Our Top 10 Free Plugins For Music Producers in 2024

Top 10 Free Plugins for Music Producers in 2024


"The best things in life are free."

— Luther Vandross, Singer/Songwriter


We don't sugarcoat it. Free plugins for music producers are a must-have. We use, download, and love third-party plugins to produce and teach electronic music production because:

Third-party plugins kick ass
That's what the professionals use

Anyone who tells you don't need third-party plugins outside of your DAW is lying to you. Today, third-party plugins are necessary to get the job done when trying to create the highest caliber of professional-sounding music, regardless of whether you use Ableton, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Cubase, Pro Tools, Reason, or anything else. 

I'm not saying your DAW's plugins aren't powerful. They are. But sometimes, you need something more.

That said, here are our 10 absolute favorite, most impactful free plugins, audio units, and VSTs for music producers we're using every day. And just FYI, this is NOT a list of bajillion plugins you don't need, this is a list of our must-haves.

ULTIMATE PLUGIN

GUIDE FOR

ELECTRONIC MUSIC

"I'd buy a book full of tips like these."
- Some dude on Reddit

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ULTIMATE PLUGIN

GUIDE FOR

ELECTRONIC MUSIC

"I'd buy a book full of tips like these."
- Some dude on Reddit

Hyperbits Softube Saturation Plugin Free Plugins for Music Producers
1. Softube — Saturation Knob

We talk about saturation all the time. It's THE best way to add analog warmth to your digital productions. And luckily, one of the best saturation plugins for music producers is completely free to download. Use it to fatten up bass lines, add some harmonics and shimmer to vocals, or simply destroy your drum loop. This plugin is as versatile as it is functional. 

For more third party saturation plugins we're using in all of our music, check out our Top 20 Favorite Saturation Plugins for Electronic Music.

Camel Audio Camelcrusher Hyperbits Free Plugins for Music Producers
2. Camel Audio — Camelcrusher

Apple bought Camel Audio a few years back, but you can still dig up this free saturation and distortion tool if you Google it. This plugin is NOT new, but the fact that so many producers continue to use it is a testament to how good this thing sounds. 

Krush Tritik Hyperbits Bitcrusher Free Plugins for Music Producers
3. Tritik — Krush

The only thing better than this bitcrusher's interface is how malleable it is. Krush combines the crispy taste of the digital realm with the warmth of its drive stage and analog modeled resonant filters. A modulation section allows you to quickly add extra life to the sound by modulating any parameter.

ULTIMATE PLUGIN

GUIDE FOR

ELECTRONIC MUSIC

"I'd buy a book full of tips like these."
- Some dude on Reddit

Image
Image

ULTIMATE PLUGIN

GUIDE FOR

ELECTRONIC MUSIC

"I'd buy a book full of tips like these."
- Some dude on Reddit

Over the Top Compressor Hyperbits OTT Free Plugins for Music Producers
4. Xfer Records — OTT Compressor

This plugin needs no introduction. It is an amazing over-the-top compressor with beautiful coloration that is now associated with modern music. If you're an Ableton user, you already have this. If not, scope the free download.

Flux Stereo Tool Hyperbits Free Plugins for Music Producers
5. Flux  — Stereo Tool

If you use Ableton, you don't have true panning in your DAW. When you pan in Ableton you are simply lowering left & right stereo volumes. Should you be concerned about that? Maybe. For now, just know Flux's Stereo Tool will correct for this, plus, it's just a great stereo tool to begin with.

Flux Bitter Sweet Transient Shaper Hyperbits Free Plugins for Music Producers
6. Flux — Bittersweet

A simple and powerful multi-band transient shaper. Yes, you can actually transient shape your stereo information differently from the mids or sides. Not bad for a freebie.

Ozone Imager Hyperbits Stereo Imaging Free Plugins for Music Producers
7. Izotope — Ozone Imager

I'm not sure when this plugin became free, but wow. We're talking about the more powerful multiband imager on the market from one of the kings of mastering plugins, and it doesn't cost a cent. Insane value. 

Cableguys Pancake Auto Panner Panman Sound Toys Free Plugins for Music Producers
8. Cableguys — Pancake

This is a sweet panning plugin that lets you draw in auto-panning, making it extremely malleable and functional, allowing you to construct your own modulation curves using soft or hard control points (perfect for gentle transitions or sharp bends).

Valhalla Frequency Echo Reverb Free Plugins for Music Producers
9. Valhalla — Freq Echo

I love Valhalla's description of this one, so I'll let them do the talking. "Skull melting chaos perfect for all of your psychedelic needs. Sonic results range from subtle chorusing and double tracking to barberpole phasing and flanging to endless glissandos and runaway echos."

Gitchmachines Hysteresis Hyperbits Free Plugins for Music Producers
10. Glitchmachines — Hysteresis

We're talking about a glitch delay plugins specifically geared toward creating robotic artifacts and musical malfunctions. On top of being able to create contorted signal mutations, it can also be tamed to generate classic delay effects.

Did I miss any must-have free plugins that music producers are using this year? Get in touch and let me know, as I'd love to add to this list!

Bonus

Integraudio Deelay Hyperbits Free Plugins for Music Producers
11. Integraudio — Deelay

Created in collaboration with Sixth Sample, Deelay packs loads of features in a simple, minimalistic interface. Diffusion for creating reverbs from small chambers to huge cinematic swells, distortion from subtle saturation to aggressive waveshaping, modulation for making your sounds come alive, and much more.

BABY Audio Magic Dice Hyperbits Free Plugins for Music Producers
12. BABY Audio — Magic Dice

Magic Dice generates random and lush wet-FX textures on demand. It puts the algorithmic firepower – and modern sound – of their Award-Winning Spaced Out plugin into a fun and unpredictable experience.

Get anything from hazy space echoes over lush reverbs to alien-sounding modulation effects. The combinations are endless – and you’ll never hear the same result twice.

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Hyperbits

FOUNDER, HEAD-HONCHO, THE BIG CHEESE

A bit about me in case you're new here: my music has been streamed over 52+ million times.

I've done official remixes for artists like Beyonce, Tove Lo, and Nick Jonas, signed record deals with Universal, Island, and Sony, and worked with brands like Target, Samsung, and Equinox. I've even DJed some of the world's biggest stages, like Electric Daisy Carnival, Terminal 5, Fonda Theater, and Echostage.

If you have questions about music production or the Hyperbits Masterclass get in touch. I'm here to help.

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THE PERFECT

SOLUTION FOR

PROFESSIONAL MUSIC

"I'd buy a book full of tips like these."
- Some dude on Reddit