Music production software
by Native Instruments

The best music production software from Native Instruments

Finding the best music production software usually starts with one simple question: what part of your process needs the most support right now?

If you are scoring a film, you might need a sampler for expressive, realistic instruments. If your mix needs more breathing room, a dedicated piece of mixing software can speed up tough decisions. You might even want one full suite that covers songwriting, sound design, and final mix in a single place.

Native Instruments (which includes iZotope and Plugin Alliance) offers a huge ecosystem of plugins that supports every stage of production. These plugins can move you from early ideation all the way to a polished master. This guide brings the best options together so you can find the right music production software for any workflow. If you want to work faster, sound more polished, or jumpstart the songwriting process, you will find plenty of useful VST plugins right here.

Let’s take a look at the best music production software from Native Instruments, including iZotope and Plugin Alliance.

Jump to these sections:

Top music production software bundles

What is the best all-round music production bundle?

Komplete 15

Komplete 15 is a comprehensive studio solution and is the best all-round music production bundle. It includes instruments, effects, mixing software, and sound design tools that integrate with any DAW. It’s a full creative suite for producers and beatmakers who want a diverse range of plugins. Some highlight VSTs include Kontakt, Massive X, Ozone, and Play Series instruments.

Why producers love Komplete 15:

  • Covers every genre from hip hop and house to cinematic and beyond
  • Works seamlessly with all major recording software
  • Huge value compared to purchasing VST plugins individually
  • Available in different pricing tiers to suit any budget

Get Komplete 15

What is the best subscription for music production software?

NI 360 subscription

NI 360 is the best subscription available right now. It’s a super flexible way to explore Native Instruments, iZotope, and Plugin Alliance products under one subscription. That means everything in your music-making process will be covered for one affordable monthly price. We also roll out updates often, meaning that your sound selections stay current.

NI 360 at a glance:

  • Tiered pricing with constant plugin updates
  • Includes instruments, mixing software, and mastering tools
  • Great for producers and beatmakers wanting new VST plugins without upfront cost
  • Supports flexible workflows across all major DAWs

Try NI 360 free

Music production software for every stage

What is the best software for writing music?

Play Series instruments

Play Series instruments are a range of meticulously designed, tweakable instruments with simple and intuitive macro controls. They feature a huge variety of sounds that can be dropped straight into tracks. That keeps the songwriting process straightforward and helps avoid choice paralysis when it comes to sound design.

Why Play Series instruments are great for producing and beat making:

  • Wide variety of sounds from percussion to synths and more
  • Genre-focused sound design
  • Presets that are track-ready
  • Customizable with macro controls

Get Play Series instruments

What is the best software for making beats?

Kontakt 8

Kontakt 8 is the industry standard sampler for expressive, detailed instruments. It has a huge range of official Native Instruments and third-party instruments, and brings cinematic strings, acoustic textures, and hybrid sounds to life. It’s the perfect instrument host for making beats in all genres.

Why it’s a household name for musicians and producers:

  • Deeply expressive libraries for production, beat making, and scoring
  • Huge third-party ecosystem with NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) and hundreds of free libraries
  • In-built Tools help expand simple MIDI ideas into melodies and chords
  • Kontakt Player is 100% free, while the full version is available for deeper control and custom scripting

Get Kontakt

What is the best synthesizer plugin for sound design?

Massive X

Massive X is our flagship synthesizer for modern sound design. Its advanced wavetable shaping is full modulation possibilities. Perhaps just as importantly, though, features like the Performer make it super fun and accessible for beginners. That’s part of what makes it such a mainstay.

Why you should be excited about Massive X:

  • Powerful engine with over 170 wavetables
  • Flexible modulation for evolving movement
  • Expansion packs filled with presets for any mood or vibe
  • Fits naturally into a huge variety of genres

Get Massive X

What is the best guitar amp and effects plugin?

Guitar Rig 7 Pro

Guitar Rig 7 Pro gives you realistic amps and a modular effects playground. You can keep it simple with core guitar tones or build wild chains for any instrument you can imagine.

Guitar Rig 7 Pro is for guitarists and sound designers alike:

  • Realistic-sounding amps with modern clarity
  • Experimental routing for sound design
  • Creative effects chain potential for guitars, synths, and vocals
  • Loads of great-sounding presets to get you started right out of the box

Get Guitar Rig 7 Pro

What is the best software for producing music ideas and sounds from nothing?

Playbox

Playbox is an idea-generating plugin that gives you track inspiration every time you use it. Picture chords, samples, and a playful randomization engine in a single instrument. It’s perfect for when you’re feeling obstructed by writer’s block and need some fresh ideas, or are looking for totally unique sound design.

How Playbox can inspire you to make new music:

  • Breaks creative blocks quickly with randomized musical ideas
  • Builds rich harmonic layers instantly
  • Perfect for songwriting or beat making sessions

Get Playbox

What is the best software for mixing transients?

Transient Master

Transient Master is an intuitively designed shaping plugin that was made to adjust attack and sustain without any fluff. It sounds great on drums, percussion, and rhythmic synths. Most importantly, it gets straight to the point – clear, defined transients.

Why producers use Transient Master:

  • Tightens or softens transients in seconds
  • Adds punch without harshness
  • Great for rhythmic clarity

Get Transient Master

What is the best software for mastering?

Ozone 12

Ozone 12 is a full mastering suite complete with equalization, limiting, imaging, and intelligent mastering guidance. It’s trusted by some of the best mastering engineers in the world and has been used on countless records.

Why it’s the definitive modern mastering suite:

  • The AI-powered Mastering Assistant helps with quick results and great starting points
  • Clean visual meters
  • Creates mastering chains with advanced features like Low End Focus, Stem EQ, and more
  • Different versions at multiple price points according to your mastering needs

Get Ozone 12

What is the best plugin for vocal production?

Nectar 4

Nectar 4 is the perfect suite for vocals. This stage of song production can sometimes feel elusive and tough, so Nectar has been designed to ease you through this process. From compression to equalization, tuning to harmonies – Nectar helps you sculpt out a definitive space for vocals in your mix.

Why vocalists and producers use Nectar:

  • One workflow for the entire vocal chain
  • State-of-the-art processing
  • Vocal Assistant gives AI-powered suggestions when you need fast results

Get Nectar 4

Choosing the right NI software for you

Best music production software for beginners

What is the best music production software starting point for beginners?

Komplete Start

Komplete Start is the best music production software for beginners, because it gives you a solid set of production tools without spending a cent. Komplete Start ships with a curated collection of instruments, effects, and utilities that work inside any major DAW.

Why Komplete Start is the perfect starting point for making music:

  • Includes Massive X Player and Kontakt Player for modern synth sounds and high-quality playable instruments
  • Offers a selection of Play Series presets to jumpstart ideas
  • Great for learning, sketching, and building song ideas

Get Komplete Start free

Top choices for the budget-conscious producer

What is the best free EQ plugin?

Ozone EQ

Ozone EQ is your route to precise, modern equalization with high-resolution visual feedback. It’s a fantastic mixing tool for beginners and experts alike. The fact that it’s free means there’s really no reason to miss out on it.

Why Ozone EQ is worth your time:

  • Transparent control for mixing and mastering
  • Clear metering that reveals subtle changes
  • Great for detailed frequency work or broad equalization sweeps

Get Ozone EQ free

What is the best free reverb plugin?

Raum

Raum is a fantastic-sounding reverb plugin that can give your music everything from subtle room tones to huge evolving atmospheres. It works beautifully on any source sound.

Why Raum is a producer favorite

  • Quick to dial in, and ships with great-sounding presets
  • Capable of subtle and dramatic spaces alike
  • Gives depth to any sound source

Get Raum free

Best music production software for professionals

What is the best audio repair software?

RX 11

RX 11 is a precision audio repair tool that fixes noise, clicks, and other problems that can ruin an otherwise great recording. It’s a safety net for your recording software that can save your almost-perfect take that has too much audio disturbance.

Why engineers trust RX’s laser-focused cleanup capabilities:

  • Fast removal of noise and artifacts
  • Visual spectral editing
  • Works smoothly with any recording software and DAWs
  • Includes a standalone editor for detailed work

Get RX 11

What is the best software for mastering in an analog style?

bx_masterdesk Pro

bx_masterdesk Pro is an all-in-one mastering chain with an analog-style approach to final master. Its ease of use separates it from other overly complex mastering plugins.

Why engineers love the Brainworx mastering workflow:

  • A full mastering chain in a single plugin
  • Full of tonal options for a huge stereo field
  • Strong results without building complicated chains

Get bx_masterdesk Pro

What is the best software for mixing high end clarity and presence?

bx_enhancer

bx_enhancer adds width, clarity, and tonal definition to vocals, drums, and synths. It is a subtle but effective finishing tool that helps mix elements stand forward in the mix without sounding harsh.

  • Enhances presence without harshness
  • Smooth tonal lift for many sources
  • Quick to get the right sound

Get bx_enhancer

Genre-specific recommendations

What is the best synth plugin for warm analog tones?

Analog Dreams

Analog Dreams is a Play Series instrument that captures classic analog character with modern polish and signature macro controls.

Why Analog Dreams is great for your next vintage-tinged track:

  • Includes warm pads, bold basses, and retro leads
  • Great for synthwave, pop, trap, and more
  • Easy preset browsing for fast workflows
  • Free as part of Komplete Start

Get Analog Dreams free

Which piano plugin is best for cinematic and emotional music?

Noire

Noire is a gentle-sounding piano that is perfect for cinematic, emotional tracks. This piano instrument can feel soft and fragile or spacious and atmospheric, depending on how you use it.

Designed in collaboration with Nils Frahm for deeply evocative soundscaping:

  • Your own emotional, atmospheric concert grand in your DAW
  • Perfect for scoring, ambient, electronic, and modern songwriting
  • Capture evolving textures with the particles engine
  • Highly expressive performances with minimal MIDI editing

Get Noire

What is the best software for mixing lo-fi textures into productions?

iZotope Vinyl

iZotope Vinyl adds crackle, noise, and old-school warmth to any audio. Its low CPU usage makes it the easiest and lightest way to add lo-fi textures into your music.

Vinyl fits right into your beat making workflow:

  • Great for lo-fi hip hop beats and nostalgic textures in house
  • Adds grit to digital recordings that might sound too clean
  • NKS-ready for use with Native Instruments control surfaces
  • Designed for low CPU impact

Get Vinyl free

Common questions about music production software

Is professional music production software expensive?

Professional music production software can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Many producers build their workflow gradually by combining free tools with a few essential VST plugins. We’ve gone through quite a few of these budget-friendly options on this list already.

Bundles like Komplete 15 or subscriptions like NI 360 give you a large set of instruments and effects at a much lower cost than buying everything individually. If you are just starting out, Komplete Start is completely free and gives you enough instruments and effects to learn the basics and start making tracks.

What is the best music production software for Windows vs. Mac?

Most modern music production software, including Native Instruments, iZotope, and Plugin Alliance products, works the same way on both Windows and Mac. Your choice usually comes down to your DAW or the computer you already own.

VSTs like Kontakt, Massive X, Play Series, Guitar Rig, Ozone, Neutron, and RX all run smoothly on either platform. If you switch from Windows to Mac (or the other way around), your full Native Instruments ecosystem will easily move with you.

What is the difference between a DAW and a virtual instrument?

A DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is your main recording and production environment. It is where you arrange tracks, edit audio, mix, and export your final masters.

Some examples of DAWs include:

  • Ableton Live
  • Logic Pro
  • Pro Tools
  • Cubase

Virtual instruments like Kontakt, Massive X, or anything inside Komplete run inside these DAWs.

Think of the DAW as your virtual studio and the VSTs as the instruments sitting inside it. You create sounds with virtual instruments and use your DAW to host, record, arrange, and mix those sounds. They work together, and you need both to complete a full production workflow.

Get started with the best music production software

A selection this deep can seem overwhelming at first, but your goal can be simple: find the tools that support the way you like to make music.

Free options like Komplete Start and Ozone EQ are great places to begin. Advanced instruments and processors like RX, Ozone, or the Brainworx mastering suite can help you achieve a more polished sound. The bottom line is that your experience level is catered to within the Native Instruments ecosystem. Get started and make your music-making process more open and enjoyable.

Explore Native Instruments software

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