Whether you are an upcoming budding artist or an established professional musician, without the appropriate tools it becomes very difficult to express your skills and talent in the field. This article illustrates the 13 best free beat making software available for Windows and macOS. Everyone wants to get their hands dirty on the latest video editing software but there are very few who choose to make their own music for their productivity purposes and so, this is why it is important to list out the best free beat making software out there for the creative uses. Let’s get started!
Introduction
What is a Beat Making Software?
A beat making software is computer-powered software that is used for the creation of different styles and genres of music. These are used by professional creators and every other user associated with the field of the music-making industry. The music generated through this software is often termed digital music.
There are a few general system requirements that are required to uphold the best experience of beat making. Now by system requirements, we mean some of the common things that a user should have in their laptops or workstation PCs to get the most from the beat making software. If you are also interested in which graphic card to get before creating your personal workspace for these kinds of creative editing, then do check out the Best RTX 2070 Super Graphics Cards to complement your system with high performance.
These requirements include a decent processor (anything similar to or above Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5), at least 4GB of available RAM (recommended is a minimum of 8GB), and last but not least a great sound processing drivers. Now, let’s move to the list of best free beat making software for Windows and macOS.
Best Free Beat Making Software for Windows and macOS
Let’s begin with our list of the 13 best free Beat Making software for Windows and macOS.
1. GarageBand – macOS | Free
The first in the list of best free beat making software is the very renowned GarageBand. If you’re a mac user, you just don’t have to look further. GarageBand is your one-stop destination for creating a series of astonishing professional quality beats, music, and sounds as a means of digital music production.
It features an extensive set of digital instruments, MIDI support, real-time analog instruments synchronization, and much more. What’s even better, the UI is very user-friendly and easy to use, which makes the application efficient to use and be able to produce some great content.
Compatibility: macOS, iOS, and iPadOS
Price: Free (Bundled by default in the device)
Features:
- Professional-grade software
- Feature-rich and support for multiple extensions
- Compatible with all the latest and advanced plug-ins
- Supports external musical instruments
2. Audacity – Windows and macOS | Free
Moving ahead, Audacity arrives next to our list of best free beat making software for Windows and macOS. Audacity is an open-source audio editing software that features extensive recording functionality with various tools. Just like GarageBand, Audacity also offers recording support from external instruments and devices.
One of the great features of Audacity is that is very light on the system’s resources and thus enables the low-end laptops and desktops to run the software smoothly without any lag.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux, etc.
Price: Free
Features:
- Live audio recording
- Multiple format support
- Personalized plug-ins
- Free conversion between different formats
3. FL Studio – Windows and macOS | Trial
At number three, we have FL Studio on our list for its sheer brilliance. This software is available across multiple platforms like Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android making it one of the most compatible beat making software for different operating systems.
The software offers a great extension of features and support for MIDI playback through external devices and other input devices. The latency while synchronizing the multiple devices is significantly lower than the others, thus making it superior quick to recognize the user-defined inputs.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
Price: Free Trial, Fruity Edition ($ 99.00), Producer Edition ($ 199.00), Signature Edition ($ 299.00), and All Plug-ins Edition ($ 499.00)
Features:
- Provides all the functionality needed in the production
- Wide range of digital instruments
- Variety of templates and effects
4. Magix Music Maker – Windows | Free
At number four, we have Magix Music Maker free beat making software, especially for Windows PCs. It is one of the most popular beat makers for PC out there due to its versatility and functionality. This software is designed keeping beginners in mind and because of that, it is very user-friendly for the newcomers.
Coming to some of the features, Magix Music Maker incorporates AI within the interface layout, which makes it one-of-a-kind free beat making software out there. As developed for beginners, the software is also very light on the system resources, almost supporting devices with just 2GB of RAM. There is only one disadvantage: It can be used only with Windows-based computers and laptops.
Compatibility: Windows
Price: Free Trial, Plus (₹ 4,450), and Premium (₹4,930)
Features:
- In-built software guide
- AI-powered sound tools and layouts
- User personalized interface
5. DrumFlow – Windows and macOS | Free
Coming up next, DrumFlow makes an appearance in our list of best free beat making software for Windows and macOS. Even though it packs some of the high-end features and functions, the user interface is something that lays it down because it’s old and not that spiritful graphic user interface to work on. If you can get past that, then it is also a strong contender to try on.
Compatibility: Windows and macOS
Price: Free Trial, License ($35.00)
Features:
- MIDI exporter
- Custom adjustment to the tools
- Performance manager for the tools
6. Ableton Live – Windows and macOS | Trial
Ableton Live comes next on the list of Beat Making Software For Windows. You can start with a free trial and then upgrade to the paid version later. You can get it from its official website and enjoy its premium features and offerings. This music maker software is extremely simple to use and provides you with a music studio experience on your home PC.
Compatibility: Windows and macOS
Price: Free Trial, Intro (USD 99), Standard (USD 499), and Suite (USD 749)
Features:
- Upright Piano, Brass Quartet, and String Quartet are three high-end sound instruments.
- Sound packs include Voice Box, Mood Reel, and Drone Lab.
- Nature-inspired 6 instruments and sound effects
- Polyphonic MIDI expression is supported (MPE)
- Using the Link Tracks feature, you can edit multiple soundtracks at the same time.
7. orDrumbox – Windows and macOS | Free
orDrumbox is a good choice for creating unique music pieces because it is loaded with several advanced and optimized features. It has a simple and user-friendly interface that promises to make it easy to use.
It works flawlessly on Linux OS in addition to Windows and Mac OS. OrdrumBOX not only assists you in creating music but also assists you in editing music beat files and saving your final product. Furthermore, you can upload your files to OrdrumBox for others to listen to and rate your songs.
With its exceptional features, OrdrumBOX is quickly becoming a favorite among ardent music fans and should not be overlooked.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Price: Free
Features:
- Open-source based software
- Automatic composing and production
- Support for filters
8. MuseScore | Windows and macOS | Free
This is yet another well-known and excellent free beat making software. Its impressive set of features makes it a must-have for music fans. Two of its most distinctive features are that it has an appealing and simple user interface and that it provides all necessary learning tools that are essential for any beginner. MuseScore is a must-have for anyone who is interested in music and offers an easy and convenient way to create music beats. You can use it to record and edit your recordings, and then download the finished product in your preferred format, such as OGG, Wav, or MP3.
Compatibility: Windows, Linux, macOS, iPadOS, iOS, and Android
Price: Free
Features:
- Open-source based software
- MIDI keyboard support
- PNG, OGG exportation support
9. LMMS | Windows and macOS | Free
We bring you another great free beat making software named LMMS. It is a good option to consider as it supports Linux, in addition to Windows and Mac OS. LMMS’s graphics interface is of average quality, but its high-end features and functionalities make up for it. You can also use its extensive sample tune database while recording music and creating beats if necessary. You can download your final creation in a variety of formats, including OGG, Wav, and others.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Price: Free
Features:
- Modern and simple to use
- Open-source
- There are 16 free synthesizers available.
- Both MIDI and typing keyboards are supported.
- Beat+ Bassline Editor is used to consolidate instrument tracks.
- To improve patterns, notes, chords, and melodies, use the Piano Roll Editor.
- Import of MIDI and Hydrogen project files
10. HammerHead Rhythm Station | Windows | Free
At number ten, we have HammerHead Rhythm Station. It’s easy to use and the feature pack environment allows for the creator to easily produce some high-quality beats and music scores. It is mostly suited for beginners with its standard interface layout.
Compatibility: Windows
Price: Free
Features:
- Easy to use
- Support for MIDI and WAV
11. Waveform | Windows and macOS | Free
Moving on, we have Waveform from Tracktion in the list of best free beat making software for Windows and macOS. Waveform Free is a free, unlimited Digital Audio Workspace (DAW) that offers a variety of appealing features to music creators, such as an unlimited track count, popular plugins, and a streamlined interface that is user-friendly for beginners as well as professionals
The software includes full audio tracking, keyboard shortcuts, preset cords, and synth and drum sampler instruments, allowing you to start making music right away. Furthermore, it provides a high level of customization as well as the ability to use external plugins and software devices. This free beat-making software does not impose an artificial track limit, allowing users to get as complex as they want with their musical projects.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Price: Free
Features:
- Full-fledge audio tracking
- Offers preset chords
- Support for external extensions
12. Cakewalk | Windows | Free
So, we are nearing the end of our list of best free beat making software for Windows and macOS and what better way to bring software that has been in the industry for over three decades. Yes, we are talking about Cakewalk free beat making software. It is one of the oldest and most popular free beat making software among professionals globally.
Even though being available only for Windows, the features, functions, and possibilities provided by this software put this ahead of every basic free beat making software. Along with some of the previous ones mentioned earlier, this software also is a cherry for the system as it takes a very small amount of supply from the computer for operation.
Compatibility: Windows
Price: Free
Features:
- One of the best user-interface
- Provides an all-round package in performance
- Great selection of tools, layouts, and templates
- First to offer a 64-bit mix engine for production export
13. Musink | Windows | Trial
Musink is the name of the final free beat making software on our list. This tool is trusted by millions of composers and includes an easy-to-use notation editor that allows you to effortlessly create beautiful music. Musink’s paid version includes all of the standard features as well as a few advanced ones such as template designer, looped playback, and MIDI device recordings.
Compatibility: Windows
Price: Musink Lite, Musink Pro ($4.99/M), and Musink Pro Eternal ($80)
Features:
- Custom template designer
- Support for MIDI
- Automatic engine driver
Conclusion
And that’s a wrap for this article. Hope you found this article helpful and were able to gather information regarding the best free beat making software for Windows and macOS. Also, this is our opinion on selecting the best alternatives, and this can vary from user to user, so do explore the different configurations on your own to get the best one possible. If you have any doubts or queries, kindly drop them down in the comments below. Till then, keep reading and exploring, and we shall see you in the next one.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Which is the best free beat making software for beginners?
The answer to this question lies within your interest. The type of music you want to make decides which software to go for. Almost every beat making software mentioned above can provide you the coverage of the introductory to a professional set of features. So, go ahead and look at what you want and then select the appropriate beat making software.
2. How much difficult is beat making?
Anything you do for the first time will be difficult. As you practice and progress ahead, you get more comfortable with it. The same is with beat making. All you need is some understanding of the features, terms, and tools, then you’re good to go. But do remember that you do need to have an interest in music-making too.
3. What kind of a machine is required for beat making?
All the popular beat making software is proficiently compatible with all the modern desktop PCs, laptops, workstations, etc. So, make sure that your device can run the software smoothly with all the features, and you’re good to go.
4. Is beat making a professional career?
Yes, beat making can be a hobby or even a professional career depending upon the interest of the person being.
5. Should I buy the paid version of the beat making software right away?
For any software you are trying for the first time, it is always recommended that you try that first to understand whether you are comfortable using it and how are the features in it.
6. Do you need external musical instruments for beat making software to work?
If you’re making electronic music then, you don’t necessarily need external musical instruments. But, if you’re using external instruments to create the music, then you have to connect them to the beat making software.
