The Best Music Creation Apps of 2024
Written by: BestApp.com App Testing Team - Updated: Oct 22, 2021
Cubasis is our top mobile music creation app, thanks to its high-quality plugins, a large selection of presets, virtual instruments, and comprehensive mixing console. But if you’re looking for something beginner-friendly or want to explore your options, we found nine other great music-making mobile apps. Here are the 10 best music creation apps available.
Top 10 Music Creation Apps to Try
- Steinberg Cubasis — Top Pick
- Zenbeats by Roland — Best Free Version
- Reason Compact — Best for Beginners
- Apple GarageBand — Best for iOS
- BandLab — Best for Collaboration
- FL Studio Mobile — Best for High-Quality Recording
- Caustic — Best Virtual Synthesizer
- Korg iElectribe — Best Rhythm Machine
- Soundtrap — Best for Podcasts
- Akai iMPC Pro 2 — Best for Sampling
How We Chose the Best Music Creation Apps
When researching music creation apps, we looked for ones that offer one or more of four key features, a large library of virtual instruments and effects, live audio support, version history, and collaboration tools. Music-making apps with these features easily enable users to create and share original music with others.
Choose the music creation app that’s right for you
Many of the apps on our list offer the same core features, so choosing the right music app comes down to two key factors, your price range and your experience level. Cubasis, for example, is our top pick for the best overall music creation app, but at $25 plus in-app purchases, it may not be ideal for beginners that want to try their hand at music production. A free app, like GarageBand, might be better in this case.
Connect your instruments
Most of the apps on our list allow users to connect external instruments, synthesizers, and drum machines to record music. By doing this, experienced musicians with their instruments can unlock the full potential of these apps and avoid the in-app purchases required to get additional virtual instruments.
Our Music Creation App Reviews
Steinberg Cubasis — Top Pick
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Cubasis by Steinberg is our pick for the best overall mobile music creation app. Many of the apps on our list are condensed versions of desktop-based music creation software, but Cubasis aims to be a full-featured mobile music-making app. While the app does not offer a free version, the purchase price gives you access to a large library of effects, presets, and virtual instruments. There’s also a demo version (Cubasis LE) that you can try out for 30 minutes. The app has a full-screen mixing console, real-time time-stretching and pitch-shifting, a sampler to let you create your own instruments, and MIDI support. Cubasis also offers version history features, allowing users to go back to older versions of their songs to undo their mistakes.
Notable features:
- A free version not available
- Cubasis for Android: $29.99, Cubasis for iOS: $49.44
- Support available: Email, Chat, Phone, Forums, Help Center
| Steinberg Cubasis Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| A large library of presets and effects | No free version |
| Built-in sampler | |
| Version history support | |
Zenbeats by Roland — Best Free Version
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Zenbeats by Roland is a beginner-friendly digital audio workstation (DAW) that offers generous features in its free version. The app offers several free instruments, including the ZC1, a plugin synthesizer with 60 presets. SampleVerse enables users to record and sample sounds from outside of the app. Beginners can use features like beat-sync and key-lock to easily create beats and instrumentals without any experience. Unlike most of the apps on our list, Zenbeats provides lessons for beginners to get used to the software. Users can subscribe to Roland Cloud for $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year, to unlock all of the app’s additional features, including instruments, presets, loops, and sounds.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Core: $29.99/year; Pro: $99/year; Ultimate: $199/year
- Support available: Email, Phone, FAQs, Knowledge Base
| Zenbeats by Roland Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Full-featured free version | No collaboration tools |
| Beginner-friendly lessons | |
Reason Compact — Best for Beginners
Download: iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Reason Compact is the perfect mobile music creation software for beginners or experienced music producers that use the app’s full-featured desktop counterpart. The app utilizes intuitive touch controls, making it easy for new users to get familiar with the music-making process. To get started, beginners can choose one of the app’s genre-based demo songs to modify. Reason Compact connects with other music apps using Audiobus, and producers that use Reason on desktop can migrate tracks to the desktop version to take advantage of its more advanced features. The app is free to download and comes with three instruments, 16 drum kits, and the Europa synthesizer. To unlock additional features and instruments, you will have to purchase them through the app.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $0.99 to $9.99 per item
- Support available: Chat, Help Center, Forum, Feedback Form
| Reason Compact Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Beginner-friendly features | Only comes with three free instruments |
| Connects with other music apps | |
| Compatible with Reason on desktop | |
Apple GarageBand — Best for iOS
Download: iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
GarageBand is Apple’s own music creation app designed specifically for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. While not the most advanced mobile DAW available, it is free to download and use and offers a large library of instruments, sounds, and presets. GarageBand supports third-party plugins and live audio recording, and beginners can take advantage of the app’s instrument lessons and free artist lessons to learn new skills and production techniques. One of the app’s most unique features is the ‘Drummer’ feature. Users can add a virtual drummer to their tracks to automatically play realistic drum patterns alongside the music they created. The app also features live loops, smart instruments that automatically play with you, and you can easily share your finished tracks on YouTube, Facebook, and SoundCloud.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: None
- Support available: Apple Support, Forum, User Guides
| Apple GarageBand Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Completely free to use | No mixing console |
| Virtual drummer | |
| Free instrument lessons | |
BandLab — Best for Collaboration
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
BandLab is a free music creation app that emphasizes collaboration. The app uses a multi-track mix editor, allowing users to record, edit, and remix tracks before sharing them with others. The app features 10,000 royalty-free loops, over 300 instruments, a sampler, automatic pitch correction, over 180 presets, and unlike other music creation apps, a built-in automated mastering tool to prepare your tracks for release. For collaboration, users can use the Creator Connect feature to find artists to work with, including singers, producers, beatmakers, and more. Each project can have up to 50 collaborators, and once finished, you can publish your tracks to your profile for visibility.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: None
- Support available: Email, Help Center
| BandLab Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Completely free to use | Limited mastering options |
| Great collaboration tools | |
| Large library of loops and instruments | |
FL Studio Mobile — Best for High-Quality Recording
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS
Like Reason Compact, FL Studio Mobile is a condensed version of its popular desktop counterpart. There is no free version of the app, but for $13.99, you unlock everything you need to create high-quality instrumentals, including multi-track audio, MIDI support, several virtual instruments and presets, 16 effects, and a drum sampler. FL Studio offers training videos to help users get acquainted with the interface, and when using FL Studio on desktop, you can easily migrate your tracks to take advantage of the desktop version’s more advanced features. Unlike similar apps, FL Studio Mobile supports WAV and FLAC files, allowing users to save and export high-quality audio files.
Notable features:
- Free version not available
- In-app purchases: $0.99 – $13.99 per item
- Support available: Email, Forums, FAQs, Knowledge Base, Manuals & Tutorials
| FL Studio Mobile Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Supports WAV and FLAC files | No free version |
| Large library of instruments and presets | |
Caustic — Best Virtual Synthesizer
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
While most of the apps on our list function as mobile DAWs, Caustic is a rack-mounted synthesizer emulator, allowing users to create custom synthesizer racks for music creation. The app includes 14 machines to add to your virtual synthesizer rack, and users can choose from 20 effects to add to each machine. Caustic also features a mixer desk, a mastering console, and a song sequencer. Caustic is compatible with Audiobus to allow users to connect with other music apps, and users can upload their own WAV files for use with some of the app’s synthesizers and effects. If you want to take your work to your computer, Caustic is available for free on desktop. The app is free to download on Android but costs $9.99 on iOS.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: None
- Support available: Email, Forum, Contact Form
| Caustic Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Virtual synthesizer rack | Only free on Android |
| Supports WAV files | |
| Free desktop version | |
Korg iElectribe — Best Rhythm Machine
Download: iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Korg iElectribe is a digital version of the Electribe rhythm machine. Users can get started with one of the app’s 64 presets and 32 templates or create a track from scratch. There are over 300 rhythm patterns spanning several genres, including electro, house, techno, drum’n’bass, dubstep, hip hop, techno-pop, and IDM. There are several effects to choose from, though users can only add one at a time to each track. These effects include two different delays, reverb, a chorus effect, a low-pass filter, a talking modulator, and others. Your finished beats can be transferred to a DAW via audio export.
Notable features:
- Free version not available
- In-app purchases: None
- Support available: Help Center, FAQs
| Korg iElectribe Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Large library of presets and templates | No free version |
| 300 rhythm patterns | Can only add one effect at a time |
Soundtrap — Best for Podcasts
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Developed by Spotify, Soundtrap is a collaborative mobile recording studio with hundreds of software instruments and thousands of high-quality loops. Compared to other music-making apps on our list, Soundtrap offers several competitive features, including real-time collaboration features, real-time audio manipulation, a large library of effects, and more. In addition to music recording, Soundtrap is the only app on our list to emphasize podcast recording. Users can join sessions to record and edit podcasts together from their mobile devices. You can take advantage of features like AutoTune, automated mixing and mastering, and presets to create and share high-quality tracks.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Music Makers Premium: $9.99/month; Music Makers Supreme: $14.99/month; Storytellers: $14.99/month; Complete: $17.99/month
- Support available: Email, Help Center, Ticket
| Soundtrap Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Podcast recording | Not compatible with third-party plugins |
| Collaborative features | |
| Thousands of loops | |
Akai iMPC Pro 2 — Best for Sampling
Download: iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Akai iMPC Pro 2 is a sampler, beatmaker, and song creation tool all in one. The app includes a library of built-in sounds, and users can download up to five extra sound packs for free. Users can record audio tracks with their external microphones, manipulate audio tracks in real-time, and warp tracks to match tempo. iMPC Pro 2 stands out from other apps on our list because of its sampling capabilities. Users can sample sounds directly from music apps like Spotify, and the ‘chop-shop’ feature makes it easy to edit samples as needed to fit your track. When you buy the app, you will gain access to iMPC University, a tutorial series designed to teach you everything you need to know about song creation.
Notable features:
- Free version not available
- In-app purchases: None
- Support available: Phone, Knowledge Base, Contact Form
| Akai iMPC Pro 2 Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Large library of built-in sounds | No free version |
| Five free sound packs | |
| Great sampling capabilities | |
Music Creation Apps: Features Summary Table
| Music Creation Apps Comparison Table | ||
|---|---|---|
| App | Subscription Fees or In-App Purchases | Features |
| Steinberg Cubasis — Top Pick | Cubasis for Android: $29.99, Cubasis for iOS: $49.44 | ✓ Virtual Instruments ✓ Live Audio ✓ Version History ✓ Collaboration Tools |
| Zenbeats by Roland — Best Free Version | Core: $29.99/year Pro: $99/year Ultimate: $199/year |
✓ Virtual Instruments ✓ Live Audio ✓ Version History X Collaboration Tools |
| Reason Compact — Best for Beginners | $0.99 to $9.99 per item | ✓ Virtual Instruments ✓ Live Audio ✓ Version History ✓ Collaboration Tools |
| Apple GarageBand — Best for iOS | None | ✓ Virtual Instruments ✓ Live Audio ✓ Version History ✓ Collaboration Tools |
| BandLab — Best for Collaboration | None | ✓ Virtual Instruments ✓ Live Audio ✓ Version History ✓ Collaboration Tools |
| FL Studio Mobile — Best for High-Quality Recording | $0.99 to $13.99 per item | ✓ Virtual Instruments ✓ Live Audio ✓ Version History X Collaboration Tools |
| Caustic — Best Virtual Synthesizer | None | ✓ Virtual Instruments X Live Audio ✓ Version History X Collaboration Tools |
| Korg iElectribe — Best Rhythm Machine | None | ✓ Virtual Instruments X Live Audio ✓ Version History X Collaboration Tools |
| Soundtrap — Best for Podcasts | Music Makers Premium: $9.99/month Music Makers Supreme: $14.99/month Storytellers: $14.99/month Complete: $17.99/month |
✓ Virtual Instruments ✓ Live Audio ✓ Version History ✓ Collaboration Tools |
| Akai iMPC Pro 2 — Best for Sampling | None | ✓ Virtual Instruments ✓ Live Audio ✓ Version History ✓ Collaboration Tools |