15 Best Beginner DAW for Music Production in 2022

ByPaul Updated on
Best Beginner DAW

There are many DAW available on market, and finding the best beginner DAWs may be overwhelming.

Over the years, the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) has become the foremost essential component in any project studio or home. DAWs are mighty tools for music producers to edit, mix, and create beats and songs.

To help you find the best beginner DAW in 2022, we’ve prepared this article. The article will help you to fathom which of the simpler, more beginner-friendly digital audio workstations would be the best choice for you.

What’s the Best Beginner DAW for Music Production in 2022?

There are many DAWs available on market, but there are several other DAWs that stand out and are less complicated. The DAWs listed in this article was well researched and were chosen based on reviews and their features.

Firstly, here’s the summary of our top picks for the best beginner DAWs for 2022:

Cockos Reaper (Windows, Mac, and Linux)

Our first pick for the best beginner DAWs is the Cockos Reaper. Reaper is more of a basic DAW, which means that it’s beginner-friendly. it’s has a simple user interface together with several amazing features simple enough for a beginner to operate and navigate.

This music production DAW is not large, therefore, it’s light enough to put on a portable flash drive or hard drive and run off without any complication. Despite its lightweight, it supports rendering and exporting at many different sample rates and bit depths, and produces high-quality sounds just like any other major DAW.

Key Features

  • Has an intuitive and highly customizable interface that’s suitable for beginner producers.
  • It’s swift and responsive with tiny storage of footprints.
  • Reaper supports over 64 routable channels and can manage tempo without any complications.
  • Drag and drop files to import, arrange, and render – it can apply effects in real-time.

Pricing

Cockos Reaper is a free music production software. But users will have to pay up to $60 to upgrade the DAW.

Final Verdict

Reaper is an affordable cross-platform DAW often praised for its intuitive, highly customizable interface, and amazing design that’s ideal for beginners in music production.

Try Cockos Reaper DAW

Image Line FL Studio (Windows and Mac)

This DAW is ideal for producers that are into hip-hop and R&B music. Image Line FL Studio features multitrack recording for mixing and recording multiple tracks simultaneously. Also, it has an easy sidechaining capability, mixer channel linking, and routing, and it allows users to adjust the user interface’s windows.

Image Line FL Studio comes with many plugins (over 80) fit for hip-hop, and for re-arranging and chopping up beats and songs. The software also allows direct transfer of audio from the synthesizer to your editor which makes sequencing extremely easy.

Key Features

  • Well-organized user interface that enables smooth navigation and gives you pleasure as a beatmaker.
  • It supports multitouch use for iPads and other devices.
  • FL Studio provides lifetime free updates for being a signature and producer subscriber.
  • Offers drag-and-drop functionality that makes it suitable for beginners.

Pricing

Image Line FL Studio has different pricing plans: The Fruity Edition costs $99, Studio Producer Edition costs $199, Signature Bundle costs $299, All Studio Plugins Edition costs $499. It also has a free trial option.

Final Verdict

Image Line FL Studio has a large and loyal fanbase amongst Windows users, most especially amongst the hip-hop and EDM fraternity. Also, it’s a feature-packaged software that benefited from a flood of updates and it’s compatible with Mac and Windows.

Try Image Line FL Studio DAW

Harrison Mixbus (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Harrison Mixbus, modeled after the famous Harrison analog mixer, is a DAW that provides a smooth transition between analog gear and digital gear. If you are a complete beginner without any experience in any type of music gear, this DAW may look quite intimidating to you.

However, for users that are already into sound engineering, particularly those familiar with analog soundboards, Harrison Mixbus provides an easy transition between music gears and it is widely used in many studios across the world. The lovers of this DAW can capture sounds from the vintage analog soundboards from the 60′ and ’70s.

Key Features

  • Harrison Mixbus is a very straightforward music-making software with one knob per function.
  • Offers EQ, compression, filter, and analog tape simulation.
  • Provides excellent tonal elements similar to those of vintage soundboards.
  • The stereo master bus features tape saturation, tone controls, stereo balance, a limiter, and various meters for detecting volume.

Pricing

Harrison Mixbus price starts at $89.00.

Final Verdict

Harrison Mixbus is an amazing music-producing software, particularly for live sound engineers who want to explore the world of music and start producing music themselves.

Try Harrison Mixbus DAW

Apple Logic Pro X (Mac)

Apple Logic Pro X is one of the best beginner DAWs in 2022 with tons of capability and a great set of virtual instruments and plugins. Other than the great plugins and instruments, this DAW has easy-to-use editing tools such as the Flex Time and Flex Pitch, MIDI quantization, and also features Smart Tempo Analysis and can record MIDI retrospectively.

This software enables users to choose from a wide collection of tools for editing, mixing, songwriting, and beat-making, even at a professional level. Also, it allows users to relocate Sound Library to external storage devices and provides a modern and updated Loop Browser for easy access to your samples and loops.

Key Features

  • This DAW provides support for creating Dolby-Atmos-powered tracks.
  • Huge collection of royalty-free loops and several samples for audio and beatmaker mixers.
  • Track plug-in that allows users to record a melody that’ll play automatically and adjust with the rhythm to compliment your melody.

Pricing

Logic Pro has a free trial that lasts for 90 days. It’s also available for purchase at INR 17,900

Final Verdict

Do you want a DAW smarter than GarageBand? Apple Logic Pro X is a great choice! The DAW has a simple yet modern interface that makes it a great choice for beginners, and it allows users to color-code the DAW to stay organized. Although Logic Pro X is only compatible with Mac, it makes up for it because it’s ideal for live performance and any genre you could imagine.

Try Apple Logic Pro X DAW

Avid Pro Tools (Windows, Mac, Android)

The Avid Pro Tools software is an industry standard used in professional recording studios globally, and it brings a ton of efficiency to your workflow. The provision of several templates and navigation shortcuts to create songs make it ideal for beginners. Users can apply the Elastic audio feature, time-stretching, pitch shifting, and equalization to clips non-destructively.

There’s a large number of virtual instruments (such as the bass, strings, drum machines, etc.) and stock audio effects plugin that enables beginners to produce a professional sound while learning to use the DAW.

Key Features

  • Supports MIDI controllers and several other multitouch controllers making it easy to write in MIDI.
  • Offers non-destructive editing that allows users to make changes to audio without overwriting the original file.
  • Provides many effects plugins such as EQs, reverbs, and dynamic.

Pricing

It’s a free DAW.

Final Verdict

Avid Pro Tools is a great DAW for creating and editing sounds but it’s slightly unsuitable for live performance. Although Avid Pro Tools’ interface is quite simple to navigate through, learning the keyboard commands may take little time, and there are a few learning curves.

Try Avid Pro Tools DAW

Apple GarageBand (Mac)

Apple GarageBand, released in 2004, is one of the favorite DAWs of many music producers. It’s more of the basic version of Apple Logic Pro X. Only Apple users can use the GarageBand software and it has Live Loops as its biggest feature. Users can trigger the Live Loops with the touch of a button, making it the perfect DAW for live performances.

The DAW has a large sound library, and users can easily use loops to make music. Also, the DAW comes with Smart Instruments and a virtual drum kit that enables you to produce sound like a professional.

Key Features

  • Supports MIDI that allows you to write in MIDI without a MIDI controller or keyboard.
  • Allows users to create a virtual session of a drummer, and users can make professional sounds without any instruments.
  • Built-in lesson functions, including mapped-out chords and explanations for learning guitar and piano effortlessly.

Pricing

Apple GarageBand is free of cost.

Final Verdict

GarageBand is not only free software but it’s also one of the best beginner DAWs available for Apple users. If you seek a music production software that’s ideal for all genres and live performances, GarageBand is a great match.

Try Apple GarageBand DAW

Audacity (Windows, Mac, Linux)

When considering the best open-source DAWs, Audacity is a great DAW to recommend. This software features a very easy recording toolbar with playback controls, a drop-down menu for audio effects, and a few basic editing controls. Audacity enables users to create multiple recordings and import multiple audio files from PCs and play them simultaneously.

Audacity uses a multi-track editor to help users edit sounds easily. Also, it enables users to import or export various files like OGG, WAV, MP3, FLAC, etc. You can try Audacity when making multitrack recordings before dropping the dough on complex DAW.

Key Features

  • It has a simple user interface suitable for music producers at any level.
  • Enables users to visualize the selected frequency.
  • Supports a large number of plugins and provides real-time previews that show sound effects.

Pricing

This DAW is free to download or use.

Final Verdict

Technically, you’d consider Audacity as a DAW, but it isn’t exactly a DAW; Audacity is more of an audio recording program. Meanwhile, it doesn’t have lots of features a typical DAW would have. Notwithstanding, Audacity is good for any genre depending on how you use it.

Try Audacity DAW

Steinberg Cubase (Windows and Mac)

Until now, Steinberg Cubase is offering a huge choice of sound libraries with notable score and drum editors. This DAW is a simple, yet powerful DAW optimized to work perfectly on Windows so users wouldn’t get bogged down with CPU problems.

Cubase is designed with lots of composition features, including an advanced score editor, chord pads, a chord assistant, and an arranger track to keep your songs aligned. It also offers typical recording features such as retrospective recording, punch-in recording, and an advanced metronome for weird time signatures.

Key Features

  • Offers a large number of plugins that promote the quality of sound.
  • Has an impressive suite of over 90 high-end audio and MIDI VST effect processors.
  • Has a lot of editors for making great beats.

Pricing

The Cubase has three pricing plans: the Cubase Elements 11 costs $121.17, Cubase Artist 11 costs $402.32, and Cubase Pro 11 costs $705.27.

Final Verdict

Cubase is an excellent choice for making music – whether beats or vocals. The DAW has a powerful mixing suite and it’s very simple to use without getting overwhelmed, making it a suitable DAW for beginners.

Try Steinberg Cubase DAW

Acoustica Mixcraft (Windows)

Mixcraft, developed by Acoustica, is a step-up DAW than the GarageBand but not quite the level of Logic Pro X. Acoustica Mixcraft is very straightforward and very convenient to use, making many music producers and live performers rely on the services rendered by this software.

This DAW offers numerous virtual instruments, including classic synthesizers, organs, and pianos that can play through your MIDI controller or computer keyboard. It also has score composing capabilities that enable users to create soundtracks and write music notation.

Key Features

  • Allows users to compose songs alongside videos.
  • Acoustica Mixcraft is designed with Melodyne and other powerful audio effects plugins.
  • Offers a decent and updated content library, ensuring the users get to use updated tools in editing their audios and videos.
  • Has 45 different modules along with hundreds of presets useful for music producers.

Pricing

Acoustica Mixcraft also has two pricing plans currently available: The Mixcraft 9 Recording Studio which costs $75 and the Mixcraft Pro Studio that costs $149.

Final Verdict

If you’re considering switching from using macOS to Windows and you desire a great DAW that’s a lot like the GarageBand, Acoustica Mixcraft is your best choice! It’s the best alternative to GarageBand, and it’s quite more flexible.

Try Acoustica Mixcraft DAW

Ableton Live (Windows and Mac)

Ableton Live is another best beginner DAW on our list and it’s one of the most intuitive DAWs currently on market. It’s a fantastic DAW with so much flexibility when editing tracks, flipping samples, and sound designs.

The DAW is lightweight and won’t clog up your hard drive or overload your CPU.also, it allows for maximum organization with track grouping and it can assign colors to each track so you can easily differentiate between the tracks.

Key Features

  • Offers a host of audio effects plugins and virtual instruments that give users many options while creating songs.
  • Provides a sample editor that allows time stretching and warping for easy access to editing tools.
  • Allows users to pitch shift and sequence delays and melodies.
  • Offers multiple screen views that serve different purposes.

Pricing

Ableton Live offers a 90-day free trial that is 100% risk-free. The price for the paid editions is not stated on their website.

Final Verdict

Ableton Live may be more complex than many of the DAWs listed in this article, but it’s flexible enough to navigate through once you mastered the software.

Try Ableton Live DAW

Reason Studios Reason 11 Intro (Windows and Mac)

Reason Studios Reason 11 Intro is a DAW with a long pedigree. It’s an easy-to-use and fast-to-learn DAW for composition, mixing, and recording. This music software contains all the necessary editing tools, instruments, and effects for music production.

Reason Studio digital audio workstation is based around a virtual studio rack that users can integrate as a VST3/AU/AAX native plugin incompatible DAWs. So, if you decide to upgrade to a different system, you can still access all your sounds from Reason Studio running it as a plugin in your new DAW.

Key Features

  • Offers a unique rack-based architecture for easy composing and recording.
  • Has an attractive and user-friendly interface that contributes to the overall functioning of the DAW.
  • Support VST and has an Ableton Live link for those that want to produce music in Reason but sequence live playback in Ableton.

Pricing

It has two pricing options: Direct download at $499.00 and Reason+ which cost $1 for 30 days and then $19.99/month.

Final Verdict

Reason Studio may be on the high side in pricing, but its intuitive interface and updated features are worth the price – it typically has everything you need to get started making music.

Try Reason Studios Reason 11 Intro DAW

Akai MPC Beats (Windows and Mac)

Akai MPC Beats is arguably one of the best free DAWs on market with extraordinary functionalities in making beats. The DAW is a great choice, particularly for DJs that host series of live performances.

The Akai MBC Beats software helps users to record MIDI notes, edit, and cut songs or beats in fewer efforts, and allows them to search and select sound quickly as well.

Key Features

  • It has a piano roll for MIDI notes and a sample editor for editing and chopping audio.
  • Built-in virtual instruments plugins that make a recording so easy.
  • Offers Akai’s Bassline, Tubesynth, and Electric instruments with more than 80 onboard effects and a 2GB content library.

Pricing

It is absolutely a free DAW.

Final Verdict

Akai MPC beats is a free DAW aimed at beatmakers, inspired by the functionality of its classic MPC range of drum machines and samplers. The DAW is often regarded as the DJ’s DAW.

Try Akai MPC Beats DAW

Serato Studio Free (Windows and Mac)

Like the Akai MPC Beats, the Serato Studio Free software is also aimed squarely at DJs who want to explore music production. The company has spent several years of expertise creating DJ hardware and controllers and the world-beating time-stretching software.

The DAW is very easy to use with an interface based around the idea of two decks and a library, making the DAW be among the best beginner DAWs in 2022.

Key Features

  • Offers drag-and-drop functionality that makes it more suitable for beginners.
  • It has a user-friendly interface.
  • Provides a quick DJ-style workflow.

Pricing

Serato Studio offers a free version. Also, it has a paid version that costs $9.9/month and a lifetime plan that costs $249.

Final Verdict

The Serato Studio Free, alongside the Akai MPC beats, are considered the DAW best for DJs. So, if you desire an alternative to the Akai MPC Beats, you can always rely on the service rendered by the Serato Studio Free software.

Try Serato Studio Free DAW

Bitwig Studio (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Bitwig Studio is another amazing DAW on our list for the best beginner DAW in 2022. The DAW has impressed many music producers with its general ease of use and general approach to modulation and connectivity to external hardware.

The approachability of this software also filters down to the entry-level 8 and 16- Track versions that provide a reduced feature set from the range-topping Studio edition for a more affordable chunk of change.

This amazing music production software is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems and it provides a solution for realizing many musical ideas across the stages of music production.

Key Features

  • It has a built-in modular environment.
  • Offers linear and non-linear workflows for sound design, recording, live performance, and many more.
  • Offers a complete package with more than 90 instruments, audio effects, and other creative tools.
  • Modular structure and flexibility in all aspects of the software make the overall performance of the software amazing.
  • Provides over 10GB of world-class sound content from both the Bitwig and selected partners and can host unlimited VSTs.

Pricing

Bitwig Studio offers two pricing plans: the Bitwig Studio 16-Track package that costs $99 and the Complete Bitwig Studio package that costs $399.

Final Verdict

Bitwig Studio is a great DAW with amazing functionalities, particularly for those looking for a great option to be a creative producer.

Try Bitwig Studio DAW

Muse Score (Windows and Mac)

The last, but never the least DAW on our list for the best beginner DAW for music production in 2022 is the Muse Score software. This DAW is arguably one of the best and most used beat-making software of 2022. The DAW is designed with a large number of magnificent features that attracted millions of users all over the world to try their hands for music-making.

This beatmaker has a great user interface that’s very feasible and attractive. Likewise, the software offers a basic beginner featured mode where users can easily start making their beats.

With Muse Score, users can record, edit music in parts within the recording and then download them in the file formats such as WAV, OGG, etc.

Key Features

  • Compatible with both Mac and Windows which makes it suitable for millions of users.
  • Allows transfer to and from other programs via MIDI, MusicXM, and many more.

Pricing

Like many other DAWs, the Muse Score software is free.

Final Verdict

Muse Score is regarded as the best beginner DAW in 2022 by many users and it’s bombarded with lots of features. So, if you desire a free DAW that can perform to an appreciable level like the paid DAWs, you should consider the Muse Score music production software.

Try Muse Score DAW

How to Choose the Best Beginner DAW?

As you may know, choosing the best beginner DAW may be overwhelming, and you should take it more seriously. There are several factors to consider when choosing a beginner DAW:

Compatibility

The first thing to consider is the compatibility of the software or the type of computer you are using. Some DAWs are only compatible with Mac OS, while some are only compatible with Windows or Linux, and a few others are compatible with all the operating systems. So, you should be specific and go for the DAW that’s compatible with your operating system.

Your Computer’s Tech Specs

If you’re using an older computer that has a slow processor, you can only use a simpler DAW that doesn’t have as many features as the other DAWs. Meanwhile, it may hinder your productivity.

Your Needs

Yes, you need to understand what you need before choosing a DAW for yourself. Some DAWs are better at handling certain genres and performing certain tasks. For instance, Ableton Live is ideal for electronic and EDM while FL Studio is ideal for hip-hop and R&B.

Costs

You should consider a DAW that’s pocket-friendly and won’t drain you of your budget. However, when considering your budget, you shouldn’t go for a DAW that can’t serve you better because of its limited features and functionality. In essence, you should find a way of striking a balance between your budgets and expectations.

Other factors to consider include workflow, learnability, level of experience, etc.

Setting Up and Using a DAW

All DAWs are quite standard in the way they operate, but we’re giving you a brief explanation of how you can set up and use a DAW for music production.

How to set up a DAW?

There are a few steps to set up a DAW after purchasing or downloading it online and installed on your computer:

  • Open the DAW
  • Enter the license authorization code
  • Import the third-party audio effects plugins and virtual instruments of your choice.
  • Create your folder of samples and loops to the browser window in the DAW
  • Connect microphones, MIDI controllers, audio interfaces, and other necessary gear to your computer and set them up properly in the settings of the DAW

How to use a DAW?

Using a DAW is quite simple once you’ve successfully set it up. You can use the DAW by:

  • Inserting new tracks
  • Arming the tracks for recording or MIDI writing
  • Recording or writing the MIDI

You can add various audio effects plugins of your choice and enjoy the process of your beat-making or music production.

Wrap Up

There are several DAWs that are ideal for beginners, it just takes a bit of searching. And with the right information, choosing the best beginner DAW to start your journey in producing great sounds or music wouldn’t be overwhelming.

Hence, we’ve provided you with simple hacks and a list of beginner DAWs to help you when you’re about to explore the world of music production. We strongly believe that, with this guide, you practically need no help before thriving on using DAWs to create and mix sounds.

So, take your time to try them out, and the more ideal one for you will maximize your workflow and improve your productivity.

Paul

Paul is an online business owner that strongly believes in making money online and being a master of your time.