Where to Find Beat Making Software

If you are a laptop DJ just starting, you need some music-mixing and beat-making software, preferably without breaking your budget. But where can you find software for making beats? The good news is that beat-making software is everywhere online if you know where to look. The bad news is that software quality for making beats varies dramatically. Some beat-making software is solid gold, while others are worse than useless. This article will tell you where to look and what to look for.

Software Download Sites

Many websites on the internet are essentially just vast catalogs of software that you can download for free. Although there are more free download sites than can be counted, two in particular (download.com and softpedia.com) have an excellent reputation for quality, security, and a good selection of software. You’ll find Freeware, Shareware, and Professional software available for download on these sites.

Software

Freeware

Freeware is software available for download completely free, with no strings attached. Be very, very wary when downloading and installing freeware. First, freeware is notorious for carrying hidden viruses, spyware, malware, or, at the very least, irritating advertisements.

Second, because software developers give freeware away, they have no income and almost no development budget. Consequently, free software for making beats tends to be inferior. It has fewer features, supports fewer music file formats, and is generally less flexible and useful than shareware and professional software.

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Third and finally, freeware is almost always unsupported. This means you’re alone if you have a technical problem using it. In general, although the price is tempting, freeware should be avoided.

That said, some good free music mixing and beat-making software does exist, such as Audacity and FruityLoops. However, they are the exception rather than the rule. If you have no budget and can only afford freeware, research it thoroughly, read customer reviews, and test it for spyware and viruses before installing it on your computer.

Shareware

Shareware is a good middle ground between freeware and expensive professional software. Shareware is often a relatively small program available for a small price, usually between twenty and fifty dollars. Shareware has many advantages.

First, shareware is generally more secure. Since software developers can be held legally responsible, they do their best to prevent their beat-making software from being infected with viruses or other malicious programs. Still, shareware has been known to contain spyware. Always scan shareware for spyware before installing it on your computer, just in case.

Second, shareware developers have a development budget since shareware is sold and not given away. They funnel this money into making their beat-making software as good as possible so that they can keep on top of their competitors. Shareware is generally more powerful and flexible, supports more music file formats, and has more features.

Third, shareware almost always allows you to “test drive” the beat-making software before buying it. You can download “trial versions” of shareware from the software download sites mentioned above. The trial version usually lets you use the software for a set number of days, after which it won’t open anymore. However, you should know if you like it and want to buy the full version by then. Try experimenting with trial versions of several beat-making shareware programs before deciding which one to buy.

Professional Software

Professional software is a double-edged sword. Although it is unquestionably the best software for making beats and mixing music, it is by far the most expensive.

Professional beat-making software is designed for professional use in the music industry. It has the most features, supports the most music file formats, and is the most flexible and robust. However, it has two serious drawbacks.

The first drawback is the price. Professional software is costly, some software costing several hundred dollars. If a new version is released (for example, you have BeatMaker 3.0, and BeatMaker 4.0 is released), you’ll also have to pay a hefty price tag. There are no free upgrades in the professional software world.

Second, since professional software is designed for experts, it is often very technical. It may be filled with exotic tools you’ve never heard of or technological jargon you don’t understand. What is the point of having full-featured software if you don’t know what half of the controls do?

How to Choose?

-If you’re serious about becoming a DJ, you’ll want to get the best software for making beats you can afford. Beat-making software is available for every job, skill level, and budget. Download and test freeware or trial versions of shareware and professional software until you find the beat-making software that fulfills all your music needs, that you are comfortable using, and has the right price tag. Just a few hours of research will save you time and money for years.

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Alcohol scholar. Bacon fan. Internetaholic. Beer geek. Thinker. Coffee advocate. Reader. Have a strong interest in consulting about teddy bears in Nigeria. Spent 2001-2004 promoting glue in Pensacola, FL. My current pet project is testing the market for salsa in Las Vegas, NV. In 2008 I was getting to know birdhouses worldwide. Spent 2002-2008 buying and selling easy-bake-ovens in Bethesda, MD. Spent 2002-2009 marketing country music in the financial sector.