What Software Do You Need to Record Music at Home?
To record music at home, you need three pieces of software: a DAW (digital audio workstation) to record and mix, your audio interface's driver, and plugins for effects and instruments, which every DAW includes. All three can be free, so start there.
| Software | What it does | Free option | Paid option |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAW | Records, edits, and mixes tracks | GarageBand (Mac), Sonar or Waveform Free | Logic Pro $199.99, REAPER $60 discounted license |
| Driver | Connects the interface with low latency | Maker's ASIO driver, free download | None needed |
| Plugins | EQ, compression, reverb, instruments | Included with the DAW | Optional add-ons |
On Windows, Image-Line's audio settings manual ranks drivers "Native ASIO driver > ASIO4ALLv2 > FL Studio ASIO" and says most Mac interfaces don't need extra drivers. Focusrite, for one, says to select its ASIO driver in your recording software.
Move up to a paid DAW like Logic Pro or REAPER when your free one runs short of instruments or editing tools. Compare free options on best free DAW and paid ones on best DAW for beginners. For the hardware, see what you need to record music at home.
Related questions
Do I need to pay for recording software?
No. GarageBand on a Mac, and Cakewalk Sonar's free tier or Waveform Free on Windows, record and mix full songs. Paying buys more instruments, plugins, and editing tools.
Do I need a driver for my audio interface?
On Windows, install the maker's ASIO driver, which Image-Line ranks above ASIO4ALL and generic drivers. Most interfaces work on a Mac without one; setup steps are in how to connect an audio interface to a computer.
Do I need to buy plugins?
Not to start. Pro Tools Intro includes 40 plugins, per Avid's tier comparison, and Waveform Free includes 14 audio effects and 4 instruments.
More answers: Home recording FAQ