Today, a myriad of technological tools exist to transform your musical concepts into recorded reality, and blast those out into the world. Yet, this abundance of options presents a new hurdle — choice paralysis, where picking the perfect tool becomes a daunting task. Moreover, the cost of some of these technologies can skyrocket, ironically turning the cost of getting into these tools into the biggest issue for independent artist.

On that note, we wanted to build out the ULTIMATE guide to Free Music Creation and Promotion, so you can get up and running with zero impact on your wallet. 

Creating Your Sound for Free

First things first: you need to create your music. Thankfully, we put together a list of free software to help you do just that:

• Waveform Free is a completely free DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that gives you unlimited audio and MIDI tracks to work with.
• GarageBand might already be on your Mac, and it's a fantastic tool for beginners and pros alike to lay down ideas quickly.
• Audacity is a free, open-source software for recording and editing sounds, available on all operating systems.
• Cakewalk by BandLab is a Windows-only DAW that's packed with professional features, and it won't cost you anything.
• LMMS is great for electronic music producers and is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

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Now that you have your production set up, it’s time to customize your sound. Here’s a list of FREE plugins you can use:

• TDR Nova: A dynamic equalizer that brings a professional touch to your mixing and mastering, complete with a spectrum analyzer, de-esser, and parallel compression module.
• OTT Compressor: A multiband compressor perfect for adding punch and clarity to your tracks, featuring adjustable attack and release times, and a mix control for blending processed and dry signals.
• Limiter No6: A versatile mastering limiter with a toolkit including a clipper, saturation module, and stereo enhancer to finely control your track's dynamics.
• Molot: A characterful compressor that adds warmth and vibe to your sound, offering adjustable parameters and a mix control for blending the perfect amount of compression.
• TAL-Reverb-4: A lush reverb plugin that can infuse your tracks with depth and space, equipped with filters and a dry/wet control for ambiance shaping.

Promoting Your Music Without the Price Tag

Once you've got your tracks ready, it's time to get them out there. Promotion doesn't have to mean parting with cash. Here's how you can do it for free:

• Use social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter to share your music and connect with fans. Regular posts, engaging stories, and live sessions can help you grow your audience without spending a penny.
• SongTools free Suite: As of this week, SongTools is now offering 3 core marketing tools, completely free of charge! These include: 
• SongPage: One-click landing page builder for your song, allowing you to track data across streaming and social media platforms.
• SongBlog: A tool to help you create SEO-friendly blogs for your songs, fostering a healthy social ecosystem around your music.
• SongFolder: Where you can manage your song's assets, like promo videos, album covers, and mp3s, and turn them into engaging ads for your song.
• Bandcamp offers free tools for artists to sell music and merchandise directly to their fans.
• SoundCloud is a great platform for sharing your music and discovering other artists, and it doesn't cost anything to upload your tracks.

Monetizing Your Music

Finally, you're ready to make some money from your music. Here's how you can do that for free:

• YouTube is still a top platform for monetizing your music through ad revenue.
• Twitch can be a great place to perform live, interact with fans, and earn money through donations and subscriptions.
• Patreon allows your fans to support you directly with monthly subscriptions in exchange for exclusive content.