The impact of Covid-19 on music production education has already been staggering, with just about every school and university across the country canceling in-person classes and moving to online instruction. The most significant obstacle to online instruction for audio is equipping students with the tools they need to work at home.
Several major software companies have stepped up and are offering free licenses for students for an extended period of time.
Ableton Live
In support of teachers and students working in a remote learning environment due to Covid-19, Ableton has extended its free edition of Live from 30 days to 90 days. To accommodate anyone that’s already using the 30-day free trial, Ableton has reset all previous trials to allow anyone to take advantage of the offer. More info here.
Avid Creative Products
Avid is offering 90-day licenses for Media Composer | Ultimate, Pro Tools, Pro Tools | Ultimate, and Sibelius | Ultimate. Any student enrolled in an Avid course at a qualifying educational institution who is unable to attend school and can no longer access school facilities can receive a temporary license through their school for these products. More info here.
Read more Product of the Week: CEntrance MixerFace R4RB.
Cycling ’74
Cycling ’74 is offering six-month licenses for students at any school that used an institutional discount for a Max purchase or subscription. Instructors or system administrators can contact the tech support folks at Cycling ’74 here.
Sonarworks
Sonarworks Headphone Edition can help students mix with confidence by removing unwanted coloration from their headphones. More info here.
Moog Minimoog Model D
An app modeling the all-time classic synth is available free of charge for a limited time: here.
Korg iKaossilator
Korg is providing the iKaossilator app for iOS and Kaossilator for Android for free, available until March 31. More info here.
Dexed
If you long for the sounds of the ‘80s, check out Dexed, an FM virtual instrument that models the DX7, available for Mac or PC. Get it here.
It’s good to see the industry step up as we all try to figure out a new way of working. And there are no doubt many more offers out there for students. Take a few moments to look around. In these strange times, it’s important to keep education alive.
