You want to make beats on your Mac, but you’re wondering whether there are any tools for that. Fortunately, beat-making tools exist that make it simple and easy to record audio and MIDI tracks, without you paying for costly licenses.
These programs are designed to help you make music without crushing your wallet, because similar tools may be too expensive for beginners and individuals. The best ones introduce you to beat making and music production while providing track mixers, and sound clip modifiers for good quality work.
There are several beat making software on the market such as Apple Logic Pro, Ableton Live, LMMS and others. Though the best beat making software for Mac is GarageBand. Not only is it full of features but caters to the needs of beginners and professionals fairly well. It’s easy to use and has an intuitive interface.
Let’s find out more about these software in detail.
Best Beat-Making Software On Mac
1. GarageBand
GarageBand is a free beat-making software available on Mac devices. The tool is a complete sound library for Apple users, which offers instruments such as guitar, bass, vocals, and percussion (drums).
Plus, its main advantages include its current design, intuitive interface, and easy learning features.
With over 100 EDM and hip-hop sounds to choose from, you can get creative with your beats using GarageBand. You can also adjust or tweak the sounds however you want. There are many recording and editing tools in the software, all of which may be altered with a few mouse clicks.
And, you can share your new music with friends and family on social media or export them together with your music library to iTunes.
The powerful and feature-rich software however lacks some more advanced features, such as a true mix page and 5.1 surround mixing capability.
It’s a fully capable beat-making tool in its own right, supporting up to 255 audio tracks with full automation, a drummer track, guitar, bass amp, and pedalboard emulation.
Also included is a massive library of hundreds of synth sounds and Apple loops, besides being the first tool to get the Live Loops upgrade even before Logic Pro.
It can be used by beginners or more experienced musicians on their devices. So, if you have a Mac, iPhone, or iPad, it may be the best option for you.
The beat sequencer is, without a question, the most intuitive to use. With the grid interface, the user may easily build complicated drum beats with just a few clicks of the mouse.
GarageBand is available in mobile app and desktop formats, is very intuitive, offers a wide range of features, and is free to use. The main drawbacks are that it’s not as detailed as other standalone beat-making tools and it lacks some pro features.
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2. Apple Logic Pro
Apple Logic Pro is another good beat-making software for Mac with lots of extra options. It offers a great virtual instrument selection, an intuitive interface, and a good selection of royalty-free samples and loops.
The software works only on Mac operating systems and offers MIDI and custom drum kits too. Despite being an Apple-only tool, Apple Logic Pro is a fantastic alternative for generating beats, which is why it’s among the top on our list.
You can start from scratch with a large virtual instrument library, and customize your synthetic drums to create a unique set of beats for whatever you’re working on.
If you wish to record a melody first, Apple Logic Pro’s virtual drum plug-in employs an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to adjust a synthetic drummer to the style of music you generate.
You’ll find controls at the top of the software’s workspace window, which is beautifully organized. And, you can create up to 255 audio and MIDI tracks, which is more than enough to develop a complex arrangement and keep adding new ideas to a song.
You can also add up to 15 insert effects and eight sends per channel in the versatile mix window.
Find out the best Logic Pro alternatives for Windows here.
3. Ableton Live
Ableton Live is a beat-making software that’s widely regarded as one of the best in the industry.
The software relies on MIDI, a complex technology that lets you connect a range of USB devices to your computer and explore with vast synthesizer libraries in a DAW.
Wavetable, a built-in synthesizer in Ableton Live, is incredibly flexible, and you can edit multiple MIDI files simultaneously.
There’s even a more noticeable “Capture” button to eliminate any doubt about whether you’re recording or not. Still, if you want to learn more about Ableton Live, you can enroll in an expert-led course to learn how to navigate it.
Ableton Live was always known for being nearly tough to use for new producers right out of the box, but that has changed in recent years. It’s the industry standard for beat-making. It comes with a slew of features that are ideal for new or seasoned beat makers.
Like its predecessors, Ableton Live comes with a cheaper, lighter Intro version, Standard, and full Suite with all the sounds and plugins you need.
The Suite edition is overkill for the average beat-maker, but the Standard provides a limitless number of audio and MIDI tracks so you can go anywhere with your project.
There are 12 effect send and return buses, the ability to capture MIDI inputs for live programming, 256 mono ins and outs, advanced warp modes, and more. They’ve added over 1,800 built-in sounds (10GB library), plus 13 MIDI effects and 36 audio effects in its Standard edition.
The Intro version is good especially if you’re just getting started with production or deejaying. For a reasonable fee, you get a significant portion of the normal version’s capabilities – a true deal considering what you get.
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4. LMMS
LMMS is a beat-making tool that works on most major operating systems including Mac. The free software helps you start making your beats or music instantly while creating melodies and other well-blended sounds.
Its user-friendly interface lets you play back instruments and plugins by typing or using a MIDI keyboard. You can then share your song on Soundcloud or other social media networks.
The open-source and community-driven project uses a piano roll editor to fine-tune notes and chords. Mixing effects can be added using the in-built compressor, limiter, delay, reverb, and other features.
LMMS’s sequencer helps you create your rhythms, and you can select the BPM and time signature you like. Plus, you can play notes on your Mac using either a midi keyboard or the keyboard on your device if you don’t have one.
You can use the Beat+Bassline Editor to combine and condense instrument recordings, combining the drums and bass into a single rhythm section. This is useful for sidechaining the kick with the bass beats.
The Piano Roll Editor displays your melodies and patterns on a keyboard, allowing you to fine-tune the timings and notes one by one. You may also import MIDI files and Hydrogen project files into your beats with this tool.
There are a total of 16 built-in synthesizers, including a Commodore 64 simulation, Roland TB-303, and Yamaha OPL2. You can also employ a limiter, compressor, delay, reverb, distortion, and bass enhancer among the effects available.
This thorough beat creator, designed by musicians for musicians, offers everything a producer needs to build professional-grade beats. It also supports musical typing, as well as an editorial piano roll for fine-tuning your song.
You may also sequence, write, mix, and automate tracks all from one spot thanks to its user-friendly interface. The software also includes built-in mixing effects and VST plugin support (VST plugins only supported on Linux and Windows).
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5. FL Studio
FL Studio is a popular beat-making app for Mac that also works on other operating systems including iOS devices. The app comes with a free trial but you can upgrade to its paid plan to access more features.
Since its inception as FruityLoops, FL Studio has become a household name in the hip-hop world. It’s come a long way since then. In many cases, it’s one of the professional producers’ first choices owing to how well multiple arrangements operate and how simple it is to use time signature markers.
The comprehensive software can be used to make beats as well as whole productions. As a standard, you get 500 tracks, which is ideal for quick and simple work. Separate workflows make it simple to stay in control without making the interface appear cluttered.
All these make it easier to use the software, though it is still complicated and geared toward the more professional end of the music production industry.
FL Studio is frequently updated by Image-Line, a Belgian firm that is devoted to ensuring that you never have to pay for any of the features. A frequency splitter, an instrument tuner, and multiple layout enhancements have all been added to the software albeit recently.
It’s one of the top tools in its class and combines all of the features of professional standards. For instance, well-known DJ Martin Garrix benefits from FL Studio as it offers him the fastest results when setting new track records.
You too can enjoy complicated effects including advanced automation, delay compensation, sidechain control, plugin audio sends, and more when mixing beats. The inclusion of a Piano roll, which is used to deliver note and automation data to plugin instruments, makes it an outstanding beat-making software.
Over 80 instruments and plugins are included, bit-crushing, covering automation, flanging, equalization, distortion, and more. FL Studio’s unavoidable features include live DJ control, capturing live control movements, producing 4K videos, and scaling the interface.
Where it lacks capabilities like other beat-making software for Mac, it makes up for with its slick beats and excellent electronic music-making facilities.
It’s also good for “in the box” recording, but not so much for capturing guitar or live performances. However, most beat creators rely largely on “in the box” content, which is why FL Studio is ideal for them.
There are four versions of the application, all of which are compatible with Mac and Windows machines. The “Fruity” level has everything you need to make beats but does not include audio recording.
Each subsequent level adds audio recording as well as a selection of effects plugins. The “All Plugins Bundle” is the highest level, and it includes a slew of Image-Line synths like Morphine and Poizone.
Image-Line will give free updates for the rest of your life, regardless of which version you choose. Most software companies charge for updates or require customers to subscribe to their services. Getting free updates is a great plus, then!
FL Studio’s software has a simple and streamlined user interface. You can move many faders at once, just like you would on a conventional mixing board. Even if you’re a newbie, you’ll find the layout intuitive and simple to learn.
A sound library is included with this beat-making software. It’s a good size, but many of the sounds are faint and some appear to be old. Many of the presets supplied are also high pass synths, which are wonderful for dance and EDM mixes but less useful for other projects.
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6. MuseScore
MuseScore is a free beat-making software for Mac users that instantly transforms you into a professional music producer when you roll your fingertips over it. The software is simple to use and powerful, with music for guitar, symphony, jazz, piano, choir, and many other instruments.
Because of its simplicity and adaptability, it is ideal for novices. Your recorded music can be downloaded in any format and shared with your friends afterward.
It’s one of the most popular beat-creating tools for Mac, whether it’s for composition, editing, mixing, or a fresh sheet of creativity. MuseScore offers a one-of-a-kind approach, which makes it unique in that it focuses more on notation editing, allowing you to incorporate classical skills and knowledge into your beat production.
You can change the spacing and size of all of the musical items using this free freeware. Staves, clefs, and accidentals can all be tweaked to produce unique outcomes. MuseScore is an excellent tool for studying music theory on the job if you don’t know anything about it.
With MIDI Input, import, and export capabilities, you can create a complete beat within the software and save it for later or export it right away. MuseScore will probably feel familiar if you’ve used Sibelius before.
The ability to customize all of the keyboard shortcuts is a useful feature in this beat-making software.
Producers all have different working habits, so being able to customize the settings to fit your natural workflow is beneficial.
MuseScore may be the right choice for you if you want to compose beats with a classical feel or simply want to learn more about the theoretical side of music composition.
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7. Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a free beat making software that works with all three popular operating apps, including Mac.
You can get this music beat creating program and start making beats right away. If you want to get the most out of it, you should know that it can make a large number of files, each of which can be stored in a variety of formats such as MP3, WMV, and so on.
It has a pattern-based sequencer with an endless amount of patterns and the ability to chain them together in a single song.
Some of the most valuable features of the finest free beat creating software include time-stretch, time-line tempo, multi-layer instrument compatibility, and infinite instrument tracks.
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8. OrDrumbox
OrDrumbox is also available for free for Mac users. The beat-making software allows you to be both free and creative and is perfect for both experimentation and quick results, which is why music producers love it.
It’s designed particularly for drum beats, though. Like some software on this list, OrDrumbox was also constructed by and for the people.
While this means it’s purpose-built and has some amazing features as a result, it also means it’s a touch rough around the edges, with a simple interface. But there’s a lot here for both newbies and pro beat makers under its hood.
The beat-making app offers easy storage to help you discover new instruments without effort, while automation helps you with your creativity. Import and export of MIDI files are supported, and final export is available in a variety of formats, making this a very user-friendly experience with widely shareable results.
For your beat-making experiments, you can use features like auto-composition, polyrhythms, automatic sound matching, low-fi rendering, and more. OrDrumbox already has a rhythm and sound database, as well as other completely modifiable music components.
The software takes pride in its auto-composition. Baselines, melodic patterns, and even entire songs can be composed automatically, making OrDrumbox excellent for individuals who wish to experiment with beats instantly and without limits.
OrDrumbox uses the grid concept to create a variety of sounds. You can increase your sound library by visiting the OrDrumBox website and downloading additional loops and samples. Its automatic track matching capabilities allow you to easily sync several songs based on pace and rhythm.
Overall, this free beat-making website does exactly what it says. It is without a doubt a very simple online hip-hop beat maker that creates extremely simple tracks. It’s great for short experimentation or for newbies who want to improve their beat-making talents.
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9. Sonic Producer
Sonic Producer works with Mac computers to help you make beats for your music. The software isn’t free, but you get to use it on your Mac device whether you’re a beginner or pro-level producer.
Some of its key features include a 16 channel mixer, 4-octave keyboards, and 12 customizable drum pads.
You can upload your beats directly to social media platforms including Facebook, and choose from a wide range of sounds to create unique beats.
You can also save your beat online and finish whenever you get time.
10. Waveform Free
Waveform Free is a free beat making software that works with Mac computers and comes with a MIDI pattern generator.
The software is Tracktion’s first foray into offering a free version of its commercial program. So, you’ll get all of the high-quality features of a commercial beat-making tool for free. It includes things like non-artificial boundaries to third-party plugin flexibility and a super-simplified interface.
If you wish to connect your kits, there’s full MIDI support, and the included drum sampler sounds fantastic. Another significant plus for this free software that looks and feels as nice as some of the high-end gear is full automation.
Its brilliant MIDI tool transforms your QWERTY keyboard into a musical instrument.
You can make an endless number of tracks to build your beats, and you can easily include external audio or samples.
To solve the typical difficulty of implementing third-party plugins, Tracktion has designed a feature called plugin sandboxing. When you use the sandboxing function, it safeguards your session by preventing the CPU from becoming overworked, and instead of crashing the software, it promptly closes the troublesome plugin, ensuring that your work is not lost.
Most plugins are compatible with Waveform Free; just put them in the VST folder and use them to process your tracks within the software.
Its mini drum sampler is easy to use and gives you a clear visual representation of your beat as you make it. Different drum sounds can be assigned to individual controllers, and they can be edited using compressors, EQ, or a variety of audio processing effects including distortion, phase, and chorus.
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Wrapping Up
Traditionally, you needed lots of different instruments and instrumentalists, studio equipment, and money to make professional beats.
With beat-making software, you don’t have to hassle anymore.
Before picking one from our list, make sure you consider your budget, ease of use, genre-specific instrument availability, recording functions, and effect plugins. Alternatively, you can try any of them and see which one best matches your needs.
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