Music Software reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 295 Reddit reviews across 39 subreddits and 67 posts to rank the best Music Software brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/makinghiphop, r/WeAreTheMusicMakers, r/musicproduction, r/Monstercat, r/linuxaudio. Top-rated brands include FL Studio (4.2/5), Ableton (4.5/5), Reaper (4.4/5).
Stats
Reviews295
Subreddits39
Posts67
Brands86
Products23
295 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
FL Studio
4.2
(35)
"FL Studio is the simplest for beginners."
"I recommend FL studio."
"Fl studio won my heart"
"Definetly FL Studio."
"I personally found FL Studio intuitive and easy to learn."
"FL Studio has been my DAW of choice for years."
"FL on the other hand was incredibly easy to get the hang of."
"FL Studio works the best for me tbh."
"FL studio is the most used."
"FL Studio is the easiest to grasp if you ask me."
#2
Ableton
4.5
(22)
"If you want to try out some of the paid, I can really recommend Logic, Ableton and FL studio."
"Ableton Live is really cool software."
"Ableton live+vsts! before i was afraid of it being to complex, but it ended up being great."
"I love Ableton personally."
"Ableton live is the best."
"Ableton all day erry day."
"Ableton 100%."
"I'm an Ableton man myself."
"Im really big on Ableton for beat making."
"I use Ableton."
#3
Reaper
4.4
(21)
"Reaper is the goat for me."
"Reaper. Free 60 day trial, and it's very very affordable."
"I started with Reaper about 3 years ago."
"I strongly recommend Reaper."
"Reaper is my personal fave and also the cheapest."
"REAPER DAW. Have fun"
"I'd personally go with Windows PC + Reaper (cheap but don't let that fool you) or even Cakewalk (free but another fully-fledged option) so you can use the money on sample libraries."
"Reaper, bro! It s basicaly winrar for music prod."
"Reaper is $60 and it's everything I'll ever need."
"Check Reaper, unlimited demo period..."
#4
Ableton Live
4.3
(16)
"If you have a full version of Ableton, you should stick with that."
"Ableton Live is probably the goto in this situation."
"Ableton live!"
"I use Ableton personally. I love the layout and the eay everything is set up."
"If you gonna be sampling, Ableton."
"Ableton Live is great, and quite easy to get hang of the fundamentals."
"I switched over to Ableton a couple years ago and am very happy with it."
"But I prefer Ableton. The workflow just makes more sense to me, and is easier to use."
"Ableton live sounds like a good fit."
"I like Ableton."
#5
GarageBand
4.1
(16)
"GarbageBand yes or yes, specially if iOS version."
"Garageband is actually really great."
"Mixcraft is pretty good for beginners too."
"Garageband is actually really great (at least on the iPad)."
"Garage band is great if you have a Mac."
"Isn’t terrible and the layout is very similar to Logic."
"I started on garageband and upgraded to logic pro x when i felt i needed to do more."
"The best DAW to start on is GarageBand."
"Garageband is a great place to start."
"Garageband."
#6
LMMS
3.6
(14)
"My kids used LMMS at that age."
"LMMS. It's free and you can find many YT tutorials to get started."
"If you just want to use virtual instruments LMMS is probably a better choice."
"LMMS if you're on Windows."
"Better ones will cost you a lot of money but LMMS and qtractor might be enough to get started"
"Lmms is free and easy to use."
"LMMS is free and basically a stripped version of FL Studio. Definitely worth a look"
"For beats and electronic stuff, there's LMMS."
"LMMS"
"As a grown up getting into music making I found LMMS to be a buzz-kill."
#7
Apple
4.6
(11)
"If you want to try out some of the paid, I can really recommend Logic, Ableton and FL studio."
"GarageBand is the best one for a beginner. It's easy but fully-fledged and will teach you the basics of production as you get better."
"Garage Band will be your best cheap/free option."
"If you’ve never done anything with a DAW before, start with garage band. It’s free."
"I would say start with GarageBand. It’s free and will give you an idea if you really like creating music."
"Logic Pro X is the best- all the stock plugins you get are an incredible bargain."
"Garageband has lots of great built-in plugins and instruments."
"You could also try garage band on your Ipad"
"Garageband there’s a decent chance u own some type of apple device"
"If you've got an Apple device you could also go for Garageband."
#8
Logic Pro
4.5
(10)
"Then I tried Logic Pro it’s perfect for everything."
"Logic as a program is worth way more than that."
"Logic is really user friendly, t has apple loops which can help you learn how to structure a beat."
"Logic ProX was able to get me past the hump and get down tracks and semi-professional recordings super fast."
"Logic is a great beginner daw."
"I enjoyed FL for beat making, ableton for audio production."
"If you're using garage band, you can go for logic."
"Now I’m using Logic. It’s a journey, just get started and go from there."
"Look a little further into Logic."
"I personally use Logic Pro, which is an apple product, and it certainly does the trick."
#9
Audacity
3.9
(11)
"I actually still like Audacity and good ole Adobe Audition."
"Check out Audacity"
"Audacity is a free recording program."
"I like audacity.. Free and simple."
"Audacity and chill"
"If u are working with only mp3s and wave files then use audacity."
"If u are working with only mp3s and wave files then use audacity."
"My go-to would be Audacity."
"General list of what people are using: - Audacity"
"If you need a simple lightweight DAW to record from an audio source - Audacity is your go-to."
#10
BandLab
4.1
(10)
"I've been using BandLab lately, and it's super user friendly."
"Cakewalk by bandlab. It is free and pro standard."
"GarageBand, BandLab"
"Bandlab is very beginner friendly, but it's not a fully fledged DAW."
"Another really good software for music is Bandlab and really simple to use"
"You should try Cakewalk Next. It's beginner-friendly but still packs all the features of a full DAW."
"Bandlab would work well for a free online DAW but you may have to disable social features"
"Bandlab."
"Might be good for you."
"Bandlab is pretty basic and has a lot of functionality"
#11
Reason
4.3
(7)
"The best for me was Reason, 20 some odd years ago."
"I would highly recommend Reason. Reason is good for beginners and hobbyists who aren't looking at investing a lot of time or money into software because it comes with everything you need."
"I would like to put a good word in for Reason."
"If I were to start over again from having no knowledge, I'd pick Reason."
"Reason"
"If you don't, then Reason 10 now is the complete package for me for the DAW initiation."
"Before I was using reason, and fruity loopz on XP."
#12
Pioneer
4.6
(5)
"Flx4 and rekordbox. you won’t even have to spend $500"
"It’s still an incredible piece of hardware and I like it. It does rekordbox AND Serrato which is also awesome about it"
"The answer is always FLX-4 with Rekordbox."
"Flex-4 ddj 400 ddj 200 literally anything under 300 dollars."
"I started out with a flx 4 and rekordbox and slowly making my way up to affording some cdjs😂"
#13
Ardour
3.7
(6)
"I would suggest Ardour if you want to record audio and midi."
"Ardour"
"I'm surprised no one ever mentions https://ardour.org/."
"Yes you can, Ardour is a DAW."
"I find it odd to have a complaint about the funding model of ardour."
"Apart from Ardour, there's also LMMS, which might be worth a shot."
#14
Studio One
4.4
(5)
"Studio one is the best I’ve ever used."
"Fuckin amazing and easy to use"
"I use Studio One and I am pretty happy with it."
"If i was starting over i would try out studio one"
"Studio one by presonus."
#15
Cakewalk
4.4
(5)
"I recommend Cakewalk by Bandlab, it's a free fully-functional DAW!"
"Bandlab Cakewalk, what used to be Sonar, is completely free."
"[Cakewalk] may be your best bet."
"Cakewalk"
"Is free from bandlab but steep learning curve."
#16
Spotify
4.2
(5)
"Set up a collaborative Spotify playlist everyone can add to"
"Spotify, Soundcloud - https://outloud.dj/."
"Spotify - https://jukestar.mobi/."
"Spotify - Hang the DJ."
"It’s honestly good enough and most people can’t tell the difference between a good mp3 and lossless anyway."
#17
Cubase
4.3
(4)
"I'm using Cubase 12 happily"
"Cubase"
"For a power workhorse go for protocols or cubase, imo."
"For every newcomer i always suggest trying out ableton first ;)"
#18
Image-Line
5.0
(3)
"FL Studio is the most beginner friendly DAW its really easy to play with samples in it"
"If you want to try out some of the paid, I can really recommend Logic, Ableton and FL studio."
"Fl studio"
#19
MusicBee
4.7
(3)
"I, personally, use MusicBee (free) for local playback on my PC"
"Give Musicbee a try."
"MusicBee is best in Windows if you have large libraries."
#20
Maschine
4.7
(3)
"I have to suggest purchasing a Maschine controller and using their software."
"Personally I use maschine just because I feel its more about playing/recording/working my samples/tracks on the spot."
"I started out with fruityloops and have moved to Maschine."
#21
foobar2000
4.3
(3)
"Foobar just works. I have tried others though both Foobar and Audirvana+ work best."
"I haven't seen anything close in quality to foobar2000."
"I like foobar2000."
#22
Pro Tools
4.0
(3)
"But finishing in Pro Tools for me is key."
"I've been using protools and like it a lot."
"Protools (the most used for mixing and rec), logic, ableton and reaper is not bad."
#23
Serato Studio
4.0
(3)
"Now Serato Studio 2 + Cubase 12"
"For a sample based producer it’s really good."
"If I was just starting I would go with Serato Studio or FL."
#24
MuseScore
4.5
(2)
"MuseScore I think is what you want."
"MuseScore - free, constantly getting better, requires you to download the application to your computer."
#25
StaffPad
4.5
(2)
"Staffpad can play complete scores from notation."
"For writing music, check out StaffPad."
#26
Flat.io
4.5
(2)
"I use flat.io for music notation, compositions, collaborative scores, worksheets, etc."
"Flat.io - website based, free, and my first choice with students"
#27
Audiotool
4.5
(2)
"Is free with everything built in so you don't need anything else."
"There is a fantastic free online DAW called Audiotool."
#28
Bitwig Studio
4.0
(2)
"I believe Bitwig will win over your heart and mind."
"Bitwig studio. Its affordable, intuitive has a great community."
#29
Qtractor
4.0
(2)
"If he also wants to record stuff, qtractor is not too complicated."
"Better ones will cost you a lot of money but LMMS and qtractor might be enough to get started"
#30
Adobe
4.0
(2)
"Adobe audition perhaps; ableton live is available only if you enroll in some music courses"
"Audition seems ideal for audio editing, but what you're looking for is a DAW."
#31
Soundtrap
4.0
(2)
"I suggest free daws like soundtrap or bandlab to start"
"Soundtrap is a pretty robust DAW, but it's basically built for the EDU market."
#32
Hydrogen
4.0
(2)
"Hydrogen has a great interface for a drum machine."
"Try this for writing beats/drums sequences."
#33
Sonic Pi
4.0
(2)
"Simple enough for computing and music lessons; powerful enough for professional musicians."
"Sonic Pi seeks to teach coding skills by using programming syntax to synthesize music."
#34
Bitwig
4.0
(2)
"Bitwig have a cheap version called Bitwig 16 track."
"I prefer Bitwig, because the workflow is just right for me."
#35
Ableton Live 9
5.0
(1)
"I must say I am really impressed! Ableton is so great and can do so much!"
#36
Chosen Masters
5.0
(1)
"This is def the best online mastering software right now... [its free to try and gives results you cant find from other engineers or sites]"
#37
SunVox
5.0
(1)
"I've found some great ones! Look at SunVox!"
#38
FamiTracker
5.0
(1)
"If you're interested in creating NES-style music to go with your pixel art game, you may be interested in checking out FamiTracker."
#39
XnView MP
5.0
(1)
"Try it out, free and safe. I've been using it for years now."
#40
ReNoise
5.0
(1)
"ReNoise is dope, if you like trackers"
#41
YATATOY
5.0
(1)
"For small kids I like the applications from YATATOY. They are simple and fun for the kids."
#42
Korg
5.0
(1)
"I make music on the 3ds with korg dsn12, it’s awesome"
#43
Roon
5.0
(1)
"Roon is a wonderful experience with loads of information."
#44
AIMP
5.0
(1)
"AIMP audio player Completely free, works on both windows and Android."
#45
Audirvana
5.0
(1)
"Audirvana is great for local playback."
#46
Winamp
5.0
(1)
"It's the best i know for playlists and that's why i use it."
#47
MPC Beats
5.0
(1)
"Stop asking and start “producing,” get MPC Beats and stick with it!"
#48
Caustic
5.0
(1)
"Caustic3 is a very user-friendly groove-app', and free for Windows/MAcOS."
#49
Guitar Pro 8
5.0
(1)
"I've used it for years, definitely what you're looking for."
#50
Guitar Pro 5
4.0
(1)
"I recommend Guitar Pro 5."
#51
Soundslice
4.0
(1)
"[Soundslice] does exactly this."
#52
Mixcraft
4.0
(1)
"I use Mixcraft 7 (I'm using Windows, though) because the base set of VST and loops are good for generating base-level assets."
#53
Tracktion
4.0
(1)
"Try Tracktion Waveform."
#54
Zynewave
4.0
(1)
"Zynewave Podium Free"
#55
Soundbridge
4.0
(1)
"Is free."
#56
Waveform
4.0
(1)
"Is free."
#57
Ableton Live Lite
4.0
(1)
"Pick something that comes with Ableton Live Lite."
#58
MPC Studio
4.0
(1)
"I love using MPC studio."
#59
Sonar
4.0
(1)
"You could try Sonar, or even Music Creator. Nice interface, easy to learn, and powerful."
#60
OpenMPT
4.0
(1)
"OpenMPT is free if you're willing to try something a bit different from the norm."
#61
The Jukebox App
4.0
(1)
"It's a great option. You can also clone your playlist from Spotify into a music video list."
#62
VLC
4.0
(1)
"VLC has a dark mode and music stretching on Android."
#63
Sibelius
4.0
(1)
"I think both Sibelius and Finale have methods of copying music from a printed or PDF score."
#64
Finale
4.0
(1)
"I think both Sibelius and Finale have methods of copying music from a printed or PDF score."
#65
Digital Audio Workstation
4.0
(1)
"Focus on which DAW suits your workflow best when writing the music."
#66
Eddi
4.0
(1)
"I think the eddi+voice attack combo has the ability to play music from various sources like Spotify."
#67
Pandora
4.0
(1)
"Pandora. Unless your tastes are out there, you should consider moving over to streaming music."
#68
YouTube
4.0
(1)
"Youtube - https://youtube-dj.com/."
#69
DAW
4.0
(1)
"Choose the DAW that looks good to you."
#70
Logic
4.0
(1)
"Logic has 5.1 capabilities and has fine video capabilities."
#71
Guitar
4.0
(1)
"I heard gatar is really good."
#72
Adobe Audition
4.0
(1)
"Adobe Audition is great for stuff like that, but it's $20 a month."
#73
Adobe Rush
4.0
(1)
"I’d also recommend Adobe Rush if you want something lighter weight/easier to get into."
#74
Syrinscape
4.0
(1)
"Syrinscape is great... Free but you need to pay for different SFX and ambient sounds."
#75
Dopamine
4.0
(1)
"[Dopamine] and [Foobar2000] are good options."
#76
Koala
4.0
(1)
"I would suggest using the koala app on iOS if you have a iPhone or iPad."
#77
Guitar Pro
4.0
(1)
"Guitar Pro was mentioned before, it also has a demo before you shell out your money."
#78
Hookpad
4.0
(1)
"I suggest hookpad and hooktheory 1 & 2."
#79
Roland Digital Piano
4.0
(1)
"There are digital pianos out there that have built-in games to learn notes."
#80
MixMeister
3.0
(1)
"General list of what people are using: - MixMeister"
#81
Mixpad
3.0
(1)
"General list of what people are using: - Mixpad"
#82
Sony Vegas
3.0
(1)
"General list of what people are using: - Sony Vegas"
#83
Sooperlooper
3.0
(1)
"Could be fun."
#84
Dr. Drum
3.0
(1)
"For beginners there are a couple of pieces of kit that always come out on top such as Dr. Drum."
#85
Microsoft
3.0
(1)
"Groove Music for Windows 10."
#86
Noteworthy Composer
3.0
(1)
"Noteworthy Composer. Yeah, I haven't made music in a long time."
Discover your audience
GummySearch is an audience research toolkit for 130,000 unique communities on Reddit.
If you are looking for startup problems to solve, want to validate your idea or find your customers online, GummySearch is for you.
Sign up for free, get community insights in minutes.
Tell me more
Get started
