Composing: It works with this software

If you want to compose your own music, you can choose from a variety of different programs. We will briefly present the most important software for various composition and music production applications, including links to demo versions. So you can try it yourself until you find the right software.

Musical notation programs for classical composing

Classic music notation software focuses on beautiful musical notation. With these programs you can draw notes manually or import, edit and play them via MIDI. You can enter the instrumentation and also add lyrics. As a result you can print out a clear score.

• The freeware MuseScore is suitable as an introduction to music notation programs.
• Forte also offers a freeware version. If you get along well with the surface, you can switch to the full version.
• The professional notation programs Finale, Sibelius and Capella are the most widespread. You will receive Finale together with a short description as a 30-day test version on CHIP Online.

Create music as a beginner - composition software to get you started

If you still need support while composing or would prefer to start audio production via freeware, the following software is ideal:

• The Magix Music Maker is a very extensive sequencer. It contains a huge library of pre-made loops that you can use to feed your own melodies, chords and rhythms. But you can also record instruments and create your own compositions via MIDI and VST or Direct-X synthesizers and effects devices. You can get a 30-day trial version for free on CHIP Online.
• As a Mac user, you can download Garage Band for a symbolic price of around 5 euros. This software contains melodies, riffs, rhythms and arpeggios for various genres and styles and enables you, like the Magix Music Maker, to record sound and to arrange and edit it according to your wishes.
• The Freeware Audacity is a classic digital audio software (DAW) that works in a similar way to professional sequencers. Additional articles will help you get started with Audacity.
• All three programs can implement VST plug-ins. We'll show you a few interesting VST instruments and VST effects.

Digital audio workstations for professional music composition and production

Nowadays digital audio workstations (DAWs) are mainly used to compose, arrange, record, mix and create a premaster:

• The usual DAWs for 5.1 and more channels are Nuendo and Cubase from Steinberg. Nuendo in particular is used a lot for film music in 5.1 format.
• Cubase Elements is available as a 30-day demo from CHIP Online.
• Apple Logic is now exclusively available for Mac and more for stereo mixes.
• Pro-Tools is a professional hardware recording system. CHIP Online also offers a free software version for beginners.
• Other popular sequencers are Reason, Ableton Live and Adobe Audition, which you can find in part as a demo version or as a slightly older full version on CHIP Online.
• Orchestra samplers such as "Garritan Personal Orchestra Pro", "Vienna Symphonic Orchestra" or "East West: Symphonic Orchestra" offer extensive and realistic sample libraries of all symphony orchestral instruments in various positions, dynamics and playing styles for classical compositions.
• An unconventional system for remixes and special sound compositions is the SpectralLayers developed by Sony and now part of Magix. Here you can edit spectrograms, extract parts and mix them together again.

Check in our practical tip whether your PC is suitable for music production. When composing, you should always learn how to connect your keyboard to a PC, record a guitar or vocals and set your equalizer correctly.