What is a DAW?

Ok so you’re interested in making music. If you were living before the year 1977 you’d only have one option.

You’d have to go to a recording studio. There you’d be able to use instruments and microphones to make music. Making music this way can become time consuming and expensive.

Luckily we’re living in a digital age. As a result, now you can make music on your computer. Not to mention you can make it a lot quicker and cheaper this way too.

You can record music and produce music via your computer using a DAW. 

What Is a DAW?

DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstation. Simply put it is an application you can install on your computer. This application allows you to produce and record music through your computer.

DAWs can work on both Windows and Mac computers. Today DAWs are used in both professional recording studios and home studios. In fact, you can make music anywhere if you install a DAW on your laptop.

Most DAWs come packed with everything you need to make music. From a mixing rack to VST effects and instruments. DAWs allow you to:

1. Record and edit audio
2. Work with audio Effects
3. Play virtual instruments
4. Mix and master audio
5. Sound design
6. Export wav, mp3 and other audio popular files

Popular Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs)

The first DAW was released in 1977. However, since then many (more advanced) DAWs have been released. As a result, there are many DAWs to choose from today. Here are the most used DAWs right now.

1. Avid Pro Tools – For years Pro Tools has been a leader in DAWs. This is the workstation you will most commonly come across in professional studios. However, it is commonly used for recording instead of producing.
2. Image-Line Fl Studio – Fl Studio is one of the most popular DAWs for music production. However, you can still record with FL Studio.
3. Apple’s Logic Pro & GarageBand – Logic Pro and GarageBand are both DAWs owned by Apple. Therefore they only work on Mac computers. GarageBand is free. On the other hand, Logic Pro need to be purchased. As a result, GarageBand is more limited than Logic Pro. However, you can still record and produce music inside this DAW.
4. Spotify’s SoundTrap – Unlike other DAWs SoundTrap is the first digital audio workstation available completely online. As a result, you don’t need to download anything. SoundTrap is geared towards beginners and helps users learn as they go.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you’re looking to dive into making music you will need a DAW. Your DAW will act as your music studio. Luckily there are plenty of options out there. This includes free and paid options. We recommend starting off with a free DAW to begin learning the process. Then, once you get more advanced you can upgrade.