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If 18-year-old Steve Lacy can use GarageBand to produce a hit track for Kendrick Lamar, the rest of us can use free online beat making software to make dope music.

“Free” doesn’t always mean “crappy.”

I’m going to introduce you to three free online programs that may open up a new world for you.

In this discussion of the best beat making software that’s free, we’ll cover:

  • The benefits of using free beat making software
  • The best free online beat makers and how they work
  • Splice’s Beat Maker
  • Soundtrap
  • GarageBand
  • Magix Music Maker
  • Waveform Free
  • MPC Beats
  • Serato Studio
  • How to become a Beat Maker and Music Producer

The Benefits of Using Free Beat Making Software

So the question here is: “Why not just buy some high-quality beat-making software? Why even mess around with online beat makers?”

Those are valid points.

If you have the money to spend on a beat-making program, feel free to get the best software you can. The problem is, many home studio Producers don’t have a ton of money, especially those who are just starting out.

So let me quickly point out some benefits of using an online beat maker:

  • They’re often free or very affordable.
  • You don’t need any equipment besides your computer (no need for an audio interface, DAW, or MIDI controller).
  • They’re very easy to use.
  • The beats you make are usually shareable.
  • You can easily collaborate with friends.

I’ve hand-picked three that meet most or all of the points on that list.

Can you make beats with just a laptop?

Caleb J. Murphy (CareersInMusic)

Yes, you can make beats even if you have only a laptop. Beat making software (free or paid) allows you to program drums and use virtual instruments by adding MIDI notes with your mouse or your computer’s keyboard. You can also incorporate samples into your beat.

The Best Free Online Beat Makers and How They Work

I tested out two of the top free online beat makers: Splice and Soundtrap (and you can listen to the beats I made with each). They both have their own pros and cons, which I’ll be listing under each heading.

Don’t forget to take a look at our guide on the best beat maker machines!

Can you make beats for free?

Caleb J. Murphy (CareersInMusic)

As long as you have a computer (or tablet or smartphone), you can make beats for free. You can use free beat making software on your computer (as you’ll read about in this article) or you can get a free beat making app for your mobile device.


What is the best software to make beats?

Caleb J. Murphy (CareersInMusic)

For a laptop or desktop, some of the best beat making software programs include FL Studio, Ableton Live, and MAGIX Music Maker. However, the “best” beat making program is ultimately subjective. You have to choose the program that has the workflow you find easiest and most efficient.


What's the best beat-making software for beginners?

Caleb J. Murphy (CareersInMusic)

Some of the best beat making software include Magix Music Maker, FL Studio, and Logic Pro. Each of these programs have simple interfaces and offer loops and samples you can use in your beat. Magix Music Maker is free, FL Studio has a free version, and Logic Pro is a paid program only available to Apple users.

Splice



Splice is a well-known name in the music software world, mostly because of their plugins. Their Beat Maker is the perfect addition to their offerings. Although it doesn’t allow musical typing, it’s super easy to add or remove sounds. You get the basic kick, snare, close/open hi-hat, one tom, and a couple other supplemental sounds.

Just a heads-up, you can make a beat for free, but to download it, you’ll need to become a subscriber (which is about $8 a month).

How to use Splice’s Beat Maker:

  1. Click a square to make the instrument on that line hit where you want it to.
  2. To delete an instrument hit, click the square again and it will disappear.
  3. Hit the spacebar to play your beat.

You can also add sounds by hitting the “+” at the bottom right. And you can listen and add to other Producers’ beats by choosing a person from the drop-down box at the top-right corner (underneath “Sign Up”). This will bring up the beat that person made, which you can then edit to your liking.

Pros & Cons

  • Out of the three beat makers on this list, Splice’s is the easiest to use.
  • Can hear and build off of other Producers’ beats.
  • Limited sounds.
  • Can’t download beat unless you pay to be a subscriber.
  • No musical typing available.

Listen to the beat I made with Splice’s Beat Maker.

Soundtrap



Soundtrap, like Splice, also has squares you click in order to initiate an instrument hit. But unlike Splice, Soundtrap has musical typing and has a bunch of different sounds to choose from — drum kits, guitars, synths, pianos, strings, pianos, and more. You can even record a live instrument and do a lot of things your DAW can do.

Most of the samples are for paid subscribers, but there are plenty of sounds available with a free account.

How to use Soundtrap:

  • Select your type of drum machine/kit.
  • Add instrument hits by clicking the corresponding squares or via musical typing.
  • Edit each instrument’s sound with reverb, pan, and volume.
  • Play your beat with the space bar.
  • Download your beat as an MP3 (WAVs available for paid accounts).

Pros & Cons

  • Easy to edit and arrange your beat.
  • Plenty of sounds to choose from.
  • Can record your own instrument.
  • Collaborate with others by clicking the icon showing the two people (right side of the screen).
  • Can’t download WAVs with a free account.
  • Shareable link lasts only 30 days before expiring.

Listen to the beat I made with Soundtrap:

GarageBand (Mac only)

garageband
GarageBand comes preloaded on every Apple computer. And for a free digital audio workstation (DAW), it’s very good. Apple gives you access to a bunch of professional-quality sounds and loops that you can use for your beats however you want.

How to Use GarageBand for beats:

  • Create a new project
  • Choose “Software Instrument”
  • Use the far-left column to choose your software instrument, i.e. your beat sounds
  • If you don’t have a MIDI controller, click Window → Show Musical Typing from the menu

Pros & Cons

  • Tons of sounds and instruments included
  • Easily make a beat even without recording equipment
  • Control the sound of your beat with the built-in plugins and settings
  • Can take some practice to understand GarageBand’s interface
  • Only available on Apple devices

Magix Music Maker (Windows only)

Magix Music Maker is a simple DAW that includes a bunch of software instrument sounds, loops, and cool effects. They even have a free version with plenty of beat-making tools and loops.

To learn how to use Magix Music Maker, check out this tutorial:

Pros & Cons

  • Free version is very good
  • Lots of sounds, effects, and loops included
  • Interface is simple enough for beginners to learn
  • Free version doesn’t offer VST instrument plugin support
  • May not be as powerful or versatile as other DAWs

Waveform Free (Mac and Windows)

Waveform Free

Waveform is a free DAW that allows unlimited tracks, compatibility with many popular plugins, and no export limitations. They have a lot of cool features, like the ability to create MIDI chord progressions with just a couple clicks. Plus, you can turn your typing keyboard into a musical keyboard, so no MIDI controller needed.

To learn how to use Waveform Free, check out this tutorial:

Pros & Cons

  • Customizable interface
  • Compatible with third-party plugins
  • Use MIDI even without a controller
  • Not many stock plugins
  • Slight learning curve

MPC Beats (Mac and Windows)

mpc beats

As you can tell by the name, MPC Beats is tailored to beat makers. It includes 16 digital pads for drum and sound sampling, a sample editor, built-in sounds, and genre templates.

Learn how to use MPC Beats from this tutorial:

Pros & Cons

  • Upload your own sounds for sampling with digital pads
  • Built-in sounds you can use commercially
  • Genre templates to give you a starting point
  • Limited sampling options (example: only 8 MIDI tracks and 2 stereo audio tracks)
  • Slight learning curve

Serato Studio (Mac and Windows)

Serato Studio

Serato Studio is all about simplicity. They designed a clean interface so beat making and using samples is as easy as possible. This also makes it relatively easy to learn for beginners.

Learn how to use Serato Studio from this tutorial:

Pros & Cons

  • Quickly make beats because of its simple interface
  • Works well for hobbyists and professionals alike
  • Efficient editing and mixing DAW
  • Slight learning curve
  • Limited plugins

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How to Become a Beat Maker and Music Producer

So as you can see, you don’t really need to spend any money to start making dope beats. You just need a computer and an internet connection. That’s it.

So now what? How do you start making good beats? You have the tools, but how do you know where to start?

Music is subjective, so your workflow is really up to you. But there are certain elements of a beat you should include:

  • Rhythm: drum kit, bass, supplemental percussion.
  • Music bed: chords, chord harmonies, extra musical sounds.
  • Melody: the main hook of the song, the melody people will remember from your song.
  • Song structure: transitions between verses, chorus, and maybe a bridge or tag.
  • Miscellaneous sounds: this could be a gunshot sound, a bell, a dog barking, or whatever spices up the song.
  • Contrast and surprise: you need ups and downs throughout the song, calm parts and energetic parts, higher frequency instruments and lower ones.

Now that we’ve got the main elements down, here are some basic tips for making the best beat possible:

  • Don’t make the beat too busy — someone may end up singing or rapping over it and things will get muddled.
  • Try starting with the basics — just lay down the kick and snare as a foundation, then build the beat, melody, and other instruments from there.
  • If you have a melody idea, start with that — build the beat and bassline underneath.

So if you’re looking to become a beat-making Producer, the first step is to make beats. Make a lot of beats. Practice, get better, hone your craft. Eventually, you’ll get to the point where other artists will want to work with you.

You should start by reaching out to Singers, Rappers, or Songwriters you know: see if they want to collaborate. For example, you make the beat, they add the lyrics and melody. You may not end up with a hit song on your first collab, but keep trying. You never know what will happen.

And they may be surprised you made such good music with a free online beat maker.

How do I start producing beats?

Caleb J. Murphy (CareersInMusic)

To start producing a beat, set your BPM and write a kick and snare rhythm – these two elements define the vibe of your beat. Next, create the high-hat or shaker pattern to fit the kick-snare combo. Then you may want to add in supplemental percussion elements to give the beat some variety and avoid too much repetition. Next, you can add melodic elements or a sampled chord progression. Lastly, mix and master your beat.

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