Do you love music production? Who doesn’t! The best music production tool is Garageband which isn’t available for windows unluckily. Don’t be upset, read on to get working Garageband for windows 10, 8 & 7 free along with 15 best Garageband alternatives.
What is Garageband?
Music has been in our veins since time immemorial and creating music has been something that we have mastered over generations and we are still obsessed with sounds.
It is sounds that we mix and match to blend in perfect harmony to bring out those beautiful sounds which we all like to hear.
There is apt to be a change and that would be very interesting to see as to what would unfold in the future and if it does happen music would never be the same again.
There would be a different type of music industry going into the future with musical notes which are the cornerstone of music too becoming obsolete.
Related: Beat Making softwares, Best Android Music Players
Run GarageBand On Windows 10, 8 & 7
First of all you should keep in mind that all the pages on the internet that claim to offer ported versions of Garageband for windows are fake.
There is only one version of Garageband that can be used only on Apple devices. So don’t fall a victim to the eye catchy posts and pages that offer ported versions of Garageband for Windows PC.
Although there are a few methods and using them enables you to install and use Garageband on your windows PC. Usually 2 of them are commonly used.
One of them is by using iOS emulators, which create an iOS environment within your windows PC and let you run all iOS apps on windows including Garageband.
The other is to completely virtualize your windows and virtually install the MAC OSX on your PC. This method is difficult and time taking, it can also damage your windows.
Garageband For Windows: Method # 1
Here is the first method, that I personally use and recommend:
Minimum Requirements:
- Windows 7
- 4 GB RAM
- Intel i3 processor
- 2 GB Free Space On Your Hard Disc
Run Garageband On Windows Using iOS Emulator
Step 1: Use this link and download the iPadian iOS emulator on you PC.
Step 2: After you have downloaded it, click on the file and install it.
Step 3: Now you have installed the file, open it, it will create an iOS environment on your windows PC & now you can download and run any iOS app on you PC directly from the Apple app store.
Step 4: Now open the Apple app store and type Garageband in the search bar.
Step 5: Click on the GarageBand option and start downloading it
Step 6: Once you have downloaded the software, you can use GarageBand on Windows using this iOS emulator.
Hurraaayyy! you have been able to run Garageband in no time, with zero effort and your Windows didn’t get damaged too.
Garageband For Windows: Method # 2
There is a 2nd method for using Garageband on windows using VMware, this method is for the advanced users so basic users like myself need to stay away :)
As mentioned earlier, this method needs you to install one more operating system i.e. Mac OS X on your windows PC using VMware and virtualization.
On the internet there are many working Mac OS X images available, you can download and use them free and effortlessly.
1. Download Garageband With Free Mac OS X Image
Step 1 – Click this link to download Bluestacks.
Step 2 – Install Bluestacks. (downloaded from Step 1.)
Step 3 – Search “Garageband” and run the file.
Step 4 – Done
2. Or Create Your Own Mac OS X Image
Another way to run Garageband on your windows PC is to completely virtualize the Mac OS X on your PC which then offers you the ability to run all iOS apps like the Apple devices.
The VMware images of Mac OS X can be easily found on the internet but the process is quite difficult for basic users like us. It needs advanced skills and knowledge and quite a lot of time.
This video completely explains, how you can create your own MAC OS X free image from scratch and install it on your windows PC, which will eventually allow you to use all iOS app including Garageband on PC.
What are the minimum requirements?
- Intel VT-x or AMD-V Support
- Intel i5 CPU
- 4GB RAM
- Atleast 45 GB free space on your HDD or Ram Drive
- Mac OS X Mountain Lion operating system on DVD or in ISO format
- Free Trial Og VMware Workstation
- Free VMware Workstation Player
- VMware Mac OS X Unlocker
GarageBand alternatives for Windows OS
The GarageBand app was primarily designed and developed for macOS and iOS but like everything on the Internet, something similar is now available to be downloaded onto the Windows OS too.
It may not be the same GarageBand app, but a very good alternative which has given Windows OS users some respite from what the macOS and iOS users are presently enjoying.
The GarageBand alternatives have been trying to put together something better than GarageBand but that would be a herculean task they have succeeded in certain areas.
Mixcraft 7
The simple to comprehend interface and the superlative collection of modules makes this app one of the best alternatives the GarageBand.
The features that are built into it are very versatile and easy to use and have some very superlative collection of features which could all be converted to help out in making music.
Mixcraft 7, endeavors to match most of what GarageBand has to offer on the macOS and the iOS but lacks some of the sophisticated advantages that the latter offers its discerning users.
Could be used effectively if you have learnt the basics and being a very versatile app it is suggested that a thorough knowledge in this very complicated subject would bring results.
LMMS
Primarily concentrating on open sourced creation of music, LMMS is as very close alternative in some ways to the macOS and iOS, enabled GarageBand.
There are ample beats and songs that could be conveniently picked and easily programmed to make some great music giving GarageBand a good run for its money.
LMMS uses some of the key features that come with GarageBand and has turned it around to ensure it provides some of what the original has to offer and the result has been extraordinary.
Among the many alternatives that are on the Internet this could one that could be easily mastered and it would be just a matter of time before you could be making professional music.
Garageband Alternatives: Music Maker Jam
This may be ideally suited for the beginners to this app or to those amateurs waiting for something that would compare with GarageBand.
Music Maker Jam does come close but not close enough but has some superlative features which stand up to counter what GarageBand has to offer, and could be a good platform for the beginners.
There is the possibility to indulge in some very interesting music making if you have some basics in knowledge and also if you have some imagination added on.
This is gaining in popularity due to its many tools that could be used to turn out some great music and if you could learn them fast then music would be at your fingertips to create.
Soundation Studio
This has some great similarities to GarageBand in some aspects and would be a suitable alternative specifically for those which need to be identified if you are to use it.
The assortment of a good cross section of instruments, with a library consisting of nearly 800 sounds, circles and sound altering capabilities puts Soundation Studio up on the pedestal.
A good alternative with the chance to make the best music possible, though it has its own limitations but cannot be compared with the original but is still something to reckon with.
Since this app was introduced it has been holding its own and has been well received by those who have tried and tested it out, which is a good sign to further develop it.
This is basically made for Windows OS download and has been well accepted in the public domain and t would be just a matter of time when it improves with additional tools.
Garageband Alternatives: Stagelight
Some basic information would need to be gathered before and after you download this app which has brought a new dimension to what alternatives to the superlative GarageBand is all about.
There are also many choices and each one is very simple in understanding and could be used by beginners as well as those who have mastered the GarageBand app and are using it.
It is quite an encouraging app and has some very interesting and innovative features and is just what many would want to create music that they would love to hear.
Every beat of music that you would create would have a uniqueness that would be special to Stagelight and some are classy and very entertaining too.
Take up the challenge and see what this app could do for you and the music that you would envisage to dish out because what you would hear could be sweet to the ears due to the variety.
FL Studio
The design is superlative and would be suitable for everyone across all experience levels and hence has been well accepted and also used extensively by users.
It is considered a close alternative for many of the features in GarageBand, and is able to dish out some terrific sounds and also in the right hands bring out some great music.
FL Studio was formerly known as Fruity Loops and has genuine bona fides to be elevated as an alternative to GarageBand, with the ability to create some great music.
One of the more popular apps due to its simple use and without many complications that is sometimes the major drawback in understanding software apps, but this is not like that.
Garageband Alternatives: Audiotool
Great app to make your own music when on the go and it is easy because it is browser based and it is convenient to manage with very convenient and simplified controls.
Audiotool could be a good alternative to GarageBand but only n certain aspects would not come close if compared with the sophistication that is offered in the latter.
This app is becoming popular among the amateurs and beginners and is being looked at very positively as it provides some very constructive beats to make great music.
Has striven to get close to what is offered on GarageBand and lacks a few tools which f added on could be really great and could dish out some great sounds and in turn sweet music.
Magix Music Maker
This has some good samples of music to use which would be different to what would offer and is a good alternative to GarageBand, and is ideal for the beginners and those new to these types of apps.
The options are very wide that could be used in a very large spectrum and the variety of sounds that are available is exquisite and exciting for all those who would care to listen.
The variety of musical instrumental sounds is also very comprehensive hence the popularity behind this which is growing in leaps and bounds.
Another one of those apps that has come close but not close enough, to challenge the pioneer and would need to take a good hard look within if it is to make its mark on the platform.
Garageband Alternatives: Ableton Live
This app is for the professionals and has been a strong alternative to GarageBand and has proved its mettle by dishing out some great music in the right hands.
If you are a beginner then this would be too sophisticated and expensive too and it would be prudent to get another app as per your own limitations.
On the alternative Ableton Live has been well received by the professionals and is a very good alternative though it would still come short of what GarageBand could really offer.
Has what it takes to be a better equipped contender to the real alternative mantle but does need to add on more tools and then look within for a better application.
Reaper
This is another of the many alternatives for GarageBand and one for the amateurs who would like to dish out some great music at home and to gradually improve on it.
Recordings are superlative on this app though it is for the beginners Reaper still has some great sound that could be harnessed to create the right ambience for sweet music.
If you are really looking for an app that would help you learn fast all the tricks of this very competitive industry then this could be the one app that would get you there.
Could have a better go at the alternative pedestal but needs some very important tools to be added on and once that is completed n the future could mount a challenge.
After this app there was an addition that came out, Reaper 5, which has had some additional tools and other sounds incorporated for better presentation of music.
Reaper 5
Has all the additional support that you would need to bring out great music and superlative sounds and along with that the variety is great in this app, and could hold its own.
Though GarageBand would be the pioneer in this very fast developing platform Reaper 5 is not very far behind it and is looking at every musical angle to dish out some great music.
Could be considered a viable alternative to GarageBand but would depend what it could offer compared to what the original has that this does not have which is important.
An improvement on the Reaper but still has some nitty-gritty to brush up and bring forth to the competitive platform that it is on and if that could be done and soon could be a force to reckon with.
Cubase
Could come very close to be the best alternative among the rest and is ideal for the professionals who really know how to create music of the highest quality.
There may be some aspects which would be better suited for the real professionals and if there is any then it would be here in this versatile app.
Making music never got better and this is one app that if you are professional should try out so that you would know the difference between this and GarageBand.
The professionals like this, and it has been in the forefront leaving others behind but still needs some tools and other apps to be added on and when it does there could be a challenge.
This is an app for the professionals hence it must be one of the best alternatives and could have a good future too.
Garageband Alternatives: Avid Pro Tools
It has some great innovations but would need hands that know what they would be into and know the tricks of the trade if they are to get the best out of this app.
Could give GarageBand some competition in some areas but the original would win the day due to the advanced technology and being the first on the stage.
As an alternative could be great and has proved its class as a dependable app and would be further enhanced with more tools being added on.
Audio Tool
If you are looking for a free music production software which is entirely online and helps you avoid, saving all your presets and configurations on your PC, then Audio Tool is the best choice you have got.
It is a cloud based tool and all your settings, samples, presets, tracks and configurations are remotely stored on Audio Tool servers for later use.
You can access all the stuff from any browser on any computer regardless of your location and time. This is one of the very few alternatives to Garageband that is cloud based and minimizes all your hassle.
Why Garageband Alternatives?
This new development has gone a few steps further where some of the features made available on the Windows OS would not be found even on the macOS or iOS.
These are additional customizations with some superlative features which have brought a new dimension to how Windows OS users could avail this versatile app, challenging the original.
Hence if you would want to avail the top notch music app GarageBand, you could now have alternatives on your own Windows OS which has had good user responses and are available at very affordable rates.
It would be interesting to see what they really are and draw our own conclusions as to whether there is really a difference in what is available on the Windows OS and the original.
There is not an iota of doubt that GarageBand is a superlative musical endeavor for whosoever would like to use it and enjoy what is offered as it is top notch to say the least.
GarageBand is the finest musical app that is available right now but that does not mean that Windows OS is in hibernation, as there are many alternatives and some may be superlative too.
We will try to find the best alternatives presently available and would endeavor to put together the best that is available which would be a sigh of relief to all those on the Windows OS platform.
To do so some soul searching would need to be undertaken as you would need to find to right apps which would be like finding a needle in a haystack, as there are so many related apps.
The popularity of GarageBand has brought many others to emulate the app but they have still not been able to do so and some apps on Windows OS is being proliferated.
How good they would be has to be seen and also how successful they would be or whether it would be just a flash in the pan.
The competition would hot up in the weeks to come and there is no doubt like all other issues that were encountered by Apple Inc when they introduced other apps this too would have competition.
Some software is already available and though it is still in their nascent stage it is envisaged with technology developing they would mount a strong challenge to GarageBand.
A versatile music app
The ability to create music or podcasts, GarageBand is another innovative brainchild of the versatile Apple Incorporated who has brought many such endeavors in the past.
Permitting users to innovate multiple tracks with pre-made MIDI Keyboards, GarageBand has brought a new dimension to the music scene on the Internet.
Developed with compatibility for use on macOS and iOS, GarageBand is a superlative line of Digital Audio Workstations with the possibility to create various instrumental effects and voice recordings.
GarageBand is a part of the popular iLife software suite and was first introduced by Apple Inc, directed by Dr.Gerhard Lengeling a pioneer in Logic Audio which was introduced by Emagic.
After Apple Inc acquired Emagic in July 2002, Steve Jobs announced at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco this new and innovative application, on January 6, 2004.
He was ably assisted by Musician John Mayer who professionally demonstrated the inherent intricacies of this revolutionary musical application, which was like none other before.
Subsequent to this at the next Macworld Conference & Expo, Apple Inc announced and introduced GarageBand 2, which had some very specialized benefits added.
Users were able to listen, edit and view music in a musical notation and also with the possibility to record up to eight (08) tracks simultaneously, whilst fixing the timing and pitch of the recording.
The addition of the new master volume control, automation of track pan position and master pitch adjustment brought a new impetus to those using the GarageBand apps.
The ability to import MIDI files coupled with the transposition of both audio and MIDI was also subsequently added on which has made GarageBand a much sought after app.
The Verdict
There was a time in history that sounds were anything brought out a noise of some sort or other but time changed everything when musical instruments were made.
This revolutionized music completely and the sounds we heard changed to something that was unique and special.
Musical instruments brought a new dimension to what music was and it was continued for ages without much of a change and the sounds were more or less the same.
Today music has taken a completely different turn or we could say tune where software apps have brought a different dimension never heard before that is revolutionizing music totally.
What the future would hold we would not know but music would not be the same again and in the next few years there would be a complete overhaul in the music industry.
Whether the industry could handle it, would be a good thing to see as everything that it was built on can change forever.
This new phenomenon would be interesting to see from the view point of those who are not musicians or have not been trained in music.
To design and develop software that could create music is one major step that the music industry would have to contend with, whether it is good or bad we may not be able to tell.
After the introduction of GarageBand in January 2004 the world has come a long way especially taking only this app into consideration.
The Apple Inc, stamp of approval has brought its popularity to optimum heights and is now a worldwide phenomenon when it is music that users talk about.
Apple Inc has brought many innovations in the information technology industry and this has been just one of the many that they have brought out and is s successful one too.
We would need to see what the Windows OS would respond as this would revolutionize an industry that is worth billions of dollars.
Music has been a perennial source of entertainment for us and this new development would see a very drastic change in the way music is made in the future.
This could be a great app for the future and it is envisaged that music would be made by computers and not by men and women of flesh and blood.
There are many apps which we could select to make music but with so many deciding what would be the best to select would be a tough ask but it the task is given the choice would be difficult.
This is the most comprehensive guide when we talk about music production and free Alternatives to Garageband”.
I have researched for many days, before posting this article and I made sure that you won’t need any other guide after reading this one.
I have tried to make it as much detailed as I could but, if I still missed something, please add it to the comments box and I will update the post.
If you like this Garageband for windows guide, please share it with your friends and family as they say, Sharing is Caring :)
So tell me which one of these two Garageband methods works for you and which one from our list of alternatives to Garageband is your personal favorite.
Related: 28 Best Free Beat Making softwares To Rock Music Production