Best Free Software To Make Beats On Mac

To make beats for Mac - how to make your own songsIf you're looking to exercise your musical talent and start creating some beats. Final Words: Best Software to Create Your Own Music Beats (2021) So, this is a well-researched rundown of the best beat making software for Mac and Windows that will help you polish your music-making skills. These software provides the much-needed platform to passionate music lovers; use one to record, edit, and save your creations.

MPC Beats is the free beat making software DAW with Drum Programming, Sampling and Audio Recording built on the legendary MPC music production hardware. Sep 21, 2021 Sep 30, 2019 Best Free Beat Making Software Services to Create Your Own Beats 1. LMMS (Windows, Mac, and Linux) Formerly known as Linux MultiMedia Studio, this software is one of the best beat making software services for free to begin your musical journey. Jul 29, 2018 Mixxx is extremely popular free music and beat making software. It is an especially useful production tool for DJs, and is available for download on Mac and PC. For free music software it comes packed with useful features, like four decks, pitch and key control, beat looping, master sync, hotcues, quantization, and more.

Gone are the days when the skills of upcoming beat producers where hindered, because of unavailability of funds to purchase beat making software. Today we have a sea full of beat making software that is free. In this article, we are going to explore a list of 10 best free beat making software for windows and mac

1. FL Studio (Fruity Loops)

9 out of 10 music producers today, makes use of the fruity loops studio, popularly referred to as FL studio. FL studio has over the years, made a name for themselves, because of the features it offers. Though it has a premium version, it’s basic version offers a lot of features, that worth looking into. FL Studio features a very powerful recording studio, with its dedicated beat maker studio. FL Studio also supports numerous multi-channel configurations.

2. MAGIX Music Maker

MAGIX Music Maker is another excellent beat making tool, it offers a wide range of features for free, thus making it one of the most sought after beat making software’s today. MAGIX music maker lets you make beats, with few clicks.

  • Must Read: 10 Best Song Identifier Apps for Android/iPhones (iOS) 2019

This is facilitated by a wide range of beat making tools available on the MAGIX music maker.

3. Muse Score

Musescore is a free beat making software, designed to meet the needs of both the hardcore beat producers and beginner beat makers. Just like the already listed beat making software, Musescore is compatible with MAC and Windows operating system. Musescore features an intuitive interface that keeps all the essential tools within reach.

4. Drum Flow

Still, on the topic of best free beat maker software for Windows and MAC, Drum flow is another highly recommended software. It offers a wide range of beat making tools for free. The Drum flow software includes a wide array of sample files that can be utilized when creating beats. This sample files can be a tool for inspiration.

5. Ordrumbox

Ordumbox is another excellent free software for making beats. It features most of the essential tools for creating beats, alongside most of the top features you find on high-end beat making software.

  • Must Read: Top 10 Best Music Player Apps for Android 2019

It is available on all the major desktop operating systems. Ordumbox is available for download from Ordumbox official website.

6. Hydrogen

Hydrogen is free software for making beats, designed to suit the needs of many beats producers. It houses most of the features you would be looking out for, in a good beat making software. Hydrogen lets you easily edit, mix, compose and record music using powerful features on board.

7. LMMS

LMMS is an open source software, that allows users to make beats, using its tools, without paying premium charges. LMMS features a straightforward user interface; it also offers easy to use functions, which will allow you to create awesome beats. LMMS also features presets that helps in making beat production a lot faster.

8. Hammer Head Rhythm Station

Do you desire a very robust beat make software, that offers it’s beat making tools for free? Hammerhead may be all you need. Hammerhead features a fresh and simple interface, alongside intuitive features that allow beat producers to make cool beats.

9. GarageBand

Still haven’t decided yet? Garage band is another excellent software that offers tools for making beats, without requesting a premium fee. It provides sample instruments, that allows users to learn how to play musical instruments like guitar, keyboard, e.t.c

10. Musink Lite

Last but not least, is the Musink beat making software. With Musink software, users can compose beats seamlessly with few clicks. It also allows users to produce music, with the in-built music sheet. Though it offers many beat making tools for free, you are still required to pay a premium of $60 to get some extra features.

  • Must Read: 10 APPS Every Musician Must Have on Their Smartphones

Beat making just got better and free. This list of best free beat making software for windows and mac contains a list of beat making software that offers free beat making tools. Anyone you select will do just fine.

Making music with digital tools doesn’t have to be expensive.

In fact, you can do practically every important task in music production using free software.


You might have already seen free VST effects and virtual instruments available online.

You’ll definitely need a good selection of those, but the first and most important tool to make music is your DAW.

But finding a free DAW that does everything you need for your workflow can be challenging. There are lots of them out there, each with different features and limitations.

Even so, there are plenty of great freeware DAW options if you know where to look.

In this article I’ll go through the best free DAWs and help you find the one that works for you.

Free DAWs vs Paid DAWs

Before you start looking for a free DAW you should consider your needs to make sure freeware is the right choice.

There are plenty of effective free DAWs out there, but many of them have reduced features and functions compared to full-fledged DAWs.

There are plenty of effective free DAWs out there, but many of them have reduced features and functions compared to full-fledged DAWs.

A free DAW is perfect for you if:

  • You just want to try out music production with a basic DAW
  • You absolutely can’t stretch your DAW budget at all
  • You only need a DAW for a few parts of your workflow

Many of the apps I’ll be including on this list are free versions of respected pro DAWs. These are perfect if you think you plan to purchase a full DAW eventually and just need to try out a few different options.

Finally, if you’re looking for a full-fledged production solution, consider expanding your budget slightly if you can.

There are a handful of respected DAWs that aren’t exactly free, but cost significantly less than the big names. The most common of these is Cockos Reaper, which costs only $60 USD.

But, if you’re looking for an easy way to piece together ideas and play with samples try LANDR’s new sampling and beat making tool Creator.

It’s a free online beat maker that uses pitch-shifting and time-stretching technology to help you piece together up to eight unique samples on LANDR Samples!

The 10 Best Free DAW Apps

With that out of the way here are the 10 best free DAW apps to get you started creating music on your computer:

1. Audacity

Audacity is the original free DAW. It’s an open source multi-track audio editor and recorder that works on many different operating systems.

Best Free Software To Make Beats On Mac

If you’re only dealing with audio tracks, Audacity is a perfectly functional free DAW solution.

The main drawback is that Audacity does not act as a MIDI sequencer. That means there are no MIDI tracks for you to use with your virtual instruments.

Using plugins in Audacity is also a little different from pro DAWs, so it might not be the perfect fit for a full production workflow.

Despite that, Audacity is an excellent free resource that’s well worth including on this list.

Editors note: Following the recent acquisition of Audacity by MuseScore some have voiced concern around privacy and spyware embedded within the app.

Pros:

  • Solid audio editing capabilities
  • Unlimited tracks

Cons:

  • No MIDI compatibility
  • Privacy and spyware concerns

2. Garageband

Apple’s entry level DAW Garageband comes bundled with every computer that runs Mac OS.

Apple’s entry level DAW Garageband comes bundled with every computer that runs Mac OS.

That means if you’re reading this on a Mac computer, you already have it!

Garageband is well-known for introducing many musicians to recording. But despite its reputation as a beginner app it’s still surprisingly effective for making music.

Garageband combines the ease-of-use and smart design Apple is known for with some powerful features for music production.

Don’t overlook Garageband if you’re a Mac user in need of a free DAW.

Pros:

  • Super verstatile, modern interface
  • Comes with a lot of software instruments and effects

Cons:

  • Very limited compared to Logic Pro
  • Only available for Apple users

3. Ableton Live Lite

Ableton Live is probably the biggest name in DAWs when it comes to electronic and sample-based genres.

It’s easy to see why. The unique “session view” makes using loops to compose songs incredibly easy. It’s built-in pitch shifting and time stretching in the warp feature are powerful and easy to use.

Ableton Live Lite is the stripped down version of Live that Ableton provides bundled with popular software and hardware packages.

Many audio interfaces, MIDI controllers, plugins and even iOS apps offer a license for Live Lite.

You’ll need a few of these items to set up your home studio, so you might want to look out for a bundle that includes a copy of Live Lite.

It’s a limited version of Live that will help you get the feel for this extremely popular DAW.

Live Lite gives you a total of 16 tracks with any combination of audio and midi channels. It allows up to four inputs and outputs at the same time.

Pros:

  • Uses Ableton’s well loved workflow
  • Good range of effects and instruments included

Cons:

  • Limited to eight tracks

4. Tracktion Waveform Free

Tracktion Waveform Free is an impressive fully functional freeware DAW.

Unlike some of the other DAWs on this list it has no limitations to track count or simultaneous recording.

It can host VST and AU plugins and works on PC or Mac.

Traktion offers a paid upgrade to Waveform Pro for advanced users, but it’s not necessary to buy the full version to unlock any essential features for music creation.

Waveform Free is designed to be easy to use for beginner producers and features some slightly different design concepts than other free DAWs.

Pros:

  • Unlimited tracks and compatible with VSTs
  • Easy to use interface

Cons:

  • Simplified interface might make be confusing for standard DAW users

Many audio interfaces, MIDI controllers, plugins and even iOS apps offer a license for Live Lite.

5. Pro Tools First

Pro Tools First is the introductory edition of the industry-standard DAW Pro Tools.

It includes many of the powerful features that make Pro Tools the DAW of choice for professional studios all over the world.

But it comes with some limitations that might make you think twice. With First you can record up to 16 tracks of audio and use up to 16 virtual instrument tracks in a session.

On top of that, you can record only four tracks at the same time.

Despite these limitations, Pro Tools First lets you get started with the DAW you’ll likely be using if you go on to work in a professional studio. That’s a major benefit!

Pros:

  • An excellent introduction to a pro-quality DAW

Cons:

  • Major limitations in many categories

6. Ohm Studio

Ohm Studio is another full-featured DAW you can download for free. It’s the DAW project of popular plugin manufacturer Ohmforce.

Ohm Studio provides all the essential music creation features of a paid DAW without limits.

It’s built around collaboration with handy features to share your music with other people you’re working with.

Pros:

  • Collaborative design makes it easy to share ideas with others
  • Comes with all the essentials and unlimited tracks

Cons:

  • Basic design is not well suited for more advanced production

7. Cubase LE

Cubase LE is another solid free DAW. It’s the lite edition of Steinberg’s flagship recording app Cubase.

Cubase was one of the first digital sequencing apps and it’s been a popular DAW choice for decades.

Cubase LE brings the best of that legacy to free users with only a few limitations.

With LE you’ll be able to record up to 16 tracks of audio and up to 24 virtual instrument tracks.

It can record up to 8 tracks at once and comes with some of Steinberg’s excellent VST plugins and libraries for its HALion sampling platform.

Pros:

  • Based on the powerful Cubase DAW
  • Includes a large sample library and the HALion sampling platform

Cons:

  • Limited to 16 audio tracks and 24 instrument tracks
  • Only able to record 8 audio tracks concurrently

8. Soundbridge

Soundbridge is another excellent choice for a full-featured free DAW.


It contains all the important key features of a pro DAW but makes them as simple and easy to use as possible.

Its built-in drum machine and effects are excellent and it has a stylish interface that’s comfortable to work with.

Pros:

  • Simple interface that’s easy to understand
  • Built-in drum machine and effects

Cons:

  • Limited features, doesn’t include many effects or instruments

9. REAPER

Reaper is not a free DAW, but it makes this list because it comes with a very long trial period and it’s ridiculously cheap at $60 USD.

This is by far the best DAW on this list because it works just as well as most paid DAWs, it’s completely open-source meaning you can customize it with user-generated skins and mods.

It has a fully-fledged recording interface and supports VSTs, so you can install whatever you need to get your track made and heard.

Just be prepared to eventually support the good people at Reaper with $60.

Pros:

  • Fully-fledged, professional DAW
  • Unlimited tracks, skinnable, full VST compatibility

Cons:

Best
  • Not free
  • Doesn’t come with very many bundled plugins

10. Studio One 5 Prime

Studio One Prime is the introductory free DAW offered by Presonus. It’s essentially a watered-down version of the more advanced Studio One 5 DAW.

For a lite version of a paid DAW, Studio One 5 Prime comes with some distinct advantages. Namely, it allows for unlimited tracks unlike Ableton Live Lite, which limits you to eight.

You get a fully-fledged recording interface, sampling tool, drum machine and step sequencer.

It also comes with a handful of effects plugins.

All-in-all it’s a fairly complete entry point into zero-cost music production.

Pros:

  • Unlimited tracks
  • Compatible with PreSonus controllers

Cons:

  • Doesn’t include very many software instruments
  • No VST compatibility

11. MPC Beats

AKAI is well-loved for its legendary MPC line of groove boxes.

Best Free Software To Make Beats On Mac Without

So it makes sense that they are moving into beat-making-oriented software with their MPC-inspired DAW, MPC Beats.

This free DAW is definitely geared towards beatmakers and hip hop producers, it’s essentially a free MPC with a DAW style timeline interface.

It also comes with some limited recording features and a handful of effects to warp and modify any sound.

Of course, it’s limited to eight tracks and two audio recording tracks and it’s only available on Windows.

So, if all you want to do is make electronic beats on your computer for free, this is a cool option with a unique workflow.

Pros:

  • Classic MPC workflow in a computer format
  • Beat maker oriented instruments

Cons:

Free Beat Making Software Full Version

  • Limited tracks and recording capability
  • Only compatible with Windows

12. Podium Free

Best Free Software To Make Beats On Mac

Podium is another free DAW that’s only available for Windows users.

Despite its slightly dated-looking interface, it has a remarkably modern feel and workflow with a DAW style timeline and mixing board.

The free DAW also comes with full VST compatibility and unlimited tracks.

Its only drawback is that it was designed to use the quad-core CPUs that come standard on most laptops these days.

Since it can only operate on one core, it’s easy to overclock the CPU and cause a crash.

Aside from that, it’s a relatively solid DAW that makes for a decent entry point into music production, but only if you’re a PC user.

Pros:

  • Great user interface
  • Compatible with VSTs

Cons:

Best Software To Make Beats

  • Not modernized for today’s CPUs
  • Only compatible with Windows

Free recording tools

Software To Make Beats For Free

Making music shouldn’t be a financial burden.

That’s why these free recording apps are so helpful for creators.

Free Beat Maker

Whether you’re looking to try a demo version of a classic DAW or just make music without spending too much money, these free DAWs will help you do it.