Are you in search for the ultimate GarageBand for Android alternative out there but can’t find one? Here’s our collection of the best virtual music studio apps for Android that are just as good, if not better than the GarageBand app.
For as long as humans have existed, we’ve had a knack for everything that is musical, with instruments of music that have existed for thousands of years. However, as the world of technology has progressed, so has the world of music, with an entire industry built around it that is worth billions today. Thanks to the advent of smartphones, music has become easily approachable, and dedicated streaming service such as Spotify and Apple Music have made it easier for consumers to get their fair share of tunes anywhere and anytime.
Mobile devices are capable of doing a lot more than just help you listen to music – they can help you create music too. With platforms such as SoundCloud that allow independent artist to get recognized, the need of a virtual music studio is now more than ever. Apple has already seen the potential in the billion-dollar music industry and launched the GarageBand suite that allows you dive into the world of music as a creator, but there is no official GarageBand for Android yet, and since Apple likes to keep things exclusive, this won’t be changing any time soon either.
What is GarageBand?
Announced all the way back in 2014 for Mac OS by Steve Jobs himself, GarageBand was tuned up and released for iPhone and iPad back in 2017 with a slew of new features that best suit the mobile platform. Packed with a bunch of features that help you craft your very own tunes through virtual music instruments such as bass, drums, keyboard, guitars and many more, the GarageBand app is a one-stop solution to discovering the musical artist within you.
GarageBand for Android Alternative to Try Out
While the GarageBand app for iOS may have its advantages of being a well-rounded virtual music studio suite, the exclusivity of it restricts the user base significantly. Additionally, Google has not been as warm towards the idea of helping users develop music, which is why there is no official GarageBand for Android alternative either. But thanks to the open-source nature of Android, there has been plenty of support from the community, which has led to the development of third-party apps that give GarageBand a run for its money.
Whether you’re looking to test out your musical side with just some of the basic features, or want to dive into the serious business of music by creating your unique beats and tunes, there are virtual music studio apps out there to help you get there. We’ve hand-picked some of the best ones and listed them down below for you to try out.
1. Music Maker JAM
Built as a fully-featured music mix studio app that has already been used by millions of audiophiles around the world, Music Maker JAM helps you design new tracks, customize them to the last beat, and share them with the world. Packed with thousands of beats, sample and loops that are nothing short of studio level quality, the genre includes Rap, EDM, Funk, Rock, Hip Hop, and so much more along with it.
When it comes to recording your talented mixes, you get the power of a full-fledged 8-channel mixer that also helps you take complete control of the tempo and the harmony. With thousands of real-time sound effects included in the suite, you can create remix tracks, record your vocals right from the phone itself, and even share your creations with a bunch of artists, producers, influencers, DJs, and more through the Music Maker JAM community online.
2. BandLab
As far as GarageBand for Android alternatives go, BandLab cuts quite close with the immersive user interface and a wide range of abilities that help you create great music on the go. Apart from the features that allow you to produce sound tracks with the 12-Track Mix Edition and more than 100 different presets, BandLab is essentially designed to be a social network for music lovers across the spectrum.
You can create followers for your style of music and even follow other up and coming artists on the platform to get your inspiration from. As far as music production goes, the unique features of the BandLab app such as the cross-platform support, built in Looper to help you create professional-grade Loop Packs, and a Tweaker that works on quantization and FX seamlessly throughout.
3. Soundtrap
Now here’s an app that comes directly from the multi-million-dollar music app Spotify, which has been designed to bring the power of producing sound tracks in the hands of consumers. The way Spotify has designed the Soundtrap app to work is to help you create your unique flow, while empowering you with a large collection of professional loops that can be synthesized within the tracks to give it a refreshing vibe.
This GarageBand for Android alternative comes with the ability to help you seamlessly record vocals, acoustic, guitar, bass, and other instruments, or even make use of the large selection of guitar, bass, and even vocal effects that have been hand-picked by the developers. By having a professional-grade music synthesizer on your Android device or tablet, you can create professional music on the go.
4. FL Studio Mobile
While most of the music studio apps on the list so far are ideal for beginners as well, the features, as well as the high price point of the FL Studio Mobile is best suited for professionals and serious audiophiles. Incorporating the latest and largest collection of sampler, synthesizer, drum kits, and sliced-loop beats, the service comes with premium features such as Step sequencer, virtual musical instruments for live recording and more.
There are plentiful options available for exporting music files in different raw formats with the FL Studio Mobile for when you want to work on the big screen, along with a high-quality audio engine to help sample the tunes that you’ve crafted. The layout of the app makes it easier for you to browse samples and presets, use the Mixer module, save and even load song tracks to edit them for a remix version of your own.
5. Audio Evolution Mobile Studio
As a music enthusiast, you may just uncover the next great beat while on the bus to school or the cab to work, and for those times when you’re on the road, you can carry a full-fledged virtual music studio in your pocket with the Audio Evolution Mobile Studio app. While covering the basic features of offering multi-track audio recording and playback, MIDI sequencing, and loop playback, the mixer app can do a lot more.
There are plenty of automation features built into the music mixer app as well, along with virtual instruments for live recording that are based on SoundFonts. This GarageBand for Android alternative app comes with unlimited editing facility, support for importing sound files in virtually every format, and also includes a drum pattern editor for you to create beats on the go with all the professional help that you can get.
Get the Audio Evolution Mobile Studio App
Final Words
The music industry has dramatically shifted from being a big-label play for the stars to a platform for emerging artists to vocalize their talents for music fans to hear worldwide. From Ed Sheeran to Shawn Mendez, the world of music for independent artists is now more inclusive than ever, and with the help of services like GarageBand, the art of music is now within reach of users everywhere. However, to make the ability of creating your very own sound tracks and beats even more accessible, there have been plenty of music mixer apps developed by third-party studios, which easily stand as some of the best GarageBand for Android alternatives that you can find out there.
Are you among those who has been looking to get the best of GarageBand but does not own an iPhone or iPad? Did these top-rated alternative virtual music studio apps help you get what you need to become the next big talent in the music business? Be sure to share your thoughts on which of these apps is of most interest to you, and for any questions, just ask away in the comments section.
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Thanks for this article. Do you know if any of these apps would allow me to export files in a format that could be imported into Logic Pro on a Mac?