There is a lot of music production software out there. From DAWs and plugins to sample packs and distribution – it can be hard to know what to get with your hard-earned money! This page is dedicated to helping you get the best tools without spending a fortune to try and find them.
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
There are many DAWs that can be used for music production each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and price. Here is a list of the most popular DAWS:
- FL Studio
- Ableton
- Reaper
- Studio One
- Pro Tools
- Cubase
- Reason
- Akai MPC One
There are four DAWs I would recommend to a person that wants to get serious about music production: Ableton, FL Studio, Reaper, or the MPC One. Each DAW offers a unique workflow and one may feel better to use than the other for you.
In the end, they are all amazing, choose one and master it.
Ableton
Ableton Live offers a number of features that make it a powerful tool for music production. The software is lightweight and easy to use.
The software also offers a number of effects and instruments for sound design. Ableton Live is a popular choice for live performances as well as studio recordings.
There are a few products on this list that also come with a free version of Ableton Live, which is very nice!
FL Studio
FL Studio is a music production software that allows you to create and record your own music. It is a popular choice for many producers and musicians due to its ease of use and flexibility.
The workflow in FL Studio feels tailored to utilizing the piano roll and song arrangments because of the pattern workflow.
Akai MPC One
The Akai MPC One is a standalone music production center that allows users to create and perform music without the need for a computer.
The MPC One also includes a variety of effects and instruments for sound design, as well as a sequencer for recording and arranging audio and MIDI.
If you don’t enjoy using computers or are looking for a more hands-on approach to producing music this is what you want!
Plugins
There are so many plugins available and new ones coming out every day. But, even with all of those plugins, there are a few that really stand out that could be used in every song you make: RC20, Knock, and Ozone 9.
I’ll also mention the FabFilter here. FabFilter creates well-engineered plugins that offer intuitive and flexible controls. If you have the money to spare their entire mixing and mastering suite is worth getting. If not, their EQ is one of the most popular EQs used and their other plugins can make mixing and mastering a dream!
If you’re looking for more details or options, I have an article dedicated to listing the best plugins music producers use, 11 Plugins Every Music Producer Needs.
XLN RC-20
The RC-20 is a plugin that adds color and warmth to your recordings. It is designed to emulate the sound of classic analog gear and as a way to add some character to your recordings.
It has six saturation effects, reverb, bit crushing, flutter/wear, wobble, and noise generation (like pops and crackles) – all of which have a frequency band too. But, it doesn’t stop there, there are EQ, gain, width, and tone settings.
Knock by DECAP
Knock is like the RC-20 but for drums! It features five effects: transient shaping, saturation, sub-generator, top-end enhancer, and hard/soft clipping. There is also EQ, tone, and gain matching too!
iZotope Ozone 9
iZotope Ozone 9 is an audio mastering suite that provides a wide range of tools to improve the sound quality of your music. And, even if you’re new to mastering it has AI analysis to generate settings for you!
It includes a variety of modules for EQ, compression, saturation, and more. iZotope Ozone 9 can help you achieve a polished, professional sound for your music.
Drum Packs
A great-sounding song typically has high-quality sounds within it. DAWs can come with good sounds but most of the time they fall short. This is where sound packs come in, more especially, drum packs.
Having a great percussion and sound choice can make or break a song and this is where these drum packs come in.
Drums That Knock
The Drums That Knock (DTK) series are some of the best-sounding drum samples you can get for beat-making. DTK9 was the number-one selling sample pack on Splice for 9 weeks straight – for a good reason too!
If you were only to get one I’d go with DTK9 or DTK10, it changed the way I was making beats because the sounds were so inspiring to use.
The Kount
The Kount produces the warmest and biggest sounding drums that still cut through the mix. Whether you’re making beats or using these drums alongside your guitar, they’ll work!
I’d recommend Vol.4 if you’re primarily making beats and Memory Banks 2 if you’re using them for songwriting alongside or looking for more ‘standard’ drum sounds.
Monte Booker
The Monte Booker kit hits hard. It is only $25 and the sounds will blow you away. Whether you’re making trap or lofi, this kit can handle it. What more is there to say?
Spitfire Audio Labs
I think many people overlook the Spitfire Audio Labs drums and percussion samples. If you need realistic drums this is the pack/VST you need.
And best of all… it’s free!!
Everything from the kick, snare, rolls, cymbals, and more sound great and are panned so your mix will stand out from the start.
MIDI Controller
A MIDI controller can change the entire way you make music. Even if you do not know how to play the piano it can give you a hands-on approach to making music, whether that is using it as a keyboard, as a drum pad, or trigger effects. Not to mention, plugins like Ripchord and Scalar can turn one key into an entire chord!
There are two MIDI controllers I would recommend, the Alesis v25 or v49. Which one do you choose? If you play or plan on learning how to play piano get the 49 key version (they also have 61 key version). If you’re only using it to create melodies or chord progressions, get the 25 key version.
Alesis v49
The Alesis v49 is a MIDI controller with 49 velocity-sensitive keys and 8 velocity and pressure-sensitive backlit pads.
It packs everything you need in a MIDI controller and has a competitive price.
I am enjoying mine a lot and I am slowly learning how to play the piano every time I open my DAW because of it.
USB Interface
The Focusrite Scarlett is one of the best USB interfaces available and comes with Ableton Live Lite and many top-quality plugins, and even a free 3-month subscription to Splice to help you build a high-quality sound library.
If you’re producing in your room with a mic or with a couple of instruments like a guitar and bass I would recommend the Focusrite Scarlett-Solo. If you’re recording with multiple instruments and utilizing multiple mics, get the size that’s more suited for you.
Focusrite Scarlett-Solo
The Focusrite Scarlett is one of the most used USB interfaces for home recording and with good reason!
It has two inputs: a microphone input (with phantom power) and an instrument input. It also has a headphone output for monitoring your recordings.
Gen. 3 also connects via USB-C and comes with many great plugins, VSTs, and a copy of Ableton Live.
Microphone
Whether it’s recording vocals or an instrument a microphone is an important tool to have in your arsenal when producing music. I have a detailed guide on choosing a vocal mic that goes into greater detail so feel free to read that for a better understanding of choosing a mic.
Depending on your needs any one of these mics will do. For vocals, the Shure SM7B is the go-to for many. For instruments, the Shure SM57 has stood the test of time. Whereas the Blue Yeti has made its way to being one of the most popular USB mics!
- Vocal: Shure SM7B
- Instrument: Shure SM57
- USB Mic: Blue Yeti
Distribution
After creating a lot of songs and maybe a few albums you may begin to wonder how you get your music to the major streaming services. I was too and I found DistroKid was the simplest and nice method to do so.
DistroKid
DistroKid is a music distribution service that helps artists get their music onto all the major streaming services, like iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more.
DistroKid allows artists to keep 100% of their royalties and gives them control over their music.
DistroKid allows artists to keep 100% of their royalties and gives them control over their music. You can also get that cool music note next to your name on YouTube.
If you’re interested in DistroKid use my affiliate link and get 7% off!
Storage Backup
Computer storage backup is important as hard drive malfunctions can happen at any moment. There are multiple methods to back up data: external drives, weekly computer images, cloud, network-attached storage (NAS), and more.
BackBlaze
BackBlaze is a paid subscription, cloud storage solution. What I like about BackBlaze it runs in the background to constantly back up files on the computer. But don’t worry, it will not slow your computer down, in fact, you won’t even notice it running!
Additionally, with BackBlaze is that I can access files on my computer anywhere in the world, and in the event my hard drive crashes, they provide an option to have your data shipped to you on a hard drive.
If you’re interested in using BackBlaze get a free month by using my affiliate link.
Summary
There are many different DAWs, Plugins, MIDI Controllers, etc. and there are so many great choices outside of this list. Buy the products you like as this list was put together to show the most popular and some of the highest quality products available.