Every new electronic music producer faces the same question: “Which DAW should I choose”? There are so many options out there – and so much conflicting advice. Where do you start, what should you pay attention to? Luckily for you, that’s exactly why we created this guide. Together, we’ll look at some of the best DAWs available, go over their respective pros and cons, and find out which one is right for you!
Ready to find the DAW for you? Let’s dive in 👇
What is a DAW?
Before diving into the best DAWs, let’s explore what a DAW actually is.
DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstation.
It’s the main software with which you’ll create music. DAWs let you record and edit audio and MIDI, arrange, sequence clips, host instrument and effect plugins, and a lot more.
Looking at a DAW for the first time can be discouraging. There are so many windows, options, parameters… But the more you get familiar, the more powerful a DAW becomes.
It’s also worth remembering that no DAW is better than another.
Some DAWs are simply better suited to certain ways of creating music. In the end, you can produce any type of music with any DAW. So don’t pick a DAW just because your favorite producer uses it 😉
Once you’ve chosen a DAW and started releasing tracks, the next step will be to promote them! The best way to do this is to get featured on the most popular Spotify playlists and get in touch with curators & pros of the music industry. With Groover, you can search for curators and pros that precisely match your song. You can then submit your track directly to those who interest you. We explore everything you need to know over here.
Start promoting your songs 👇
1. Ableton Live
Ableton Live is possibly the most popular DAW option out there.
Ableton Live is one of the few DAWs that was designed to be used both in studio and live. So, if you are looking to use a DAW on stage, Ableton Live is a serious contender.
Speed of workflow is one of the main advantages of Ableton Live.
You can quickly access instruments and effects without opening and closing multiple windows. It’s also worth noting that due to its popularity, you’ll find a huge number of online tutorials for Ableton Live.
Other notable features include:
- Easily render MIDI to audio clips
- Great stock instruments and effects plugins
- Creative MIDI effects to inject rhythm in your melodies and beats.
- Great for resampling
Pricing tiers include the following:
If you decide on Ableton Live, we recommend going to the Standard edition. The Intro edition only lets you create up to 16 audio and MIDI tracks, which will quickly become limiting.
2. FL Studio
Second on our list is another hugely popular DAW: FL Studio.
Previously known as Fruity Loops, FL Studio is a go-to for many Hip Hop and EDM producer. It is much more colourful than its rival Ableton Live, and immediately inspires you to write music.
The Piano Roll (where you edit MIDI notes) and the Step Sequencer (where you arrange beats) are killer features that many other DAWs envy.
However, recording live instrument can be less intuitive and straightforward than on other DAWs. But similarly to Ableton Live, FL Studio is a hugely popular DAW. Therefore, you’ll find a ton of YouTube tutorials and courses to help you master it.
Other notable features include:
- Powerful stock synths like Harmor, Harmless and Toxic Biohazard
- Great choice of effect plugins, from chorus, delay, reverb and everything in between
- Mixer offers great routing options and is very visual.
- Feels very “playful” and fun.
Pricing tiers include the following:
The Producer Edition is the one most comparable to Ableton Live’s Standard Edition. It’s the one we recommend if you’re starting out and planning on choosing FL Studio.
3. Logic Pro
Logic Pro completes what many call the “Big 3” of DAWs.
Logic Pro is a DAW developed by Apple. This means it unfortunately only runs on Mac.
Logic Pro caters to a broad audience, so it will work whether you produce electronic music or record acoustic instruments. It also features amazing tools such as Flex Pitch – an alternative to Autotune.
Logic Pro also comes with a huge library of high-quality sounds and instruments. However, being a less popular DAW than FL Studio and Ableton, you will find less resources online.
Other notable features include:
- Great MIDI editing capabilities
- Powerful Step Sequencer for quickly building drum beats.
- Live Loops function for live loop creation
- Great comping features
Logic Pro only offers a single tier at US$ 199.99. However, this will include everything you need to start producing music right away.
4. Cubase
Although less popular than the “Big 3”, Cubase remains a very powerful DAW.
Developed by Steinberg, it is one of the oldest DAWs on the market. Today, it is still used by mainstream artists such as Noisia and Adam Beyer.
Cubase offers all the standard features of a typical DAW. Notably, it has extremely powerful MIDI editing tools for electronic music. For example, the MIDI Remote Integration automatically detects your MIDI controller and maps the controls.
Other notable features include:
- Audio to MIDI conversion tool
- Great audio editing tools
- Automatic chord generation pads
- MPE support (for MIDI controllers such as the Roli Seaboard)
Pricing tiers include the following:
So… Which DAW Should You Choose?
Although there are other alternatives on the market (Reaper, Bitwig and more), these 4 DAWs are the most popular options.
But which one is right for you? To decide, we highly recommend downloading the free trials for each DAW.
By trying out a DAW for a few days, you can test its workflow and features. You’ll then quickly find the one that works for you. Here are some of the things to pay attention to when trying out a DAW:
- How much money are you willing to spend?
- Does the DAW feel natural and intuitive?
- How many synth/effect plugins come with the DAW?
- Do you feel inspired to create music when you open the DAW?
This concludes our guide on the best DAWs for beginners! We hope this guide will help you make an informed decision 🙏
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Get your music heard 👇