The web makes just about everything easier – commerce, research, communication, translation – you name it.

Tasks that used to take days or weeks now take hours, minutes or even seconds.

So it should come as no surprise that the internet also holds valuable tools for the songwriter, as well.

The web makes it easier to learn and trade techniques and order software.

In fact, a lot of software is only available to the beat maker online, with no option to purchase the traditional box and CD-ROM/DVD.

For both the novice beat maker and the experienced maestro, cyberspace is a virtual treasure trove of online tools and tricks.

All of these programs are helping the next generation of groups, MCs, DJs and singers shape the musical landscape.

How Online Tools Can Help the Aspiring or Experienced Beat Maker

The development of virtual drum machines and studio software has helped musical artists around the world take control of their creative experiences and make music wherever their inspirations take them.  The internet has gone even further to help the struggling artist by offering new ways to purchase this software, often at greatly reduced costs.  What’s more, the online experience fuels competition and further drives down prices.  The web also allows beat makers shopping around for the right product to refine their searches and gather all of the necessary information quickly.

The internet also speeds up shipping by enabling users to not only find and order products online, but to pay for them as well, using credit cards or via secure payment sites like PayPal.  Gone are the days of mailing a check to a distributor and hoping it will arrive safely so that you can wait for it to be processed and again for the item to arrive in the mail.  Today’s beat maker can purchase music software with the click of a button, pay with another and then simply download the program.  In a matter of minutes, he or she can be on the way to creating the next masterpiece.

Programs for the Beat Maker Online

Dubturbo is a downloadable medium- to high-end beat-making program with plenty of features and high-quality, modern sounds.  The program costs between $30 and $200, depending on when you check out the site, and purchase entitles the beat maker to work remotely online where they can save their projects for later retrieval.  Dubturbo also provides users with ways to potentially earn money by making beats and posting them online.

In addition to downloadable programs, the internet offers aspiring and experienced songwriters on-line beat-making tools that are usually easy to use and often free.  These tools may come in the form of an extension of an existing downloadable program or a stand-alone beat maker online.

JamStudio is a fun little site that allows limited composition of not only backbeats, but melodies with different instruments as well.  While its functions are limited, it presents an interesting take on the sequencer.  Additional features like desktop applications are unlocked if the user joins the site for six months for $24.95.  Free users can still save their compositions, but do not own the rights to them.

The simply-named Drum Machine is an equally simple flash tool that offers only kick, snare, open and closed hi-hats and rim hits.  Users can manipulate volumes for individual tracks, use an effect simply labeled “FX” and adjust tempo, overall volume and shuffle.

While very limited in variety, the sounds are pretty good and the additional option to adjust the bounce of a composition also goes a long way to creating realistic beats.  However, the user will have to figure out an alternate way to line out the finished product, as the program offers no export or save capabilities.  It is more of a musical game, as evidenced by the site’s other offers, like Asteroids.

Technology advances at an exponential rate, with each discovery piggy-backing off the last.  It won’t be long before anyone with an inclination to make music has access to all the online or home studio gear he or she wants, in a user friendly format and for the cost of dinner and a movie.  With the additional proliferation of online broadcasting and social networking, tomorrow’s hits and classics will be made by the people with the most talent, not necessarily the most money or the best connections.

Rap, along with graffiti art, break dancing and other grassroots elements gathered from the streets of US cities – mainly New York – helped to create the scene that we all know today as hip hop.

More than a genre, hip hop is a stylistic and cultural phenomenon.

While, musically, it incorporates rap, it extends beyond this genre’s boundary to occasionally incorporate elements of rock, heavy metal, electro and other movements.

It can also include instrumental DJ mixes and its border is blurry, blending into other areas like house and drum & bass.

What started as a localized underground movement now touches most people’s lives in some way or another.

Whether through their iPods into their ears or just via the background music on television shows and commercials, but through it all, there is a beat that makes hip hop what it is.

One of the best ways to create a hip hop beat is through what’s known as “beat making software.”  This is a program that’s specifically designed to help aspiring musicians create sick beats, without requiring a background in music studio.  One of the best programs for doing this is the DubTurbo software program.  (Read my review on DubTurbo here.)

Evolution of Hip Hop Beat-Making Technology in a Nutshell

With the evolution of rap into hip hop came the development of tools used for making beats.  Following a limited run of the Linn LM-1 that spawned an impressive list of mainstream and underground hits in the 80s, manufacturers like Roland and Yamaha began to come out with samplers, sequencers and other beat-making machines that changed the face of music.  Not surprisingly, this trend has continued into the computer age and, due to the technology’s origins partly being credited to hip hop, today’s software pays homage to the genre and to these early beat-making machines by including replicated versions of their sounds in their sound libraries.  Programmers have also created an ever-growing list of 21^st Century equivalents for beat-makers to choose from on their quests to create the next new wave of sound.

While it is still possible to purchase beat-making machines in hardware form, it is much more common these days for songwriters, DJs and MCs to use computer software to make hip hop beats.  The last major wave of sequencer production ended near the end of the last decade, left forever in another century.  Korg, Yamaha and a few other audio device manufacturers make samplers, tap pads and other devices with similar capabilities, but rarely a device explicitly labeled as a drum machine or sequencer.  They have been replaced by software that takes up less space, costs less and offers superior, customizable functionality.

Today’s Virtual Drummers Can Make Hip Hop Beats from the Comfort of Home

If you’re looking to make basic rap beats, a drum program with some effects like BeatCraft or Sonic Producer might do, but in order to delve a little deeper into hip hop, a full studio recording program like Reason or Pro Tools could provide a better route.

For starters, hip hop encompasses a greater portion of the musical spectrum than the typical rap beat, and while songs still generally follow the classic 4/4 time signature found in rap, they can also use less common patterns like 7/4 or 3/4, which not all programs accommodate.  In addition, studio programs include other sounds like guitars, bass, synths and horns that help create entire compositions to back up MCs or that play out as instrumentals.

While most song writing can now be performed on the couch with a PC, more involved jobs may still require hardware.  Studio software works fine on its own to produce programmed beats, but most computers do not come equipped with the proper jacks for plugging in analog instruments, keyboards and microphones.  For the songwriter who has that mint-condition but well-seasoned 1976 Fender jazz bass or his or her grandfather’s old drum kit and just needs to use it, an external interface such as those manufactured Korg, Apple and a long list of other companies will be required to provide the necessary plugs and connections to achieve these musical goals.

The songwriter shouldn’t be afraid to experiment.  The tools are there and the precedent has been set by other musical pioneers, from film score composers to rock and rap stars.  It is on the backs of these giants that today’s artists continue to innovate and drive music into new and exciting territory, sculpting the soundscapes of tomorrow and creating technological niches that will be filled by new tools.  With all of these innovations in music and technology, it is easy for today’s producers and composers to learn to make hip hop beats for every taste.

Depending on your point of view, the best beat making software could be either that which best suits the needs of a particular musical niche or that is most well-rounded and serves everyone equally.

In either case it is important that programs have a few essential properties:  that they are user-friendly, use quality sounds and are able to be used by both experts and newbies.

We have come a long way, technologically, since the days when the 808 was the height of innovation. Regardless of the programs you use, free or premium, you will find quite a lot has improved in the quality of the output of beat making programs since those days.

While those old sequencers and drum machines served their purposes and have maintained strong cult followings ever since, today producers have access to an overwhelming multitude of computer programs.

All of these can easily  run circles around the most sophisticated equipment of even a decade ago.

Even better, they are more affordable and modern home computers have grown to accommodate their system demands.

Best Well-Rounded Music Making Software

Of course, on the best options for beat making software is the DubTurbo program.  This is the industry standard when it comes to making your own beats.  Thousands of people download this program every month and use it to create a variety of hip-hop, rap, and dance beats.  To learn more, check out my DubTurbo review.

On the pricier end of the spectrum, Reason offers a music making experience that is both user-friendly and good-sounding.  Although it leans a little towards rock, this program is of the more well-rounded variety.  It allows the user to construct full songs with realistic sounds and samples that are accompanied by interfaces designed to replicate the appearance of the gear they are synthesizing (i.e. amps).  Reason is also designed for live recording and can be used in conjunction with external hardware to allow musicians to plug in guitars, bass guitars, keyboards, mics or whatever else they might want to try to incorporate into their songs.

At $449, version six of this popular music making software is out of reach for many of those who would be inclined to use it. The company also offers a lighter version with the same quality but fewer features for $299 which, while still pricey, beats buying a music studio and puts it more in line with the competition.  For those who can afford it, Reason is one of the best programs for constructing whole songs and it remains a trusted name in the industry.  The software is available in stores as well as from the company’s website and potential customers who would like to try the program out before taking the plunge can download a free trial version via the web.

Another well-rounded program with a good cost-to-feature ratio is Reaper, which costs only $60 ($225 for commercial users) and also features a well-rounded and easy-to-use interface.  A trusted tool for many home studios, it includes hundreds of sounds and effects in addition to others available from third parties, as well as diverse editing capabilities, a 16-track sequencer and many more impressive features.   Reaper is available for download from the company’s site.

Best Music Making Software that Caters to Specific Needs

Some software is more focused and caters to a particular need or niche.  Luckily for music-makers, technology has become so advanced that it is now easy enough for programmers to mix and match features that most programs are well-rounded to some degree.  Nonetheless, there are programs for producing purely synthetic music, for creating just beats and those more inclined to specific genres.  Dubturbo is one of these programs.

While it can be used to create convincing beats for all styles, this program is primarily marketed towards the urban scene.  Dubturbo is oriented towards beats, but these days that term includes pretty well all parts of a song minus vocals.  Its sound bank contains thousands of tones and patterns and while it is not compatible with MIDI interfaces, virtual drummers can key in their tones in real-time or program them into an easy-to-use grid using a 16-track sequencer.  {If you act now, you can even Get Dubturbo at a 75% discount.}

And then there is free…

Sometimes with free versions, you get what you pay for.You are never going to make “professional” quality beats with a free program. BUT… that does not mean that you cannot make some awesome sounding music. You can! There are quite a few free music making options available out  there. It can be easy to get lost in all the free beat making software offers that assault you from every direction.  Here are a few of the best options.

Totally free software is available as well, in addition to the free trial versions that most commercial products offer.  Hammerhead Rhythm Station is a good stand-alone beat-focused program that costs nothing and features uncommonly good sounds for a free program, although they are limited in scope to a few classic electronic tones.

This program’s other features are equally limited but perfect for the beginner and a possible adjunct to more sophisticated programs used by experienced beat-makers.  OrDrumbox is another free percussion-focused program that features more sounds than Hammerhead and is suited to a wider variety of styles.  For capturing live sounds, songwriters might also want to try Anvil Studio, a sequencer and all-around recording program that offers many of the same features as its commercial counterparts.

Technology provides modern musicians and songwriters with almost unlimited possibilities for composing and arranging beats and tracks and with patience and perhaps a small investment, they can find the best music-making software to realize their visions.

Beat-making software has come a long way since the days, not that long ago, when producers had to shell out thousands of dollars for a digital audio workstation and a super-high end computer to run it on.

Today there are dozens, possibly hundred of programs for recording and synthesizing music right at home on the average personal computer.

Sifting through them, however, and through all of the internet noise to get to them, is decidedly more difficult than affording – and possibly even using – the actual software.

This review discusses one particular program, Dubturbo Digital Music Production, and what it can offer today’s beginner and expert beat makers.

Dubturbo Beat Production Software Gets Positive Reviews

Dubturbo began as an introductory beat-making tool for DJs and drummers looking to take the plunge into the virtual world, but has evolved into a heavy-weight in beat production software – one that comes without the exorbitant price tag.  Oriented towards hip hop and with the goal of providing the thumping beats of the club without all the mics or expensive hardware or software, this program is no less appropriate for any other genre, from punk and indie rock to industrial to soul and R&B, and it also gives considerable attention to a variety of ethnic beats from East and West.

To learn more About DUBTurbo; watch this four-part video tutorial series:

 Mac and PC users alike can enjoy Dubturbo’s simplicity without losing out on functionality, versatility or quality.  What’s more, beat-makers who purchase the software can use it remotely online and send their work back home via their accounts.  At the root of the program is its 16-track sequencer, which is joined on the interface by a piano keyboard.  Music can either be played in real-time on the keyboard or programmed into a grid, and users can chose from literally thousands of sounds.  To ease the burden of sifting through them, Dubturbo added a simple feature that provides a quick review of the tone with the click of a button.  The website’s member’s area also features tutorials that will have the beginner on his or her feet in minutes, making beats that sound exactly as they were imagined.

A review of Dubturbo’s other features also reveals a four-octave piano, a multitude of drums and other instruments, prerecorded riffs and loops , pitch correction, an easy-to-use interface and the option to drag and drop multiple bars at a time.  This is in addition to all of the other standard features like volume, tone and EQ.  The program exports to WAV but not mp3 files, which the company boldly touts as a selling point based on the notion that its broadcast quality beats should be paired with a high-fidelity file type.  While this focus on quality is encouraging, personally, I would rather have the option to export to the smaller file if I need to, rather than having to use another program to perform the task.  However, this minor, rarely-required chore is a small sacrifice compared to how much the producer can gain from using Dubturbo.

Dubturbo Review  – Pricing and What’s New for 2011

Dubturbo 2.0 follows last year’s version, 1.5, which itself had already made waves on the web.  The latest version goes even further, with more than 2400 sounds, updated interfaces, better, more streamlined performance and the additional option to export live out to another device.  With a suggested retail price of between $137.99 and $199.99, the latest version of Dubturbo costs considerably more than the previous one, which was $40, which makes the absence of a free trial version more cumbersome than with 1.5.  However, the website has featured discounts as low as $30-$40 and while today’s deal says that this is the final one, so did yesterday’s and the one the day before that.  In addition, the site promises a full refund to anyone who is not happy with the product and Dubturbo’s customer support comes highly recommended.

It’s always good to shop around, and plenty of good and inexpensive programs offer free trial versions that can easily be downloaded from the web, but for those who are sick of searching and reading reviews and just want a solid, user-friendly program that costs less than other products with similar features, Dubturbo is worth a closer look, regardless of the preferred genre.

These days you don’t need a drum kit and hours of expensive studio time in order to make your own beats for a musical composition.

Although the first automated percussion machines debuted in the 1930s, the first to use digital samples was released by Linn in 1980.

The same year Roland released its TR-808 which.

This program used analogue sounds.

Plus it was programmable and enabled producers and DJs to make their own beats at relatively low cost.

The 808 was followed four years later by the more complex 909.

Both the 808 and the 909  was largely responsible for the beats behind the early rap and electronic music of the 80s.

They, along with other technological advancements of the time, eliminated the hassle of creating tape loops and allowed musicians to create beats without having to first either shell out thousands of dollars for a pre-programmed system or master precision turntable techniques.

They also, aided by advancements in computer data storage and processing speeds, helped pave the way for the software applications available today that allow or are exclusively designed to let you make your own beats.

Making Your Own Beats – The Basics

In order to find the perfect beat for a track, it is important to know first what tone best fits the song.  If your song is a country tune, retro-style 909 jungle beats may not be a good fit.  However, a basic simulation of a live kit playing in 4/4 time would be perfect and relatively easy to achieve.  On the other hand, if you’re into something a little more experimental, a dirty low-fi kit mixed with some 808 or 909 samples might just do the trick

Generally, beat-making software and external devices use some sort of grid format, where you either choose a pre-programmed beat which you can alter to make your own, or assign the grid spaces – each of which represents a single hit – to specific instruments (snare, bass drum, toms, etc.) and customize the sounds and fill in spaces using simple clicks of the mouse.  Users can manipulate key signatures, song length, tempos and, depending on the program, effects like pitch, sustain and tone.  They can create beats of one or two looped measures or program every single hit for an entirely customized song.   The user then typically exports the completed project to WAV or some other file type for later assembly or immediate use.

Software Tools to Help You Make Your Own Beats

Studio Software

Computers were initially used only by recording studios and well-funded home musical engineers, as the first systems fast enough and with enough memory to process multiple tracks were prohibitively complex and expensive.  It was not long before technology caught up with demand, however, and by the first half of the last decade, less expensive, more user-friendly programs became available for home PCs.

Reaper and Reason are two popular studio programs capable of recording from external devices like guitars, synths and mics, usually using complementary hardware like USB mixing consoles.  However, they are also deigned so that the user can create entirely synthetic yet convincingly realistic songs using instrument samples, including ones for drums.  Sequences can either be assembled from the ground up or composed of clips of pre-programmed beats.

Stand-Alone Drum Machine Software

If you’re recording your own songs at home, chances are you already have a full studio program, but if the goal is just to create a pattern to spit rhymes or play along to, a stand-alone product might suffice.  Stand-alone beat-making software provides a more focused and often simpler way for musicians, DJs and MCs to make their own beats.  One such program is PC Drummer.

PC Drummer is available for $59, but beat-makers can download a free trial version that includes most of the same functions as the paid version.  The program features a simple grid that the user customizes from surrounding boxes.  The interface shows available sounds, tempo, hit volume and the song sequence, which can be programmed with up to 23 beats of multiple hits each.

The sound bank includes one or more samples of each traditional drum and cymbal as well as pre-programmed fills and measures, all of which you can cut and paste into your own full song.  The process is simple and songs can be easily exported as MIDI or WAV files for later mixing or directly for use on an iPod or CD during practice or a performance.  The trial version is valid for 30 days and all import/export and save functions are disabled.

Beat-making software adds a whole new layer of convenience to the task of making music. It can also be used at low volume or with headphones, further empowering musicians with no access to studios or practice spaces.  What’s more, beats can easily be altered or deleted at any stage of the process – no need to re-record whole songs to correct minor errors.

While it could be said that there’s no substitute for the real thing, today’s drum software and samples are getting so good as to be almost indistinguishable from live or studio performers.   With patience and a bit of musical prowess, you can make your own beats sound as warm and authentic as a professional drummer or as robotic as Kraftwerk without the need for complex mic arrangements or overnight mix-downs.

Just as tape loops, drum machines and sequencers gave early rappers backbeats to their rhymes, today’s music studio software empowers songwriters of all genres.

It puts the studio anywhere you want it.

This can include a concert hall, a basement or even a closet if that’s your style.

In addition some music studio often incorporates a combination of drum machines, sequencers, guitar and bass amp simulation modules and other tools to create a complete virtual composition.

All of these can be combined to create some amazing sounding sounds and beats…

As you can see, it’s easy to create professional sounding sounds from the comfort of your home!

The Advantages of Music Studio Software

One considerable advantage of music studio software is that it is just as rewarding for the novice as for the expert.  Beginners benefit from pre-arranged beats and patterns that help get them started laying down tracks, as well as easy-to-interpret interfaces and tutorials and forums to guide them towards more advanced methods of song production.  Experienced producers have at their disposal an almost limitless selection of potential production techniques.  Aside from volume, tempo and the basic controls one would expect to find with music studio software, more refined approaches are typically available as well, including the ability to manipulate nearly every aspect of a track, from distortion to direction of play (i.e. reverse).  Tracks can be panned, phased, cut and pasted and filtered using custom settings or pre-sets.

Music studio software also allows the user to input guitars and microphones for capturing vocals and live instruments, as well as to record MIDI samples that can be used again and again to build back-beats for other tracks.  At this point the producer typically must have access to an external USB interface.  These devices help manage power (i.e. for active mics) and allow patch and mic cords to be connected to a computer.  It is also important when using these programs that the sound card and the computer’s memory are up to the task, as running multiple music files simultaneously, combined with the program’s storage of previous actions, can take up a considerable amount of a machine’s resources – and especially if used on laptop.

Music Studio Software for All Needs and Price Ranges

Pro Tools is one commonly-used program that promises studio-quality performance.  It comes in more and less sophisticated versions that are priced at up to $699 and many of its features require an additional external interface like those produced by M-Audio.  Pro Tools works on Macs and PCs and has a heavy focus on mixing audio with video.  For this reason, the top-of-the-line version may not be necessary if someone just plans to record and assemble songs.  It offers ultra-high resolution mastering capabilities as well as the ability to process longer, larger files.  In addition, it allows the user to use multiple file formats.

Reaper is another popular program that, while perhaps slightly less comprehensive than Pro Tools, is more than adequate for making music and comes with a more accessible price tag.  A commercial license costs $225, but individuals and small businesses can purchase it for $60.

This program has everything a songwriter needs, from sequencers, pre-set patterns, drum machines and amp simulators that are authentic right down to the knobs, to the ability to process multiple tracks at once, add and adjust effects and manipulate most other aspects of a song.  Reaper is available for Mac and PC and its impressive trial version works for 30 days and features all of the capabilities of the paid versions, without annoying restrictions on importing or exporting files.

Anvil Studio offers free music studio software that provides many of the same features as commercial programs.  Anvil’s options include MIDI, loop and percussion composition, audio recording and editing, mixing, and even the ability to create melodies using musical notation.  It also allows the user to experiment with creating original sounds by manipulating wave forms.  The program costs nothing to download and users may purchase additional, nonessential tools and accessories through the website.

MIDI technology and progressive sampling techniques have led to innovative approaches to making music, with realistic and easily-manipulated sounds, and it is hard to imagine what more could be possible in the years to come.  One can now artificially create entire songs that sound like full live bands and to come up with previously undreamt-of soundscapes, and for the die-hard who will only accept the authentic, it is also possible to record live bands with crystal-clear fidelity and without breaking the bank.  Using music studio software, today’s artists have the power to take control of their productions and to be able to do it anywhere you can fit a group of musicians and their gear.

While it is not uncommon for today’s hip hop artists to utilize live drummers and studio percussionists, rap music nonetheless goes hand in hand with artificially-created beats.

Analog drum machines have existed in some shape or form since the 1930s.

But it wasn’t until the 1970’s when rap artists and disc jockeys began using tape loops and juggled rhythms on turntables that synthetic backbeats really came into their own.

Rap music had solidified into a genre by the beginning of the 1980s.

And the rising need for beats created a niche that was quickly filled by modern music programming hardware and software.

 How to Make Rap Beats – The Style

The classic rap beat typically uses some combination of a funky 4/4 bass drum, snare and high-hat loop, several bars in length, and possibly a drum fill or two to break up verses.  Some definitions of “beat” also include the bassline, background vocals and other sounds or instruments that fill out a song or give it character like hand claps, bells, keys, whistles, etc.  However, rap is by definition all about the vocals and the beat is mostly there to keep time and create a vibe.

Of course, today’s rap is more diverse and there are many takes on how to make rap beats.  Artists can go for classic beats like the Roland TR-808 (“808”) or follow in the footsteps of some of today’s MCs and make big productions with realistic-sounding, high quality instrument samples and elaborate compositions.  It is not uncommon to hear electric guitar leads, solos and genre crossovers, and the pool of potential samples grows with each and every song that a band or artist produces.  Nonetheless, rap’s defining characteristics generally remain intact – the bounce of the rhythm and the chanted rhymes from the MC or group of MCs.

The Tools for Making Rap Beats

Learning how to make rap beats requires an ear for rhythm and a bit of practice, and there are a number of avenues the budding beat-maker can take.  The most difficult and expensive way would likely be to find a place to set up and mic an actual drum kit, record someone playing it and then mix down the tracks.  Most commonly, however, beat-makers use physical or software-based sequencers and drum machines.

Sequencers are devices capable of creating loops from sampled beats such as breaks from funk songs, whereas drum machines produce digitally programmed sounds.  Eventually companies producing modern drum machines and sequencers began to merge these two dynamics and today the terms “sequencer” and “drum machine” are somewhat interchangeable.

These days, computers make everything easier and creating beats is no exception.  Although external drum machines and sequencers continue to exist, there are now programs that can perform the same functions cheaper and with less fuss.  These programs are descendents of early devices like the 808, famous for its bass drum, snare and hi-hat samples, and successors like the more complex 909 – but  they go much further.

The Software for Making Rap Beats

Beat-making software is used either as a stand-alone product or as part of a digital recording studio suite capable of capturing live instruments.  In either case, beats are usually programmed into a grid hit-by-hit or by combining pre-programmed measures, and can be altered in terms of volume, tempo, time signature, timbre, and other qualities.

Songwriters willing to shell out the cash can purchase more sophisticated programs for making beats like FL Studio (formerly Fruity Loops) or Pro Tools, but if the goal is simply to make basic back-beats, a lower-cost drum machine program like BeatCraft or PC Drummer or a even a free one such as HammerHead, which is geared more towards rap and electro, will do the trick.  Once beats are mixed down to an exportable file, they can then be used at any time, on their own or mixed with samples and melodies on a free recording program like Audacity.

For a more hands-on experience, songwriters can try using a MIDI keyboard, which synchronizes individual tones with keys that, when pushed, trigger the sounds.  This is used for percussion as well as for bass and other instruments, and allows for a more natural flow than is easily achieved through grid programming.  However, this method requires precision and, likely, re-takes.

One important thing to note when embarking on beat-crafting is the potential legal ramifications.  The issue of copyright infringement is as old as sampling and the territory is still murky.  Songwriters must be careful, when using any material written and recorded by other artists, to either get permission or consider dropping the sample from the track.  However, with the plethora of beat-making solutions on the market, the aspiring DJ or MC should have no problem figuring out how to create rap beats and make them his or her own.  In today’s high-tech environment, anyone can learn how to make rap beats and drum loops for any style or genre.

Many people want to learn more about free beat making software that is available for download today.

Beat making has rapidly grown, following a trend that more or less began in the late 1970s/early 198o’s. Perhaps more of today’s hot music has come to rely on the use of use of electronic beats than live drummers. This has fueled the rapid growth industry of beat making.

Virtual drummers and programmers have a wide range of software at their disposal to help them provide the percussive backdrops to their masterpieces.

These can include Top 40 modern classics, home recordings or simply the back beats to hip-hop freestyle jams.

The variety and variations between programs allow for unprecedented versatility of song arrangement, from simple to complex and everything in between.

But they can also make it overwhelming for the beginner to break into this area.

The potential for beat making is incredible.  Anyone who has an ear for music and an idea of what they want to create can be quickly making hot beats in no time.

The best program -the one that straddles the border between affordability and quality- is the Dub Turbo beat making software. But while this may be one of the best programs, and it is also an inexpensive program, it does lack something that some people crave.  It isn’t 100% free.

{Check out a more complete Dub Turbo Review}

Luckily for the aspiring beat maker, the internet contains a number of free beat making software options that allow him or her to either try a program out for a limited time at no cost or to use it indefinitely free of charge.

These programs not only allow the user to quickly start making beats for free, but also to become familiar with the different types of platforms available and figure out the most appropriate solution for his or her needs.

Free Beat Making Software Downloads

HammerHead Rhythm Station is a simple program for creating basic loops and patterns.  Beat options are limited to a few classic canned BOSS 909-style electronic beats appropriate for low-fi electronic, jungle, hip-hop or experimental indie rock.  The software allows the user to set the swing, tempo and length, as well as the volume, distortion and feedback level of the loop.  Loops can contain up to six instruments, for each of which the user can adjust the volume and apply distortion or a reverse effect.

HammerHead’s beat making software is available for free on a number of websites.  Its ultra-simple, user-friendly interface provides a perfect introduction to beat-making and with its .WAV and RAW data-stream export capabilities beginners will find themselves arranging their own backbeats in no time.  HammerHead takes up very little space on hard drives and is also available to use online without download.

Songwriters and DJs looking for something a little more complex will find it with orDrumbox, another free program available for download or to use online.  The program is labeled as “freeware” and allows users to program full songs using electronic and acoustic kit simulators and other percussion instruments like bells and tambourines, as well as a piano simulator.

OrDrumbox is packed with options.  Users can choose from a number of pre-set patterns or create their own, where they can control the pitch, frequency, pan and volume of each instrument as well as the volume of each hit.  They can adjust a song’s tempo, select from different kits, apply filters, and export as wav or midi files.  The sounds aren’t top of the line but are decent enough for a free program, especially one with so many options and that is packed so small – it takes up just over five megabytes on a hard drive.

If you have a Linux operating system Muse is a great free beat making software.  It boasts an audio sequencer as well as full MIDI support with input and output MIDIS. IN many ways this could be viewed as a bare bones version of many of the solid pay programs.  YOu don’t get a lot of frills… but it is a good way to practice and see if beat making is for you…before you spend the money on an awesome system like DubTurbo.

Free Trials of Commercial Beat Making Software

Most commercial and paid open-source programs also offer trial versions.  These free beat making software downloads are typically valid for a week to a month and while their functions and often limited in some way in order to persuade the user to buy the full version at the end of the trial period, they provide a good way for virtual drummers to find the software that is right for them.

Acoustica BeatCraft allows the user to create all sorts of beats, from realistic live-sounding drum scores to simple electronic patterns.  While the program is fairly complex and takes a little while to learn to navigate, it is nonetheless a user-friendly and intuitively-designed interface.

The sounds bank includes well over a hundred percussive tones, from the classic old 808 beats used in 80s hip-hop to full midi drum kits, tambourines, bells, hand claps and most other sounds commonly – and less commonly – used in today’s and yesterday’s music.  Volume and tone can be adjusted for each individual beat and beat-makers can set the swing or bounce of their patterns to make them fit their melodies and give them realistic composition.

The variety of drum machine programs on the web can be a little overwhelming, but with bit of research and some trial and error, any musician or budding beat master can find the free beat making software he or she needs for any particular style and segment of the musical spectrum.

Acid Express is yet another free download of a premium program.Like many free versions of premium programs it is designed to give you just enough to get you started and entice you to pay the full ticket for the premium version to unlock the real power of the system. While the free version is quality and well worth the price (free), the same cannot be said for the full version, which is more expensive and not as good as some of the other premium beat making solutions.

Hopefully, these few examples will give you some free beat making software downloads to enjoy and play with. In the long term a solution like DubTurbo Beat maker may be the way to go.  But until that time, you can get a lot of enjoyment from these free beat makers.