Is there an app to make your own music?

The rise of digital technology and music production software has made creating professional quality music more accessible than ever. With just a phone, tablet, or laptop and some inexpensive apps, anyone can now produce and release music right from their bedroom.

This has led to a massive increase in so-called “bedroom producers” – musicians and audio engineers who create music at home, without access to professional studios. While bedroom producers have been around for decades, leveraging hardware like 4-track recorders, the accessibility of music apps has caused an explosion in their numbers in recent years.

Now amateur musicians can utilize the same high-end mixing boards, synthesizers, samplers and more that professionals use via software. This has disrupted the music industry and changed perceptions around who can make commercially viable music.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the top music production apps for iOS and Android, the pros and cons of mobile music making, recommended mobile setups and more. With the power of music creation now in our pockets, the possibilities are endless.

What is Music Production Software?

Music production software, also known as a digital audio workstation (DAW), is a platform used to compose, record, edit and mix music digitally. DAWs allow musicians to manipulate audio and MIDI data in a flexible environment. Some key features of DAWs include:

MIDI sequencing and virtual instruments – DAWs allow you to record and edit MIDI data from keyboards, drum machines, and other devices. They also come equipped with software synthesizers and samplers known as virtual instruments.

Multitrack audio recording – DAWs provide the ability to record audio from microphones, instruments, and external devices on separate tracks that can be mixed, processed, and edited.
Audio editing tools – From basic cut, copy, paste functions to more advanced features like pitch correction, time-stretching, noise reduction, etc. DAWs give you a full suite of audio editing capabilities.
Mixing and effects – Built-in EQs, compressors, reverbs and more allow for polish and professional sound within the DAW.

Some of the most popular DAW platforms include Ableton Live ¹, FL Studio ², Pro Tools ³, Logic Pro ⁴, Cubase ⁵ and more. While advanced, DAWs provide an accessible music production environment for musicians and audio engineers of all levels.

Top Apps for iOS

Some of the most popular and full-featured music production apps for iOS include Garageband, FL Studio Mobile, Beatmaker 3, iMaschine, and Launchpad.

Garageband is Apple’s flagship music creation app, offering a complete studio for mobile devices with support for Touch Instruments, Drummer playlists, and Smart Basslines. It’s an easy to use and powerful app for beginners to advanced users. Garageband is free and comes preinstalled on iOS devices.

FL Studio Mobile (available on the App Store) is a full port of Image-Line’s famous DAW tailored for touch screens. It features step sequencers, synced video playback, automation, effects, and supports WAV, MIDI imports for crafting pro-sounding tracks.

Beatmaker 3 by Intua (paid app) is a beat production studio designed for mobile hip-hop creation. It boasts high-quality drum pads and samplers along with an intuitive interface popular among iOS producers.

iMaschine by Native Instruments (app store) packs the production chops of Maschine into an iOS groovebox. Users can tap out beats, tweak sounds, and finish pro-quality tracks using its extensive drum synth and sampler libraries.

Launchpad by Novation is a free iPad app that recreates the launchpad grid controller. It’s great for triggering loops, samples, and FX alongside other music apps. Launchpad offers low-latency and seamless integration with major DAWs.

Top Apps for Android

Android users have several excellent options when it comes to mobile music production apps. Some of the top picks include:

Caustic 3: This full-featured music creation tool allows you to create songs by combining samples and synthesizer engines. Caustic 3 offers unlimited tracks, free VST plugin support, mixing, effects, and more. According to one Reddit user, “Caustic 3. Free on pc, around a fiver for android. Ticks all your boxes.” (Source)

FL Studio Mobile: This popular digital audio workstation (DAW) gives you the ability to create complete multi-track music projects on your Android device. It includes Drum pads and beat slicer, Mixer with effects, Piano roll editor, and more professional features. (Source)
edjing Mix: Perfect for DJs, this app lets you mix tracks live while adding effects and cue points. It has a customizable interface and integration with Spotify and Deezer.
Walk Band: Play various instruments like piano, drums, guitar, and bass using this versatile music creation app. It also has mixing capabilities and vocal effects.

Some other recommended Android music making apps include n-Track Studio, Audio Evolution Mobile, BeatMaker, and more. With quality options across multiple categories like DAWs, synths, drums, and mixing, Android users have great creative flexibility in mobile music production.

Pros of Mobile Apps

One of the major advantages of using mobile apps for music production is convenience and portability. With a powerful smartphone or tablet, musicians can create music anywhere without needing to carry extra equipment or setup a studio space. Music apps provide portable recording, editing, mixing, and publishing capabilities in the palm of your hand (https://energy5.com/the-influence-of-mobile-devices-on-music-creation).

Mobile music apps also tend to be much cheaper than traditional software and hardware. There are many high quality music creation apps available for free or just a few dollars, lowering the barriers to entry for new music producers. Even advanced apps with more capabilities rarely cost over $10-20, a fraction of the cost of desktop programs and gear (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOhsEt8x4H4).

The on-the-go accessibility of smartphones and tablets makes music production easy and intuitive. Musicians can experiment with song ideas wherever inspiration strikes. Mobile apps provide beginners an easy way to learn music production and potentially discover a new passion.

Cons of Mobile Apps

While mobile music production apps offer convenient options for creating music on the go, they do have some downsides compared to desktop digital audio workstations (DAWs). One key disadvantage is limited features. Most mobile DAWs only include basic editing tools and effects, lacking the advanced capabilities available in desktop software like Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Pro Tools. This can make complex mixing and mastering challenging on a mobile device.

In addition, the small screens on smartphones and tablets make tasks like editing audio waveforms difficult. Seeing the details of a mix is harder, which can lead to mistakes. The limited screen real estate also means mobile users need to toggle between different windows more often instead of having everything visually accessible at once.

While mobile music apps offer wonderful flexibility for sketching out musical ideas, those looking to produce fully polished, professionally mixed tracks may still find desktop DAWs better suited for the task. However, as mobile processors and interface design continues improving, mobile production limitations may lessen over time.

Recommended Setups

For producing music on the go, there are several recommended setups that work well depending on your phone, tablet, and computer platform:

iOS and Mac

For iPhones and iPads, the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter allows you to connect audio interfaces, MIDI controllers, and more. For Mac and iOS, the Core Audio system enables easy connectivity without needing drivers. Recommended setups include:

iPad + Audio Interface + Studio Headphones
iPhone + MIDI Keyboard + Music Making App
MacBook + Audio Interface + MIDI Controller

Android and Windows

On Android devices and Windows laptops and tablets, you need USB host mode or OTG support to connect audio gear. High-end Android phones include this, while for others a USB OTG adapter may be required. Good setup options include:

Android Tablet + USB MIDI Controller
Laptop + Audio Interface + Monitoring Headphones

Surface Pro Tablet + Compact MIDI Keyboard

Mobile + Audio Interface

For studio-quality recording, an iOS/Android device plus audio interface provides XLR mic inputs and hi-fi conversion. Some compact options are:

Focusrite iTrack Solo

IK Multimedia iRig Pro Duo I/O
SSL 2Go

MIDI Keyboards

Small 25-37 key MIDI keyboards like the Akai MPK Mini are perfect for mobile production. They connect via USB or wirelessly over Bluetooth/Wi-Fi.

Publishing Your Music

Once you’ve finished producing your music in a mobile app, the next step is to release it so your fans can listen. The main way most artists publish music today is by getting their songs onto major streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.

You essentially have two options for publishing – you can upload directly yourself using a distributor like CD Baby, Tunecore or Distrokid, or you can work with a record label that handles distribution for you. The main benefit of using a distributor is you keep full ownership of your music rights and earn a higher royalty percentage. However, labels may offer more marketing support and industry connections in exchange for taking a cut of your earnings.

Some key tips when releasing your mobile-produced tracks:

Make sure the audio quality meets platform specifications – mastering may be required
Have cover artwork, metadata like song titles prepared in advance
Pitch tracks to playlists and music blogs to gain exposure

Promote new releases heavily on your social media channels

By leveraging streaming platforms and self-serve distribution, unsigned artists using just their phones can now publish music globally right alongside major label stars.

Mobile Music Production Tips

Picking the right music production app for your needs is essential for an enjoyable workflow. Many mobile DAWs share project formats with their desktop counterparts, like FL Studio Mobile and Cubasis, making transfer seamless. To avoid audio challenges, take advantage of pro features like low-latency monitoring.

High quality headphones are a must for hearing all details of your mix. Over-ear studio headphones deliver better isolation and frequency response than earbuds. Wildly popular options include the Sony MDR-7506, Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, and Sennheiser HD 280 Pro.

While mobile production is capable on its own, add-ons enhance capabilities over time. Portable MIDI keyboards are great for playing instruments. Audio interfaces provide higher-quality I/O. Expandable storage boosts project potential. Cases and mounts keep everything neat and at hand. Build your mobile rig incrementally.

The Future of Mobile Production

The future of mobile music production is bright, as mobile devices become increasingly powerful and developers build more advanced music creation apps. According to The Revolution of Mobile Music Production in the Music Industry, the future of music production is mobile. Mobile apps, with their accessibility and flexibility, are revolutionizing how musicians create music and leveling the playing field.

Mobile music production is predicted to become even more prevalent and powerful in the future. As smartphone and tablet processing power increases and audio latency decreases, the capabilities of mobile production apps will advance. What were once complex tasks like multitrack recording, virtual instrument programming, and mixing will become standard on mobile devices. AI and machine learning will also play a role in automating and enhancing music creation on mobile apps.

Another key trend is the increased accessibility of music production that mobile devices enable. As The Influence of Mobile Devices on Music Creation discusses, mobile devices allow more diverse groups of people to create music. Music production is no longer limited to those with expensive studio equipment and software. A whole new wave of casual music creators, hobbyists, and amateur musicians are emerging thanks to mobile music apps.