, etc.

Cons

• Too complex for the average DAW user.

Standout Feature

• Capacity for limitless creativity.

Adobe Audition

It’s fair to say that Adobe Audition is aimed primarily at audio editors rather than music producers. That being said, it can function as a DAW for some musicians. Audition has a terrific capacity for recording audio, editing audio, and cleaning up your mix.

Pros

• Terrific audio editing capabilities.
• Brilliant for cleaning up a mix.
• Intuitive workflow.

Cons

• No MIDI.
• Suitable primarily for audio editing.
• No easily accessible sound library.
• Not suitable for non-beginner producers (especially if you use MIDI).

Standout Feature

• Audio editing capacity (ie. perfect for amateur sound designers or podcast producers).

Soundtrap

Much like the aforementioned Ohm Studio, Soundtrap - produced by the folks at Spotify is another free online cross-platform digital audio workstation. It should be noted that Soundtrap’s features, from its presets to its workflow to its function naming, are all intended for beginner producers. Thus, it’s perhaps not suited for more experienced artists. On the other hand, this means it’s easily learnable, intuitive, and highly accessible.

Pros

• Accessible.
• Intuitive, streamlined workflow.
• Online.

Cons

• Amateur-focused.
• Excessively basic.

Standout Feature

• Perfect for collaborative or even educational purposes.

Waveform

Produced by Traktion, Waveform is a DAW notable for its customizable layout and MIDI editing capacity but also known for its lack of native plugins and VSTs. Additionally, unlike some other free DAWs, Waveform has no artificial limits on your production. Used in tandem with third-party plugins, Waveform is one of the best in the game.

Pros

• No limits on production.
• Third-party plugin compatibility.

Cons

• Few native plugins and VSTs.
• Unable to handle too many plugins.

Standout Feature

• Customisable layout.

Qtractor

The primary goal of Qtractor was to build a DAW that was easy to use for beginners and complex enough for professionals. It is free, open-source, and ideal for both MIDI and audio production. Unfortunately, Qtractor doesn’t work with non-Linux computers.

Pros

• Top-notch MIDI and audio production.

Cons

• Only compatible with Linux users.

Standout Feature

• Nice layout.

Darkwave Studio

Serato Studio

Music Maker

Zenbeats

Mulab

Ardour