5 Best Free MIDI Software in 2024

If you are searching for the best free MIDI software, you came to the right place. Whether you need to plug in your MIDI keyboard or other MIDI devices, you should have a MIDI program. It allows playing and composing music whenever you want.

Top 5 Free MIDI Software

  1. GarageBand - Multiple genre styles
  2. MidiEditor - Edit & export MIDI tracks
  3. Piano Time - 36 keys and four octaves
  4. Waveform Free - Full-featured DAW
  5. Cakewalk by BandLab - Studio-quality effects

Some MIDI software is developed to sound like a musical instrument. For example, you play a MIDI-keyboard and hear piano or saxophone sounds. Some MIDI programs turn the music you play into notation and you see it on the screen.

Choosing the best free MIDI software, you should carefully think about why you need it. For instance, some programs are good for playing music while others are suitable for recording it. Creating this review, I also considered the price and ease of use.

1. GarageBand - Our Choice

Multiple genre styles
  • Synthetic instruments
  • Compatible with downloadable loops
  • 255 tracks in the library
  • None

Verdict: GarageBand comes with a plethora of amazing features that allow users to create mesmerizing music beats, tracks, or even videos. This program allows you to add new virtual instruments and effects to your music production projects with ease. In addition to that, this dubstep maker software has a complete range of virtual instruments and tools that enable you to build and organize your tracks the way you want them to be.

The free MIDI instrument and effect plug-ins that are available with the software offer a wide variety of sounds including chords, keys, pads, leads, polyphonic drum beats, and more. There are also certain sounds that are pre-installed in the software package and these include snares, claps, snares, percussion, and so forth.

garageband free midi software interface

2. MidiEditor

Edit & export MIDI tracks
  • Creates new compositions from direct input
  • Automatically corrects errors
  • Quantize feature
  • It isn’t very intuitive

Verdict: MidiEditor will allow you to record new audio, as well as edit existing ones. Some examples of midi tracks you might want to edit are songs you might have made with a digital piano or keyboard. You also may need headphones for a digital piano to better hear sounds. If you have an audio recording that has vocals in it, you can easily change the lyrics to something more melodic by removing the background noise and then re-editing the beginning and end of the track.

When using a MidiEditor, you can also add effects like reverb, chorus, or another type of processing effect. These additional effects will blend nicely with your original recorded sound and help it come to life.

midieditor free midi software interface

3. Piano Time

36 keys and four octaves
  • Sound similar to a traditional piano
  • Has the option to record and save clips
  • You can use a computer keyboard
  • You can't adjust the sound

Verdict: Piano Time was making to help novice pianoists to be able to create their own musical creations on the piano with just the click of a mouse. It is capable of loading it into any compatible virtual piano. You can connect your Mac or PC to your home stereo system using a USB cable so that you can play the Piano Time through your system.

Piano Time includes various tutorials which will teach you all of the basics like learning how to read notes, how to harmonize and build chords, and even how to use metronome sequences. It can play all of your favorite music, even if you haven't picked up the piano in a very long time.

piano time free midi software interface

4. Waveform Free

Full-featured DAW
  • Supports multiple plugin formats
  • Unlimited MIDI
  • No artificial track limits
  • Steep learning curve

Verdict: With Waveform, you can create any kind of musical creation that you want and it's designed for both Mac and PC. Waveform is incredibly intuitive and will allow you to create fantastic quality music within minutes. This is because of how simple the controls are and how closely the software matches the real thing.

Another great aspect is the amount of sound you can add to your tracks. There are over 45 sounds to choose from and they can even be duplicated if you need to. This free DAW software includes a library system where you can save favorite songs. The software will also remember which track you last played if you need to recall the notes or some of the sounds.&

waveform free free midi software interface

5. Cakewalk by BandLab

Studio-quality effects
  • You can record, edit, mix and share music
  • Unlimited audio or MIDI tracks
  • Export to standard MIDI file
  • Only for Windows

Verdict: Cakewalk by Bandlab has a special feature called the "MIDI recorder" that allows you to record your own keyboard strokes onto a piano roll, which you then use in conjunction with the "snapshots" of the instrument that are shown on screen. You can then create additional keyboard sounds by playing them through an array of sound modules that are stored within the Cakewalk Piano Roll library.

There are several different modes that are available - including undo/recording, random, and play/pause. The professional version of the program includes a complete set of audio samples, a collection of sample instruments, and a library where you can store up to 100 loops at once.

cakewalk by bandlab free midi software interface
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