When recording music at home or in a recording studio, using a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is not just handy but almost essential. For most people interested in recording and producing their music, this is the essential software used to make solid music productions.
Now, most will tell you that all DAWs are the same, which is valid for the most part, except for music scoring. At the date of this post, Ableton Live, along with many others, does not have built-in scoring capabilities like Logic. Are all DAWs the same? No, not really, at least regarding specifics like that. Other than scoring features, many DAWs have the same functionality, and I believe it’s true that the only way you know what you like and what works for you is to try a few out, if you can, and see how they work for you.
When choosing your DAW, you may want to consider price, software specifications, and ease of use. There are many more things to consider than that, but that’s a great starting point. If the DAW doesn’t work on your system and you’re not in the market for a new system, that’s an easy way to strike that DAW off your list.
The purpose of this article is not to provide information on how to select a DAW or suggest which DAWS are better than others, as that’s a very personal issue in itself, but to give a short list of some DAWs available for those interested in music production. Neither my studio nor I endorse the companies or products on this list; it’s just a list I put together of possible options. I use Logic X and Ableton Live, and I have not personally tried many of these other DAWs, although many of them look attractive.
I hope you have fun checking out these options and learning more about the world of music production software. Keep in mind online daws are great if you are using a Chromebook. You read a post talking about my Chromebook music setup here.
Online DAW’s
Software DAW’s
- Logic X
- Ableton Live
- FL Studio
- Cubase
- Studio One
- Reaper
- Reason
- Bitwig Studio
- GarageBand
- Pro Tools
- Tracktion Waveform
- Acoustica Mixcraft
These are a few options for recording and producing your music unless you go old school with an analog device, such as a four-track tape recorder or something similar. In the long run, these generally cost more money and offer a different sound palette, which, to some, may be desirable. Still, they are probably not as convenient for most people. I hope you have fun choosing your music production tools, and all the best in your artistic endeavours.
