6 Free Mobile Music Making Apps
N-Track Studio 9
The most expensive time of the year is finally upon us, and you’ve started using your bank statements as kindling for your fireplace. Your desire to get your hands on new music gear is asphyxiating, but you just spent your last paycheck on holiday gifts for friends and family. Thankfully, Andy Jones of MusicTech put out an article this week that contains six free music making mobile apps for producing on-the-go.
These apps are perfect for producing music while on a 12-hour road trip to your crazy in-laws’ house in Wyoming. Kicking off the list is Groovebox, which Jones says, “is a free iOS app that contains four instruments called the Drumbox, MiniMon, RetroBass and Poly-8. These cover your beats, bass and lead synth sounds to provide a very solid set of mostly dance-like sounds.”
Next up is Bandlab, which is a pocket-sized DAW that allows you to make songs with various instruments, loops, and effects. This app will also let you share your creations with your friends stuck at their own holiday dinners, halfway across the country.
An alternative to Bandlab is Garageband, which has slightly extended capabilities and the interface is quite reminiscent of Logic Pro X’s interface. Jones says that “It features a beat sequencer, up to 32 performance tracks, a Live Loops DJ feature and even a cut-down version of the Alchemy synth so is an essential app for mobile music making.”
The last three apps on the list include Amplitube which is an amp simulator by IK Multimedia, Music Maker Jam which allows you to create loop-based music using an 8-track mixer, and N-Track Studio 9. N-Track Studio 9 is perhaps the most reminiscent of a computer-based DAW with its audio tracks, MIDI tracks, and the ability to create unlimited tracks (available paid version).
While all of the apps on this list are initially free to use, many of them give you the option to pay for more advanced features. Read Jones full article via MusicTech for further details.
Charles Hoffman is a Mixing and Mastering Engineer at Black Ghost Audio. After graduating from the University of Manitoba with an English degree, Charles completed his education at Icon Collective in Los Angeles, CA.
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