If you work with music, then you have probably heard about the best EDM software, also called Digital Audio Workstation. DAW software can help both aspiring music producers and professionals create high-quality tracks by working through every stage of music production, including composing, mixing, and mastering.
In this article, we have collected programs that are already well-known or are just gaining popularity and can cope with any task. You will learn their pros and cons, as well as get familiar with the main features.
Top 9 EDM Software
- Adobe Audition - A favorite of professional musicians
- FL Studio - For all music genres
- Logic Pro - For MAC users
- Ableton Live - Professional quality at an affordable price
- Cakewalk - Free alternative for creating EDM
- Bitwig - Customizable workflow to match any style
- Steinberg Cubase - Targets at various genres, levels, and budgets
- Acid Pro - Works for Windows-based producers
- Acoustica - Cross-platform EDM maker software
Music is an integral part of our daily life. In the digital age, almost everyone can create a hit, but it is very important to start up by choosing the right tool with an intuitive interface and without frills.
In this article, we’ve reviewed the most affordable and high-quality EDM mixing software that will help you create really amazing audio compositions.
1. Adobe Audition - Our Choice
- AI sound restoring
- Spectral editing
- Reduces noise
- Macros
- Lacks MIDI support
Verdict: Adobe Audition is the best EDM software if you want to achieve a professional-grade result. This software has tools for editing, mixing, and sound recording. Adobe Audition was developed to create high-quality sound and great musical mixes. You have multitrack, waveform, and spectral display options available to make the process faster.
Despite a huge selection of instruments, you get step-by-step instructions to quickly master the software and create great sound mixes. Adobe Audition is the number one choice of global industry experts on the market. Thanks to the friendly interface and various functions, users can enjoy efficient music production. If you can't afford this software or want to start with a simpler tool, you can choose one of the Audition alternatives.
2. FL Studio
- User-friendly interface
- Supports multiple displays
- Great MIDI composition options
- Upgrades are free
- Too difficult too novices
Verdict: FL Studio is an EDM maker that is used to create clean sounds. You can not only create EDM but also record various musical projects using this tool. FL Studio has many features to help you generate complex musical compositions. It offers audio export, sidechain control, a range of effects, improved automation. Besides, FL Studio supports plug-ins, which expands its functionality.
The Piano Roll helps users make complex editing and manipulation of the score easier. With it, you can send notes to plug-ins tools. Along with third-party plugins, you get 80+ native plug-ins for such effects as synthesis, compression, equalizer, filtering, and distortion.
3. Logic Pro
- One-time purchase
- Great library with tools
- Touch panel
- Multiple integrated plug-ins
- Works for Mac only
Verdict: If you're looking for an alternative to Adobe Audition then Logic is a great option. Use this EDM creation software if you want to achieve an easy process of mixing hip-hop music on your MacBook. Thanks to a large number of plug-ins, it is easy to find and add the desired effect to a track. The same plug-ins will take your music mixing experience to a whole new level by adjusting the sound and timing for different tracks.
You can customize your home screen by adding the necessary tools. Logic offers several formats for working with tracks such as recording live instruments, MIDI for recording MIDI data from various input instruments, and the function of combining a live instrument with a virtual one.
4. Ableton Live
- Edits linked-track
- MPE-capable controller
- Offers more expressive sounds
- Auto tempo following
- Lacks tracking
Verdict: Ableton Live is an easy-to-use Digital Audio Workstation that offers a simple approach to both track creation and live performance. The new version of Ableton Live comes with a lot of options. Software is divided into two views – arrangement and session.
With the Session Viewer, you can play music in real-time with scenes created from audio clips. Thus, you can combine drums, bass, and guitar for one scene, while leaving drums and bass for another with no guitar included. Ableton Live works with multiple MIDI clips, offering an arrangement view that ensures fast and interesting sound editing with stretch and audio fade being activated. Thanks to the integration with Push 2, you can view MIDI notes on the Push screen.
Verdict: If you are new to this industry and want to upgrade your skill at no extra cost, then Cakewalk is the best free DAW software for you. After BandLab acquired the software in 2018, it became free for all users.
This EDM software free of charge has tracking, mixing, and mastering features paired with interesting effects ranging from simple to advanced. The software aims to simulate the layout of an analog console, create and enhance channels using an expandable gallery of ProChannel modules like reverb convolution, resonant filtering, and dynamic compression. Even by the name, it is clear that the program is easy-to-use, and therefore ideal for all novice music producers.
6.Bitwig
- Multi-monitor setup option
- Basic note editing options
- Supports multiple projects
- Poor toolset
Verdict: Bitwig is a music production software that runs both on Windows and other platforms. The program delivers a flexible process for recording, live performances, and sound design. Bitwig comes with 80+ instruments and effects. Plus, it has over 10GB of high-quality audio content to work with.
On the user interface, you will find three layouts – Arrange, Blend, and Edit, allowing you to focus on your workflow without distracting menus. Thanks to the Detail Editor, you can modify an audio clip using the stretch, split, copy, pan, reverse, add, move, and pitch options. A unique feature of Bitwig is MPE support, which allows the software to record and use the options of the latest MIDI controllers.
Verdict: Cubase is a worthy DAW for working with hip-hop music. Despite its rather long existence, Steinberg Cubase is not inferior to newer software, offering up-to-date functionality. The company is constantly updating its software, so the latest version of Steinberg Cubase 10 is aimed at full automation. Built-in plugins speed up the workflow, and the intuitive interface makes navigation as simple as possible.
Besides, Cubase comes with various options like a Full Score Editor, VariAudio, which works with pitch, Surround Sound, VCA Faders, Direct Routing, Wave View, noticeable performance enhancements, and an advanced graphical interface.
Verdict: Acid Pro, like many other EDM creation software, offers an intuitive interface. The program is developed on the latest 64-bit architecture, offering improved options such as synthesis, sampler, and drum, new plug-ins, guitar, analog and vintage effects, as well as loops and ACID samples.
Besides, Acid Pro includes 2 new instruments – Vita Solo Pop Brass and Orchestra Ensemble. Acid Pro users can benefit from an exclusive set of analog modeling with limiter, compressor, and transient modeling effects that are created in a classic style.
9. Acoustica
- Intuitive interface
- Improved functionality
- Non-destructive audio editing
- Effect Chain option
- Records a single track at a time
Verdict: Acoustica is a cross-platform EDM maker that works for both Mac and Windows. When choosing software, we don’t recommend focusing on its cross-platform compatibility only. Acoustica delivers many options that are the reason for users’ choice. They will help create high-quality hip-hop music. To build a complete track, you need the spectral editing option and multichannel support.
If you're looking for decent audio software, then Acoustica is worth considering. It has such advantages as non-destructive audio editing and a user-friendly interface. Moreover, this tool is one of the best free audio editing software you can currently find.
