Out of the two most commonly used mobile phone platforms (iOS and Android), iOS wins hands down when it comes to audio, thereby making it the obvious choice for a musician. However, they’re not cheap by any means. On the other hand, Android phones come in all budget ranges. And the good news is that there are a bunch of awesome music maker apps which make the experience tons better, if not the same as iOS. Whether you’re a music enthusiast who is simply looking to have some fun with beats or a professional music producer, we have scoured out some of the best music maker apps for you that are currently available on the Play Store. Recently, we have also shared free music download apps for Android.
Top 10 Best Music Making Apps For Android
1. Caustic 3:
Price – Free + Paid version ($3.28) An extremely popular app, Caustic 3 takes its inspiration from a rack-mount synthesizer and sampler rigs combination. You can create your own personalized rack by adding as many as 14 machines using tools like Subsynth, PCMSynth, Bassline, BeatBox, Modular, Organ, SawSynth, PadSynthm 8BitSynth, FMSynth, KSSynth, and Vocoder. The app also offers roughly 20 types of effects, mixer desk with reverb effects, song sequencer, and master section including parametric EQ and limiter. You can submit your own WAV files to use them in machines like Vocoder, PCMSynth, and BeatBox.
2. RD4 Groovebox:
Price – Free + Paid version ($5.46) RD4 Groovebox is a very well-rated app that features virtual analog synths, drum machines, and a bunch of effects (reverb, distortion, delay, phaser) which basically turn your Android device into a little production studio. You can create music in real-time by selecting separate instruments for each of the channels in the 4 channel rack mixer. The mixer comes with volume control, tempo control, and channel mute. You could record live or fix notes using the sequences that comes with features like adjustable play modes (1-8 bars), song mode (up to 99 bars), and more. You may also like best equalizer apps for Android.
3. Music Maker Jam:
Price – Free Listed as the Editor’s choice app, Music Maker Jam is an excellent music maker app for budding deejays or even casual music lovers who’re looking for a fairly simple, yet useful tool to create your own beats or remix various tracks no matter what genre you specialize in. Some of its features include over 300 mix packs across genres like Hip-Hop, pop, rock, EDM, trap, jazz, and techno, remix music by shaking your phone, record vocals, create sound by using different samples, record live using the 8-channel mixer, choose from several studio-quality loops, and share your creation on social media platforms.
4. Nanoloop:
Price – Free + Paid version ($4) If you’re an electronic music producer/DJ, then Nanoloop could come really handy. This app is the ultimate package, replete with sequencer, synthesizer, and samplers, backed by a user-friendly interface. It enables you to automatize all parameters, use an 8-channel mixer with 8 patterns in each channel, trim samples, export WAV & Ogg Vorbis files, exchange projects through e-mail, edit songs (with loop), and add samples from your SD card. The best part? This app works offline except for when you’re using it for the first time.
5. FL Studio Mobile:
Price – Free + Paid version ($15.99) FL Studio Mobile serves as an absolute music making app that serves as a means to create multi-track projects along with a legion of other tools such as recording, sequencing, mixing, and editing. It boasts of a long list of features like mixer with mute, solo, pan, and volume adjustment, effects such as auto-ducker, chorus, limiter, reverb, delays, and distortion, superlative audio engine, MIDI file export and import, good quality samplers, synths, drum kits, and sliced-loop beats, and customizable virtual drum-pads and piano-keyboard.
6. SunVox:
Price – $6 (no free version) If you’re a serious musician who’s seeking a powerful music making tool then SunVox is a must try. This app features a cross-platform modular synthesizer packed with pattern based tracker. Other features include multitrack WAV export, MIDI export and import, well-optimized synth algorithms, effective mictonical sequencer, modular UI, and XM/MOD import. It also comes with a plethora of effects & in-built synths including echo, reverb, flanger, FM synth, DrumSynth, and analog generator.
7. Drum Pads 24:
Price – Free Unlike the other music maker apps on Android which claim to offer a dedicated drum machine but don’t do the job, Drum Pads 24 actually works. It is essentially a drum pads sampler and beats mixer that is mainly useful if you’re a beat-boxer or are into hip-hop/rap music. The app aids well in live performances, beatboxing, finger-drumming, sound creation, loops, recording, and sharing your creation. Few of its key features are popular EDM packs uncompressed samples, 24 pads in 2 scenes, pitch audio effect, step sequencer, tutorials, and pad editor.
8. n-Track Studio 9 Pro DAW:
Price – Free + Paid version ($30) Considered as one of the top-notch multi-track recording apps, the n-Track Studio 9 Pro app enables you to record and play a vast number of MIDI/audio tracks, mix them, put in various effects, edit them, and then share the result with your social circle. It acts as a DAW-style app with features including effects like reverb, echo, phaser, and pitch shift, group and aux channels, stereo and mono tracks (up to 11 for free), step sequencer, import tracks, guitar and bass plug-ins, volume adjustment, and VocalTune. Note that their free version has very limited features so if you’re really serious about making music, it might be worth upgrading to the paid one.
9. Audio Evolution Mobile Studio:
Price – Trial + Paid version ($7) with in-app purchases Yet another popular music maker app, Audio Evolution Mobile Studio is a really great multi-track MIDI/Audio recording tool that caters to musicians and deejays alike. You can layer tracks and create a song, choose from a bunch of virtual instruments, use drum patterns, add real-time effects, automatize parameters, and more. Other attributes include ToneBoosters, Soundfont packs, Vocal Tune, MIDI sequencer, drum pattern editor, loop playback, and latency correction.
10. G-Stomper Studio:
Price – Demo + Paid version ($9.95) G-Stomper Studio is one of the very few apps to have incorporated a similar sophisticated design as the one you see on its iOS counterpart. This app is optimized for performing live along with studio quality sound. It comes with a myriad feature including drum machine (24 tracks), sampler track grid, sampler drum pads, audio editor, effect rack, pattern set, piano keyboard, and VA-Beast synthesizer. Other than that it also has a high quality audio engine, 47 types of effects, and automation support. The Upshot: These are some of the best music maker apps that you can get on the Play Store as of today. As you may have noticed, most of them offer a premium version along with in-app purchases for advanced features. Depending upon your expertise and needs, you could either stick to the free version or upgrade to the premium version. A couple of other notable music making apps include Chordbot Pro (for songwriters), Walk Band (for music producers). Do let us know which ones you like the best!