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- Pro Tools. Best for Professional Use. Compatibility: PC and Mac / AAX plugins. Windows 10 & 11 64-bit / macOS 10.14.6 or higher.
- PreSonus Studio One. Best for Working Quickly. Compatibility: PC and Mac / VST and AU plugins. Windows 10 & 11 64-bit / macOS 10.13 or higher.
- Ableton Live. Best for Loop-Based Projects. Compatibility: PC and Mac / VST and AU plugins. Windows 10 (Build 1909 and later) / macOS High Sierra 10.13 to Monterey 12.
- REAPER. Most Customizable. Compatibility: PC and Mac / VST and AU plugins. Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 (32 or 64-bit, Intel only) / macOS 10.5 – 12.x.
- Read the Ableton Live 11 Suite review. Originally launched as FruityLoops, Image-Line's DAW holds near-iconic status for a certain generation of producers, particularly in the hip-hop and EDM realms.
- Read the FL Studio 21 review. It’s been a while since we had a ‘full’ new version of Logic Pro - version X was released way back in 2013 - but numbers can be deceiving.
- Read the Apple Logic Pro 10.7 review.
- Read the Apple Logic Pro for iPad review. Steinberg has spearheaded music software development for over 30 years, and through Cubase, which started as a MIDI sequencer, introduced a whole generation to the block-based arrange screen now used in the majority of today’s DAWs.
- Jamie Lendino
- Editor-In-Chief, Extremetech
- Apple Logic Pro. Best for Mainstream Audio Production. 4.5 Outstanding. For Mac owners, Logic Pro does it all. It costs hundreds less than competing DAWs and not much more than budget options like Cockos Reaper.
- Apple GarageBand. Best for Mac Recording on a Budget. 4.5 Outstanding. Unlike the cartoonish version that debuted in the early aughts, GarageBand features a surprisingly serious presentation that roughly mirrors the high-end Logic.
- Avid Pro Tools. Best for Compatibility With Pro Studios. 4.5 Outstanding. Avid has unlocked Pro Tools, its venerable audio recording and editing software, for a new generation while maintaining its status as the standard cross-platform solution for professional music, film, games, and broadcast production worldwide.
- Ableton Live. Best for Live Stage Performance. 4.0 Excellent. Ableton Live is a powerful all-in-the-box solution for composing and performing live music, particularly electronic-influenced tunes.
People also ask
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- Read our full Apple GarageBand review. Arguably the most popular DAW amongst the DJ and dance music fraternity, Live’s famously quick and easy workflow, coupled with the propensity for live performance that give it its name, make it a worthy presence on the bestseller lists.
- Read our Ableton Live 11 Suite review. Image-Line’s erstwhile Fruity Loops DAW, now rebranded as FL Studio, has a large and loyal fanbase amongst PC users, particularly amongst the hip-hop and EDM fraternity.
- Read our full Image Line FL Studio 20 review. Steinberg’s Cubase has been around since the dawn of digital audio workstations, pioneering the now-ubiquitous region-based arrange window, so you know you’re in good hands with the entry-level version of one of the most widely-used and respected DAWs available.
- Read our full Steinberg Cubase 11 review. Still a relative spring chicken, Bitwig Studio has quickly impressed thanks to its general ease of use and innovative approach to modulation and connectivity to external hardware.
- Why Go DAW?
- Our Favorite Daws For Beginning Songwriters & Bands
- Our Favorite Daws For Electronic Musicians
- Still Don’T Know Where to Start? Give Us A Call!
Standalone recording environments definitely have their charms. Many of us at Sweetwater fondly remember our pioneer days of multitrack recording through cassette 4-tracks and Realistic-brand mixers. But, these days, software-based recording is definitely where it’s at — not only in terms of editing convenience and track counts but also in terms of...
Avid Pro Tools Artist, Studio & Ultimate
Your intro to the most popular DAW on earth What better entrée into the world of DAWs than an ultra-affordable version of the most popular recording software on earth? For more than 20 years, the name “Pro Tools” has been synonymous with the word “DAW.” Avid Pro Tools Artistgives you 32 tracks of audio-layering freedom and a generous host of effects plug-ins, instruments, and loops to fast-track your production results. For the solo instrumentalist and singer/songwriter, 32 tracks are more th...
PreSonus Studio One 6 Artist
A strong contender for top audio/MIDI production tool When it comes to DAWs, workflow is everything. Thanks to a high-contrast, multicolored interface and intuitive layout, many users have transitioned to Studio One from PreSonus as their new production hub. PreSonus Studio One 6 Artistis a full-featured audio and MIDI production suite with support for traditional multitrack audio (bands, podcasting, voice-over) as well as virtual instruments to accommodate modern metal and EDM production. St...
Steinberg Cubase Elements 13
A melting pot of analog workflow and MIDI capability Steinberg Cubase Pro has long been known as a MIDI powerhouse used by contemporary composers the world over — and Cubase Elements 13makes the perfect introduction to all that creative firepower. In addition to now supporting the revolutionary MIDI 2.0, Cubase Elements 13 also features Iconica Sketch, which makes complex orchestrations much more procurable among 34 instruments, 140 different articulations, and 5GB of data. Cubase Elements 13...
Image Line FL Studio 21 Fruity Edition
The perfect introduction to loop-based music creation “Fruity Loops,” now FL Studio, has come a long way since its inception. Today, it’s a powerful loop-based songwriting and creation tool. Workflow is streamlined and intuitive, even for novice users. Build a drumbeat. Lay down a chord progression. Create a melody. Before you know it, you’ve got a complete song in the can. Its 11 onboard synths and nine drum machines put you in the driver’s seat of the music that steers your soul. You’ll als...
Reason Studios Reason 12
Virtual rack with infinite patchability Any player who’s comfortable with the synth/Eurorack paradigm of patching gear will take to Reason Studios Reason 12like a duck to water. This feature-laden workstation offers a unique virtual rack view and some gorgeous hardware-based graphical interfaces for each of its included synths, drum samplers, and effects units — along with a rear view that lets you interface modules in whatever way you see fit. You can even control voltages to create some pre...
Bitwig Studio 5.1
Control and creativity in ample amounts Recent winner of MusicRadar‘s “Best DAW in 2023,” Bitwig Studio 5.1 definitely deserves a mention. Our Sweetwater synth gurus have sung the praises of Bitwig for a long time due to their seamless hardware synth integration, but Bitwig also has many beginner-friendly features, even if you don’t own a Eurorackrig (yet). First up is what’s called “The Grid.” It’s a modular sound design environment that allows you to load different modules (from the 154 ava...
Need some help choosing the best DAW for your needs and budget? Still unclear what a DAW is? No problem! No one in the industry knows more about recording technology than Sweetwater. Heck, our company was born out of the back of a VW van hauling our founder’s mobile recording rig. Give your Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700or shoot us an emai...
Jun 7, 2023 · Here are the best DAWs for a start-to-finish audio and music production workflow: Best Free DAW for Windows: Cakewalk by BandLab. Best DAW for Beginners: Apple GarageBand. Best Online DAW: Soundation. Best Budget DAW: Cockos Reaper. Best DAW for Making Beats: Image-Line FL Studio. Best DAW for Mac: Apple Logic Pro.
Mar 23, 2022 · Filmmakers will like the integrated video compatibility, enabling separate audio feeds to be synced up with the on-screen moving image played back through the DAW. (Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes) 2. Image-Line FL Studio. A great DAW for beginners or intermediate audio producers alike.
