What are the best free DAW tutorials for complete beginners?

[Addison_W]

I've been hunting for good digital audio workstation tutorials that are actually free and beginner-friendly. There are so many DAWs out there - FL Studio, Ableton, Logic, Reaper, etc. Which ones have the best free learning resources? I'm specifically looking for tutorials that don't assume you already know music production terminology. Bonus points if they include project files or hands-on exercises. I want to actually learn how to use a DAW properly, not just watch someone click around.

[LoganWC]

For FL Studio, the official Image-Line YouTube channel has a FL Studio Beginner's Guide" playlist that's actually really good. It starts with installing the software and goes through every basic feature. What I like is they use the free trial version for the tutorials, so you can follow along exactly without buying anything.

[NicholasL]

Reaper has probably the best free learning resources of any DAW because of its amazing user community. The Reaper Blog YouTube channel has hundreds of free tutorials, and the official Reaper forum has entire subforums dedicated to learning. Plus Reaper itself has a 60-day fully functional trial, so you can learn on the actual software without limitations.

[Kenneth39]

If you're completely new to digital audio workstations, I'd actually recommend starting with LMMS. It's completely free (like actually free, not trial) and there's a YouTube channel called LMMS Tutorials" that has a "From Zero to Hero" series. The software is simpler than the big commercial DAWs, so you learn the concepts without getting overwhelmed by features you don't need yet.

[JustinA]

For Ableton Live, the You Suck at Producing" YouTube channel is hilarious and actually super educational. The guy makes fun of common beginner mistakes while teaching you how to avoid them. He has specific playlists for different skill levels, and his "Ableton Live 10 Beginner's Guide" is one of the most watched tutorials for a reason.

[GregoryOC]

Don't just watch one tutorial series. Different teachers explain things differently, and what makes sense from one person might not click from another. I'd pick one DAW and watch beginner tutorials from at least three different sources. You'll notice they all emphasize slightly different things, and that repetition from different angles really helps the concepts stick.