Music Composition Software Overview

Hi Everyone!

On January 16th, from 2-3 pm PST, Bow Buddies is hosting a workshop with student composer and musician, Haben Naizghi. While Haben uses one particular music software, this article will provide information and details about other music software that students can use to compose their own music!

Chrome Music Lab

Chrome Music Lab is a fun interactive tool for students and educators featuring "experiments," allowing students to explore the connections between music and other subjects, such as science, math, and art. Students can access the "Song Maker" experiment to create their own pieces of music. The Chrome Music Lab is intuitive and easy to use, and doesn't require students to open an account! Other amazing features, or "experiments" of Chrome Music Lab, include a shared piano, where multiple people can compose a song together, and an interactive rhythm maker!

Click here to create your own music, explore sound waves, or learn about spectograms!

Groove Pizza

Groove Pizza, launched in partnership with the NYU Ability Lab, is a unique tool for creating music and beats through exploration of math concepts and shapes. Students can layer sounds and shapes (toppings) on top of each other to create a "pizza" of sound. Create unique Afro-Latin, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Rock, and Techno music through Groove Pizza by clicking here!

Soundtrap

Soundtrap can be used for all levels, although many of the community members are more experienced in their music-making abilities. An account is required to use Soundtrap, and there are several types of accounts, including a free account. Soundtrap is frequently used by artists who want to collaborate, as Soundtrap has a platform for collaborating with other musicians. The features of Soundtrap are more advanced than those of Chrome Music Lab or Groove Pizza, allowing musicians to create more complex beats and music pieces. Learn more here.

Bandlab

Similarly to Soundtrap, Bandlab offers a variety of more complex tools for advanced composers and musicians. Bandlab is free, but does require an account to create music. Through Bandlab, musicians can collaborate with others, as well as join a band online! Bandlab is very intuitive and user-friendly, start creating now by clicking here!

Flat

Last but not least, we have Flat, the software that Haben Naizghi, student composer and musician, uses to compose his pieces. Flat is very beginner-friendly, with access to many tools and features. Flat also allows musicians to collaborate with musicians around the world, similarly to Bandlab or Soundtrap. There are free plans and paid plans, but an account is needed for either. Learn more here, and at our workshop Sunday, January 16th from 2-3 pm PST!

Play around and let us know in the comments which software is your favorite!