What DAW should I use?

Most audio interfaces bundle a DAW. Ableton Live Lite is great for electronic music. GarageBand is free on Mac. Reaper is $60 and fully featured. Logic Pro is the Mac standard at $200.

Do I need studio monitors?

Not to start. Good headphones are more accurate than budget monitors in an untreated room. Invest in monitors after you acoustically treat your space.

Best Music Production Starter Kit 2026