How to choose a digital audio workstation (DAW)

Choose a digital audio workstation, or DAW, by the music you make, the platform you use and how you want to pay. A DAW records, arranges, edits and mixes audio and MIDI in one place. Ableton Live and FL Studio lean toward electronic production, Logic Pro is built for Mac and iPad, and REAPER and Ardour are the low-cost and free routes on desktop systems.

What a DAW does, and MIDI versus audio

A DAW puts recording, editing, arranging and mixing into one project, usually called a session. You record or import audio, place notes and sounds on a timeline, add effects, balance the levels and export a finished mix. Most DAWs in the ranking do all of this, so the differences lie in workflow, instruments and price.

Two kinds of data matter most:

• Audio is recorded sound, such as a vocal take, a guitar line or a field recording. Editing audio means moving, cutting, stretching or tuning the recording.
• MIDI is note data: which note to play, when it starts, how long it lasts and how hard it is struck. MIDI drives software instruments, so you can change a melody's pitch or rhythm without recording it again.

Most modern DAWs handle both, and the ranking's notes reflect that. Ableton Live has MIDI tools, REAPER lists recording, editing and MIDI work, and Ardour lists MIDI editing. If you write mostly with virtual instruments, check the MIDI editor closely. If you record vocals and instruments, check how the audio editing and take management work.

Instruments and plugins

Plugins add instruments and effects to a DAW. The most common formats are VST and VST3, and Ardour's listing says it hosts both LV2 and VST plug-ins. Bundled sounds vary by price. Bitwig Studio's listing says its Essentials tier includes 51 instruments and effects, including the Polymer synth, and FL Studio includes a pattern-based step sequencer and piano roll. Ableton Live's listing mentions Max for Live devices and Push hardware integration.

Before you choose, list the plugins and sample libraries you already own or plan to buy. Confirm that each one runs in the DAW you are considering, and check whether the bundled sounds are enough for a few months of work. A DAW's bundled instruments can change how quickly you finish a track, so they matter as much as the editing tools.

Platform, price and licensing

Platform support rules out options early:

• Logic Pro runs on Mac and iPad and has no Windows or Linux version. It is sold once on the Mac App Store, and it is also part of Apple Creator Studio.
• Ableton Live and FL Studio run on Windows and macOS. Ableton offers a free trial of Live 12, and FL Studio's paid editions come with lifetime free updates according to their listings.
• REAPER runs on Windows, Linux and macOS. It has a full 60-day evaluation, and its license is DRM-free with free updates through REAPER 8.99.
• Bitwig Studio runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, with paid tiers and a free trial.
• Pro Tools runs on Windows and macOS. Its Intro tier is free for basic use, and the fuller versions are sold as perpetual licenses.
• Ardour is free and open source under GPL v2 for Linux, macOS and Windows.

Free and trial are different things. A trial lets you judge the software before you pay, while a free tier lets you keep using it. Ardour and the Pro Tools Intro tier are the free-use options in this ranking. REAPER, Ableton Live and FL Studio are paid products that you can evaluate first.

Notation software is a different tool

Notation software writes scores: staves, note heads, lyrics and printed parts. A DAW records and mixes sound. Many musicians use both, with notation for a printed score or a part and a DAW for recording and production.

The music notation ranking shows the range. MuseScore is free and open source for desktop and mobile, and its listing mentions MIDI keyboard input. Sibelius is sold by yearly subscription or as a perpetual bundle, and it is built for professional engraving and part extraction. Flat and Noteflight run in the browser, StaffPad is built for handwriting on pen-enabled devices, and LilyPond writes scores as text files. If you need printed scores more than audio production, start with notation and add a DAW later.

Our picks from the ranking

The digital audio workstations ranking orders the six entries below. Ardour, the free option at 80.0, is worth a look if your budget is zero.

1. Ableton Live (93.0): clip-based production in Session view, with a linear Arrangement view in the same window.
2. Logic Pro (92.0): a complete Mac and iPad DAW with beat-making tools, sold once.
3. REAPER (90.5): a full DAW for every major desktop platform, with a 60-day evaluation.
4. FL Studio (89.0): pattern-based beat making, with lifetime free updates on paid editions.
5. Pro Tools (88.0): recording and editing with a free Intro tier and precise edit modes.
6. Bitwig Studio (86.5): electronic sound design on macOS, Windows and Linux.

What to do next

Write down the music you make most, the operating system you use and the most you will spend this year. If you work mostly with electronic beats on a Mac or PC, try the trials of two of the picks above. If you record instruments and voices on Linux, compare REAPER and Ardour. Whatever you choose, record and export a short song idea from start to finish before you commit, because that test reveals workflow problems that a feature list does not.