Music production for masses - iOS to the recscue!

Some time ago I wrote my thoughts on the modern state of PC music-making applications. In the nutshell, I reckon that niche became too overpriced and overcomplicated. All the existing digital audio workstations are targeted towards professional users, with the price tags to match. At the same time, the area of casual music production remains a no-man’s land.

Since then I got an iPad and discovered that simple and cheap music apps which I missed so much are plentiful there. I am excited about the emerging phenomenon of music production on iOS. There are already all-in-one DAWs for iOS such as NanoStudio and BeatMaker2, and even multitrack recording DAWs such as Auria. Moreover, while virtual synths for PCs & Macs cost circa $100 or more on average, synths of comparable quality for iOS are about 5 times cheaper. If you doubt, take a look at AniMoog, WaveGenerator, or nLogSynth.

Since its appearance the iOS music scene is expanding rapidly. Large companies start to realize that iPad is not just a toy, and the recent inflow of software from Korg, Moog, Akai, and the most recent, Steinberg and Yamaha is the proof of that.

Indeed, I reckon we are witnessing a rise of a new music making platform. The platform which is simple and accessible enough for beginners yet has a potential to become powerful enough for professionals.