Recording software for writing songs with a band — free download

Cobander is free recording software for Windows and Mac made for writing songs with a band: every member records and writes into the same song from their own computer. Plug in, arm a track, hit R — and your bandmates hear the take in the song from their own houses. Cobander is real multitrack recording on Windows and Mac, organized around a band writing songs together, and the free version is the whole program, not a trial.

Download for Windows Download for Mac Licenses

Free — the whole app, every song, forever. Intel Mac? Intel Mac download.

Cobander in one minute.

Everyone records into the same song

Share the song through a Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud or Dropbox folder. The drummer records at his place, the singer at hers, and every take lands on its own track, lined up with everyone else's. Notes, takes and votes on which take to keep are all in the song, so nobody is chasing files in a group chat.

What you get for free

Unlimited tracks and takes in a song. Takes are saved lossless, so nothing gets squashed on the way in.

Punch in to fix one bar without redoing the whole part. Record several takes and comp the best pieces together.

A click with count-in, a built-in tuner, a drum machine and drum generator, and MIDI instruments you can play from a USB keyboard or draw in with the mouse.

A real mixer: faders, pan, sends, EQ, compression, amp sims for DI guitar and bass, reverb and delay. Auto mix and Auto master get you a balanced, loud-enough rough mix in two clicks.

Bounce the mix or stems (one file per instrument) as WAV files.

The one limit

The free version is the full program: every feature, every song, every update, no watermark, no time limit. A one-time $10 Roadie key (or $60 for the whole band) keeps it going — no subscription.

Works with the gear you have

Cobander records from whatever your computer sees as an input: a USB audio interface, a USB mic, or the laptop's built-in mic for a quick idea. Pick mono or stereo per track, and set the latency once so takes line up with the music.

Made for getting songs down

Cobander opens to your songs, explains every button when you hover over it, and has a help mode (F1) that labels the whole screen. It is built for a band getting ideas recorded fast, not for engineering an album.

Questions

Is it really free?

Yes. The free version is the full program, every song, forever. You pay ($10 once) only if you want your name and stats on the band leaderboard.

Does it work on Windows and Mac?

Yes — Windows 10/11 and Macs with Apple silicon or Intel.

Do I need an audio interface?

No, but it helps. Any input your computer recognizes works, including USB mics and the built-in mic.

Can I use plugins?

No. Cobander has its own EQ, compression, amp sims, reverb and delay built in, and hands a session off to a studio program when a song needs more.