What to look for if you want to find the best DAW for beginners

If you’re new to audio recording, then you might be wondering, what is the best DAW for beginners. Unfortunately, with so many options available, that’s a hard question to answer definitively. The good news is however, that if you want to find the right DAW for you, then there’s a really easy way…

Don’t focus on features when looking for the best DAW for beginners:

When looking for the perfect DAW, many people focus on a DAW’s features and capabilities. Whilst those are important (and you can watch a great vid which breaks down lots of popular DAWs features and capabilities here), in reality, when you’re looking for the best DAW for beginners, you should base your choice on one question above all the others…

That question is: “Whose training do I like best and which DAW do they teach on?”

You see, as a beginner, its not so much about a DAW’s features as it is about getting trained on how to actually use the DAW. Whilst features such as the number of channel strip presets or software instruments a DAW has are all useful things to consider, they’re not as important for a beginner as the matter of how you will actually be learning to use the DAW.

There’s tons of info out there to help you to learn to use the best DAW for beginners:

These days, there is an abundance of information available through books, blogs, YouTube channels, podcasts, video courses etc. So its really easy to get training on how to operate different DAWs. We all learn differently, some people like to read whilst others learn better from observing. So if you would prefer to watch a YouTube tutorial rather than read a book, then there’s no point investing in a DAW which only has books available for you to learn from, regardless of how good its features are. Perhaps a friend can recommend a really good blog about ProTools. Or you find a book about Cubase which is perfect for you. Maybe there’s a YouTube channel that teaches about Reaper which you find really helpful. Regardless of which DAW it is, finding an information resource which you find really informative and accessible is the key to choosing the best DAW for beginners.

Finding a great content resource will teach you all you need to know about the best DAW for beginners:

When choosing a DAW, there are a few practical implications to consider outside of the DAWs features. For instance, Logic will only run on a Mac, so it wouldn’t be a good choice for anyone who owns a PC. There are also certain DAWs which are more suited to recording audio and some which are better for software instruments. So it makes sense to find a blogger, author or YouTuber whose content appeals to you before you invest in a DAW. That way, you can watch/read lots of their content to make sure that the DAW is definitely right for you before you commit to it… Which books, blogs and YouTube channels do you use for tutorials on your favorite DAW? Let us know in the comments below.