The Best DAW Software Recommended by WIRED’s Resident Musicians (2024)

Why do many people dislike this software? It is very expensive, as well as External hardware sold by AvidThe brand that owns Pro Tools. Many studios have been putting off updating their computers for a very long time for this reason, and this is why Pro Tools doesn’t have many of the modern features that I’ve seen in other DAWs, like the drag and drop functionality for plug-ins that Logic and Studio One offer.

Still, the software is fantastic, and if you can get past its dated interface, it’s capable of any musical task you can dream of. There’s a reason it’s stood the test of time; it (usually) works well and never becomes annoying enough for users to switch.

Best for DJs and Live Performers: Ableton Live

Photo: Terrence O’Brien

Ableton Live was originally created for live performance. It was a way to bring the electronic music people created on their computers to the stage. It’s still the best DAW if you plan on performing live with your computer. But over the past 20 years, it has evolved into a powerful tool for the studio.

Scenes and Clips’ unique loop-based workflow has its roots in the stage, but it also makes it easy to iterate on ideas, experiment with different combinations of song elements, and sketch out a mix. For deeper exploration and fine-tuning, there’s Arrangement view, which offers the kind of timeline-based recording and editing you’d expect.

All of the native synthesizers and plug-ins for Live are fantastic and easily hold their own against expensive VSTs. Plus, Ableton has a dedicated built-in MIDI controller Push 3 ($999)This is one of the best ways to get the full power of your DAW without having to spend all your time using your mouse and keyboard.

The biggest problem is that Ableton Live is expensive. The Intro version costs $99, but it’s pretty limited and often comes bundled with even the cheapest MIDI controllers for free. The Live Suite, which includes all 20 instruments, 58 effects, and over 70GB of sounds, will set you back $749. And if you buy Push, that’s another thousand bucks. —Terrence O’Brien

Best for Apple Users: Logic Pro

Photo: Ryan Waniata

Logic Pro is Apple’s extension of GarageBand, making it a natural choice for Apple fans looking to upgrade. Think of Logic as a graduate program for GarageBand, taking your efforts from amateur demos to professional recordings. You’ll find countless ways to explore and improve your skills, from powerful plug-ins and effects to notation and editing tools that let you personalize your workflow.

I’ve been using a version of Logic in my home studio for over 15 years because it’s my go-to program for songwriting. Logic’s Takes are a vital part of my process, making it easy to quickly perform multiple iterations of instrumental tracks or vocal lines, compose the best tracks, and control them perfectly. With a balanced mix of advanced features and intuitive songwriting tools, Logic is the go-to program for any home studio running on Apple Hardware. —Ryan Waniata

Best All-In-One for iPad: Logic Pro for iPad

Courtesy of Apple App Store

Since its launch about a year ago, Logic Pro for iPad has quietly gained traction as the easiest DAW for beginners to get started with. A hands-on tutorial system and a wide array of built-in synths, drum machines, loops, and effects make this a great place to start if you’re new to iPad music production or digital music production in general. Whether you’re a power user of Logic on the desktop or a beginner ready to graduate from GarageBand, the mobile version of Apple’s solid music production suite is easy to use, affordable (just $6 a month or $50 a year), and packed with advanced features that can take a collection of loops to a polished final product in under an hour. Desktop users will love that their projects can also be transferred between the two devices.

I recently loaded Logic Pro and some YouTube tutorials onto my iPad Pro before a four-hour flight, and within an hour I had created a pulsing chillwave track complete with bouncing arpeggios, lopsided ping-pong delays, and warm analog pads compressed with a heavy sidechain—all with built-in instruments and effects. Logic Pro handles third-party AUV3 plug-ins like a boss, but the handy indexing of the built-in sets makes it easy to type in a few keywords, like “chillwave” and “analog synth,” which is an unparalleled workflow improvement that strengthens the argument for Logic Pro’s best-in-class bid. Whether you’re completely new to the platform or simply hungover and lacking inspiration, Tim Cook’s walled garden’s in-house DAW is a near-perfect choice for producers on the go.Pete Cottell

Easiest Beat Making DAW: FL Studio

Photo: Terrence O’Brien

FL Studio (born Fruity Loops) is the OG that countless bedroom music producers started out with in the late 90s and early 00s. Its easy-to-grasp Roland TR-style step sequencer and powerful sample processing tools made it a favorite of countless hip-hop and dance music producers like 9th Wonder, WundaGurl, Deadmau5, and Avicii. Despite its simplicity on the surface, FL Studio is also incredibly powerful once you get the hang of its sometimes complex workflow. It’s designed for creating electronic and sample-based music rather than tracking a band, but you can record live instruments if you want.

Perhaps FL Studio’s best feature is its value. The $99 Fruity version is even more limited than Live Intro, but the top-of-the-line All Plugins version is just $499. It includes 113 instruments and effects, and no matter which version you choose, it comes with free lifetime updates. —Terrence O’Brien

Best of all worlds: Studio One

Photo: Amazon

Fender-owned Presonus has been making waves with its Studio One software for years, and I’m a big fan. Studio One offers the same great drag-and-drop functionality of Logic, the same ease of tracking, editing, and mixing as Pro Tools, and the same live performance features as Ableton, all in one. I especially like how you can integrate the software directly with Presonus Interfaces, Controllers and Other External Hardware; when you use Studio One, everything seems to work together seamlessly, which is quite rare in the recording world.

Now that Fender owns the brand, we’ve got better and better instrument and amp plug-ins right in the software, as well as some great new hardware/software collaborations between brands, like instrument inputs with the Fender logo on them. New Presonus interface. I’ve recorded a lot of albums for a lot of artists using Studio One, and the only downside is that most professional mix engineers don’t use it, so you have to export your original tracks instead of the entire save file. Honestly, being able to get your original tracks out accurately is a good habit to get into, and it doesn’t take much time in this software. However, if your friends are also recording with Studio One, sharing the entire project over the internet is really easy, and the company makes it easy to master and export tracks directly to Soundcloud, if you want to always share your latest work without much effort.

I was impressed, especially at the lower price point compared to other high-end recording software. Each update has brought more features requested by users, which is not something I can say about the other software above (*cough, Pro Tools, cough*). I highly recommend checking out Studio One if you want something that is easy to use on Windows, Mac, and iPad (although the iPad app is just a remote control for the software).

Good news

You can make incredibly great music with just about any modern recording device or digital audio workstation, no matter how cheap or expensive. I kid you not: There have been award-winning albums recorded on iPhones, mixed on GarageBand or other free software, or even recorded on four-track cassette tapes (I’m talking about you, future Elliott Smiths and Bruce Springsteens). This list is intended to highlight the reasons why you might want to choose one software over another, rather than to claim that you can’t make great music with any of them.