The 5 Best Free Beat-Making Apps for Beginners on Chromebook

This article highlights the best free beat-making apps for beginners on Chromebook.. Making beats is no easy task. Complex software that looks like a foreign language to most is used to sculpt and shape some of our favorite tracks from artists worldwide. Don’t get discouraged if you’re looking to add beat-making to your resume and you have challenges at first.

The Infancy of Beat-Making Machines

Since the early days of the cheap and simple drum machines that transformed the music industry, creating beats has long been a revered discipline. Simple devices like the Seeburg Select-A-Rhythm of the 1960s, all the way up to the classic Roland 808 of the early 80s that spawned classics from groups like Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys, forever changed the way artists deliver their music.

While many classic drum machines are still in heavy rotation, most beat makers use a more modern approach, using different computer programs like those mentioned above. Even during the early days of Pro Tools, which spawned Michael Jackson’s hit “Black or White,” and ACID, responsible for Danger Mouse’s classic “The Grey Album,” was far too complex for beginners.

Luckily, the current generation of novice hitmakers has access to programs with much more straightforward and free programs like the ones we highlight below.

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Beat Making Apps for Beginners On Chromebook

If you’re breaking into the world of beat-making, you’re likely to find success with any one of the following tools. You won’t have to pay a dime to craft any of the tracks you compose.

1. SoundTrap

SoundTrap, one of the most popular beat-making tools in use today, has a free version called “SoundTrap Basic” with some incredible perks. This free offering gives users access to over 200 instruments, 2,200 loops, audio and MIDI editing, and the ability to produce scores with an unlimited track length.

The latter makes SoundTrap’s free version stand out from other beginner tools. Most free beginner software puts a cap on how long users can make their tracks, often limiting them to four or five-minute offerings. For the musical genius, this isn’t enough time.

The interface, known as a DAW (digital audio workstation), is one of the most well-reviewed in the beat-making world. With a sleek, fresh interface, and easy-to-use tool section, beginners will find this DAW without much of a learning curve.

Another perk of SoundTrap is it isn’t just limited to one genre of music. The program has collaboration and networking options, allowing you to let other beat-makers from all over the globe critique your work or pound out a track with you.

Producers can edit your score once you upload a track to provide constructive feedback. Finally, a MIDI-compatible device can even be connected, allowing you to upload your music directly to the app. This is where those old-school drum machines might come in handy.

2. Magix Music Maker 2022

Magix Music Maker 2022 is the number one beat-making program for beginners, with over 6 million users worldwide. This is a well-known option as well, and for more than one reason.

Music Maker has been in rotation since 1994, with a new version released yearly. The team behind Music Maker, Magix, is also responsible for the beat creation program ACID, mentioned above for being the force behind Danger Mouse’s Grey Album. The team at Magix knows a thing or two about making beats.

What makes Music Maker stand out is all the additional options. Currently, four versions are available:

• Music Maker Free
• Music Maker Plus Edition
• Music Maker Live Edition
• Music Maker Premium Edition

In addition, the program is also available for use with the Magix Audio Remote, a second-screen app allowing you to control live music as you produce it. This is known as Live Pad mode, giving users access to 30 different sets of fully functional live music setups. You can go live as a one-man band.

Music Maker also won Google Editor’s Choice in the Play Store, a testament to just how incredible and user-friendly it is. Although beat-makers of all genres can take advantage of Music Maker, producers from the EDM, Trance, and Techno genres tend to gravitate towards it more than Hip-Hop.

3. Band Lab

Band Lab is another DAW available for the Chromebook that’s 100% free. This DAW only works in Chrome, which means you can also access it from your smartphone.

While other DAW makers are beginning to focus on cloud functionality, Band Lab is wholly focused on cloud and browser use, leading the way for the next generation of beat-makers. This music-making program is excellent for beginner band members or guitar players, with an incredibly easy-to-use interface.

The dashboard is geared for the sound of an entire band, including functions like tap-tempo, lyric editor, tracking, and a magnetic timeline. This gives you control over a whole plethora of different sound elements.

One of the most remarkable functions of Band Lab is the fact that you can create a digital band with other users of the service. Anyone in your band can access the track, allowing you and your mates to edit and polish the track on your own time or collaboratively.

This offering is perfect if you’re into writing guitar tunes, have a band already, or want to put together a digital band. Band Lab is a little more basic but has plenty of sounds stored in the library for you to experiment with.

4. Song Maker

Song Maker provides a more robust platform for producing music than most beginner programs. Their stock library includes thousands of free sounds and loops that you can use to make your own tracks.

The interface allows you to create, produce, and then share the music you make on several platforms. If you’re completely new, you’ll enjoy their bank of sounds that are conveniently categorized under labels like:

• Trap Loops
• Metal Guitar One Shot
• Metal Guitar Loops
• Hip Hop
• Piano Loops

And many, many more. You can also infuse music you’ve made on drum machines or elsewhere and use the platform to produce or mix their sounds with yours. The keyboard and MIDI functions are 100% online, so you don’t need to install any software onto your Chromebook.

Song Maker seems to be comfortable for beginning beat-makers who are a little more comfortable crafting more complex tracks but aren’t quite to the level of music with more complex tools like Fruity Loops or ACID.

5. Edjing Mix

Our final offering is Edjing Mix, a neat little app that allows you to DJ from your smartphone or Chromebook. This application will enable you to scratch, mix, blend, and use your device just like a life techno or house DJ.

The features available for Edjing are incredible for a beginner tool. Novice users will have the ability to:

• Record mix and scratch routines in HD .wav format
• Use Tidal and SoundCloud to access their library of millions of different songs
• There are 16 free in-house samples like cymbal, snare, gunshot, and bells.
• Use a handy que system that allows you to prepare your next song in rotation and seamlessly fade it in after your current selection.
• One of the best features for new users is automatic BPM detection. This really allows you to take your DJ’ing to the next level, as BPM synchronicity is one of the more challenging elements of making beats.

If you’re a beginning DJ who wants to produce pro-level tracks, Edjing is for you. If you’re into live DJ’ing, scratching, cutting, and other disciplines, whether it’s techno or hip-hop, give Edjing a shot.

The best free beat-making apps for beginners on Chromebook come down to your type of music and how complex you want to get with your tracks. Each of the applications mentioned above offers a different specialty for different genres and is geared toward various levels of beginning beat-makers. Test other apps and decide which feels the most natural and produces the best results.

FAQs

Sources:

https://www.roland.com/us/promos/roland_tr-808/

https://www.vice.com/en/article/jp4pd3/these-7-old-school-production-software-interfaces-are-amazing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magix_Music_Maker