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The top 10 reasons to use free music software
Why you never need to pay for a plug-in again
Ben Rogerson, Thu 19 Jun 2008, 3:29 pm UTC
The Computer Music Freeware Special gives you all the free music making tools you'll need.
7. Freeware is cool
So you may think that we're stretching credibility a bit with this one, but hear us out and you might be persuaded. Everyone knows about the most popular music software products, but if you can casually drop the names of a couple of obscure freeware plug-ins into conversation, your mates will think you're a well-informed scenester. We can't promise that using freeware will make you any more attractive to the opposite sex, though.
8. Free software is great for collaborators
Working with other computer musicians can be an immensely rewarding experience, but if you and your creative partners are all running different software, bouncing projects around between you can get tricky. If you all use freeware, though, your problems are solved – and you won't have to worry about shelling out for the same plug-ins your mates have, because you can all get everything for nothing.
9. No more copy protection
We understand why commercial developers have to use challenge/response and physical dongle systems to protect their products, but they're certainly annoying, particularly when you have to reinstall your system or if you buy a new computer. You can wave bye-bye to these immense frustrations if you use freeware, though – just install it and start making music right away.
10. It's free!
And there you were thinking that we'd forgotten the most obvious reason of all. That's right, freeware costs you nothing, diddly-squat, nada… surely the only reason you need to at least have a look at what's out there. We hope we've proved that there are plenty of others, though – this stuff might not cost anything, but that doesn't mean that it's not superb.
If you want to get all the best free music software, check out the Computer Music Freeware Special (volume 30) which is on sale in UK newsagents now and can also be ordered at www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk. This comes with a CD that's packed with 100 music-making tools – inside the magazine you'll find out what they are and how to use them.
User comments (8)
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"3. You're doing the right thing" This reason is not legitimate. Why? Because whether you crack commercial software or use freeware the commercial software publisher is not making money. This is simply an ego thing: free makes you "feel" good, it does not "make" you good. Humanity will have to start getting it's shit together in order to progress. These superficial thought processes are worthless.
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someone should make an abolute program that whatever you choose, it will make a mac, linux or Pc copy of it. that would be awsome.
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"100 FREE Plug ins!*
*(mac users get four)"
That's hilarious!
...The fact is, though, there is only as much freeware for macs as gets developed, and freeware doesn't seem to have taken-off in the mac world just yet :( -
Audacity falls in this category, yesh? it is the sex =]
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Too right! when you've forked out for a mac you can't afford to buy the software too ;)
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I always hate that.
I know the fact is that there simply are more freebies in PC format- but I can't help each month but to wonder if one of those PC only vsti's or plugins is worth installing parallels... aaaand then I forget about it and go back to all my plug ins I paid for...
Sure would be cool, though, to see more mac plug ins on this disc- or at least if they would suspend the hype by denoting the difference for mac owners in numbers-
Something like "100 FREE Plug ins!*
*(mac users get four)"
which is, sadly, closer to the likely truth... -
ye, is it all mac compatible? Or is this another PC orientated software bundle?
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Sadly this'll be filled with the words "PC Only", right?
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