Learn DAWs & Beats Free

Music

Start with FL Studio - Complete Beginner Basics Tutorial (12 min, Busy Works Beats), then Music Production with FL Studio – Full Tutorial for Beginners (141 min, freeCodeCamp.org). All 143 lessons here are free, from the teachers' own official uploads. You'll need midi keyboard controller, usb audio interface, studio headphones and a few more basics (about $520 of kit). The book to keep beside you: Dance Music Manual by Rick Snoman.

What you'll need

• MIDI keyboard controller: Play melodies and drums into your DAW.
• USB audio interface: Record vocals and instruments.
• Studio headphones: Mix with confidence.
• Studio monitors: The next step after headphones.

Lessons

• FL Studio - Complete Beginner Basics Tutorial (12 min, Busy Works Beats, Beginner)
• Music Production with FL Studio – Full Tutorial for Beginners (141 min, freeCodeCamp.org, Beginner)
• Binkbeats: It's not about looping (13 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Breakbeat Deconstruction: From hip hop to drum & bass and beyond | Loop (35 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Music Production for Beginners – FL Studio Course (191 min, freeCodeCamp.org, Beginner)
• What's new in Ableton Live 12.2? | Feature Overview (15 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Advanced Music Production with FL Studio – Tutorial (198 min, freeCodeCamp.org, Advanced)
• A performative presentation with Tennyson | Loop (66 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Learn Note: Sketching with sound (18 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Music Production 101 – Master Sound Design, Mixing, and Mastering in FL Studio (156 min, freeCodeCamp.org, Beginner)
• Track Breakdown | Baauer: "Somebody" (23 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Brush Marks | Rival Consoles: The Making of ‘Landscape from Memory’ (17 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• How to build your first Extension for Ableton Live (16 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Make your first beat in Ableton Live | Beginner Series Ep. 1 (11 min, Ableton, Beginner)
• Track Breakdown | Rival Consoles: 'Known Shape' (16 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• How to remix a track in Ableton Live (10 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Ableton Deep Dives: Device Racks with Matt Tinkler (75 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• A Day with Oliver Crosby (10 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Deep Dive: Performing using Push 3 with Sakura Tsuruta and Ben Casey (93 min, Ableton, Advanced)
• KMRU: Spaces (11 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Learn Live 12: Roar (11 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• What's new in Live 12.1? (9 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Young Guru: Creativity in the engineer's chair | Loop (59 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• #LoopAtHome | Live with Rachel K Collier (90 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Mattokind: Live Setup (11 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Robert Henke: Failure = Success | Loop (29 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Walk Through Weval’s Live Setup (22 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Battles: The Art of Repetition (17 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Binkbeats: Live Setup (12 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• JNTHN STEIN making a beat with Ableton Push 2 (11 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Katie Gately: How much can you feel? (15 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• #LoopAtHome | Live with Andrew Huang (88 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Abid Hussain on Sampling and Copyright | Loop (16 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Ableton Deep Dives: Auto Shift with Bad Snacks and Polun (90 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• “What’s In My Bag?” with Juana Molina | Loop (66 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• 1500 or Nothin' on Songwriting | Loop (10 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Holly Herndon on process | Loop (37 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Learn Live 12: Granulator III (14 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Learn Live 12: Meld (13 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Loop Create | LABS by Spitfire Audio Studio Session (44 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Nosaj Thing & Daito Manabe: Live in Concert | Loop (30 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Overcoming creative blocks | Loop (53 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Ableton: Creating Beats (12 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Binkbeats: 'HFTBOTA' + 'Jake's Journey' live | Loop (15 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Gilles Peterson on the tracks that changed his life | Loop (68 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Minilogue: As Human as Possible (14 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Ski Beatz - Unique techniques with Ableton Live (10 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• The Creative Element: Forging a Path in Music Education (13 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Toni Blackman on The Wisdom of the Cypher | Loop (18 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• What’s new for Push with Live 12.2? | Feature Overview (16 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• 9 Reasons You Need To Learn Ableton Now #TuesdayTipsLive (29 min, Digital DJ Tips, Intermediate)
• Ableton Live Tutorial - Part 8: Optimizing Your Audio Interface Setup (11 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Ableton Move Updates in 2.0 and 2.1: Audio Track Workflows and More (9 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Chagall live performance with mi.mu gloves | Loop (9 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Loop Session: In the Studio with Wayne Snow (85 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Multi-channel audio as creative space: Inside Max 8’s MC | Loop (54 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Ableton Move Updates: New Sound Design, Sampling and MIDI Improvements (12 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Gen: Inside Max's Secret Weapon with Cycling '74 | Loop (38 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Learn Live 12: MIDI Generators (8 min, Ableton, Intermediate)
• Learn Live 12: MIDI Transformations (10 min, Ableton, Intermediate)

Books on DAWs & Beats

1. Dance Music Manual by Rick Snoman - View on Amazon
2. Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior - View on Amazon