What DAWs Do Indie Artists Use?
An up to date look at today's DAW's and what to look for when getting started.

Before starting this article, let's clarify what a DAW is.

It stands for Digital Audio Workstation and it is a specialized software for digital music production and recording. In the case of the music industry, DAWs are important to be able to create all kinds of music, without the need to go to expensive recording studios to make songs. Since the rise of daws and the possibility of making music in the comfort of your home, indie artists can have more opportunities to make an impact in the music industry. Something that has never been seen before.

With these programs, you have the opportunity to export your music in different formats, which are Wav, MP3, FLAC, or OGG.

After knowing what a DAW is and what it's for, I'll explain which ones are the best and why you should use them.

1. Ableton Live

Every indie artist has used Ableton Live at some point. I would even go so far as to say that it is one of the easiest DAWs to use. It was born thanks to Gerhard Behles and Robert Henke in 1999, but it was only in 2001 that the first version of Ableton became available.

As a music production software, it contains many features that hundreds of other DAWs offer, but with Ableton you can perform live. Although it was originally designed for electronic music, it works for any other genre. So if you are an artist or have a band and need to play tracks live, Ableton is the program for you.

You just need to have basic music production skills if you need to record, master, or use MIDI controllers.

2. Logic Pro X

Logic Pro X is an extremely powerful software used by millions of well-known producers all over the world. Some of them are Brian Eno, Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift's producer), and Finneas O'Connell (Billie Eilish's brother), among many others.

However, this software works exclusively with Apple devices so it runs on the macOS operating system. This means that not everyone has the opportunity to purchase it. But if you are an indie artist with a MacBook Pro or Air, you can buy it for as little as $200.

Its origins date back to the 1980s when it was created by Gerhard Lengeling and Chris Adam. At first, the program was just a MIDI sequencer for a platform called Atari ST, which was later named Creator. After a few years the Apple company, specifically in 2002, took control of the program. From that moment on, they were creating updates and improving it progressively.

Today, Logic Pro X is arguably one of the most powerful DAWs on the market with the ability to handle up to 255 audio tracks together.

3. FL Studio

Fl Studio belongs to a Belgian company called Image-Line which was originally a tool with the name Fruity Loop. Some time later it was changed to its current name. This DAW is generally used for genres such as Hip-Hop, House, Techno, or electronic music.

One of its main features is its easy-to-use step sequencer and piano roll. At the same time, it has different versions:

• Fruity
• Producer
• Signature
• All Plugins Edition

There are many differences between the simplest and the latest version. For example, Fruity costs only $99.00, while All Plugins Edition costs $499.00.

4. Pro Tools

The next one is not only a digital audio software used for recording, editing, and producing music, but it is also a program dedicated exclusively to the film and television industry. Its first version called "Pro Tools 1.0" was released in 1991 and since then it has been innovating with new tools for its users.

Pro Tools is the most used DAW in all professional studios, as it is the industry standard.

While using it, you can choose more than 100 plugins, record audio with resolutions up to 32-bit/192 kHz and apply professional automation. On the other hand, it has different options for copying, pasting, or cutting audio clips without the need to take too much time - you just need to know the commands to work as fast as possible!

Although its interface can be one of the most difficult to use at first, it is the most professional and powerful DAW on the market. For this reason, hundreds of artists have made their projects there, some of them are Daft Punk, Dr. Dre, David Gilmour, Alicia Keys, Adele, and Lana del Rey.

5. GarageBand

In the last position, there is a DAW totally free for all Apple users, in fact, it is also a mobile application that you can use from your phone at any time. To do so, just download the app!

But keep in mind that it's a pretty basic software with many limitations, so if you just want to experiment or have a good time making music... it's the one for you.

When using GarageBand you will find a huge library of sounds and loops in which you can create and edit new melodies as many times as you want. It also offers virtual instruments such as guitars, basses, keyboards, drums, and violins. And just like previous DAWs, it can be connected with MIDI controllers.

A plus point of this software is that it supports iCloud, so you have the opportunity to save all your projects safely.

GarageBand and Logic Pro X are often compared since they both belong to Apple, however, keep in mind that they have many differences, and if you want to go for something more professional… You definitely need to buy Logic Pro X.

Note: Most indie artists start creating their music in GarageBand and then move on to other more powerful software.

In conclusion, choosing one of these DAWs will help you become a better musician and producer. In case you want to try them without the need to buy the licenses, you can download their respective free versions from the official pages.

Remember to choose the one you like the most, once you do it, just practice a lot! If you liked this article, please share it with your friends or anyone else who might be interested in music production.