Building better beats doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. There are plenty of free resources for music producers and musicians alike if you know where to look. Fortunately, we spent some time rounding up our favorite free plugins of 2024 so that you can take your music to the next level without emptying your wallet.

Below, we’ll detail some of the best free DAW add-ons ranging from effect plugins to fully-fledged synthesizers. Let’s take a listen!

Top Free Plugins to Try in 2024

There are few things as fantastic as free gear. Here’s our round-up of top plugins, complete with downloadable links:

1. TAL-Noisemaker
2. Sixth Sample Deelay
3. Youlean Loudness Meter
4. Audiomodern Filterstep
5. Tritik Krush
6. Harvest Mini
7. Rough Rider 3
8. Cheeze Machine 2
9. Vital
10. Softutube Saturator

TAL-Noisemaker

If you’re seeking a fun, free synthesizer to give you some classic analog groove, the TAL-Noisemaker is an excellent choice. This virtual instrument includes three oscillators, two LFOs, and over 250 great presents you can use out of the box to spark some inspiration. With up to six voices at once, you can use this instrument to fill out your mix with ease.

Sixth Sample Deelay

Sixth Sample’s Deelay is highly regarded as one of the best free delay plugins available, offering five delay modes and an impressive array of over 90 delay presets. Switch between the different curated modes meant to emulate anything from tape delay to chambers, or click the “randomize” button for a totally unique delay profile.

Youlean Loudness Meter

Having an accurate loudness meter is essential when moving through the mixing and mastering process. Luckily, Youlean offers a free, effective plugin with their Loudness Meter. Use this utility to quickly track true peak levels, LUFs, and other dynamics to optimize your art for any output.

Audiomodern Filterstep

Audiomodern’s Filterstep is one of the most sleek free plugins that serves as a cross between a sequencer and a filter. Create rhythmic movement from one beat to another by automating filter intensity with this plugin’s intuitive interface.

Tritik Krush

Create some fun experimental music or add a little texture to your guitar or drums with this fun bit-crusher plugin. Tritik Krush gives you a lo-fi feel with the three drive, crush, and downsample toggles.

Harvest Mini

Harvest Mini generates melodies, drum loops, and MIDI patterns with a couple of clicks. Simply set your scale of choice and start generating patterns using the patches and instruments you already have in your DAW. The generator’s workflow can take some getting used to, but Harvest provides an excellent free tutorial via YouTube to get you started:

Rough Rider 3

Audio Damage’s Rough Rider 3 is now free as a legacy plugin, but that doesn’t make it any less valuable. This dynamic compressor is fantastic for processing vocals, drums, or anything else with a wide range of transients. It has a vintage, warm sound and a simple design for quickly achieving results.

Cheeze Machine 2

If you’re looking for big 808 synthesizer sounds but you’re not ready to invest in an expensive VST, Cheeze Machine 2 is the next best thing. This virtual synthesizer has everything you need with string, lead, bass, and pad patches along with multiple oscillators and on-board effects. I love using this synthesizer in my tracks and appreciate the plugin’s pitch bend and velocity controls for a more realistic feel.

Vital

You’re not going to find a better, free wavetable synthesizer than Vital, full-stop. Vital is often thought of as a complimentary alternative to the popular Serum synthesizer by Xfer Records, but it’s plenty powerful in its own right. The synthesizer comes with 75 presets and 25 wavetables to play with on the free end, though users can purchase additional presets.

Softtube Saturator

Softube’s Saturator is a staple in many DAWs for its warm, harmonic sound. This simple plugin offers three kinds of distorted characters to give you more of an analog feel in your tracks. Use it to make crunchy drum breaks or fatten up your bassline for hard-hitting drops.

Bonus: Airwindows

If you don’t have a need for fancy UI, check out the treasure trove of no-frills yet effective plugins created by a single engineer, who goes by the channel name “Airwindows.” This creator has independently built out over 200 free plugins for download cataloged on the Airwindows site here. Some standout plugins for many engineers include Airwindows’ Tape Emulator Plugins as well as the de-esser DeEss.

Have fun testing out these complimentary plugins and effects. Now, go put these free tools to good use!

About the Writer

Kate Brunotts is an audio engineer and music producer from New York City. When she’s not writing about music, producing music, or singing and songwriting, Kate helps others realize their unique sound, whether through a fresh mix, new instrumental approach, or total rework of a particular sound.