Production tools

FL Studio

My primary DAW since 2011. Pattern-based workflow makes it ideal for EDM, beats, and electronic music. Lifetime free updates once you buy. The go-to choice for producers like Avicii, Martin Garrix, and Porter Robinson.

Ableton Live

Industry-standard DAW for live performance and electronic music. Session View is unmatched for improvisation and DJ-style performance. Steeper learning curve than FL Studio but incredibly powerful once mastered.

Suno AI

Best AI music generator for producers in 2026. Suno Studio adds MIDI stem export (export chord MIDI into FL Studio), up to 12 WAV stems, and voice upload. The Premier plan ($30/month) gives you real production tools, not just listening demos.

Udio

Excellent audio quality, especially for ambient and classical instrumentals. The inpainting feature (surgically editing specific sections) is unique. Downside: downloads were disabled in late 2025 after a UMG partnership deal. Currently only useful for listening, not production.

DistroKid

The best distributor for independent artists who release frequently. Unlimited releases for a flat annual fee (~$23/year). Keeps 100% of royalties. Fast delivery (often 2–5 days). Beatport support is essential for EDM producers. Built-in royalty splits for collaborations.

TuneCore

Per-release pricing model: $9.99/single/year, $29.99/album/year. Keeps 100% of royalties like DistroKid. Good option if you release 1–2 times per year, but gets expensive quickly for prolific artists.

CD Baby

One-time fee per release ($9.95/single, $49/album) with an ongoing 9% royalty cut. Good if you don't want annual subscriptions, but the royalty cut hurts long-term. Offers publishing administration (CD Baby Pro) which DistroKid doesn't handle natively.

Splice

Subscription-based sample platform with 15M+ sounds. The rent-to-own model for plugins (Splice Sounds + Plugins) is great value. DAW integration via the Splice desktop app. Best for producers who need a constant supply of fresh sounds and want to try plugins before buying.

Loopmasters

Buy individual sample packs outright — no subscription required. Higher editorial curation than Splice. Genre-specific packs go very deep (often produced by genre legends). Better if you want premium packs for a specific genre rather than a broad library.

UVR5 (Ultimate Vocal Remover)

Free, open-source stem separator that runs locally on your computer. No subscription, no upload limits, no privacy concerns. Multiple AI models included (MDX-Net, Demucs, VR Arch). The best free option — results are comparable to paid tools. Requires a reasonably modern GPU for fast processing.

LALAL.AI

Cloud-based stem separator with a clean UI. Faster than running UVR5 locally if your GPU is weak. Paid plans by minutes processed. Good quality on vocals and instruments. The paid tier is worth it for one-off projects if you don't want to set up UVR5.

Orb Producer Suite

FL Studio-compatible plugin that generates chord progressions, melodies, basslines, and arpeggios using AI. Runs inside your DAW as a VST. Great for breaking creative blocks — generate 8 bars of chords, then edit to taste.

Hookpad (HookTheory)

Browser-based chord progression tool with a massive theory database. The Trends section shows which progressions are used in popular songs. Excellent for learning why certain chord progressions work, not just generating them.