THE ARTICLE · 9 MIN
You can make a complete record without paying for software. This guide covers the tools around the DAW (for the DAWs themselves, see our DAWs compared guide): instruments, effects, sample licences, notation and stem separation. Everything was read from each project’s own site, repository or licence on 17 September 2026.
This is not legal advice. Where a licence matters, we quote it and name where it comes from (see Sources); read the full terms for your own use.
Four kinds of “free”
- Free and open source: you can use it and read or change the code, under a licence such as the GPL or MIT.
- Free but closed: free to download and use, but the code is not published.
- A free tier of a paid product: the free version works; paying adds sounds, presets or features.
- Content licences: the rules for the samples and loops you use, separate from the software that plays them.
Some tools fit more than one: Vital has a free tier and publishes its source code under the GPLv3, and TDR Nova is free but closed, with a paid edition.
1. Free synths
| Synth | Type of free | Current version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vital | Free tier of a paid product; source code GPLv3 | Not stated on its site | Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+, Ubuntu 18.04+ |
| Surge XT | Open source (GPL-3.0) | 1.3.4 (11 August 2024) | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Dexed | Open source (GPL v3) | 1.0.1 (29 November 2025) | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| TAL-NoiseMaker | Free; no licence stated on its page | 5.0.6 (16 August 2023) | Windows 7+, macOS 10.9+, Linux |
| Splice INSTRUMENT | Free tier of a paid product | Not stated | macOS 11+, Windows 10+ |
- Vital: the free “Basic” version is “The full synth with all features”, with “75 presets” and “25 wavetables”. Its source code is public too: “The source code is licensed under the GPLv3.” But the repository adds: “Do not distribute the presets that come with the free version of Vital”, and “This repository is updated on a delay after binary releases”.
- Surge XT began as a commercial product: “In September 2018, Claes decided to release a partially completed version of Surge 1.6 under GPL3”. Its site also offers nightly test builds.
- Dexed is modelled on Yamaha’s DX7 FM synth: “Dexed is free software and is licensed on the GPL v3.”
- TAL-NoiseMaker is listed among TAL’s “FREE Plug-Ins”, and its downloads include “VST VST3 AU AAX CLAP” formats. Its page links no source code. Source code for an older version (copyright 2005–2010) is kept in the DISTRHO Ports repository, whose file headers say it may be licensed under the “GNU General Public License Version 2”.
- Splice INSTRUMENT now includes what was Spitfire Audio’s LABS: “LABS is becoming part of Splice INSTRUMENT”, and the old LABS address redirects there. “Splice INSTRUMENT is free to download and use for anyone”, with some free presets; the INSTRUMENT plan is “$12.99/mo”, and the page says premium packs also come “with an INSTRUMENT, Creator, or Creator+ plan”. If you cancel, “Any DAW projects with INSTRUMENT loaded will continue to playback”, and “any Free Drops you claim are yours to keep, and play, for good.”
2. Free effects
- Valhalla Supermassive (reverb and echo, Mac and Windows) is free: “No strings attached.” Its latest update: “We have just released the 5.0.0 update of Valhalla Supermassive”, posted on 25 November 2025, which added a mode called Sirius.
- TDR Nova (Tokyo Dawn Labs): “NOVA is a parallel dynamic equalizer.” It is a free download for Windows and Mac; “Latest version: 2.2.2”. A paid “Gentleman’s Edition” is sold for €60.
- Airwindows: “All this is free and open source under the MIT license”. “These plugins come in Mac AU, and Mac, Windows and Linux VST”, and new plug-ins are posted regularly on the site.
A note on plug-in formats
- VST: “Virtual Studio Technology (VST®) is an audio plug-in software interface that facilitates the integration of software synthesizers and effects in digital audio workstations (DAW)”. Steinberg’s VST 3 SDK is now MIT-licensed; its repository says licensing under GPLv3 and the Steinberg proprietary licence “is no longer available”.
- CLAP (“CLever Audio Plug-in”) is an open format: “It is an audio plug-in ABI which defines a standard for Digital Audio Workstations and audio plug-ins”. Its code is MIT-licensed.
- AU (Audio Units) is Apple’s format. Apple’s developer documentation for Audio Unit v3 says developers can “Deliver custom audio effects, instruments, and other audio behaviors using an Audio Unit v3 app extension.”
3. Sample and loop licences
The software may be free, but the sounds you put in a track have their own rules.
| Licence | On commercial use, the deed says | On credit, the deed says |
|---|---|---|
| CC0 | “even for commercial purposes” | No credit term; “you should not imply endorsement by the author or the affirmer” |
| CC BY 4.0 | “for any purpose, even commercially” | “You must give appropriate credit” |
| CC BY-NC 4.0 | “You may not use the material for commercial purposes” | “You must give appropriate credit” |
| Sampling+ 1.0 (retired) | Transforming it: “for commercial or noncommercial purposes”; copies of the whole work: “for noncommercial purposes” | “You must give appropriate credit” |
- CC0: “You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.”
- CC BY 4.0 allows use “for any purpose, even commercially”, but “You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.”
- CC BY-NC 4.0: “NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.”
- Sampling+ 1.0 is retired: “Creative Commons has retired this legal tool and does not recommend that it be applied to works.” It allowed people “To sample, mash-up, or otherwise creatively transform this work for commercial or noncommercial purposes”, but only “To perform, display, and distribute copies of this whole work for noncommercial purposes”, and “You may not use this work to advertise for or promote anything but the work you create from it.” Its legal code requires derivative works to be “highly transformative of the original”, and Freesound’s FAQ gives “Our interpretation of this license”: “you can do pretty much what you could do with the attribution noncommercial license, but additionally you can’t make commercial advertisement with the sound.”
Freesound, a free sound library, “lets the user select one of three licenses for their sounds. And, we used to have a 4th license” (Sampling+). Its FAQ explains the NC licence as “works like attribution, but you can’t earn any money with the piece of work you create!”, and adds: “We aren’t lawyers so this isn’t legal advice”.
Splice sounds come with a licence, not ownership: “Sounds are licensed, not sold, to you.” Among its prohibited uses: you may not “redistribute Sounds in new sample packs”. If you cancel a plan you “Keep everything you download, even if you cancel”, and “Your remaining credits will expire 28 days after your final billing period ends”. The terms were last updated on 24 July 2026.
Looperman’s terms say that a user who uploads loops grants registered users “the non-exclusive, royalty free right to copy, reproduce, edit, adapt, modify, remix, use, incorporate and otherwise exploit the specified Loops in new and original recordings of new and original musical and/or lyrical compositions”. Uploaded loops “must be 100% owned by you, 100% your own original work”, and the terms add: “It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the appropriate rights and licences to exploit Content for your intended purposes.”
4. Free notation software
- MuseScore Studio: “The latest stable version is 4.7.5 Released September 8, 2026”. “MuseScore Studio is a GNU GPL licensed open-source program.” It runs on Windows 10 or higher, macOS 11 or higher and “Linux distros released in 2022 or later”.
- LilyPond works differently: you type the music as text, and “it is more similar to a programming language than a graphical score editing program.” “LilyPond is free software and part of the GNU Project.” The current stable release is 2.26.0 (21 April 2026).
- Dorico SE: Steinberg describes it as “the free notation software, Dorico SE”, and its latest update, 6.2.30 (3 June 2026), “is a free update for existing Dorico Pro 6, Dorico Elements 6 and Dorico SE 6 users.” On iPad, “Dorico is free to use, allowing you to write for ensembles of up to four players”, and you can “Register with your free Steinberg ID to increase the player limit to eight”.
- Sibelius First (Avid): “Download Sibelius First for free Includes 30-day trial to Sibelius Ultimate.” Avid’s reference guide for version 2026.5 says “It supports up to 8 staves in a score”, and “you are limited to two voices with Sibelius First”.
5. Stem separation
Stem-separation tools split a finished mix into parts such as vocals, drums and bass.
- Demucs’s code is MIT-licensed. Meta’s original repository is archived and says “this repository is not maintained anymore”. Its author’s copy now says: “This is the officially maintained Demucs now that I (Alexandre Défossez) have left Meta”, but also: “Note that I’m not actively working on Demucs anymore, so expect slow replies and no new feature for now.” Version 4.1.0 was released on 11 July 2026.
- Ultimate Vocal Remover (UVR) is a free desktop app for Windows 10 or higher and macOS Big Sur and above. Its latest GitHub release is version 5.6, from 26 September 2023. Its README says the code is MIT-licensed.
- Spleeter (Deezer): “The code of Spleeter is MIT-licensed”; its latest release on PyPI is 2.4.2 (3 April 2025). Its README carries this disclaimer: “If you plan to use Spleeter on copyrighted material, make sure you get proper authorization from right owners beforehand.”
6. Recording and editing: Audacity
Audacity is a free, open-source audio editor. “Audacity is released under the GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3).” Its “Current version: 4.0.0” was released on 3 September 2026, and it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Its site’s copyright line reads “Muse Group & contributors.”
Questions to ask before you choose
- Is it open source, free but closed, or a free tier?
- Does it run on your system and in your DAW’s plug-in format (VST3, AU, CLAP, AAX)?
- What licence do your samples carry? Commercial use and credit requirements differ.
- Do you have the rights to the audio you are separating or sampling?
- Is the project still maintained? Check the date of the latest release.
Sources
Each project’s own site, repository, release notes or licence, read on 17 September 2026: Vital (vital.audio and the mtytel/vital repository); Surge XT (site, repository and releases); Dexed (site and releases); TAL Software (products, TAL-NoiseMaker); DISTRHO Ports (TAL-NoiseMaker source); Splice (INSTRUMENT, plans, Terms of Use); Valhalla DSP (Supermassive page and 5.0.0 post); Tokyo Dawn Labs (TDR Nova and TDR Nova GE); Airwindows (site and licence); Steinberg (VST 3 developer portal and SDK repository; Dorico blog); CLAP (cleveraudio.org and licence); Apple (Audio Unit v3 documentation); Creative Commons (CC0 1.0, CC BY 4.0, CC BY-NC 4.0 and Sampling+ 1.0 deeds, and the Sampling+ 1.0 legal code); Freesound (FAQ); Looperman (terms); MuseScore (download page and licence); LilyPond (home and download pages); Dorico for iPad (App Store listing); Avid (Sibelius First page; Sibelius Reference Guide 2026.5); Demucs (Meta and author repositories, release notes, licence); Ultimate Vocal Remover (repository); Spleeter (repository, licence, PyPI); Audacity (download page, licence, releases).
Checked September 2026.
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