- Best Mac Software For Mixing Music
- Best Mac For Music Software Windows 10
- Imac Music Maker Software
- Best Music Software For Apple Mac
- Looking for the best Mac music-production software? We compare the best alternatives to Apple's free music-making app GarageBand, including Logic Pro X, Ableton, Cubase, Audacity and more Share.
- Best studio Mac for musicians: iMac The iMac is a great Mac for studio based musicians. We'd suggest that you exercise some caution though if you are buying an iMac. In August 2020 the 27in model.
The best Macs for music production are different enough to suit the needs of different music producers. If you create shorter and smaller songs, you won't need as much storage as someone who produces full-scale soundtracks. We think the best Macs for music production are the iMac 5K and the 13 inch MacBook Pro. The iMac 5K is perfect for your studio, but it doesn't travel well.
It is difficult, but not impossible, to determine what the best DAWs are. The digital audio workstation, or DAW, is crucial for making music. It is the main piece of music production software that a producer or musician uses to create music. It is where all the recording, mixing, and editing is done.
Some people have certain preferences when it comes to what DAW they use, and some DAWs are better for certain music genres than others. This post will help you determine what the best music production software is. Let’s take a look at some reviews of the best DAWs that are available in 2020.
Here’s the best DAW music production software 2020:
1. Avid Pro Tools
The best overall DAW software
Pro Tools by Avid is probably one of the most well-known DAWs, and I would say it’s the best music production software overall. It’s an industry standard, mainly because it’s in the top music recording facilities in the world. It does not really have any fancy features that make it stand out over other DAWs, but somehow it remains the most popular.
There are three different versions of Pro Tools: Pro Tools First, Pro Tools, and Pro Tools Ultimate. Pro Tools is compatible with Windows and Mac, and will hold up to 128 audio tracks, 512 instrument tracks, and 1,024 MIDI tracks in one project.
Among Pro Tools’ features are loop recording, full mixing automation, MIDI and score editing, and cloud collaboration. Pro Tools has a bit of a learning curve but is easily navigable due to keyboard shortcuts and features like Quick Punch recording, which allows you to record with the touch of a button. It truly is top-quality music recording software.
Pro Tools also comes packed full with many virtual instruments, audio processors and plugins including EQs, reverbs, dynamics, and guitar amp emulators. The audio effects plugins are pretty good quality, but you may prefer other plugin suites like Waves or FabFilter over Pro Tools’ stock plugins.
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Pro Tools is, in my opinion, the absolute best DAW software – a total beast! – and I highly recommend it for those of you who are intermediate or seasoned producers. A learning curve can be a bit steep and the amount of plugins and virtual instruments can be overwhelming to beginners. If you are learning, I suggest getting the free version and upgrading as you adapt to the DAW.
2. Apple Logic Pro X
The best DAW for Mac
Logic Pro X is Apple’s flagship DAW. Logic is actually one of the first DAWs I used when starting out, and it’s one that I still use to this day. Logic Pro X is very obviously only compatible with MacOS, sorry Windows users.
Logic features a ton of tools that are helpful for both beginners and advanced users. It offers smart tempo tools, a fair amount of plugins (including vintage EQs and reverbs, among other creative effects), Alchemy Synth, a large amount of virtual instruments and patches, an AI drummer, a large loop library, flex time/flex pitch, MIDI editing, automation, and multi touch mixing.
The editing tools in Logic Pro X are easier to use than the ones in Pro Tools, and the virtual instruments are decent sounding but it depends on the instrument as well. Logic Pro X can hold up to 1,000 tracks in one session, including stereo tracks, surround sound tracks, and instrument tracks.
Logic is good for live performance and it’s meant for creating many different genres. It is a very flexible DAW with a very small learning curve, especially if you are already familiar with Apple’s other DAW, GarageBand. If you like visual learning, Logic is a good choice as many of the plugins have a visualization so you can see how the compressors and EQs are working with your music.
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Because of the extensive loop library, rich visual plugins, and instrument patches, Logic Pro X is a great DAW for people of any skill level. The very small learning curve makes it easy for anyone to jump right in. Logic Pro X is the best DAW for Mac by far.
3. Ableton Live
The best DAW for electronic music
Ableton Live is my personal favorite DAW. After using Logic Pro X and FL Studio for quite a while, I decided to give Ableton a try and now it is my main DAW. It’s compatible with Windows and Mac and allows you to have an unlimited amount of tracks in each project.
Ableton has two main screen layouts that do different things. Arrangement View is mainly meant for making songs in a studio and is going to be where you do all your editing, MIDI writing, and things like that. In Arrangement View, you will be able to organize your tracks in groups and by color and you can even save project file templates to open every time you have a new session.
Session View is meant for live sessions. In Session View you can queue different audio loops on the fly and tweak their sound. In Session View you will also find the mixer.
As for features, Ableton Live includes MIDI writing, audio recording, many audio plugins and effects (and for stock plugins, they are quite good), automation, and track freezing to free up RAM and CPU.
Ableton’s instrument plugins are electronic based, so you’ll find a lot of synthesizers and plugins that are geared towards creating electronic music. The synthesizers and operator plugins can be a bit tricky to figure out if you are new at it, but experimentation is key, and Ableton definitely promotes experimentation.
Ableton Live is definitely good for live performance and it’s good for many different genres, but definitely the best DAW for electronic music.
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I suggest Ableton Live for everyone, even beginners. Although there is a learning curve, it is such a powerful DAW and it’s really easy to use once you understand how it works. I recommend it especially for DJs and performers because it’s easily the best DAW for live performance. If you are a beginner and plan to use the synthesizers, I would suggest taking a free online course about synthesis. I would also encourage you to check out any tutorials available on YouTube.
4. Image Line FL Studio
The best DAW for hip-hop
FL Studio by Image Line is another good DAW that just keeps getting better. FL Studio is compatible with Mac and Windows and it is the best DAW for hip-hop. A lot of hip-hop and trap producers use it, especially those who you call ‘bedroom producers’.
FL Studio is quite flexible but harder to use if you need to be extremely precise when it comes to time stretching or chopping tracks, as it can get tricky, especially if you are switching between bar marker sizes in the playlist area.
FL Studio features a step sequencer (perfect for beat-making), up to 500 tracks in the playlist (main window), 125 mixer channels, 125 audio tracks, and automation, pitch shifting, time stretching, and beat chopping tools as well as a window to write in MIDI plus a window for the mixer.
It also has plugins and virtual instruments but they are honestly not very high-quality (although some of the effects plugins like Effector and GrossBeat are decent), so I would suggest that you use a third party suite for those things.
The DAW definitely has a learning curve, and it can get unorganized in the project if you don’t make organization a priority. It is a bit harder to navigate through because of the many smaller windows that open up inside the DAW, but if you have a big screen it will work best on that. If you don’t, it shouldn’t be too big of a problem as you can resize the windows and minimize them until you need to open them again.
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I would say leave FL Studio for the intermediate to advanced producers, but if you are a beginner and want to take a stab at it, make sure to watch tutorials. If you’re a hip-hop producer you will definitely want to use this DAW. A lot of bedroom producers start on FL Studio, so it’s not impossible to start out on FL, but I would personally suggest something a bit easier to navigate through first.
5. Cockos Reaper
The best DAW software for basics
Reaper is a very simple DAW that is capable enough to be a decent DAW for music production. Reaper is what I used when I first started wondering if music production was something I would be willing to get deeper into. For as simple and low-priced as Reaper is, it has a lot of features, and it’s compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.
Reaper offers audio and MIDI routing with support for multiple channels (and supports up to 64 audio tracks in a single project file), 64-bit audio processing, and the ability to import, record, and render to a lot of different media formats at high-quality sample rates.
Reaper is compatible with MIDI hardware as well as MIDI software, and also allows you to use thousands of 3rd party effect plugins and virtual instruments. If you don’t want to use 3rd party plugins, Reaper has some fair quality effects built in.
It also features plenty of things you would find in your normal DAW, especially for live performance use, including automation, grouping, modulation, oscillators, surround sound audio processing, support for control surfaces, and macros for fine-tuning with your hardware.
Something else that is really great about Reaper is that it can be run from a flash drive because the files that comprise the software are small. This makes it portable and easy to use on any compatible computer.
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Reaper by Cockos is a great starting point for beginners, although I wouldn’t suggest staying with Reaper in the long run. It is more of a DAW to help you get from using bare-bones programs like Audacity to using something more polished like Pro Tools or Logic Pro.
6. Reason Studios Reason
The best DAW for synthesizer fans
If you are into analog synthesizers where you have to plug wires from one port to another among synths, you will enjoy Reason. Reason is a Windows and Mac compatible DAW that is really focused on graphics and keeping an old school feel with its virtual instruments.
It is a virtual rack-based DAW with a multitrack sequencer, so it definitely provides you a digital version of a throwback to tape decks and analog equipment.
Reason features 5 synths, 3 beat instruments, 3 players, 7 sample-based instruments, and more than 20 plugins, effects, and rack extension devices. Reason also comes with over 3 GB of drum loops and samples if you are not interested in creating your own drum patterns. It also is compatible with 3rd party plugins and has plenty of factory soundbanks and patches.
Reason also allows you to have an unlimited amount of audio and instrument channels in a project. As for editing tools, it is capable of stretching audio in real-time as well as transposing, which makes it good for live performance use. It’s suitable for any genre but I’d say it’s the best DAW for EDM and electronic music.
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Reason by Reason Studios (formerly known as Propellerhead Software) is a really fun DAW that is best suited for intermediate and advanced producers and musicians who like to use analog synthesis, as well as hip-hop producers. As per usual, if you want to start learning music production with using it, watch tutorials. If you want a change of pace while still keeping things digital, try Reason.
7. Steinberg Cubase
The best DAW for Windows
Cubase by Steinberg is one of the best DAWs for Windows computers on the market. It is also compatible with Mac, is good for live performances, and you will easily be able to make any genre with it. Cubase is a great piece of software when it comes to recording audio, as it has some features geared especially towards recording.
Lane track comping allows you to choose the best parts from all your takes, so you can have a polished sound. There is a channel strip feature that integrates analog pre-amp emulators for tracks as well. Cubase also features some visual-rich plugins like a spectral comparison EQ and a multi tap delay, as well as a drum sequencer.
Other features include a MIDI composition window (with Retrospective MIDI Record), plenty of virtual instruments (analog emulators too), and Control Room that allows you to monitor your mix during live performances. Cubase allows you to have unlimited tracks in your project file so you can make big productions.
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If you are looking for the best DAW for PC, then I highly recommend that you check out Cubase by Steinberg. It has everything you need whether you are a beginner or a pro, and the selection of plugins and instruments is balanced quite well. Anyone should be able to get the hang of Cubase quite easily.
8. PreSonus Studio One
The best DAW for song development
Studio One by PreSonus is one of the best-rated DAWs for PC out there. It is compatible with Windows and Mac and is good for all genres of music but not good for live performance use. The newest version of the software, Studio One 4, has a lot of high-quality features that assist with making your production efficient and fast, as well as help with developing chord progressions.
Studio One has similar page views to Ableton Live, a ‘project’ page and a ‘song’ page. The project page is where you do your arranging and mastering, and the song page is where you do your composing, editing, and mixing tracks. With the touch of a button you can switch between the pages so you can mix effortlessly.
Studio One also features Scratchpads, which allows you to A/B different arrangements of your song and rearrange its sections easily. Another top feature is Harmonic Editing, which enables you to test out and come up with interesting chord progressions as you compose.
Among other features of Studio One are MIDI composition, an easy to use mixer, the ability to group tracks, an unlimited amount of tracks in the project files, and several virtual instruments and audio effects plugins. The Pipeline XT plugin, for example, allows producers to use classic analog signal processors to change tonality of instruments.
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Studio One by PreSonus is a great piece of music making software. If you are a producer who struggles to arrange songs or come up with good chord progressions and melodies, I would most definitely recommend that you try Studio One.
Conclusion
With all the different options for DAWs and how feature-packed they are, it can get overwhelming to choose one. I encourage you to experiment with multiple DAWs as they usually have a free trial period or a free, limited version for the ones you have to pay for. Make sure to test them out until finding one that best fits your needs and that you are able to work the most comfortably and efficiently in.
Please do not be afraid to use multiple DAWs as well. You can never use too many, and through trial and error, you may find that the set of music production software features you require are most effective across multiple DAWs.
Jordan is a music producer, content creator, writer, and session musician. He has been producing music and engineering live performances for over 7 years. He is an experienced guitarist and enjoys listening to and playing many different genres of music.
What is the best Mac for music production?
Music production requires high-quality equipment, including a high-quality computer that can handle modern, high-power recording and production software. Fortunately, most music production software is compatible with Mac computers.
The best Mac for audio production overall might be the Mac Pro, simply because it has the most powerful processor, but, in the end, it all depends on the music producer’s needs. People in this business need a reliable computer with plenty of memory and storage. Doing a little research before purchasing ensures the user gets a laptop to fit their specific needs.
Lightweight Mac computers for everyday use
Some music careers require portability, and MacBooks are the perfect match in this case, though they are less powerful than desktop computers. DJs and events coordinators may find MacBooks ideal since they are lightweight and easy to carry around.
MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro boasts a powerful processor for a laptop, giving it the ability to power bigger programs reliably. Users can lay multiple tracks fast and run large programs without losing speed. This MacBook comes with:
- 4-, 9-, or 8-core Intel processors;
- up to 32GB of memory;
- Retina display with True Tone technology;
- Touch Bar and Touch ID for more productivity.
The Touch Bar sits at the top of the keyboard and automatically adapts to whatever program is running. This means that the user will have more control over audio production apps, like Logic Pro X, and it could eliminate the need for a wireless mouse. With the Touch Bar, music producers can jump to a location, fine-tune sounds, and turn the Touch Bar into an instrument they need.
The MacBook Pro also comes in two sizes — a 13-inch and a 15-inch — and starts at $1,299. Both sizes come with solid-state drives (SSDs) for secure storage while traveling — something that will come in handy for music producers on-the-go.
MacBook Air
Being the lightest MacBook, this laptop is a great portable device to have. It weighs 2.75 pounds and is made from 100% recycled aluminum, making it eco-friendly. The MacBook Air starts at $1,099 and features:
- high-resolution Retina display with True Tone technology;
- Touch ID;
- up to 16GB of memory;
- an eighth-generation Intel Core i5 processor.
Though it is one of the lightest laptops you can get, the MacBook Air lacks screen space and may not be powerful enough for the music programs needed. It comes with 1TB of SSD storage, which allows for fast app launches and plenty of room for documents and pictures, but might not be enough for music programs and associated files.
But, even the most powerful laptops may get slower over time. We recommend using optimization software, like CleanMyMac X, to easily manage massive files and data on your machine and increase its performance. It will clear up old, unused files, hidden/background apps, and other memory-hogs that can also help preserve peak performance over any Mac's life.
Powerful laptops for an amazing performance
High-end audio work requires a high-powered central processing unit (CPU). CPUs do a lot of the “heavy lifting” on a computer, as its main job is to execute programs. In correlation, the bigger the processor, the better the music programs will run.
iMac Pro
The iMac Pro is an all-in-one and starts at $4,999. It also provides a variety of ports to connect any equipment needed, like microphones, extra monitors, and USB instruments. The iMac Pro comes with:
- 8-,10-, 14-, or 18-core processor;
- Radeon Pro Vega graphics;
- up to 256GB of memory;
- 4TB of SSD.
With a 27-inch screen, a music producer can open several programs without having to flip between screens. Plus, with 4TB of all-flash storage, multiple music projects can be saved and loaded without the worry of the computer slowing down.
In case you have some issues with memory due to the excessive amount of apps, you could use CleanMyMac X’s Uninstaller module. It will remove unused apps from your Mac and delete leftovers that are usually hidden in your machine’s memory. Here’s how to use the Uninstaller module:
Best Mac Software For Mixing Music
- Download CleanMyMac X for free here.
- Launch the app and select Uninstaller.
- Check the boxes next to apps you want to remove and click Uninstall.
- After CleanMyMac X removed the apps, check the Leftovers tab to delete the remaining data.
CleanMyMac will then get rid of unnecessary apps and their data.
Best Mac For Music Software Windows 10
But, what if you cleaning your Mac doesn’t make it more powerful? Then our next option will be great for you.
Mac Pro
The Mac Pro is available with a 28-core processor, which means it’s the most powerful Mac to date. This Mac is made for professionals who need the best CPU performance. Music producers can play hundreds of virtual instruments with this Mac and store tons of files without the risk of running out. It also features:
Imac Music Maker Software
- up to 1.5TB of memory;
- 360-degree access to customize and expand;
- Apple Afterburner which allows the user to work with 4K and 8K files;
- Mac Pro Expansion Model, which allows for high-performance graphics.
The Mac Pro also comes with an additional 4TB of SSD storage, so music producers can save and download multiple files in any size. It has various ports to plug into to connect any equipment needed. This is useful for those who are studio recording or mixing and mastering.
Affordable Macbooks for all-purpose use
Price can be a factor in decision making like this. However, music producers shouldn’t let price stand in the way of performance. Mac has affordable options for people in this line of work.
iMac
The original iMac is an all-in-one that has an updated processor that allows for speed and high performance. It comes in two screen sizes, with a 21.5-inch and 27-inch screen. This computer’s processor boasts speeds of up to 5.0GHz, which means running applications like Logic X Pro will be effortless. The iMac also features:
- up to 5K retina display;
- up to 3TB of Fusion Drive;
- multiple USB ports.
For those looking for a big screen and an affordable price, the iMac could likely be the best of both worlds, starting at $1,799.
Mac Mini
The Mac Mini is powerful, fast, and relatively inexpensive compared to the MacBooks and iMacs. At $799, the Mini comes with new eighth-generation 6- and quad-core processors and up to 64GB of memory. It also has the same connectivity as an iMac so that music producers can hook up multiple instruments and microphones. Other features include:
- up to 2TB SSD storage;
- four Thunderbolt 3 ports;
- up to 4.6GHz Turbo Boost.
With the added SSD storage, music producers are able to save, download, and upload multiple large files, like a live concert sound engine.
Best Music Software For Apple Mac
In general, it’s important to look at memory and storage when considering an ideal computer since music producers will handle numerous amount of large files that need to be accessed quickly. Though music producers might think they need a computer with a powerful processor, the best type of computer really depends on the user’s needs. Whether you are a DJ traveling to gigs or a sound technician with a studio, Macs are a reliable choice for your future career.