Inside the Studio – So Many DAWs, so Little Time

Ah, the annual DAW issue. There are so many digital audio workstations out there today, and the number keeps growing. On top of that, many offer multiple (entry, intermediate and pro) versions at a variety of price points (free to $700+). Some DAWs are offered as a one-and-done purchase with free updates for life, many charge for updates, while others have adopted subscription modelsit can all be very confusing. Without getting too far into the weeds, here’s my 10,000-foot view of several different DAWs in the market and how they fit into a recording ecosystem.

Note these are my personal opinions based on my experience, and if your DAW of choice is not listed here, it’s simply that I have not used it.