Best Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) for Mac of 2025

Our DAW for DJ mix can help you to improve your workflow. Our timeline-based editor and unique, intuitive tools will help you create flawless DJ mixes in record time on your laptop. To improve your mix, experiment with effects and customize your transitions. Connect to your music collection, automix your play list, and focus on your transitions. Voila! You are ready to export your mix to your favorite platform. Automix uses millions of calculations to order your playlist based on tempo and harmonic matching inspired by the Camelot Wheel. Save time and make sure your DJ mixes sound perfect. You can choose your tracks by integrating with Mixed In Key or other software such as rekordbox Serato, VirtualDJ Engine DJ, TRAKTOR iTunes, VirtualDJ Engine DJ, VirtualDJ VirtualDJ, VirtualDJ VirtualDJ, VirtualDJ VirtualDJ, VirtualDJ VirtualDJ, VirtualDJ VirtualDJ, or your computer's library. Export mixes to Ableton Live. Soon: Add samples, use third-party VSTs and overlay vocal recordings. You can do anything you want: mix, produce, podcasts, and video.

Audacity is a free and open-source audio software that operates on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux. This user-friendly multi-track audio editor and recorder was created by a dedicated team of volunteers committed to open-source development. Users can capture live audio via a microphone or mixer, as well as digitize sounds from various media sources. The software allows for the importation, editing, and merging of audio files, and recordings can be exported in a variety of file formats, including the capability to handle multiple files simultaneously. Audacity supports audio resolutions of 16-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit, with superior quality achieved through high-quality resampling and dithering techniques. It also accommodates effect plug-ins like LADSPA, LV2, Nyquist, VST, and Audio Unit, allowing users to modify Nyquist effects directly within a text editor or create their own plug-ins. Editing is simplified with features like Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete, alongside unlimited Undo and Redo options for flexibility during sessions. Users can preview effects in real-time and manage their plug-ins effectively through the integrated Plug-in Manager, ensuring a smooth workflow while working on audio projects. Overall, Audacity stands out as a versatile tool for both amateur and professional audio enthusiasts.

A top-tier audio workstation. Craft, blend, and create sound effects using the leading digital audio editing software in the industry. Audition boasts an extensive array of features including multitrack, waveform, and spectral displays for the creation, mixing, editing, and restoration of audio material. This potent audio workstation is tailored to enhance video production processes and audio finishing, ensuring a refined mix with exceptional sound quality. Discover the premier tool for audio cleanup, restoration, and precise editing, ideal for video production, podcasting, and sound effect crafting. This tutorial will walk you through the powerful audio toolkit found in Adobe Audition, highlighting its smooth integration with Adobe Premiere Pro. Utilize the Essential Sound panel to achieve audio quality that rivals that of professionals, even if you're just starting out. Additionally, familiarize yourself with the fundamental techniques to record, mix, and export audio for podcasts or any other audio initiatives you undertake. By mastering these skills, you will elevate your audio projects to new heights.

GarageBand serves as a comprehensive music production studio directly on your Mac, boasting an extensive sound library that features various instruments, as well as presets for both guitar and vocals, alongside a remarkable array of session drummers and percussionists. Enhanced by Touch Bar capabilities for MacBook Pro and a sleek, user-friendly design, it simplifies the process of learning, playing, recording, creating, and sharing your musical masterpieces globally. With these tools at your disposal, you can effortlessly step into the realm of professional music-making. Embrace your creativity and let your musical journey begin!

REAPER boasts a comprehensive and adaptable suite of features alongside its impressive reliability, making it a preferred choice across a variety of applications that utilize digital audio, including professional studios, educational settings, broadcasting, location recording, scientific research, game design, and beyond. This powerful software is equally at home in high-stakes professional environments as it is on the laptops of students, offering a single, fully equipped version without any imposed restrictions or limitations. Users have the opportunity to explore the entirety of REAPER's capabilities through a 60-day trial period, allowing them to fully assess its functionality. Additionally, acquiring a REAPER license is both budget-friendly and free of digital rights management, ensuring a hassle-free experience for all users. This combination of features makes REAPER an appealing option for both novices and seasoned professionals alike.

FL STUDIO: The driving force behind the world's most exceptional music. We proudly celebrate over 20 years of Lifetime Free Updates. Experience the quickest pathway from your imagination to your speakers. FL Studio has evolved through more than two decades of dedicated development, ensuring it remains the quickest link between your ideas and sound output. Many acclaimed DJs and producers began their journey by downloading the FL Studio trial, crafting their initial beats within the comfort of their own homes. Now, it's your opportunity; our trial version allows you to create and save projects while exporting them in formats like MP3 and WAV, making them ready for global sharing. Just imagine how far FL Studio can take your musical aspirations! You can mix and master tracks to meet the highest industry standards, utilizing all the essential tools required for crafting today’s intricate productions, including effects chains, audio sends, sidechain control, advanced automation, plugin delay compensation, and much more. We guarantee that no matter which version you purchase, every future update will be provided at no additional cost. Enjoy peace of mind knowing there will be nothing else to pay for.

Your creativity and musical skill are limitless. Elevate your sound with cutting-edge software and hardware designed to let you concentrate on your passion. Introducing Pro Tools, the comprehensive solution for producing beats, crafting songs, recording vocals and instruments, and mixing high-quality music ready for global streaming platforms. Pro Tools accelerates the music-making process, featuring the professional-grade DAW toolset and plugins favored by GRAMMY® winners to produce the tracks you love. Quickly develop your songs and achieve more lifelike-sounding compositions with intuitive MIDI features. Incorporate loops that automatically adjust to the tempo of your session. Enjoy the freedom to innovate and experiment while keeping the music playing without interruption. Collaborate on ideas and projects seamlessly with anyone, regardless of location, thanks to Cloud Collaboration. Additionally, with its universally accepted session format, you can easily take your music to any producer or recording studio worldwide. By using Pro Tools, you open the door to endless musical possibilities.

Live enables users to compile numerous takes of an audio or MIDI performance into distinct segments, allowing for the selection of the finest moments from each to craft an ideal final take. You can also explore sound design creatively by mixing and matching random samples from your collection. By linking two or more tracks for simultaneous content editing, it simplifies the process of working with multi-tracked instruments or collaborative performances, ensuring everything stays synchronized across all tracks. This functionality extends to MIDI tracks as well. When you connect an MPE-compatible controller, you can effortlessly introduce bends, slides, and pressure variations for each note within a chord. This capability facilitates nuanced expression variations, seamless transitions between chords, and the creation of dynamic sonic landscapes. MPE, or MIDI Polyphonic Expression, enhances the MIDI experience by allowing MPE-enabled devices to manipulate multiple parameters of each note in real-time, culminating in more expressive and intricate instrumental performances. Overall, this innovative approach to music production empowers artists to achieve a higher level of creativity and precision in their work.

With a single, user-friendly application, you can record, produce, mix, master, and perform seamlessly. Studio One® 5 is crafted to be your creative ally, whether you’re in the studio or on stage. Starting with the Start Page, you'll find everything necessary to kick off your creative journey, featuring a dashboard that organizes all your songs, projects, and performances, along with a customizable user profile to enhance your creations with tailored metadata. You can experiment with remix concepts or capture a synth riff without disrupting your existing arrangement or initiating a new session. The innovative Patterns feature transforms step sequencing, allowing you to effortlessly craft drums, basslines, and synth leads with adjustable sequence lengths and a wealth of variations. Moreover, experience lightning-fast editing of multitrack drums, bolstered by sophisticated transient detection, slicing, and time-stretching capabilities, which enhance your workflow and creativity further.

Performer Lite is your all-in-one solution for swiftly and effortlessly recording, editing, mixing, processing, and mastering your music tracks. Simply connect your microphone, guitar, and MIDI keyboard to start creating with an extensive array of over 100 virtual instruments, numerous effects plug-ins, and comprehensive guitar FX processing options. Not only does Performer Lite serve as a replacement for AudioDesk, but it also delivers enhanced features and improved compatibility with the most modern computer systems available today. With its user-friendly interface and robust capabilities, Performer Lite empowers musicians of all levels to produce high-quality audio with ease and efficiency.

Hindenburg PRO is a multitrack audio editor designed specifically for producing podcasts, radio and other spoken-word productions. Our easy-to-learn audio editor helps you work smarter and faster. Innovative features solve common podcasting & radio challenges: uneven levels, noisy recordings, inconsistent voice sounds, bleeding microphones, distribution to hosts and more. Hindenburg records and edits uncompressed sound to give you the best audio quality. Intuitive user interface design allows you to record and edit fast. The Clipboard and Favourites features allow you to organise your recordings and speed up your production. With video tutorials, live webinars, a vast knowledge base and fast customer support, we’re here when you need us. But more than just support, we offer a thriving community of users who share your love for audio storytelling. Hindenburg’s focus is storytelling. Plug in your microphone and begin telling your story.

This audio editing software can be used to edit audio on both Windows and Mac. Record and edit audio, voice, and other recordings. You can edit audio files by cutting, copying and pasting parts. Then you can add effects such as echo, amplification, and noise reduction. WavePad can be used as an MP3 or WAV editor. However, it also supports VOX, GSM and WMA file formats.

Logic Pro transforms your Mac into a professional-grade recording studio that can handle the most intricate projects. You can easily capture your musical ideas and performances, whether you're recording a full band or working solo with software instruments, seamlessly integrating them into your compositions. With Live Loops, you can create and experiment in innovative ways, while Logic Remote allows you to control your music sessions directly from your iPad or iPhone. The Sampler and Quick Sampler tools enable you to turn sounds into unique instruments, while the Step Sequencer makes it easy to construct drum beats and melodic patterns quickly. Live Loops offers an engaging approach to music creation and arrangement in real-time, allowing you to start your song by populating a grid of cells with loops, samples, or recorded performances. You can experiment by triggering various cells to explore different ideas without being confined to a specific timeline or arrangement. Once you discover combinations that resonate with you, you can organize them into song sections and transition everything into the Tracks area to continue refining and completing your song, ensuring a polished final product. This flexibility and creativity in the workflow make it easier than ever to develop unique musical pieces.

Since its debut, Nuendo has proven to be an essential resource for crafting soundtracks for numerous prestigious productions, products, and installations. With consistent updates that introduce innovative features, enhance workflows, and incorporate user-suggested functionalities, Nuendo consistently surpasses the standards expected from an audio workstation focused on post-production. Its advanced and often unparalleled capabilities contribute to a continuous transformation in the realm of audio and media production software, making it a leader in the industry. This commitment to improvement ensures that users remain at the forefront of audio technology.

Pyramix is a digital audio workstation that is widely utilized by professional studios and engineers globally for tasks related to music production, mastering, and post-production in television and film. Combined with its networked audio interfaces, Pyramix delivers a comprehensive solution that enables the digital creation of music with an audio quality that mimics the warmth of analog sound. It empowers music producers to maintain the highest standards throughout the entire production process, equipping them with essential tools for extensive distribution, including the latest streaming formats like Dolby Atmos®. Collaborating with companies such as Flux Audio, Merging Technologies has integrated remarkable plugins into Pyramix, offering them in any resolution with almost negligible latency. Beyond being the most transparent, analog-sounding digital audio workstation, Pyramix also features innovative editing capabilities, including the distinctive source/destination mode that allows for effortlessly editing vast multitrack recordings at exceptional speed. This combination of features ensures that Pyramix stands out as an essential tool for audio professionals who value both quality and efficiency.

Create music across multiple operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. With a user-friendly interface, you can compose songs, develop sequences, mix tracks, and automate processes seamlessly. Utilize a MIDI controller or your computer's keyboard to play notes and enhance your workflow. The Rhythm + Bass Editor allows for easy consolidation of instrument tracks. Refine your patterns, notes, chords, and melodies using the Piano Roll Editor, which provides extensive editing capabilities. You can also achieve full automation through user-defined tracks and computer-controlled automation sources. The software supports importing both MIDI files and Hydrogen projects for added versatility. Enjoy built-in compatibility with 64-bit VST instruments through a 32-bit VST bridge on Windows 64-bit systems, along with support for LADSPA plugins. Additionally, VST® Effects Plugins are available for both Linux and Windows environments. The program features an array of built-in effects, such as compressors, limiters, delays, reverbs, distortions, and bass boosters, as well as graphic and parametric equalizers for precise sound shaping. A spectrum analyzer/viewer is also included to visualize your audio. Dive into the world of music creation on your computer, crafting melodies, rhythms, and synthesizing sounds while arranging samples and utilizing an expansive toolkit for your creative endeavors. This comprehensive software empowers musicians at all levels to explore their artistry and produce high-quality music effortlessly.

Waveform is an innovative application tailored for the contemporary needs of music producers, emphasizing creative and inspiring workflows while intentionally omitting unnecessary features to keep the interface engaging and user-friendly. Unlike other applications that cater to a wide array of users—including those in film scoring, live sound, and performance—our focus remains strictly on music production. The introduction of the Arranger Track in Waveform Pro provides an exceptionally straightforward yet effective means to manage arrangement regions. By simply creating an arrange clip within the arranger track, users can easily control their entire arrangement area. With contemporary functionalities like magnetic movement, similar to those used in video editing software, the arranger track automatically adjusts the opening and closing of arrangement regions based on user selections. This advancement has significantly simplified the process of experimenting with song structure and arrangement, making it an enjoyable experience for producers. Now, musicians can explore their creative possibilities with unprecedented ease and efficiency.

Reason is an impressive suite of innovative instruments, synthesizers, and effects designed to help you craft an infinite variety of incredible sounds and music. You can utilize it as a plugin with your preferred DAW or make music directly within Reason's standalone environment. The Sound Packs serve as ideal musical components that blend seamlessly together. Each Sound Pack contains Reason patches (or presets) that represent powerful combinations of different Reason devices, expertly created by top-tier sound designers. With fresh Sound Packs released weekly, you will consistently have a source of inspiration at your fingertips, ensuring your creativity never runs dry. Additionally, the versatility of Reason means you can explore different genres and styles, making it an essential tool for any music producer.

Ignite your creativity and streamline your mixing process within a single cohesive workflow. Digital Performer 11 is equipped with inspiring features designed to fuel your artistic vision, alongside cutting-edge studio production capabilities tailored for the highest standards in recording and production. This latest version introduces an array of innovative tools, including Nanosampler 2.0, Retrospective Audio Record, Articulation Maps, ARA support, and MPE Support, along with numerous workflow improvements that have been specifically requested by users. Notably, ARA2, an extension of the plug-in protocol developed by Celemony™, enables Melodyne™ and other compatible plugins to preemptively access and analyze audio data within sound files, enhancing the overall editing and playback experience. With these advancements, Digital Performer 11 not only elevates your creative projects but also ensures a more efficient and seamless workflow.

Unleash your artistic abilities with the quickest and most user-friendly DAW designed for beat production. Effortlessly craft album-worthy beats using Studio's robust features, and see for yourself why it stands out as the ultimate beat-making tool for producers at any experience level. Dive into your creative process swiftly with Studio's efficient workflow, allowing you to bypass technical obstacles and frustrations. Ascend to the ranks of top-charting music producers by utilizing Studio's acclaimed built-in sampler to generate your next hit single. Keep the inspiration flowing with complimentary sound packs filled with countless distinctive instruments, drum kits, and samples sourced from elite producers around the globe. With such an array of resources at your fingertips, your musical journey is bound to be exciting and rewarding.

Are you looking to compose your own music, elevate your production skills to a professional standard, or optimize your workflow for tight deadlines? No matter your goal, Cubase is designed to help you unlock your complete creative potential. Ranging from renowned Hollywood film composers and top Billboard producers to enthusiastic novices, the music production community relies on the extensive features, user-friendly tools, and exceptional sound quality of our highly regarded software. With Cubase, you can explore endless possibilities and enhance your musical journey.

RipX DAW, created by Hit'n'Mix, is a cutting-edge AI-powered Digital Audio Workstation that aims to transform the landscape of audio editing and music creation. With its sophisticated stem separation technology, users can extract and manage individual elements within a track, including vocals, instruments, and percussion, making it an invaluable tool for remixing, sampling, and educational purposes. This functionality allows for extensive creativity and flexibility in music production. The platform features user-friendly tools for adjusting pitch and tempo, which grants artists exceptional precision over their audio components. Additionally, users are encouraged to explore a variety of effects, pitches, and musical scales, fostering an environment ripe for artistic innovation. RipX DAW also supports advanced audio editing capabilities such as time-stretching, stereo panning, volume adjustments, and equalization, providing a thorough suite for audio manipulation. Built-in live effects like Reverse, Delay, and Vibrato further enrich the creative experience. Compatibility with multiple audio formats and seamless integration with other Digital Audio Workstations further enhance its usability, making it a versatile option for musicians and producers alike. This comprehensive feature set positions RipX DAW as a powerful ally for anyone looking to elevate their music production endeavors.

With a PreSonus Sphere membership, you gain access to an extensive library of master class videos, collaborative tools, monthly live streams, exclusive features for Studio One, and presets crafted by industry experts, along with a wealth of loop and construction kit content that is regularly updated every month. There are absolutely no hidden fees or extra upgrade costs involved. This membership also provides a license for the renowned Studio One Professional, the only digital audio workstation that enables you to record, produce, mix, master, and perform all within a single platform. You can seamlessly transition from a creative idea to a fully mastered album, and even utilize song stems as backing tracks during live performances, all thanks to Studio One’s capabilities. PreSonus Sphere truly serves as the ultimate toolkit for today’s composer, allowing you to create everything from straightforward lead sheets to intricate orchestrations with ease. Additionally, the award-winning Notion® software helps you produce polished scores in a fraction of the time, enhancing your compositional workflow significantly.

Among the myriad of digital audio workstations available, only one stands out for its unique design that mirrors the analog approach synonymous with Harrison, prioritizing form, function, and sound. Unlike conventional DAWs that follow a purely digital model, MIXBUS is rooted in Harrison's impressive 40-year legacy, which includes the production of iconic albums and blockbuster soundtracks such as Thriller, Graceland, and Spider-Man. As the first comprehensive DAW to offer genuine analog-style mixing capabilities, Mixbus brings a distinctive flavor to music production. Harrison has a remarkable background in audio technology; during the mid-1980s, the company pioneered fully-automated, digitally-controlled analog mixer technology, which was quickly embraced by leading film-mixing studios globally. With the advent of the digital age, we faced a challenge: convert the analog "processor" into a digital format without altering the beloved control surface. The demand from film mixers was clear—they wanted the digital setup to feel and sound just like the analog mixers they were accustomed to using for past projects. Consequently, this led us to innovate a digital audio engine that not only operated seamlessly but also replicated the rich sound quality of an analog mixer. This commitment to authenticity sets MIXBUS apart and celebrates Harrison’s enduring legacy in the audio world.

LUNA is a free Mac-based recording application perfectly designed to work with Apollo audio interfaces, allowing users to engage in music recording, audio editing, composition, sound design, and more, all in real time while delivering an impressive analog studio sound. Unlike conventional plug-ins, LUNA's extensions are seamlessly integrated into its mixer, providing genuine analog sounds without the hassle of juggling multiple plug-in windows. Users can enjoy the benefits of accurately emulated analog summing inspired by iconic Neve and API consoles. These optional LUNA Extensions can elevate a clean and clinical mix to evoke the warmth of a classic analog mixing desk. Additionally, with the Studer A800 and Ampex ATR-102 LUNA Extensions, you can infuse your audio or instrument tracks, along with the master fader and buses, with the punchy richness of magnetic tape. Furthermore, the included Oxide Tape Machine Extension enables you to shape warm analog tape tones, enhancing the overall sonic experience of your recordings. With LUNA, you have a powerful tool that not only simplifies the production process but also enriches your creative possibilities.