Best DAW For EDM Production & Exhilarating Tracks (Top 6)

EDM production is one of the most vibrant and dynamic fields in the music industry 一 it breaks boundaries, captivates audiences, and incorporates epic sound design. 

It requires show-stopping melodies and intricate audio editing, mixing, and mastering. 

So, as an electronic music producer, choosing the best DAW is key. 

It’s where you’re going to unleash your creative genius, so you have to make sure it contains the right tools and features.

The best DAW for EDM production should complement your unique workflow, inspire creativity, and offer the technical capabilities required for pro-quality production.

That’s why the following popular DAWs all contain features like:

• An intuitive interface ✓
• Advanced sound design capabilities ✓
• Extensive mixing and mastering tools ✓
• Great MIDI and audio editing features ✓
• Live performance functionalities ✓
• Integration with external hardware ✓
• Modular design for unlimited creativity ✓
• Virtual instruments and effects ✓
• Advanced features ✓
• Etc. ✓

With the following best DAWs, you’ll be able to unlock new levels of potential and enhance your EDM production skills.

Each DAW highlighted offers unique advantages, from Ableton Live’s intuitive live performance layout to Bitwig Studio’s unparalleled modular sound design environment. 

You’ll not only enhance your sound quality but also elevate your music to stand out in the super exciting world of electronic dance music.

So, let’s dive right in…

Choosing the Best DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for Electronic Music Production

When it comes to electronic dance music (EDM) production, one of the first and most impactful decisions you’ll make is choosing the right Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). 

This choice is super important because your DAW becomes your main tool for banging out creative ideas and creating pulsating, electrifying tracks. 

The best DAW for EDM not only offers intuitive design and powerful features but also aligns with your workflow.

It will help you effortlessly sketch, produce, and perform your musical ideas. 

Finding a great DAW that really vibes with your creative process is key for:

• Layering synths
• Programming beats
• Exploration
• Mixing down tracks
• Etc.

Basically, it makes the difference in all areas 一 from efficiency and professionalism to inspiration and experimentation.

Different DAWs shine in certain areas of music production, such as MIDI capabilities, industry standard audio editing, or live performance tools. 

So, for EDM producers, finding a DAW that balances these elements and promotes creativity can be a game-changer.

#1. Ableton Live

Ableton Live is more than just a digital audio workstation; it’s perfect for creating, arranging, and performing EDM. 

Its design is specifically aimed at the needs and workflows of modern electronic music, making it a go-to for anyone looking to produce EDM. 

Let’s break down what makes Ableton Live so special (and why many electronic producers swear by it).

• User Interface & Workflow

The user interface of Ableton Live is straightforward, making it easy for you to get down to business and lay down ideas quickly.

It features two main views:

• The Arrangement View
• The Session View

The Arrangement View is where you can lay out your tracks along a timeline, similar to what you’d find in other DAWs. 

It’s great for putting together the structure of your song, from intro to outro 一 adding effects and automating volume or filters over time.

The Session View is something quite unique to Ableton Live. 

It’s designed for looping and improvisation, presenting your tracks as a grid of clips that can be played in any order. 

This is particularly useful for electronic music producers who want to experiment with different sounds and arrangements on the fly. 

It’s a powerful tool for creating dynamic builds and drops that are characteristic of EDM. 

This view encourages experimentation and can lead to the discovery of new rhythms, melodies, and textures by simply mixing and matching different loops and samples.

• Instruments and Effects of the Best DAW for EDM

Ableton Live comes packed with a wide range of instruments and effects that are perfect for producing all types of electronic music. 

Its built-in synthesizers, like Wavetable and Operator, provide crazy sounds, from deep basses to shimmering leads, essential for creating the signature sounds of EDM genres. 

Wavetable, for example, offers immense depth and flexibility with its ability to morph between different waveforms in real-time.

It helps you to design evolving textures and sounds that make tracks come alive.

Side note, if you’d like to learn all about wavetable synthesis, we’ve got you covered.

Plus, the effects in Ableton Live are designed to enhance your tracks and give them that professional polish, like:

• Echo
• Reverb
• The dynamic Compressor

With them, you’ll be able to create music with the perfect amount of space/depth or pump up your tracks to achieve that big room sound 一 the choice is yours. 

The Drum Buss effect, in particular, is a favorite among EDM producers for adding warmth and cohesion to their drum tracks, making them punch through the mix.

• MIDI Capabilities

MIDI editing in Ableton Live is intuitive and solid 一 packed with multiple features for creating complex melodies and rhythms. 

The piano roll editor makes it easy to compose: 

• Melodies
• Chord progressions
• Drum patterns

Ableton also includes several MIDI effects that can inspire new ideas or transform simple sequences into complex arrangements. 

For instance, the Arpeggiator can take a few notes and turn them into an expansive melodic sequence, which many electronic music tracks play around with.

Ableton’s MIDI mapping capabilities mean you can easily connect and configure MIDI controllers to work directly with the software.

This gives you hands-on control over MIDI data, ideal for working with synthesizers or controlling the Session View live.

It adds that professional performance aspect to music production that’s essential for EDM producers who also perform their music live. 

If you ask most electronic musicians what typical DAW they would use (Mac/Windows users, doesn’t matter), and most of them would answer Ableton as their top three.

• Live Performance Tools

One of the reasons Ableton Live is so beloved by electronic music producers is its capabilities for live performances. 

This music production software blurs the line between production and performance, allowing you to take your projects from the studio to the stage seamlessly. 

Using the Session View, you can trigger (in real time):

• Loops
• Samples
• Full tracks

It gives you the flexibility to improvise/interact with your audience on an emotional level.

The ability to map effects and parameters to MIDI controllers also means you can add live remixing and sound manipulation into your performances.

It makes every show unique, captivating, and moving.

#2. FL Studio

FL Studio is renowned for its pretty legendary toolset and intuitive design, making it another top choice for EDM producers. 

Its straightforward workflow is actually incredibly flexible, allowing for quick sketching of ideas and detailed production work. 

From its famed step sequencer to its robust piano roll, FL Studio offers everything an electronic music producer needs to create compelling tracks.

• The Step Sequencer

The step sequencer in FL Studio is legendary, providing an intuitive and fast way to create drum patterns and sequences. 

It’s a grid-based interface where you can click to add or remove notes, which makes it simple to build rhythms (even if you’re not a drummer). 

This feature is particularly useful for making music with complex, layered drum patterns found in many EDM tracks. 

Producers can manipulate individual steps with features like: 

• Velocity adjustment 一 For dynamic variation.
• Note probability 一 For adding unpredictability to patterns.

It will enhance the groove and feel of your track.

The step sequencer easily pairs with FL Studio’s Sampler and Drum Synths 一 allowing you to layer samples and synthesized drum sounds for unique textures. 

This FL Studio capability is invaluable in genres like Trap or Techno, where the drum sound can define the track. 

The ease with which you can swap sounds, tweak patterns, and experiment with rhythmic structures makes the step sequencer a favorite for sketching EDM ideas.

• The Legendary Piano Roll For Electronic Music Production

The legendary FL Studio piano roll goes beyond simple MIDI editing, offering a range of features that are ideal for electronic music production.

It’s celebrated for its ability to allow precise control over note: 

• Velocity
• Pitch
• Length
• Timing

So, intricate melody and chord sequence creation is not only possible but super fun.

This detail is make-or-break when it comes to genres like Progressive House or Trance, where emotional melodies and complex chord progressions are foundational elements.

One of the standout features of the FL Studio piano roll is its advanced automation capabilities. 

You can create automation clips for practically any parameter (from synth filters to effect levels) directly within the piano roll. 

This allows for detailed, dynamic changes in your music 一 creating the evolving, energetic builds and drops that get people hooked. 

Additionally, the piano roll’s “Riff Machine” and “Chop” tools can automatically generate melodies and rhythms, providing inspiration when you battle beat-block and transforming the creative process. 

Most DAWs simply can’t touch this legendary piano roll.

• Mixing and Mastering

FL Studio’s mixer is one of its standout features, providing a flexible and powerful environment for mixing and mastering tracks. 

It offers various routing options, with each mixer track capable of hosting up to 10 effects (plugins). 

This allows for intricate effect chains which you’ll need for creating the perfect mix in EDM production. 

The FL Studio mixer also includes advanced features like sidechain control, which is key for achieving that pulsating sound characteristic of electronic dance music. 

NOTE: This is done by ducking the volume of one sound to make room for another, typically the kick drum over a bassline.

Mastering in FL Studio is done with a suite of mastering plugins, such as Maximus, a multiband compressor/limiter, and the EQ2, a parametric equalizer. 

These FL Studio tools are instrumental in shaping the final sound of your track, ensuring it sounds clean, clear, and professional regardless of playback systems. 

Maximus helps make it one of the best DAWs for EDM production. 

It’s revered for its ability to finely sculpt dynamics and add punch and clarity to your mix, making it radio-ready. 

So, if you’ve underestimated this professional-grade DAW in any way or thought it wasn’t as good as most DAWs, I highly advise you to reconsider.

• Virtual Instruments & Plugins

FL Studio’s various virtual instruments and plugins are nothing short of an electronic music producers’ dream.

It includes synthesizers like Sytrus, which is perfect for innovative sound design as it offers different synthesis types, like: 

• FM synthesis
• Subtractive synthesis/additive synthesis
• RM synthesis

Another highlight is Harmor, an additive/subtractive synthesizer that allows for detailed sound manipulation and resynthesis.

It’s perfect for creating unique and evolving sounds for electronic music madness.

The plugin Gross Beat is celebrated for its real-time, audio-stream manipulation, including time and pitch-based effects ideal for live performance and remixing. 

Such tools empower producers to manipulate samples and loops in creative ways, essential for electronic music production that brings value.

With the addition of third-party VST plugins, the possibilities for sound creation and manipulation in FL Studio are virtually limitless.

Therefore, it’s a versatile platform for producing electronic music that can really blow the roof off a club.

• Workflow Efficiency

FL Studio is renowned for its workflow efficiency, thanks to features like the Browser and Channel Rack. 

The Browser allows for quick access to samples, plugins, presets, and project files 一 making it easy to stay organized and focused on the creative process. 

The Channel Rack is where you sequence your patterns, so it’s obviously a core part of the loop-based setup of this great DAW. 

It also supports multiple workflows, so many producers I’ve come across say it’s their personal preference for complex tracks, even for live performances. 

Whether you’re starting with a melody in the piano roll, throwing together loops in the channel rack, or recording live instrumentation, FL Studio adapts to your methods.

This flexibility, combined with its powerful automation capabilities, will help bring your musical vision to life with precision and creativity.

#3. Logic Pro X

Another powerful DAW in the EDM world is Logic Pro X, standing out for its sophisticated features tailored for professional recording, detailed audio editing, and extensive MIDI music writing. 

And, Mac users/MacOS users love Logic Pro, of course. Let’s break down one of the most popular DAWs out there.

• Professional Recording & Audio Editing

Logic Pro X excels in providing a top-notch environment for recording music and editing audio like a true professional.

Its ability to handle complex recording sessions with ease is invaluable, thanks to features like Quick Swipe Comping and Take Folders.

They will help you simplify the process of creating the perfect take. 

For electronic music producers, the Flex Time feature is indispensable 一 allowing for precise timing adjustments without affecting the pitch.

It ensures that every beat and note is perfectly in time.

Logic Pro also includes some powerful editing tools like the Smart Tempo feature, which is perfect for electronic musicians to manage tempo across multiple recordings effortlessly. 

And maintain the groove without compromising the natural feel, too. 

NOTE: Logic Pro has extensive MIDI capabilities to help you with making music that is completely unique to your style, which we’ll break down next.

• MIDI and Composition

Logic Pro X offers an extensive set of MIDI tools and features that cater to the intricate needs of electronic music production. 

Its piano roll editor is intuitive and detailed.

With the inclusion of advanced MIDI editing features like step sequencing and region-based parameters for automation, you can go crazy. 

Your music production process in Logic Pro will help you create dynamic and evolving tracks every time.

The Step Sequencer in Logic Pro X is a game-changer for producers focusing on drum patterns and rhythmic sequences. 

It reintroduces the classic step sequencing approach with a modern twist, allowing for detailed programming of notes and automation.

This is perfect for creating those compelling EDM beats that make major waves.

The combination of these MIDI sequencer features with Logic’s powerful instruments and effects opens up a world of creative possibilities.

It will help you push the boundaries of electronic music and make a name for yourself.

• Instruments and Effects

Logic Pro X includes an impressive collection of high-quality instruments and effects specifically designed with electronic music producers in mind.

Alchemy, one of its flagship synthesizers and my personal favorites, offers a wide spectrum of sounds, from rich pads and ethereal textures to booming basses.

This makes it a versatile tool for sound design and live performances.

With its deep modulation capabilities and extensive sound library, Alchemy enables producers to explore new sonic landscapes.

Beyond Alchemy, Logic’s range of effects like ChromaVerb and the Vintage EQ Collection add depth and character to any track. 

ChromaVerb, with its advanced algorithms, provides lush and dope reverb effects that can add space and atmosphere to your tracks.

It’s essential for creating those immersive electronic soundscapes. 

The Vintage EQ Collection allows for precise tonal shaping 一 emulating classic hardware EQs that are perfect for adding warmth and clarity to your mixes.

• Mixing and Mastering

When it comes to mixing and mastering, Logic Pro X stands out with all the tools needed to achieve professional-quality sound. 

Its mixer is highly customizable, supporting an extensive range of channel strip settings and plugins that can be saved and recalled across sessions.

This will ensure consistency and efficiency in your workflow. 

The inclusion of advanced plugins like the Linear Phase EQ and Multipressor provides precision and control over the mixing tools/process.

It will help with those detailed adjustments that can elevate the sound of electronic music tracks from basic to mind-melting.

For mastering, Logic Pro X offers the Loudness Meter and the Match EQ plugin, tools that help in achieving the final polish and ensuring your tracks meet industry standards. 

The Loudness Meter is essential for understanding the perceived loudness of your tracks, while the Match EQ can be used to apply the frequency characteristics of a reference track to your own. 

It will help your music stand up next to commercial releases and other talented producers.

#4. Pro Tools

Known as the industry standard DAW for audio recording and editing, Pro Tools is one of the best digital audio workstations for professional-grade tracks.

It’s especially favored in famous recording studios around the globe. 

The precision and power that Pro Tools brings to the table makes it a top choice for music producers who demand the highest quality for their electronic music.

• Audio Recording Excellence

Pro Tools excels in audio recording, offering unparalleled sound quality and control. 

Its ability to handle high track counts and its flawless integration with professional audio interfaces make it a go-to for producers looking to record: 

• High-quality vocals
• Live instruments
• Any audio source with clarity and detail

This capability is key as electronic music producers are known to blend organic sounds with synthesized textures 一 it’s kind of the whole appeal.

Pro Tools supports advanced recording techniques (not in the demo versions) like non-destructive punch recording and automatic delay compensation.

This ensures that every recording session is both flexible and precise. 

NOTE: This is particularly beneficial when layering multiple takes or integrating live elements into electronic compositions.

It provides a solid foundation that you can build upon to create music that really captivates listeners and leaves them speechless.

• Audio Editing & Post-Production

If we’re talking audio editing, Pro Tools offers a suite of super intricate tools designed for precision and maximum efficiency.

The Elastic Audio feature, for example, allows you to manipulate the timing and pitch of audio clips with ease.

It’s perfect for tightening up performances or creating harmonic variations in your electronic music tracks. 

Whether adjusting a vocal take or aligning a drum performance, Elastic Audio is an invaluable tool for achieving professional-grade sound.

Additionally, Pro Tools’ extensive editing capabilities extend to its powerful clip gain envelopes feature, helping with detailed volume adjustments at the clip level. 

This is especially useful in the mixing stage of electronic music production, allowing for granular control over the dynamics of each element in your mix.

It will ensure that every layer sits perfectly in the overall composition.

• Mixing and Mastering

Pro Tools shines in its mixing and mastering capabilities, equipped with a comprehensive set of tools to shape and finalize your electronic music productions. 

Its mixing console emulates the workflow of traditional analog consoles, providing an intuitive environment for: 

• Balancing levels
• Applying EQ
• Incorporating unique effects

With support for up to 64-bit/192kHz audio, Pro Tools ensures that your mixes are of the highest fidelity.

This is super important because electronic music is often played in clubs and festivals with demanding sound systems.

For mastering, Pro Tools offers a range of plugins and metering tools designed to refine and enhance your tracks. 

The Maxim plugin, for instance, is a mastering-grade limiter that can add loudness and density to your tracks without sacrificing clarity.

If you want your electronic music to compete on a professional level, this is key.

• MIDI and Instrument Tracking

While Pro Tools is renowned for its audio recording and audio editing skills, it also offers epic MIDI and performance instrument tracking features. 

With comprehensive MIDI editing capabilities, electronic music producers like yourself can sequence and arrange music with precision and various virtual instruments.

Pro Tools’ MIDI Editor provides detailed control over note timing, velocity, and other parameters.

Meaning, it’s equipped for intricate MIDI arrangements that are the backbone of electronic music production anthems.

High-quality instruments in Pro Tools is easy as pie 一 offering access to your favorite sounds from synthesizers to samplers. 

As you know, electronic music production is all about getting that crazy, mind-blowing sound; and this industry standard DAW can certainly help with that.

#5. PreSonus Studio One

PreSonus Studio One is a professional-grade DAW that has quickly become a favorite among many electronic music producers for its workflow and innovative feature set.

 

Studio One blends intuitive design with powerful production tools 一 making it an excellent choice for creating electronic music (and hip-hop as well).

• Drag-and-Drop Workflow

Studio One’s drag-and-drop workflow stands out for its simplicity and efficiency, allowing you to quickly throw together tracks without getting tied down in menus. 

The process is straightforward and fast, making it the best DAW for EDM production, and the following a breeze:

• Adding effects to a track
• Creating complex instrument layers
• Arranging samples

This is especially useful in electronic music, where the arrangement and layering of sounds can be highly experimental (and super fun!).

For example, adding an EQ to a synth track or a compressor to a drum bus is as easy as dragging the plugin from the browser and dropping it onto the target track. 

This simplicity will speed up your creative process and let you focus more on their music and less on figuring out the music production software itself. 

• Advanced Automation

Studio One’s advanced automation capabilities offer precise control over the dynamics and expression of electronic music tracks. 

It’s designed to easily manipulate: 

• Volume
• Pan
• Effects parameters
• Etc.

The automation envelopes are both flexible and intuitive to use, so you’ll be able to really go nuts and make unforgettable tracks.

This feature is crucial for adding movement to static sounds or for dramatic effect transitions in EDM. 

For instance, automating a sweeping filter on a lead synth or creating volume swells on pads enhances the emotional impact of a breakdown.

Whatever you’re looking for, Studio One makes these production techniques accessible and not complicated. 

The ability to fine-tune automation points ensures that you can achieve the exact feel you’re aiming for, adding a professional polish to your tracks.

• Mixing and Mastering

Studio One excels in mixing and mastering, equipped with a professional-grade mixer and powerful editing tools, mixing tools, and mastering tools. 

All the tools (and multiple features) you’ll need to get those clean mixes that stand out and help crown you a master.

The Project Page provides a dedicated environment for mastering so you can finalize your tracks without ever leaving the DAW. 

This is perfect for electronic music (and some hip-hop), where the final mix and master need to punch through club sound systems. 

Studio One’s Fat Channel plugin, for example, offers a versatile EQ and compression, modeled after classic hardware units, to add warmth and clarity to your mixes. 

NOTE: Mastering tools, such as the Multiband Dynamics and the LUFS Meter, is also super beneficial because it helps ensure your tracks meet industry standards. 

As well as sound consistent across all playback systems. 

• Instruments and Effects

The various virtual instruments and effects included in Studio One are impressive like the other best DAW for EDM production options.

So, with them, you’ll be able to create electronic music that really makes an impact. 

From the powerful Mai Tai polyphonic synthesizer, perfect for creating cutting-edge sounds, to the Impact XT drum machines for creating dynamic beats, Studio One has you covered. 

These instruments, combined with Studio One’s extensive effects library, provide everything you need to produce professional-quality electronic music. 

The Presence XT sampler, with its pretty decent library of sounds, gives you even more creative options.

Whether you’re producing house, techno, or any other genre of electronic music, this powerful DAW can bring your sound design skills to the next level.

• Songwriting and Arrangement

Studio One streamlines the songwriting and arrangement process with its intuitive Chord Track feature and flexible Arranger Track. 

The Chord Track allows for easy chord manipulation and harmony editing across all instrument and audio tracks, which is invaluable when you create electronic music. 

You’ll be able to build complex progressions and mood shifts like a pro. 

Additionally, the Arranger Track simplifies the process of rearranging song sections.

This makes it easy to experiment with different song structures until you find the perfect flow that enhances your vision.

A level of flexibility like this is essential in electronic music, where the arrangement can significantly impact the overall vibe and energy of the track. 

Studio One’s tools support the creative exploration of new musical ideas 一 ensuring that the technology enhances rather than hurts the creative process.

#6. Bonus: Bitwig

Bitwig Studio is an innovative digital audio workstation that’s uniquely tailored for innovative electronic music production. 

How, you ask? Well, with it’s standout modular environment: The Grid. 

This is where Bitwig sets itself apart and will eventually crown itself as the best DAW for EDM production (certaintly one of the best DAWs for EDM production, at least).

It provides an unparalleled playground for sound design that encourages experimentation beyond traditional boundaries, and is perfect for live performances. 

The Grid, a fully integrated modular sound design system, allows music producers to construct their own synths and effects from the ground up.

It offers over 150 modules for endless creative possibilities. 

This level of customization is a game-changer for electronic music production, enabling the creation of unique textures and sounds that can define your signature style.

• Modulation System

Additionally, Bitwig Studio’s unified modulation system adds another layer of dynamism, allowing any parameter to be modulated with ease 一 perfect for electronic musicians. 

This way, you can create show-stopping soundscapes and intricate rhythmic patterns. 

In combination with robust support for external hardware integration and a highly intuitive user interface, Bitwig Studio is a real contender.

Bitwig is truly fitting if you want to push the limits of electronic music production.

It’s not just the best DAW for EDM, it’s how you can finally get your tracks the recognition they deserve.

Best DAW for EDM Production: Final Thoughts

Choosing the best DAW for EDM production requires certain factors to come into play, like the workflow, functions, features, and sound design options.

But most importantly, it’s about finding a workspace that really meshes well with your creative process and elevates your music to new heights. 

Plus, having access to high-quality sounds and samples can significantly enhance your production 一 making your tracks stand out and destroy the competition.

To give your music that extra edge, this Free EDM Drum Kit is invaluable, including over 45 drum samples, loops, and MIDIs designed to make your EDM tracks go crazy. 

These samples are professionally crafted by top producers and sound designers to ensure your tracks sound clean, crisp, and polished. 

If you want to create punchy, infectious music that dominates the dancefloor, this kit is perfect for you. 

The sounds within the Unison Free EDM Drum Kit are versatile enough to suit most EDM genres – from house and techno to melodic techno, DnB, and beyond. 

Plus, they’re 100% royalty-free, so you can use them freely in your projects.

With any of these amazing DAWs and these high-quality sounds, you have everything you need to create EDM music that stands out and ends up on everyones playlist. 

So, go produce tracks with the best DAW for EDM that move the world, on and off the dancefloors.

Until next time…