Best DAW for MIDI and film Scoring: Cubase ProĬubase is arguably the most powerful DAW when it comes to MIDI, and it is no surprise that it is the DAW of choice for legendary film composers such as Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL. There is little to no customization though, so we would not recommend Garageband for experienced producers. With a straightforward user interface, plenty of included virtual instruments & loops, and even music lessons built in, Garageband is the perfect stepping stone for beginners. Mac users are probably already familiar with Apple’s Garageband, which comes bundled with ever Mac and remains a compelling free DAW for beginners.Īlthough not as advanced as other DAWs, including free DAWs like Cakewalk, Garageband is by far the most intuitive to use.

If you have never used a DAW before and need a free option that won’t limit your creativity, Cakewalk is an excellent choice, and should be versatile enough to handle pretty much anything you throw at it. With the money you save, you could purchase some high quality VSTs or a MIDI keyboard for yourself instead. With all these features at zero cost, Cakewalk is easily the best free DAW available today. Melodyne Essential also comes built-in for advanced vocal and pitch editing.įor mobile users, Bandlab also offers a free companion app available on both Android and iOS so that you can continue making music on the go even when you’re away from your computer. With a previous price of $600, Cakewalk offers incredible value for beginners looking to get into music production.Ĭakewalk’s impressive feature set includes track templates, an integrated staff view, chord charts & tab support, and a variety of high-quality virtual instruments. They even hired every member of the original Cakewalk development team in order to keep improving their product and release regular monthly updates.

Fortunately, they were then acquired by the popular social music platform Bandlab, who released SONAR for free under the new name “Cakewalk by Bandlab”. Originally owned by guitar giant Gibson, Cakewalk’s SONAR DAW was discontinued from active development in 2017. Best free DAW for Windows: Cakewalk by Bandlabįor Windows users on a tight budget, look no further than Cakewalk by Bandlab. In this guide, we will go through the best DAWs for each use case (updated for 2021), so that you can choose the optimal one for you and get back to focusing on what really matters – making music. For those looking to jump into the world of digital audio for the first time, deciding on a DAW can be a daunting and sometimes difficult task.Įach DAW comes with its own unique strengths and weaknesses, as well as specific plugins and software features, so it is crucial that you pick the right one to suit your needs.

Cakewalk demo projects