Are you looking for the best free multitrack recording software for Mac/Windows? Actually, there are many free multitrack recording tools for you to make use of. Whether you want to edit or record your own compositions or just desire to start your own podcasts, you can take advantage of the free multitrack audio recorder to make it. This guidance will introduce some of them and take one for instance to teach you the steps to record one multitrack audio. You will also learn the solution to add music tags to the recordings in this tutorial.
Part 1: Top 5 Best Free Multitrack Recording Software for Mac/Windows
The free multitrack recording software reviews can reflect the quality of the tool directly. Different multitrack recording tools have diverse features. You can compare them one by one, but this will take you much time. In order to save you time, you can read this part to get rid of this issue perfectly. Here I would like to recommend you the top 5 best free multitrack music recording software for your computer. Each tool is convenient for you to make use. Before your downloading and installing, you need to pay attention to the system that the multitrack recording software can be applied to.
- Apr 06, 2017 This software is one of the best for musicians looking to do everything on their own - it helps them record, write, produce, and perform at their best using their Mac. With this software installed on your Mac, you can take your system anywhere with you, and produce music anywhere you like.
- Jun 26, 2020 The best free music-making software is Apple Garageband, which is the perfect introduction to music production and provides a clear path to.
- Featuring a variety of editing and recording tools, this software helps transform songs from ideas into reality. This Avid Pro Tools Ultimate software offers powerful tools for refining recorded audio and makes it easy to replace inadequate parts with the punch-recording workflows function.
Jun 10, 2020 A Recording Studio for Your PC. There has never been a better time to buy digital audio workstation (DAW) software. Twenty years ago, to record a music. Therefore, we have gathered the 10 best free music recording software for you. This article will help you figure out what a music recording software does, key points to watch out for when searching for music recording software and which free music recording software has the best features and resources.
1. Garageband
This free multitrack recording software is released in 2004, which is one popular DAW. Its smooth and intuitive features attract lots of users to make it to apply its high-quality virtual instruments. You can see the soundwaves of the tracks in the interface of this great software.
System Compatibility: Mac
2. Audacity
Audacity, as great free Mac multitrack recording software, can record the source coming from a microphone, through the line-in jack, or live streaming audio. The clean interface makes users record files easily. Its simplicity facilitates the recording process, which is quite proper for beginners to apply. You can also add the effects you desire to the recorded files via this program conveniently.
System Compatibility: Windows, Mac OS, Linux
3. Ardour
Ardour is also considered as wonderful free multitrack recording software Mac/Windows/ Linux, and the highly versatile multi-track recording features enable it to win the favors of numerous users all over the world. It has no built-in effects or instruments, which only depends on the installation of third-party program. This feature is not so pleasant for users to make use of.
System Compatibility: Windows, MacOS, Linux
4. Avid Pro Tools First
Avid Pro Tools First is perfect in recording audios, which allows users to store projects in the cloud. Its functions are various, which can meet different demands of users. You should know that the cloud space for you to store recordings is limited. If you have numerous files to store, you’d better choose other multitrack recording tools to assist you.
System Compatibility: Windows, MacOS
5. MultitrackStudio
When you decide to download multitrack recording software free, MultitrackStudio will be a good choice for you. It can be applied for any musical genre. The user interface of it is simple and original. The operation of this tool is quite simple.
System Compatibility: Windows, MacOS, iPad platforms
The top 5 best free multitrack recording software for PC/Mac/Linux can assist you to record multitrack audio without any difficulty. You can choose one of programs listed above to have a try.
Part 2: How to Record Multitrack Audio via MultitrackStudio
After you read the brief introductions on the top 5 free multitrack recording software for Mac/PC/ Linux, you can continue to check out this part to see how to record multitrack audio with MultitrackStudio. The following steps will show you how to make it with clear illustrations.
1. Download MultitrackStudio software and install it on your computer. Run it on PC and then hit on the button of “Add Track”. In the drop-down menu, you need to hit on the option of “Audio Track”.
2. In the pane that shows up, you need to name the track and then set the channels to “Stereo” and the type to “MP3” or “WAV” in case you need. Repeat this procedure to add two or more tracks into the main interface. Hit on the “OK” button to confirm your settings in this panel.
3. After that, you need to tap on “Studio” tab and then choose the option of “Devices” to tap on in the drag-down menu. In the next interface, set a proper driver for the recording process. For instance, you can choose the VistaSound as the driverset.
4. Hit on “Properties” button to set the “Audio In Device” item. Afterwards, you can click on the “OK” button twice to move back to the main interface. Then you need to switch the tracks in the interface to the record mode by clicking on the “Rec” button at the right side of each track.
5. When the tracks are in the recording mode, you can hit on the red play button in the upper right corner of the screen to begin to record the tracks you have added.
6. You can click on the “EDIT” button at the right side of every track to edit the tracks according to your demands. When the recording is over, the output file will be saved in the default directory of the software for you to view.
This free multitrack recording software for PC/Mac and iPad platforms can assist you to record better multitrack audios. However, you should know that the free version of it is the MultitrackStudio Lite. You can try it on your computer at ease.
Extension: How to Add Music Tags to the Recordings Automatically
Apart from using the best free multitrack recording software for Windows/Mac/Linux to record the multitrack audio you desire, you can also choose Leawo Music Recorder to get the recording you desire. Leawo Music Recorder is one versatile sound editing program, which can add music tags to recording automatically. If the tags have not been detected automatically, you can also edit tags manually via this tool. Now the following contents will tell you how to record audio and add tags with this software.
Leawo Music Recorder
☉ Record from 1000+ music sites like YouTube, Facebook, etc.
☉ Schedule music recording via recording task scheduler.
☉ Automatically/manually add tags: artist, album, etc.
☉ Save recordings to either WAV or MP3 format.
Step 1: Set Output Format
Run Leawo Music Recorder on your computer and then hit on the small microphone icon at the bottom left of the interface to call out the settings panel. Select the “Format” to click on. Thus, you can set the exported format as MP3 or WAV. If you would like to get higher sound quality, you’d better select WAV as the recording format. Moreover, you can adjust the detailed parameters of the recorded file, including the audio codec, bit rate and sample rate as you need. Remember to hit on “OK” button to continue.
Step 2: Set Output Directory
After that, you can navigate to the menu of “General” to select one target folder for the recorded audio file on your computer by clicking on the folder icon. Besides, language setting is also available in this pane. For instance, you can choose “English” as the target language.
Step 3: Select Audio Source
Hit on the menu of “Audio Source” on the settings panel to choose 'Record Computer Audio' or 'Record Audio Input' according to your demand. For recoding computer audio stream or online music, you need to tick 'Record Computer Audio'. If you choose 'Record Audio Input', you will be able to record Mic or other built-in input audio stream.
Step 4: Start to Record
Hit on the red recording button in the main interface to begin to record the audio, and you need to playback the audio file in succession. When the recording comes to an end, you need to hit on the recording button once again to terminate the process.
Step 5: Adjust Audio Tags
Leawo Music Recorder can download and add music tags for the recorded audio automatically. You can also edit the tags manually, like the title, artist, year, genre, etc. by navigating to the 'Media' menu to right click on the recorded file and select 'Edit Music Tags'. In the end, you can click on “OK” button to confirm your settings in this panel.
As one comprehensive music recorder and editor, Leawo Music Recorder enables users to compress music file, edit music tags and trim the audios effectively. After the recording, you can enjoy the music files with detailed info on computer freely. You can also add the recorded files to iTunes library with one click through this program directly.
Having discussed so much on the best free multitrack recording software for computer and the method to record multitrack audio, you can download one to your computer to have a try. When it comes to adding tags to the recorded files, you can make use of Leawo Recorder to help you easily.
Music making is a passion and it’s absolutely not a big deal these days with hundreds of apps available on the internet. Yes, there ample free apps available that can help you churn out a professional quality feet thumping piece without spending a dime.
From making full tracks on your smartphone or tablet, or simply using an exclusive hardware sequencer instead of a computer, internet is the best source that can help you make music digitally.
That being said, there is still no alternative to a PC where you can download and install a music making software or DAW (digital audio workstation) and record music, organize and mix complete tracks directly from the desktop, seamlessly. Bonus – when done in the right way, these tracks are of release quality.
Windows is the most used platform in the world and so, if you are hunting for the best Windows software for making music, we have the ultimate list for you in this post. While some are completely free to download and work with, some offer the free trial version before you invest in the Pro version. So, read on to find your pick.
Audacity
Audacity is an open source software that’s one of the most popular music editors with already millions of downloads. This cross-platform app works with not just Windows, but also with MacOS and Linux.
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This program allows you to not only record music from several different sources, but also post-process nearly any type of audios. With the help of this software, you can also add different effects to your music, fine-tune the pitch, bass, and treble, and even assess tracks using its tool for frequency analysis.
Your tracks are presented as editable waveforms by the software that can be edited by the users. As a user you can also edit the music track using the cut, copy, and paste features or even use its wide range of added plug-ins to improve the series of effects and the audio assessment. The program comes with an in-built support for plug-ins like LV2, LADSPA, and Nyquist.
Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
Price: Free
Get it here: https://www.audacityteam.org/download/
AbletonLive Lite 9
The Live Lite 9 version of Ableton is a restricted version of the program, however, it’s one of the best software for music making out there. The best part about it is that it’s free to download and is compatible with both Windows and Mac. With the paid version you get an additional 4GB of sounds.
What’s amazing is that, you get upto eight recording tracks for free if you choose not buy the upgraded version. It also comes equipped with a range of effects and tools that help you to make high-quality music tracks. You can also add MIDI tools like keyboards with it. It can be easy to use if you already know how the music making programs work. Ableton is an industry level software that’s used by many musicians and producers to create music and record.
Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac
Price: Free version available; upgrade starts from $99
Get it here: https://www.ableton.com/
FL Studio
If you are a first-timer, looking to start with a music making software, FL Studio is the best option for you. It’s been in the scene for quite some time now and is one of the most popular DAW software till date. From sound correction, cut-paste, or stretching to pitch shifting or the works, it’s got all the usual protocols you could think of. The biggest plus point of this program is its interface which is especially designed to suit the beginners.
While you can refer to the YouTube video tutorials for any explanation required on any feature, you also get 30 synth software along with it for out-of-the-box usage. So, for those who have just bought a controller and want to try out some sounds to start with, you do not need to spend those added bucks. Whether you want to record in it using microphone, do the usual editing and mixing, or use the MIDI keyboards, it fulfils all the essential requirements of a music software. Bonus – it comes with an extremely user-friendly interface.
Supported Platforms: Windows only
Price: Free trial available; Full version starts at $99
Get it here: https://www.image-line.com/flstudio/
Magix Acid
While it may not be the leading software in the category with a dated looking interface, it still takes pride with its strongest features like automatic audio time-stretching and pitch shifting. Bonus- it also features the MIDI now.
Yes, it may not be the best performing software on the list, but Magix Acid is definitely fast, competent, and user-friendly. It’s been recently owned by Magix and the version 8 is about to be launched that indicates towards a much-needed change with an all-new user-interface. It’s also touted to come up with 64-bit and VST3 support.
Best Mac Software For Recording Music Software
Supported Platforms: Windows
Price: Free trial available; Upgrade starts at $90
Get it here: https://www.magix.com/in/music/acid/
Tracktion T6
Tracktion T6 is a two years old program that still boasts of loads of features. It’s a software with a simple design making it easy to understand and use. The interface is a workspace where you get all that is required in a single window. The workspace helps you avoid the inconvenience of jumping to various screens.
The best part is, that every section is flexible enough and so, it helps you to fine-tune it according to your workflow. Moreover, whichever specifications you have selected elsewhere, the bottom panel turns into screen. With its more established DAW system, it certainly has an exclusive appearance. As bonus, the program comes with unending range of audio and MIDI tracks, however, it’s based on the hardware potential. Yes, it also supports several plugin formats such as VST, Audio Units, and more.
Supported Platforms: macOS/Windows/Linux (VST, AU and Linux VST)
Price: Free
Get it here: https://www.tracktion.com/products/t6-daw
DarkWave Studio
When looking for a free DAW software, DarkWave Studio is definitely worth a try. It’s not only free of cost, it’s also perfect for the Window users as it supports all platforms from XP to 10. What’s interesting is, it does not require much space for storage and can be easily discovered and downloaded online.
Among its many features are the Sequence Editor, Virtual Studio, Multitrack Hard Disk Recorder, and Pattern Editor. While the Pattern Editor helps you select digital music patterns and even edit them, the sequence editor enables you to arrange patterns to mix up the track patterns and any arrangements together. You can explore the recording options under its HD recorder tab. It also allows you to choose from the multiple plug-ins (19) that can help you add virtual effects to the music tracks.
Supported Platforms: Windows only
Price: Free
Get it here: https://www.experimentalscene.com/software/darkwave-studio/
Presonus Studio One Prime
Those looking for a free version of this efficient program can download their freeware edition which is Studio One Prime. For advanced features you can purchase the upgraded version that’s specifically for artists and professionals. Studio One is the basic version out of all which you can add to your software collection using any my.presonus.com account. The system requirements include a minimum of 4GB RAM and 30GB of storage within, and it works with the latest versions of Windows.
Despite lacking the advanced features in comparison to the upgraded version, the free version retains the same instinctive interface with drag and drop feature that helps you to create fresh tracks and even add effects. The USP of Studio One Prime is that it comes equipped with endless audio files, FX and virtual tools. Not just that, it also allows you to add nine local audio effects to your music pieces. Some of the mixing and control features that are retained in the free version are easy chain side routing, control link MIDI mapping, and latency compensation. Bonus – the freeware also offers multitrack MIDI and multitrack track change editing instruments. Overall, even being the curtailed version, the freeware still retains most of its essential tools.
Supported Platforms: Windows only
Price: Free; upgrade available for $450
Get it here: https://www.presonus.com/products/Studio-One/get-studio-one
Avid Pro tools
Those looking for tools especially designed for mixing music the professional way, Avid Pro Tools is just what you need. This advanced yet simple tool helps you to excel the industry standards. While it offers the usual facility to create, record, mix, edit, master, and more, it also comes with the advanced version (Avid Audio Engine) that’s loaded with a super speedy processor, 64-bit memory, latency input buffer of its own that helps during any delays, and an innate metering.
Time-stretch to alter the tempo, or Elastic Pitch which is somewhat similar to the autotune that helps rectify harmonies are among the other features to name a few. What’s more? It also comes packed with 70 effects and plug-ins, and other features like channel stripping, compressors, EQ’s reverb, and so on.
Supported Platforms: Windows or Mac
Price: Free Trial available; upgrade starts at $24.92
Get it here: https://www.avid.com/pro-tools
Ardour
It’s a fantastic piece of software that works perfectly well with Windows, Linux, and OS X. The version 5 comes with an all revamped graphic user interface that’s sorted with tabs. Ardour also sports loads of new features that efficiently assist you while making any alterations to the tempo, mixing, writing scripts, or using the plug-ins. The biggest plus point of this DAW software is that it’s free and open source, while the subscriptions start from as low as $1 month.
Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, OS X
Price: Free (Open Source); Subscription starts from $1
Get it here: https://ardour.org/
AmpliTube Custom Shop
Although it’s a curtailed version of AmpliTube 4, it’s still a completely operational application for guitar rig modelling. There are 24 models in the free version and there’s a lot in the offering for the guitarists to record into their laptop directly. The tones offered by AmpliTube are genuine and there’s an amazing standard of customizations available which includes the microphone selection and replacement.
The biggest bonus however, is the custom shop feature. But, if you are looking for more features, you will have to purchase the paid version. for additional stompboxes, amp models or cab sims.
Supported Platforms: Windows and Mac OS (64-bit only)
Price: Free version available
Get it here: https://www.ikmultimedia.com/shop/
LMMS (Linux Multimedia Studio)
One of the best multi-platform music making software around, Linux Multimedia Studio is also compatible with Windows and Mac. It’s a free and open source program that works just perfect for all levels of music creators. The program comes packed with five editors and a wide range of synthesizers that can further fine-tune your music tracks. The tracks can be further imported to both MIDI and Hydrogen Project files along with the Song Editor. Moreover, the application also supports plug-ins like VST and LADPSA that can be mixed with several additional effects into the tracks.
Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac
Price: Free
Get it here: https://lmms.io/
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is another open source music making software that’s more of a digital drum program that sounds like a drum. The Windows version is in the beta stage. It comes with a GMkit that’s pre-installed and includes tools like Pedal HH and Cowbell drum kits, Jazz, Snare Jazz, Ride Rock, Ride Jazz, Snare, Stick, and more.
You can also get access to its endless patterns through the pattern sequencer and can even link patterns together in a music track. The Mixer offered by the program is another useful tool that can help you to tune the drum volume and also add some added special effects. From importing and exporting song patterns into tracks to organizing different drum audio effects on a file to overlap them, there’s a lot that Hydrogen offer its users for free.
Supported Platforms: Windows and Mac
Price: Free
Get it here: http://hydrogen-music.org/
Propellerhead Reason
Although a not so widely known software, Propellerhead Resaon is indeed a stable offering in the category so far. It’s a compact system with drag and drop interface, is fast enough, and of course, offers an exceptional workflow for middle to semi-pro range music makers.
It comes with a strong mixing console and makes for a great DAW software for guitar recordings or bass as it comes with amps and speakers. Additionally, it’s efficient in cutting and splicing music files automatically. Bonus – it supports all MIDI hardware.
Supported Platforms: Windows and Mac
Price: Free version available; upgrade starts at $99
Get it here: https://www.propellerheads.se/en/reason
While there are umpteen such music making software around that one can use for creating a professional piece, the above listed programs are definitely for those who want to create a masterpiece. So, make your choice and rock the stage with a brilliant sounding track.
I find passion in writing Tech articles around Windows PC and softwares