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Fancy a free soft synth, drum machine, compressor or reverb? Youre in luck! You can grab them all right now, plus a thousand other similar titles. Yes, the world of freeware has so many options that you can quickly and easily compile the main components of a virtual recording studio.

But, the fact is that there are so many freeware options to choose from, that you could spend an age filling your bandwidth and hard drives with downloads and then what have you got? Severe plugin bloat and the tyranny of choice, thats what! Inevitably, youll end up spending more time choosing and auditioning than you will creating.

Thats why we're taking a look at the whole ecosphere of free music software, to save you the download time, and highlight the best free titles. However, here at MusicRadar, weve noticed that many of the most common recommendations have been around for years.

And this is to the detriment of many a new title as over the last couple of years, theres been an explosion in amazing-looking, newer freeware options for all studio tasks. The point of this feature is to hone in on thesemore recent releases, as well as the ones you might have missed along the way.

Were not saying that the old guard arent worth a download they certainly are! But theres a sea of new faces out there, in danger of being ignored. So, well focus the freeware gems that we should all be using but might be getting lost.

This feature is very much about the here and now then, plus a few releases from the last couple of years. And that not only means that many of the titles we discuss sport fantastic up-to-date designs (as good as many a paid for title in some cases) it also means their sounds will be current and they should run on modern computers; not always a given, of course, with some of the creakier, older freeware plugins.

Before we get to the excitement of our all new 2023 options, lets get a quick overview of the freeware market this year and find out exactly why it can be such a confusing place to be, with so many options available. Then, on the flipside, how it can also be a brilliant place to be, with some amazing plugins for you to download without reaching for your bank card details. Read on to discover more

Welcome to the wild, unregulated west of the freeware world, where you could saddle up with an entire studio of big gun software applications, without spending a dime, or end up in the saloon, drunk on cheap whiskey and with a hard drive of unusable varmints. Lets lose that western thing and help you make sense of the world youve entered, starting with the simplest of scenarios

Really there are two sorts of freeware options available: those titles that have been created to butter you up to pay for full-fat titles, and those that have simply been created for the love of programming and making music. Two worlds: acynical, capitalist one only concerned with making money from your passion for music making, and another one full of joyous hippies who program for free and give you the results.

Of course, just as our politics is a little more nuanced and less extreme than it appears, so there is a massive grey area between these freeware worlds, so lets try and break it down.

The first type of freeware is simply what you might and we often call oldware. Titles that have been superseded with flashier new designs or upgraded sample rates, but still serve a purpose and can be pretty decent. Advantages here are that these titles are fully-functioning applications that might have cost a fortune at one time. Disadvantages are that they may not run on newer operation systems (stand up Apple) orbe dated in appearance.

Next up, we get what you might call demoware, where the applications are functioning but there will very obviously be some controls that are either missing, or greyed out. And guess what? You have to pay for a full version to get those controls back. Pros are that you can usually get decent results; cons are the crippling feeling that you are missing out on something very cool because you opted to not spend that 20for an upgrade.

The concept of magware is something were only too familiar with: our sister magazine Computer Music pretty much coined the phrase andstarted the revolution with giving software away with magazines. It's still going strong, and you can access a suite of over 80 free plugins by purchasing any issue of Computer Music Magazine.

One set of freeware we wont be covering in-depth here is the concept of bundleware. This is usually a huge selection of software titles (some old, some cutdown) that tempt you into buying a piece of studio hardware usually an audio interface or MIDI controller.

As good as these sometimes are, youre talking about a choice that varies hugely brand by brand. Its beyond the scope of this feature but our advice is to either compare each software title individually by reading (our!) reviews, or simply ignore the bundle altogether when making buying choices. Often you might find restrictions or too many tempters to get you to upgrade. Focus on the hardware youre getting instead. Its this item you were looking at in the first place, right?

Probably the newest freeware contender in town is (hmm, what to call this?) temptware. This is where youll get a full piece of software which is often amazing and worth up to, say, 100, but youll have to do something in return to get it. This might be anything as simple as buying a magazine (hands up, us) or signing up to a newsletter. More often than not its becoming part of the developers ecosphere, so with IK Multimedia, for example, youre getting a fabulous freebie, but youll be downloading many others as part of their plugin ecosphere, either demos or not available with easy options to buy them.

While its easy to spend and upgrade in this scenario of course it is you do get some very good offers, so these should be considered, especially if you have already bought into the developers world. Then you are simply getting another great freebie, and you havent wasted any extra cash or drive space.

Another relatively new option is to get a limited time free deal on a software subscription. In case youve been locked away for the last few years, soft subs are the new big thing in music production land. Every company seems to be offering a $20/month sub to get every title made by them. To reel you in, they might well give you three months for free, but you will end up paying in the long run, so again, this is one well avoid, although theres a big feature on software subscriptions welloverdue.

So to sum up, in this feature well be covering mostly oldware, demoware and the free titles made by an entire community of lovely developers, and the best titles within each of these categories.

Well look at the usual Best Synth, Best Drum Machine suspects, of course, but everything you read about over the next few pages will be either new, obscure or very much worth your time, so you can rest assured that the music you make from your downloads will standout from the masses. Get ready to download the best of 2023

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: AU/VST | Download

You once had to pay (albeit not very much) for this subtractive, virtual analogue synth. And while it might be a typical VA with two oscillators (plus sub) and filters, a couple of LFOs and effects, plus three envelopes One has a lot of things going for it, including a great sound and easy interface. Its ONE to download now.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: AU/VST/VST3/AAX | Download

Pendulate has a chaotic oscillator based on the physics of a double pendulum. You therefore get more unusual sounds than you might be used to. While it can spin lovely leads and nicely rounded basses, Pendulate is more at home with grit, chaos, wobble and randomness.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: AU2/VST/AAX | Download

This may be dedicated to specific dance genres (mostly house) and have a simple interface, but both of those might also appeal to you. Drive doesnt mess about, it just gets right to the music with big characterful sounds and an impactful intent. It is completely free but you do have to download the Ujam app to install and use it.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: AU/VST | Download

Like Usynth Drive, ToneZ has specific dance aspirations this time EDM and the supersaws and plucks that go with it. Behind that bluster is a lovely-looking and decently deep four oscillator synth capable of a great deal more. There are 12 waveforms, four envelopes, two filters and even six effects, plus loads of preset packs to download.

Platforms: Mac/PC/Linux | Formats: AU/VST3/CLAP/LV2 | Download

Not entirely a new one, but it's so good, we had to give it a mention! This open source synth might look complex but it has a huge amount of power (as we show in our tutorial). Its a subtractive hybrid synth with 700+ wavetables and 2800 patches, and runs on pretty much any platform. If you're just getting started with Surge, check out our guide on how to use this powerful free synth plugin.

Platforms: Mac/PC/Linux | Formats: Standalone | Download

Its debatable whether VCV Rack should be classed as a soft synth or a DAW in its own right. Essentially, it's a digital recreation of a fully customisable modular synth, but it can also host plugins of its own, mix and export multiple audio channels and be used to arrange entire tracks.

The downside of its DAW-like character is that it cant be used as a plugin within any other software, althougha paid-for plugin version is now available. As a self-contained synthesizer, however, theres a lot to love about VCV Rack. Its free and open source, and the impressive core lineup of included modules can be expanded using a community-created library of both free and paid-for plugins.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/AU/AAX | Download

Steven Slate Drums is the go-to plugin for many producers after the highest quality drum sounds and kits. SSD 5.5 Free is a cut-down version, albeit with a great quality kit. Were talking acoustic drum sounds as opposed to the many electronic offerings here, but this is as good as they get. While theres only one kit, you also get variations and hands-on control over the sounds.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/VST3/AU/AAX | Download

Well have more detail on the LABS concept later it appears in our other lists but its essentially a range of sampled instruments within a high quality Spitfire interface, and all for free. Drums features a kit recorded in Spitfires own studio in 2012 with a range of high-quality mics, and like SSD, just one kit will cover a multitude of song choices and styles, such is its quality.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/AU | Download

Sub is a relatively simple virtual analogue drum machine that's inspired by the TR-808. The controls are somewhat limited, in many cases offering just pan and level, but also adding a few extra controls for the kick and snare, plus tuning for the toms and congas. Sonically, Sub does a worthy 808 impression, though to our ears the hats are more 606-ish.

Subs main draw, however, lies in the addition of sub bass controls that can be used to enhance the low end coming from the kick. This lets users create and refine the distinctive long, bassy kicks often used as basslines by hip-hop and techno producers. Its worth a download for this alone.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/VST3/AU | Download

Voted as one of the best free drum applications over at KVR, Monster Drum has slipped under many a radar, but is a constantly updated drum ROMpler. It has a look and sound for just about every occasion, so is ideal for just about any music genre out there.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/VST3/AU | Download

You get many drum apps that concentrate on real acoustic kits and many that focus on the machine-like Roland TRs. But what we like about DR-84 is that it emulates a spread of machines including Linn Drums, E-mu Drumulator, Yamaha RX11 and Simmons SDS-V. You get 14 kits in total, so a lot of varied sounds.

Platforms: Mac/PC/Linux/iOS | Formats: VST/AU/AUv3/AAX | Download Another well-respected one. Sitala is a simple-on-the surface but surprisingly flexible drum sampler. The thinking is you already have all the samples you need (if you don't, we know where you can find them) so just load them in here, program beats (or even tunes and riffs) and theres enough per-note editing to come up with anything, with ease. Inspirational in its simplicity.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/AU | Download

We like Piano One for a couple of reasons. Firstly its an amazing recreation of the Yamaha C7, a widely used concert grand piano, with a lovely interface and lots of control over the sound. But also, we like the refreshing honesty of the developers: Okay. We admit it. Were giving this away in hopes of luring you in, and getting you interested in our other products. OK, were sold.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/VST3/AU/AAX | Download

The companys LABS could potentially feature in all of our freeware Top 6s, so were opting for this one from Spitfire in our instrument category. And its an entire orchestra for free! You get 33 instruments and 47 techniques in a reasonable 300MB download. The catch? Just fill in a survey and wait for the results. A small price to pay.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/AU | Download

Pianos and orchestras might be too traditional, so now, how about something different: a vocal instrument with an ethereal touch. Aria Libera has vocalist Emma May Prices humming processed through modular gear and the results are outstanding; forget pianos and violins! If you want something out there, this is it.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST | Download

If you thought Aria Libera was weird, what about this one?! Yes, it looks like a child designed it, but that fits with its lo-fi aesthetic. You get keys, pad, lead and bass instruments and the ability to add tape, rain and vinyl noise to them for a lo-fi, hip/trip-hop kinda vibe. Distortion, chorus, reverb and more take you as lo as you like.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/AU | Download

We havent come across too many good free organ instruments, but here we have an emulation created as a collaboration between four developers, hence the name, and it sounds good enough to justify all of that input. And there are plenty of extras to vary the sound, including effects, drawbars, realistic key noises and a decent bunch of presets to show it all off.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/VST3/AU/AAX/CLAP | Download

We havent had many emulations yet either, so lets finish with another newbie, this time from masters of vintage emulation, Full Bucket Audio. This is a recreation of the 1978 Poly Ensemble S String Machine and does fab strings, but has enough tweaking action to really get in and make other varied sounds.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/VST3/AU/AAX | Download

Based in Prague, MeldaProductions is an audio software company that prides itself on uniqueness, often taking a different (even quirky) approach to conventional processes and effects. Whilst the majority of their products are paid for, theirMFreeFXBundleis an excellent gateway into their catalogue, not to mention a superb way of bolstering your DAWs plugin inventory without breaking the bank.

The free bundle includes some things you would expect to find in any plugin collection, such as an EQ, a compressor and filters, but it also includes things that you might expect to sit behind paywalls, such as autotuners, stereo wideners, waveshapers, and very comprehensive analysers.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/VST3/AU/AAX | Download

Not the only freebie available from TDR, but Slick EQ really does fulfil its brief well. You get straight to the point with three parametric-style EQ bands, four modes and even saturation on the output to give you some added warmth.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/VST3/AU/AAX/RTAS | Download

This wonderful EQ is modelled on the API 550 and the Pultec EQP, a couple of analogue modules that engineers weep over. Like SlickEQ, you get three bands of EQ, but this time that vintage warmth comes by way of the preamp.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/VST3/AU/AAX | Download

Every good mixer needs a good transient shaper to adjust the impact of percussion and other attack-based instruments. They dont come much simpler/effective than this freebie from Flux Audio. Simply dial Sweet to reduce the percussive transients and Bitter to increase their presence. Sweet!

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/VST3/AU/AAX/CLAP | Download

Togu Audio Line are well known for their cheap and free plugins, and while this one isnt new, it has been overhauled and now sports CLAP compatibility. And as well as providing a quality reverb sound, you can now go the other way for lo-fi results with other controls for bit-reduction and sample-rate.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST3/AU/AAX | Download

Cramit replicates the OTT compression made famous by Lives multiband compressor. You get three bands with adjustable sliders to select upwards or downwards compression and expansion. Add in seven types of distortion and you can use this as subtly or creatively as you wish.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST3/AU/AAX | Download

If youve ever fancied recording in Abbey Road (and havent we all?) then there are plenty of vintage emulations in freeware. For that classic 1176 compression, Analog Obsession Fetish (as part of the FET bundle) might have a simple interface but mimics the controls and sound of the original. Theyalso do a great LA2A emulation.

Platforms: Mac/PC | Formats: VST/AU | Download

LA-2A optical style compression comes by way of Analog Obsession (above) and this, ADHD Audio Tools Leveling Tool. It will tamethose peaks, ADHD, say, and also specialises in great vocal compression. Theres a Sidechain control and a Drive knob adds more character.

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