MPC Beats

MPC Beats by AKAI is the ultimate beat-making freeware. It makes music production accessible for beginners and adds firepower for seasoned creators. With a core feature set consisting of an 8-track MIDI sequencer, 80 unique plug-ins from Air, and compatibility with AKAI and third-party hardware, it redefines the beat-making landscape for users looking to learn the basics of music production. MPC Beats also offers VST and AU plug-in compatibility, a massive 2 GB sound library, a virtual mixer, sample editing capabilities, and the ability to function as a plug-in.

While it won’t replace a full-featured DAW, MPC Beats is the perfect software for creating beats on the go. I tested MPC Beats for a month, using it as my go-to software for sketching new melodies and other musical ideas. It worked amazingly well as a beat-making sketchpad, although I still felt I needed my main DAW to complete the production. AKAI’s free Beats app is an ode to the classic MPC workflow, perfect for creating hip-hop or EDM beats.

Starting with genre templates such as trap, dance, and pop, you can experiment with the existing samples to generate custom musical ideas. MPC Beats lets you expand your sound kit with AKAI’s add-on sample packs from renowned sound designers such as F9 Instruments, Araab Muzik, and others. The base software and two free expansion packs provide a wealth of high-quality sounds, from vintage drum kits to modern vocals. In the world of beat-making on a budget, MPC Beats is hard to beat at an unbeatable price—free.

It is perfect for beginners and advanced beat makers who need a portable setup.