Have you ever imagined producing captivating original songs or even a potential chart-topping hit completely from your phone? Thanks to the latest mobile music production apps, that reality is now at your fingertips. Your smartphone or tablet can instantly transform into a portable recording studio overflowing with tools once only found in million-dollar Hollywood spaces.
Let‘s explore the convenience, capabilities, and pure creative power offered through the top 15 music making apps for Android and iOS devices.
Why Mobile Music Production Rules
Before diving into the top music app options, it‘s important to understand the unique benefits this emerging format of recording and creation provides.
Convenience
The convenience of mobile production cannot be overstated. With just your phone or tablet, high-quality recording, editing, mixing and mastering is possible regardless of where inspiration strikes. Focused soundproof spaces are no longer a requirement.
Affordability
Top music making apps cost only a few dollars compared to the thousands of dollars required for a desktop workstation and hardware gear. Many also offer free versions with plenty of tools to get started.
Accessibility
Intuitive and inviting interfaces cater to all backgrounds and experience levels. Simple tap and drag actions replace traditional technical mixing skills lowering the barrier of entry for novice creators.
Portability
Exporting tracks as lossless files enables working across all your devices. And tools built for collaboration allow working with creators around the world through the cloud.
Creativity
With access to millions of loops, presets, instruments and effects not possible in the real world, new musical ideas flow freely. Experimentation breeds innovation!
Top 15 Music Making Apps
1. FL Studio Mobile
FL Studio Mobile brings the power of the popular digital audio workstation to Android and iOS. It‘s packed with features including audio recording, effects modules, drum pads, virtual instruments, and more for crafting complete songs or beats.
Highlights: Step sequencer, piano roll editing, 123 sound effects, 133 instrument presets
Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: $13.99
2. KORG Kaossilator
The KORG Kaossilator app offers a highly usable synthesizer optimized for touchscreen devices. Create music intuitively through gestural input on keys, pads, and touchpads while exploring 150 diverse sounds.
Highlights: Pitch/feedback/gate arpeggiator, phrase recorder, multiple effects
Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: $19.99
3. Roland Zenbeats
Zenbeats from Roland provides a clean and inviting music making experience. Smart songbuilding assist you with structuring tracks. While features like auto mastering help polish finished productions ready for release.
Highlights: Over 3,000 sounds, loops stems, FX, Touch interface
Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: Free tier available
4. Beat Maker Go
As its name suggests, Beat Maker Go empowers beat production utilizing a drum pad interface. 200+ sound packs span genres like hip hop, EDM, trap, grime and more. Finished beats can be exported or shared online.
Highlights: Sound packs, sequencing, FX, sharing capabilities
Platforms: iOS
Price: $7.99
5. BeatMaker 3
Regarded as one of the most advanced options, BeatMaker 3 turns your iPhone or iPad into a portable music studio. Sample audio, sequence instruments, apply studio-grade effects and more without limits across its tools.
Highlights: Unlimited audio tracks, MIDI editing, sampling, automation, effects
Platforms: iOS
Price: $19.99
6. Figure
Figure provides a uniquely designed musical sketchpad for instantly catching inspiration as it strikes. Use its signature riff feature to build up melodies, leads, basslines and beats from scratch without any musical knowledge.
Highlights: Riff machine, easy exporting, pro tools
Platforms: iOS
Price: Free
7. Garageband
As Apple‘s flagship DAW, Garageband offers an intuitive and inviting music studio to iPhone and iPad users. Play virtual instruments like drums, guitars, keyboards and more via touch or external MIDI devices.
Highlights: Smart instruments, Alchemy synth, Guitar amps, Lessons
Platforms: iOS
Price: Free
8. KORG Gadget 2
KORG Gadget 2 turns your mobile device into a powerful all-in-one music workstation. It packages over 30 virtual instruments including synths, drum machines, samplers, and more you can combine in limitless ways.
Highlights: Massive sound library, mixing, recording, effects chaining
Platforms: iOS
Price: $39.99
9. BandLab
As a popular free DAW, BandLab provides tools for hobbyists and pros. Features like unlimited tracks, a library of presets/loops, and built-in mastering empower you to start and finish songs totally in the cloud.
Highlights: Vocal effects, 500k loops, mastering, publish to streaming
Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: Free
10. Caustic 3
Caustic 3 enables designing rack-mounted music creation machines. Choose from 14 different options including synths, guitars, drums and arrange into a customized workspace. Advanced MIDI editing and mixing provide deep sound design control.
Highlights: Modular rack instruments, advanced routing, automation
Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: $9.99
11. Music Maker JAM
Aimed at novices and experienced creators alike, Music Maker JAM offers an inviting beat and loop sequencing app. 500,000+ sounds and loops spread across EDM, hip hop, house, pop and many other genres kickstart unique track ideas.
Highlights: Sound library, FX, editing tools
Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: Free
12. n-Track Studio
For recording traditional arrangements on the go, n-Track provides up to 32 tracks of lossless audio, MIDI and automation. Detailed editing tools assist with writing scores while pro mixing and FX polish things up.
Highlights: 32 audio/MIDI tracks, automation, FX rack
Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: $4.99
13. Groovebox
Groovebox packs five custom synth and drum machines for fast music prototyping. While compact, expressive control over instruments facilitates catchy beats, leads and basslines. Finished tracks can be exported to continue editing in other DAWs if desired.
Highlights: 5 instruments, effects, song mode
Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: Free
14. Groovepad
Groovepad offers guided beat maker lessons catering specifically to EDM genres like house, techno, trance for aspiring novice DJs. Tap along as it teaches you the ropes of building arrangements, sound selection, drops and fills step-by-step.
Highlights: Tutorials, sharing, sound packs
Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: Free
15. Soundtrap
Fostering online music creation and collaborating with others is the goal of Soundtrap. Capture ideas with its unlimited tracks which support pro FX plugins from partners like AutoTune. Completed songs get shared straight to streaming services.
Highlights: Unlimited tracking, collaborators, plugins, publishing
Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: Subscription plans available
Tips for Production Greatness
With so many options for tools, instruments, effects and more at your fingertips, the creative possibilities may seem endless. But with power comes responsibility for best leveraging these apps.
Consider these pro tips when diving into mobile music making:
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Start Simple – If new to music production, pick an app with an inviting interface that focuses on just a few toolsets to learn the workflow before advanced options.
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Use Cloud Storage – Streaming session data and tracks to the cloud allows picking up projects again on different devices seamlessly.
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Experiment with Genres – The infinite sounds and presets spanning genres facilitate trying new styles like electronica or reggae if you traditionally stick to rock.
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Collaborate With Others – Duet on a country ballad with a singer-songwriter across the globe or trade remix ideas via built-in sharing tools to expand perspectives.
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Learn The Tools – Most apps incorporate various lessons, getting started guides, and tips to introduce recording, effects, mixing and releasing your creations.
The Future is Bright…and Mobile
While already tremendously capable production studios, advancement in technology ensure mobile music apps continue closing the gap further with traditional desktop workstations regarding intricate editing and premium sound quality.
We can expect EVEN MORE expressive instruments, hyper-realistic acoustic emulations, advanced automation functionalities, easier collaboration across networks and devices, and artificial intelligence assisting with time-consuming tasks. The lines separating professional and amateur continue to exponentially blur.
Unlock Your Creative Potential
With studios now fitting snuggly in our pockets, the limitations and excuses vanish for making some of your best music yet on-the-go.
I encourage you to explore the music making apps showcased here taking your productions into exciting new directions or trying techniques otherwise too complex via traditional hardware. Fingerprint shortcuts replace confusing manual connections while pop-up notifications signal bandmates are live for your next jam session.
Success stems from adventuring just outside your creative comfort zone. You now have the professional tools once costing a fortune completely portable to start constructing your next masterpiece anytime inspiration strikes!
So what potential Billboard-topping banger are you ready to produce next? The studio awaits…
