Make music for free
Unleash the musician within you without breaking the bank! All you need is a computer or tablet (although a computer is the preferred option) to have the power to create music without a single penny. The world of free virtual instruments, plugins, and open-source applications allows you to transform your bedroom into a recording studio and let your imagination run wild as you produce any genre of music solely with software.
Gone are the days when creating music through computer software was an impossible dream. Back in the 90s, when computer music applications first emerged, they were as scarce as they were expensive, offering only the barest of features and a subpar experience. Fast forward to today, and music technology has come a long way, with the global competition pushing companies to get more creative with their offerings. The result? More affordable pricing models like subscription-based packages, bundled deals, and even free versions, all aimed at promoting their high-end products and making music creation accessible to all.
Here is a fantastic list of free tools that are making waves in the music production world. That's right, you heard me correctly - they're 100% free. So, whether you're just starting out or looking to add some fresh, new sounds to your arsenal, these tools are here to help.
DAW
LMMS - https://lmms.io/
Free versions of some of the major DAWs exist like: Cubase LE, Studio One 5 Prime, Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools First, GarageBand, Reaper, Cakewalk, Audacity, and others.
Virtual Instruments
-Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra Discovery by Spitfire Audio
-More orchestral instruments: Labs by Spitfire Audio
-A collection of free synths and sampled instruments: Komplete Start by Native Instruments
-Piano: Piano One by SoundMagic
-Bass Guitar: Ample Bass P Lite II by Ample Sound
-Acoustic Guitar: Ample Guitar M Lite II by Ample Sound
-Electric Guitar: Shreddage 3 Stratus by Impact Soundworks
-Virtual Modular Synthesizer: Rack 2 by VCV
-Saxophone: DVS-8K by Dream Vortex Studio
-Organ: CollabB3 by Sampleson
-Synth: Zebralette by u-he
-Synth: Noise Maker by TAL Software
-Clavinet: Ticky Clav 2 by 2gether audio
-Acoustic Drums: SSD 5.5 by Steven Slate Drums
-Lofi Drums: Love-Fi Lite by Quiet Music
-Vinyl Guitar: Vinyl Guitar by Echo Sound Works
-Free sample Packs: pianobook libraries by Pianobook UK
-Drum synth: MiniSpillage by AudioSpillage
-Experimental Synth: Sinnah by NuSofting
-Loop Maker: Chromatic by LANDR
Effects
-Compressor: MJUC JR by Klanghelm
-Multi Band Compressor: OTT by Xfer Records
-Limiter: Frontier by D16 Group
-Equalizer: Nova by TDR
-Graphic Equalizer: Marvel GEQ by Voxengo
-Vocal compressor: DC1A by Klanghelm
-Doubler: Vocal Doubler by Izotope
-Autotune: MAutoPitch by Melda Production
-Vocoder: Tal Vocoder by TAL Software
-Panning modulator: PanCake 2 by Cableguys
-Saturation: Saturation Knob by Softube
-Distortion: IVGI by Klanghelm
-Bit Crusher: Krush by Kritic
-Filter: Frohmage by Ohmforce
-Delay: Valhalla Freq Echo by Valhalla DSP
-Delay: Baby Comeback by Baby Audio
-Delay/Reverb: Valhalla Supermassive by Valhalla DSP
-Reverb: Tal reverb-4 by TAL Software
-Reverb: Cloud Seed by Valdemar Erlingsson
-Chorus: Tal Chorus LX by TAL Software
-Flanger: Valhalla Space Modulator by Valhalla DSP
-Phaser: Chow Phaser by Chow DSP
-Pitch Shifter: Pitch Drift by Baby Audio
-Metering: Loudness Meter 2 by youlean
-Analyzer: SPAN by Voxengo
-Stereo imager: Ozone Imager by Izotope
-Stereo Enhancer: Stereo Tool by Flux Audio
-Granular Fx: Ribs by Hyova Audio
-Midi Arpeggiator: hypercyclic by Mucoder
-Sampler: TX16Wx by TX16Wx
-Lofi Fx: Vinyl by Izotope
-Glitch Fx: Glitch 2 by illformed
-Stutter Fx: Hysteresis by GlitchMachines
-Buffer Fx: Fracture by GlitchMachines
This list is merely a glimpse of the many free options out there, handpicked and tried by myself.
The generosity of manufacturers and plugin designers has paved the way for a new era of music creation, where anyone and everyone can bring their soundscapes to life with just a minimal setup.
Gone are the days of limitations and roadblocks! They are now replaced with a vast and easily accessible ocean of resources.
So, let your musical journey begin!