#Soundation free full#
#Soundation free software#

Soundation has multiple folders full of loops that are absent on the free version – Soundation free has only 700 out of 12,000 loops and no “sound sets” at all. It won’t take long for students to hit the limits of what they can do, particularly if they are like my students who probably create and experiment even more at home than they do in school these days! Browsing through the loops on either program shows you lots and lots of files that you cannot access, even to audition. First of all, you can only do a limited number of things on the free versions – only so many projects (Unlimited in Soundation, 5 in Soundtrap), recording functionality (no live recording on Soundation free, no auto-tune or automation on Soundtrap free), only so many sounds and samples etc. Both the free versions have severe limitations. The next biggest issue is what you can actually use on the software. I should also add that having a public access account for student use is a GDPR nightmare… Subscription is the most safe and secure way to use both Soundation and Soundtrap with young people – Soundtrap is compliant with COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule ) and FERPA (Family Education Rights Privacy Act ). off site use is not limited by subscription), but they will always log back into the school account’s virtual intranet space to do so. When you subscribe, your school accounts are closed off from the public in their own virtual intranet – students can see other members of the school community but not the public they can still use the program anywhere they like (i.e. This will probably if not definitely contravene your school’s “safe use of the internet” policy and will definitely be a concern for your child protection staff.

Even if your students register using their school email address, they will be creating an account in a public space that has access to anybody else with an account.

#Soundation free software#

Free software requires registering an account of some sort. So what are the differences between them and why use one rather than the other? And why pay for a subscription when you can use them both for free?īefore I explore the software further I’m going to tackle the last question – why subscribe? Perhaps the most important reason is one that has nothing to do with the software itself but more to do with the people you will be using it with – the students. MusicFirst offers not one but two very powerful Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) in its line-up. Cloud DAWs in MusicFirst – which one is for you?