The best software for recording music…that’s an oxymoron right? I’ll explain. As a music producer, what you use to record your music is crucial. The old way of doing things has always been to buy overpriced software that overcharges for its performance. That’s what I thought, too. We should try to find the best software for recording music because it should function well and should cost something affordable. But what if there was the best…the ideal tool…the software that would do everything well, was easy to use, and would actually be affordable?
Software is more abundant than ever, yet many still think there’s no software available to help them record music. That’s wrong! If you’re trying to record an album, you’ll want a recording program that’s powerful, easy to use and will save you a ton of time in the process. Here are 5 software solutions that can help you complete your studio project.
Ableton Live 10 Suite Multitrack Recording Software
The Ableton Live 10 is one of the best-loved pieces of DAW recording software on the market. It has so many plus points, but its best feature is the breadth of options that it gives you. You’re able to record on multiple tracks with this industry-standard software, as well as sequence MIDI files. One feature that stands out, is the wealth of samples that it offers, with more than 5,000 sounds to choose from, as well as 57 different effects.
Built into the software are ten different electronic instruments, with everything from a drum track to a wavetable to choose from. Ableton Live 10 is a reliable, safe choice for home producers of all levels, but it’s especially good for novices looking to experiment.
Pros:
+ More Thank 5,000 Sounds to Choose From
+ Perfect for Beginners
+ User-Friendly View
+ 57 Effects
+ Affordable Price
+ Trusted brand – Ableton Live
Why We Liked It – Ableton Live offers you choices. There’s so much to experiment with, and so many virtual instruments to try out. It’s fun to just play around on, as well as being professional enough to create slick-sounding music in the studio, making it one of the best DAW software available.
Pro Tools 10 Audio Recording and Editing Software
Avid Pro Tools 10 is one of the best softwares a musician could ask for. The sound processed with this software is simply easier, faster and better. It’s one of the most powerful software products available on the market today for mixing music, editing, composing and, of course, recording. The DAW package contains a variety of virtual instruments, including, drums, pianos, synths, and other sample instruments. This makes Pro Tools the best DAW if you tend to use a lot of virtual instruments in your mixing.
Pro Tools 10 Audio Recording and Editing Software for audio productions come with 8 GB of loops. With some of the most modern plugins and effects, you can shape your sound in any way you like with this DAW. The advanced editing tools let you craft, improve, and perfect your musical creations. This software offers excellent portability and flexibility by allowing you to work on a dedicated audio interface or from your laptop. This makes it the best DAW if you travel around a lot, or tend to a live performance or two.
Pros:
+ Comtains Lots of Virtual Instruments
+ Modern Plugins & Effects
+ Great Value
Why We Liked It – The best thing about this amazing performance tool is the fact that it lets you work with or without an interface. The DAW also lets users create bigger mixes (96 audio tracks). Working with virtual instruments has never been easy with Pro Tool 10 Audio Recording Software. This is the best DAW if you’re looking for variety.
Avid Pro Tools (First or V. 12)
Specifications:
- 16 Audio Tracks
- Powerful Live Audio Recording
- Powerful Audio Manipulation
- 60+ Native Plugins
- 4-16GB RAM Recommended
- World-Class Productions
Pros:
- Possibly Best Recording Software
- Loads of Virtual Instruments
- Great Starter Value
Cons:
- 10 Day Money Back
- Possibly Steep Learning Curve
Our Verdict
5/5: Very generous educational discounts but needs a powerful computer system (16GB RAM minimum for version 12), unless you go for the ‘First’ version (4GB RAM).
Trial: 10 days (money back)
Starting: $33.26/mo (v. 12) or FREE (‘First’).
Essential Features
Question – What Is the Best Recording Software for PC?
Well, for full-scale professional audio/music productions – if you have a powerful system – Pro Tools gives you the most advanced capabilities in the world.
The official recommendation is a minimum of 16GB RAM, but you could get away with only 4 to 8GB, although you may struggle heavily with larger projects.
In that case, you can go for Pro Tools First, which is actually free, and you get a piece of software that one’s well on a 4GB RAM system.
As you might tell from the name, ‘First’ is recommended for those who want powerful features, while learning wider capabilities of a world-class professional DAW, for the first time.
The free version lets you play with 4 audio recordings at once, with a maximum of 16 simultaneous tracks.
While version 12 is recommended if you intend to hire a professional audio engineer/producer, or to invest in learning production for yourself.
Drawbacks
Expect a solid learning curve for the basics and much longer for advanced features. This tool goes way beyond simple audio recording.
If you go for the Pro Tools First version, you can save projects but it needs to be directly to the cloud, rather than locally.
Some users find this irritating because you’ll need a constant internet connection, which could be an issue for some.
Go for the free version and you’ll also find limitations to project, tracks, virtual instruments and input numbers, among others;
Though there’s about enough to get a small sized project done – even something like an audiobook.
Audacity
Audacity is a free music recording software that is great for beginners as it has a ton of effects, high-quality sound, loaded with plugins and many editing features. It is easy to understand and once you get the hang of it, you can record any audio you want.
You can even produce professional studio-quality audio if you have the supporting hardware for recording high-quality audio. The only negative thing about Audacity is that it has a cluttered menu which makes it difficult for beginners to understand.
Price of Audacity:
Audacity is a completely free open-source audio recording software.
Features of Audacity:
Some of the amazing features of Audacity are:
- Tons of built-in effects
- Free download
- Wide range of helpful plugins
- Comprehensive audio editing
- Records high-quality audio
- Easy accessibility
- Spectrogram Analysis
Supported Audio Formats:
Audacity supports mp3, wav, AIFF, au, and ogg.
Supported Platforms:
Audacity is available for Windows, macOS and even Linux.
Conclusion
When you thought up the phrase “record” and “music,” you probably immediately thought of sound recording. Baloney! You now realise that sound recording isn’t the only thing you can do with your computer. You can even compose songs. The programs I show you how to use (and recommend) will help you in all these and in some other areas in general: