Plugins help you transform your music and sounds. Having a good collection of plugins on hand to enhance your music will take your production to the next level. Here are 4 of the best ones you can download without spending a penny.

Each plugin has an example of how it sounds when used on audio. You can hear the raw file below to see how each plugin transforms your sound.

Roughrider 2 (Vintage-Style Compressor)

Audio Damage Roughrider free pluging music production

Add some bite to your rhythmic tracks using Audio Damage’s Roughrider Compressor. Add gentle, parallel compression to your tracks, or instead add some grit and push by pushing the plug in harder. Despite Audio Damage describing the VST as having limited versatility, I adore the vintage style warmth it adds to drums, effected vocals and bass lines.

Download here for Mac and Windows: www.audiodamage.com/pages/free-downloads

Valhalla Freq Echo (Frequency Shifter + Analogue Echo Emulation)

valhalla frequency echo freq plugin free music production

This is a great delay plug in with the capabilities of a chorus/vibrato. The Valhalla Freq Echo supplies multiple changeable parameters, such as low cut and high cut controls for the feedback path, allowing for finer control over the echo decay. Drastically altering the shift and delay cleverly can yield some very weird and interesting results. Or, more simply, small alterations can lead to some beautiful modulating delays.

Download for Mac and Windows: valhalladsp.com/shop/delay/valhalla-freq-echo

Softube Saturation Knob (Saturator)

plugin free music production softube saturation

Softube’s nifty little one-knob saturator fattens up your tracks and adds distortion that works in multiple different contexts. The three modes of saturation give three different characters to the effect. I use it to add a gentle grit to drum lines and vocals, and drive it harder for warmly distorted bass and synth; bringing out certain frequencies into the mix.

Download for Mac and Windows: www.softube.com/index.php?id=satknob

Izotope Vinyl (Vinyl Emulator)

plugin free music production izotope vinyl

Izotope Vinyl is the perfect plug in for any lo-fi producer, along with a vast number of different genres. You can add various different vinyl-style characteristics to your individual tracks, such as crackling, saturation and deliberate warping. Apply as much or as little of each as you want to make your tracks sound warm, nostalgic and intentionally vintage.

Download for Mac and Windows: www.izotope.com/en/products/create-and-design/vinyl.html