2006-01-24

A big list of FREE music making software!

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This is all the latest, new or updated FREE Music Making Software . Free VST Plugins, Instruments, Filters, Effects, Trackers, Synths, DAW's, Sequencers & more. You can find hundreds of FREE Music Making Programs below!

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Here you have a list with 30 FREE Music Making software I've blogged about on Making Music.

Here is a link to part 2 and part 3 of the BIG list of FREE music making software.

1. AmpliTube UNO - Free Download
AmpliTube Guitar Amp & FX Modeling Plug-In.

2. Free Ableton Live 4 Session Samples
The site Drumdrops have uploaded 250MB free 24 Bit AIFF Multi Track Samples for Ableton Live 4.

3. Propellerheads ReBirth Released for free!
ReBirth is dead, long live ReBirth!

4. Drumstation
Drumstation is a legendary drum computer for your PC. Its whole concept is based on the legendary cult synthesizer TR 909.

5. Rubberduck
Rubberduck is an acid- and techno-synthesizer for your PC. Its whole concept is based on the legendary cult synthesizer TB 303.

6. MdspDuckVerb
It's similar to DuckDelay but with a reverb. The reverb output is compressed when there is a certain amount of signal present on its input. It allows to use a lot of wet signal on a voice without loosing too much intelligibility.

7. DtBlkFx
DtBlkFx (by Darrell Barrell) is a Fast-Fourier-Transform (FFT) based Virtual Sound Technology (VST) plug-in for use in audio software supporting such stuff.

8. BallSequencer
BallSequencer is a sequencer VSTi based around the idea of midinotes being generated by balls.

9. LMC-1 Compressor for Windows
LMC-1 Plug-In - Available FREE for PC and MAC Every now and again a piece of audio equipment comes along that defines the sound of an era.

10. Mobius
Mobius is a program for the real-time creation and manipulation of audio loops. It has functionality based on the venerable Echoplex Digital Pro with Loop IV software.

11. Oscill8tor
Features: 8 oscilators x 7 waveforms per oscillator ( sine/sawtooth/triangle/ramp/pulse/w.noise/p.noise ). 5 filter types per oscillator ( LP/HP/BP/notch/moog ). 5 octave variations per oscillator ( 0/1/2/3/-1/-2 )and more.

12. megaCeloX
This is a flexible and well-sounding polyphonic stereo analog emulation software synthesizer.

13. FuzzPlus 2
The basis of this plug-in is a transform model of a famous vintage fuzz pedal.

14. JellyFilter
Do you need good lead lines in your production? A synthesizer, biting hard or teasing soft? A synthesizer, flexible to bend to any kind of synth sound? JellyFilter is the solution.

15. ErsDrums
Drum machine. Drum Sampler. ErsDrums is a VST 2.3 compatible drum machine.
All sounds are calculated in "real time", no samples are used.

16. DROPOUT
Dropout is a sample player that utilizes granular pitch shifting and sample slicing to play back a sample in new and unusual ways.

17. Rumpelrausch Taips - AZR3
AZR3 is a "MORE" edition: More warmth, more dirt, more realism, more fun.

18. Antonymic
A free VST effect designed to automate the process of recording & reversing playback of audio phrases (ie speech).

19. Miffi
Abstract Miffi employs a variant of DSF synthesis which uses complex number arithmetic to generate comb filtered stereo signals.

20. reViSiT
Free Tracker software. Tracking is a method for computer music almost as mature and time-honoured as MIDI. Sometimes better, sometimes not so - always different.

21. DrumSampler I and II
DrumSampler I: Multiple outputs.Visual feedback on each drum. Comes with one set of samples to start with. DrumSampler II: Individual volume, pan and reverb settings. Adjustable reverb unit.

22. StringZ
StringZ is a physically modeled String ensemble and Solo String synthesizer. At home providing moving and almost real string sounds, StringZ can also be used to provide the more esoteric ensemble and pad sounds as well.

23. Blittr
Buffer*verride.. buffer-sampling stuttery gl*tch box with a nice xy pad useless-but-cool wave scope.

24. Voices
Formant synth Features: Simple linear interface. 5 oscillator types: Normal, Normal even harmonics, Formant, Group, Percussion.

25. BeroTracker
It's now modular! - Loads MOD XM S3M IT MT2 IMF BRT 669 STM MTM WOW OKT - Saves MOD XM S3M IT BRT - VST/VSTi support.

26. Unifyer 2
16 Voice Unison Monophonic Synthesizer 2 x Stereo Unison oscillators with 68 Waveforms. Up to 8 uni voices per oscillator.

27. Macomate 88
Array of 88 comb filters tuned using a .TUN microtuning file with feedback path. Is sensitive to MIDI input, with channels 1 and 3-16 activating their corresponding filters and channel 2 controlling the tuning of the feedback path.

28. Roku
Roku is a six tap delay / multi delay (six independent delay lines) effect.

29. Rndwave!
16/24-bit Wave Shape Generator Features: 16/24-bit Mono/Stereo Wave File Recording Manual/Automatic Single Loop Wave Shape Generation and Recording.

30. BiFilter
Is a high-end quality stereo filter module for VST. It uses a high precision "direct form 2" filter model with a ripple less than 1dB. It supports linear behaviour over the whole frequency range.

Here you can see Part 2 and part 3 of this list.

These are only a few of all the software you can find on Making Music.


41 comments:

Andrew said...

Great list. Thanks for posting.

Tom said...

This list would be much more useful if you gave some indication of which platforms the software supported.

The assumption that everyone has a PC is particularly invalid in the music world.

I gave up after three sites -- where I clicked on your description, clicked on the article, and went wandering through the site until I finally found some hint it only supports Windows.

David said...

Thanks. I had some of these but really appreciate the list. So many times when you download free music software it is outdated or just isn't that great. It's nice to have a list of things that someone is recommending.
Good luck with your music. :-)

marcel said...

I'm looking for podcast facilitating software.

Oliver Z. said...

Great list.

How about a list of commercial products?

El Guacamole said...

Nice list, but you're forgetting my personal favorite editing tool Audacity.

Don said...

Great list. I second Audacity...

I've got a question for you...what is the best free software to emulate a natural drum sound (as opposed to what you might hear in techno). If there's no specific program, perhaps a sound kit of sorts?

Ivan Minic said...

This is simply great list!

jb said...

This is 'a big list of FREE music making software'... Windows only, no digg from me.

Anonymous said...

Have you heard of OpenSebJ - it's a new open source (Free as in beer) audio sample mixing tool. Available at http://www.evolvingsoftware.com

svartling said...

Thanks for the comments.

Tom said....
"This list would be much more useful if you gave some indication of which platforms the software supported."
- I promise you that the next list I make with Free Music Making software, I'll try to make it easier to see which platform the software supports.

David said...
"Good luck with your music. :-)"
- Thanks David. As you might know I've got one track released on the "Collection 3" CD from Databloem Records, but the full album they would release with me... Well for short, let say that I rather release it for free on the Internet as I used to do when it's finished.

marcel said...
"I'm looking for podcast facilitating software."
- Well Marcel. I haven't blogged about any on this site anyway. Maybe I should blogg about some on some of my other sites) hmm..

Oliver Z. said...
"How about a list of commercial products?"
- Thanks Oliver. On this website you can find plenty of Commercial software too, but maybe a list is a good idea?

El Guacamole said...
"Nice list, but you're forgetting my personal favorite editing tool Audacity."
- Thanks. I haven't "forgot" about Audacity. If you search on this site you can find that I have blogged about it.

Don said...
"I've got a question for you...what is the best free software to emulate a natural drum sound?"
- Thanks. Maybe you can try out the free Ersdrums drum machine? It's on the list. Here is the link:
http://making-music.blogspot.com/2005/08/ersdrums-v12-free.html

Anonymous said...

Great list.

Also will be useful a list of the licences used for every program.

For peopple who not only are pleased by free (as free beer) but also as in freedom.

How many of this programs are free software?

Thank you so much.

dj ukkosporo said...

http://www.renoise.com older versions are free newer are trials

Anonymous said...

UnikKatiL Very cool m8 UnikKatiL

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you forgot buzztracker. Full-featured, real-time free tracker, synthesizer and studio.

http://www.buzzmachines.com/

svartling said...

I haven't "forgot buzztracker". It hasen't been updated lately. That's all :)

Anthony said...

Anyone know of a good program for 'scratching

cmanifestations said...

Thanks for this list. I am building a site that will categorize and display free music softwares for all platforms. This should address what the first comment on this posting was. The site is Free Music Software Application Info and it only has a few softwares for the time being, but I am going to be adding two or so a day for the next few months. Hope this is a helpful resource for those of you out here! :)

Malaysiana said...

Thanks for providing such amazing music software, for free.

svartling said...

Well it's not my software, but I've made the list! :)

ternny said...

hy i'd like to share somebody news with you! i find very cheap mp3!!!
http://www.mp3city.com.ua/en/

AudioMelody said...

That's a good list - I knew most of them, but there are a couple in there I hadn't heard of.

Tim

Anonymous said...

here's a free analog style midi sequencer:

http://www.gradywerks.com/mpg64/

svartling said...

Thank you.
I will write about later.

Anonymous said...

I would say if your willing to shell out the money or do something illegal by downloading a cracked program (which is highly unreccommended) Fruity Loops Studio From ImageLine and all of the plugins and synths you could imagine. It provides software to hook up your drums, guitar, etc. through midi or even remix a song. It takes some study of the program but its by far the best one i have found yet. With preloaded loops,songs,patterns, and help guides it can be a fun way to start. It can be run on any windows pc but it requires a decent soundcard if you dont have one it can overload and cause the song to sound bad but luckily it has a meter to prevent that.

svartling said...

Well, yes FL Studio is great but it's not FREE. I don't support cracked software and you can find FL Studio in my List with commercial music making software here.

iBeat said...

Time for an update on this great article.

We still link to it, but things change so fast.

Maybe iBeat.org would be a good add to the list. And the Kristal Audio Engine (free for some).


Cheers. And keep up the good work in Sweden.

svartling said...

Actually I've been working on an updated list with hundreds of free music making software. It's really hard work so It has taken some time.

I will check out your site and see if something will fit into the new list.
Thanks for your comment.

Abishek said...

Nice to see ppl interested in FOSS.
You may wanna know about FOSS.in, the largest and probably best known Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) conferences, and is now spoken about as one of the the four primary, grassroot-level FOSS conferences in the world, the other three being being linux.conf.au, OLS and linuxconf.eu.
Read more here: http://abhishek-myspace.blogspot.com/2007/10/fossin2007-indias-premier-foss-event.html

or simply click on my name above.

svartling said...

I've updated this page with a script that shows all the latest FREE Music Making Software. You can also subscribe to a RSS Feed with FREE Music Making Software only.

Rick said...

Great list. Thanks for sharing.

Zee Kat said...

Yeah, what iBeat said, Kristal Audio Engine is great stuff - is there any other free (KAE is free for personal/non-commercial use) app for multitrack recording being proper VST effects host? I know Audacity has some support for VST, but last time I used it it was lousy, and _not_ realtime.

DrGroove said...

Finale NotePad is a free version of their full-featured software. Surprised it wasn't on your list. I just used this to finish a string trio I'm composing for a film.
Download it at:
http://www.finalemusic.com/notepad/default.aspx

- DrGroove

svartling said...

@Zee Kat: Have you tried Temper?
Uncripled Trialware. Never expires.
http://making-music.blogspot.com/2007/10/angry-red-planet-temper-10-pcprofree.html

svartling said...

@DrGroove: Thanks for the tip!
I will check it out.

Anonymous said...

i am just getting interested in making music through my computer, and i looked through your list and i have NO idea which program to use for just general music making. I've heard alot about FruityLoops and some others but they are only trials or you have to pay for them. do you know of any free programs (specific programs not a list) that would be good for someone just starting?
thanks in advance

svartling said...

Anonymous:
You can try Reaper: http://making-music.blogspot.com/2007/12/daw-cockos-reaper-v2019-pc-pro-free.html

or Temper:
http://making-music.blogspot.com/2007/12/sequencer-angry-red-planet-temper-12-pc.html

or MU.LAB:
http://making-music.blogspot.com/2007/12/sequencer-mutools-mulab-10-pre-release.html

They are all free or non-expiring shareware.

And please stop being anonymous.

jeremy said...

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
ok, so I installed Reaper and i open it and theres like 90 buttons, 40 levers, and all these waves all over the place! so now i have the program but i have no idea how to use it, do you know of any clear, possibly somewhat small, tutorial or guide that i could look at?

svartling said...

Check out Cockos own tutorials:
http://www.cockos.com/wiki/index.php/ReaperTutorials

The Manual:
http://www.cockos.com/wiki/index.php/Reaper_Documentation

jeremy said...

ok ive watched most of the tutorials and i think i get most of what their saying (maybe not) but eh, ill get over it. the one thing im not clear on is how to make your own techno beats. i came across this video, its in sweedish and hes using FL, but you can tell hes making each beat, not mixing loops or anything like that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGttxDgo6jc
i was wondering if there was a plugin you could recomend (again thats free) that could make techno beats. ive gotten one called string theory and it makes lots of different sounds, but most sound like actuall guitars and i dont know what i would do to make them sound more like plain beats.
help? >.<

svartling said...

Well, I can't help make your own beats, that you have to learn yourself, but here are two free plugins that make some cool basslines:

http://making-music.blogspot.com/2007/03/wwaym-releases-nwbass-v2-for-windows.html

http://making-music.blogspot.com/2006/11/tention-tda-tdai-xt305b-vsti-bassline.html

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