Pump Up the Jam: Music Making Software You Need to Use

Did you know that there are over 70 million songs on the streaming website Spotify? If you want to get your own music on Spotify one day, but aren’t sure how to record it at home first, then you’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we’ll tell you what four music making software programs are worth downloading today. We’ll give you a few free programs to try out, too, just in case you’re working on a tight budget.

On top of that, we’ll tell you all about a few other pieces of gear that we recommend you pick up. That way you can have a quality home recording studio that you can use to make music for the entire world to hear.

The Two Industry Standards

When it comes to music-making software, there are two programs that are both considered to be the “industry standard.” So, if you want to make music using the same programs that major artists are using, and you don’t mind spending some cash, these are the two programs that you need to stick with.

So, what are these two programs called? Apple’s Logic Pro and Avid’s Pro Tools.

We’ll be honest. If you have a few hundred bucks to spend, you can’t go wrong with either Logic Pro or Pro Tools. They’re both a bit complex to master, but there are plenty of online tutorials on YouTube to help you speed up the learning process.

Not sure what is the best laptop for music production 2021 is? Don’t worry. As long as you stick with any of the laptops from the link we just shared, you should be able to run Logic Pro or Pro Tools without any issues.

Two Notable Free Alternatives

If you’re a starving artist, you might not have a few hundred bucks to spend on music-making software. If that’s the case for you, you’ll be happy to know that they are some free alternatives out there for your to choose from.

With that in mind, it’s worth noting that, with these free alternatives, you’ll be limited to what you can do. But you should be able to make just about any song you can write using them, which is all you need when you’re first starting out.

If you’re working on a tight budget, and you have a Mac computer at home, go ahead and fire up GarageBand. It’s free, easy-to-use, and can help you create songs in a few short hours.

If you don’t have a Mac, look into downloading Audacity. It’s without a doubt the most basic program that we’ve mentioned so far, but that can be helpful, especially if you don’t know a lot about music software.

Other Music Making Software and Accessories

Not sure what other gear you need to invest in to get started making music? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Below are 4 notable pieces of gear that we consider must-haves for all aspiring musicians. And if you pick up everything that we mention, you should have all you need to build a solid beginner’s home studio.

1. A USB Microphone

No matter what kind of music you aspire to make, a USB microphone is an absolute must-have piece of equipment. With a USB mic, you can record vocals, instruments, and any other sound that you may want to use to make your own songs.

They’re affordable, sound professional, and work right out of the box, which is an added bonus.

2. Studio Monitors

Once you’ve got those killer vocals recorded, it’s time to mix them using those software programs that we mentioned earlier. To get a clear and accurate mix that sounds good on headphones and in your car, you need to invest in a pair of studio monitors.

A pro tip? Make sure that you grab studio monitors and not just any pair of computer speakers. That way you can get accurate mixes that, again, sound good on all sorts of audio speakers.

3. Studio Headphones

While it’s not a good idea to mix with headphones, you still need a pair for the recording process. Also, headphones can help prevent you from being too noisy while you make music, thus disturbing your neighbors, which isn’t what you want.

Our advice? Stick with studio-quality, over-the-ear headphones. Because earbuds are great for the gym but don’t work well when you’re actually making the music yourself.

4. Various Other Instruments

It goes without saying, but if you want to record yourself playing the piano, or perhaps the guitar, you need to have those instruments to do so. So, once you have everything that we’ve mentioned already on this list, you can start collecting actual instruments for your studio.

Our advice? Start by buying a MIDI keyboard. That way you can use it to play all sorts of virtual instruments, giving you the ability to make tons of awesome sounds using only one tool.

These MIDI keyboards are small, affordable, and easy to learn. Just make sure you get one that is compatible with whatever software program you choose to use.

Need More Help Making Music at Home?

There are tons of music making software programs out there. But when paired with the right gear, you can make awesome songs using any of the four programs that we mentioned on this list.

Just make sure that you practice a ton, and lean heavily on online tutorials, especially at first. That way you can make quality songs that you’re proud of that much faster.

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