
Pleasingly, licenses are shared between both Mac and PC versions. The headline feature in version 20 was a native 64-bit Mac version, meaning that FL Studio can now be used on macOS (as well as PC) without the need for a clunky workaround.

Originally launched as FruityLoops, Image-Line's DAW holds near-iconic status for a certain generation of producers, particularly in the hip-hop and EDM realms. Acoustica’s Mixcraft (opens in new tab) is probably the closest PC equivalent, though you’ll have to pay for that one. If you want a great entry-level option, it’s hard to look past Apple’s GarageBand (opens in new tab), which is free - and a no-brainer - if you have a Mac. In truth, any one of these products will enable you to make music - and we're not saying that any one is better than all the others - but they’re all slightly different in the way that they operate, so it’s worth taking the time to consider your options carefully. To help you find that DAW, we’ve put together a guide to what we consider to be the best Digital Audio Workstations on the market today. Put simply, the best DAW for you is the one that makes it easiest for you to make music, and inspires you to keep creating. Yes, you’ll likely have a MIDI keyboard, audio interface, set of studio monitor speakers and possibly a microphone or two in your home recording setup as well, but your music production software sits at the centre of everything.Īs such, it’s important to get a DAW that you’re happy with - and, perhaps even more importantly, a digital audio workstation that will enable you to turn your ideas into music as quickly and painlessly as possible.
