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Pro Tools is a highly regarded Digital Audio Workstation, widely used in the film and television industry for audio production, mixing, …
Starting at $29.99 Per User / Per Month
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What is Pro Tools?
Avid offers Pro Tools, the company's flagship music and audio editing and recording suite.
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Pricing
Pro Tools
$29.99
On Premise
Per User / Per Month
Pro Tools - Ultimate
$79.99
On Premise
Per User / Per Month
Pro Tools - First
Free
On Premise
Entry-level set up fee?
- No setup fee
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Product Details
- About
- Tech Details
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What is Pro Tools?
Pro Tools Technical Details
| Deployment Types | On-premise |
|---|---|
| Operating Systems | Windows, Mac |
| Mobile Application | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
Avid offers Pro Tools, the company's flagship music and audio editing and recording suite.
Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 9.1.
The most common users of Pro Tools are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!
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Pro Tools is a highly regarded Digital Audio Workstation, widely used in the film and television industry for audio production, mixing, recording, and mastering. The ability to transfer files seamlessly within the Pro Tools system is crucial for maintaining workflow efficiency. Users appreciate that Pro Tools allows them to create their own music, which is particularly important when copyrighted material cannot be used. It is the preferred choice at The Production Studios of Sandbox Music Group for daily audio recording, mixing, and mastering. Additionally, it is widely employed for producing programming at WDNF-Philly.com, an internet radio station focused on independent artists. Pro Tools is also highly regarded for archiving vinyl LPs, working with analog consoles, and producing post-punk bands. While not specifically tailored for beat production, it is considered the industry standard for audio production due to its versatility and functionality. Proficiency with Pro Tools is highly valued as it allows users to easily transition to working with analog consoles. The stability of the software is crucial and any perceived instability can often be attributed to inadequate hardware or operating system compatibility issues. In addition to its extensive use in professional music studios for recording and arranging music, Pro Tools is also commonly utilized in various fields such as podcast production, marketing, instructional videos, and arts organizations. It excels in editing and recording multiple audio tracks as well as cleaning up different voices or sounds for a higher quality end product. Pro Tools streamlines the audio production workflow effectively, making it an indispensable tool in these industries.
Wide range of options: Many users have praised Avid Pro Tools for its wide range of options for recording, mixing, and transferring audio. This versatility makes it a highly flexible program that can meet the diverse needs of different users.
Highly customizable nature: The highly customizable nature of Avid Pro Tools has been commended by reviewers. Users appreciate being able to customize the performance, function, and appearance of the application to suit their specific needs and preferences.
Compatibility with various audio formats: Avid Pro Tools has received positive feedback for its compatibility with various audio formats. This feature makes it easy for users to integrate audio of different formats and sample rates into their projects. Additionally, exporting audio files is also effortless with this software.
Tedious Setup Process: Several users have found the setup process for MIDI production in Pro Tools to be tedious and time-consuming. They feel that it acts as a barrier to entry, making it difficult for new users to get started with the software.
Clunky Virtual Instrument Interfaces: Many reviewers have expressed frustration with the virtual instrument interfaces in Pro Tools, describing them as clunky and non-intuitive. Users find it challenging to navigate and work with these interfaces effectively.
Lack of Features for Loop-based Music Production: Some users have pointed out that Pro Tools lacks features specifically aimed at loop-based music production, such as those commonly used in electronic music and hip-hop genres. This limitation restricts their ability to create music in these styles efficiently.
Reviewers of Pro Tools have provided several recommendations based on their experiences with the software. The three most common recommendations are as follows:
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Try before you buy: Users suggest evaluating the free version of Pro Tools, known as Pro Tools First, before making a purchase. They recommend visiting the AVID website to access this version and also advise trying out other digital audio workstations (DAWs) to compare features and functionality. This allows potential buyers to assess whether Pro Tools meets their specific needs and preferences.
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Invest in learning resources: While acknowledging that Pro Tools can be challenging to learn, reviewers emphasize that it is worth the effort. They recommend having a guide or book to help navigate through the software's extensive features and options. Additionally, users highlight the importance of gaining hands-on experience with Pro Tools to become proficient in its usage.
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Consider cost and long-term investment: Reviewers acknowledge that Pro Tools is widely recognized as an industry standard for audio production. However, they advise potential buyers to consider the cost of purchasing and maintaining Pro Tools, particularly due to its annual subscription and new pricing structure. Nevertheless, users believe that Pro Tools offers exceptional functionality and editing capabilities, resulting in high-quality recordings. They believe that the investment is worthwhile, especially for individuals looking to learn proper mixing and recording techniques.
In summary, reviewers recommend trying out Pro Tools First before committing to a purchase, investing in learning resources, and carefully considering the cost and long-term value of Pro Tools. These recommendations emphasize the software's industry recognition, challenging learning curve, and its suitability for various audio production tasks.
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Reviews
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May 09, 2021
Pro Tools is the Professional Solution
As a film & television composer, the first DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) I ever used was Pro Tools. It's the industry standard when it comes to audio production, mixing, recording and mastering. Being able to transfer files to other people within the system is vital to keeping the workflow moving, and Pro Tools is cutting edge software in terms of production.
- Recording
- Mixing
- Transfer between other users
- MIDI production
- Pricey Add-ons
- Low cost of entry
- Being able to network with employers is vital, and saves time and money
- Add-ons to the main software can be a bit overpriced compared to other DAWs.
Pro Tools, while great for audio recording, has always been behind the curve when it comes to MIDI production. Cubase is much better at it, and being able to jump into it quickly and efficiently is vital to my time-management, because I'm often on tight deadlines. Also, Cubase is a bit more streamlined when it comes to workflow - it's a lot easier to jump in and out of.
We use Pro Tools for audio recording and music production, specifically for music beds, interstitials, introduction music and music cues, or incidental music. The music might be for product demos and presentations, or instructional videos. We also include music in rich media EPUB3 ebooks as a way of demonstrating audio capabilities of the format.
Additionally, I have used Pro Tools extensively at various music studios over the years, when acting in my role as producer or as assistant engineer on various projects. Pro Tools is an industry standard for recording and arranging music, and it is rare to find a professional music studio that does is not using Pro Tools.
Additionally, I have used Pro Tools extensively at various music studios over the years, when acting in my role as producer or as assistant engineer on various projects. Pro Tools is an industry standard for recording and arranging music, and it is rare to find a professional music studio that does is not using Pro Tools.
- Integration with UAD - I have used Pro Tools with a number of UAD devices over the years and it always integrates perfectly, and saves CPU resources by offloading effects processing to dedicated Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chips on external hardware. Plus, UAD effects sound great!
- Multitrack Recording and Arrangement of Music - This is really the big one for Pro Tools. It's for recording and arranging, and that's really its focus.
- Import and Export - Pro Tools is great for its ability to import and export multitrack files in a way that mimics traditional analog multitrack recording.
- Loop-Based Production - Pro Tools is still in the old world of audio recording where you're expected to record a track from live sources. It has less features aimed at production of loop-based music like electronic music and hiphop.
- Sample-Based Production - While you can sequence samples, you are expected to use MIDI to trigger the samples, for the most part. Of course, you can sequence them out without using MIDI to trigger a sampler plugin, but that's not the use case Pro Tools was designed for.
- Creative Ideation - Pro Tools expects you to figure out what you want to record first, and does not have tools for helping you produce or create the music.
- Positive - Industry standard, gives image of professionalism and reassurance to clients that they are in good hands.
- Positive - Great integration with UAD means in certain configurations, you don't have to spend as much on a computer to get a large amount of processing power.
- Negative - The cost and tie-in with hardware is prohibitive. Although it is possible to use Pro Tools without hardware, that is a less supported use case, and generally speaking, you will want to use the Pro Tools software with hardware together.
Pro Tools has the most prestige and branding of any Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that I know of. It is the industry standard for professional recording studios, and you'd be hard pressed to find an audio engineer who hasn't used it at one point or another. Most audio engineers I know exclusively use Pro Tools. That being said, I also know a number of electronic music producers who won't touch it, preferring Ableton Live, or Logic Pro.
I choose the right tool for the job, so I use Pro Tools when I am in a music studio working with another engineer who uses it, or working with bands who are familiar with it. When I am working on loop- and sample-based music on my own, I use Ableton Live.
I formerly used ACID Pro more often but I have not returned to it very frequently since making the switch to Ableton Live many years ago. I have also used Logic Pro X when in a Mac-exclusive environment, or when producing music on the go on my MacBook Pro.
I choose the right tool for the job, so I use Pro Tools when I am in a music studio working with another engineer who uses it, or working with bands who are familiar with it. When I am working on loop- and sample-based music on my own, I use Ableton Live.
I formerly used ACID Pro more often but I have not returned to it very frequently since making the switch to Ableton Live many years ago. I have also used Logic Pro X when in a Mac-exclusive environment, or when producing music on the go on my MacBook Pro.
September 16, 2019
Pros and Cons of Pro Tools
We create tutorial videos that often need vocal overdubs. I have used Pro Tools for my audio projects even before it became useful to our company, and I find it is easier and faster to use it for audio than to work inside IMovie. It is easy to show others how to use it, and has all the functionality lacking in many of the video programs available.
- It is an easy to use program that makes overdubs faster.
- The quality of the recording turns out better using this program than when I try to do the same thing in my video program.
- I have templates set up so that setup for each session is fast and easy.
- It does not like to cooperate with third-party interfaces.
- Plug-ins can get quite expensive.
- They are proprietary about their product, so it does not lend itself well to open-source features that you can use with other programs.
- I actually finish projects, because once I set up templates it's basically plug-and-play.
- My customers enjoy my videos more now that the audio is better.
- I might spend too much money on plug-ins, haha.
I used this at another company, and I found it difficult to use in comparison to Pro Tools. Granted, I wasn't using it for audio-only the way I do Pro Tools. The learning curve was too high for my basic needs. The visual element was confusing, and I had a hard time understanding how it worked, whereas ProTools feels intuitive. I strongly prefer Pro Tools.
August 28, 2019
The best available, but takes a lot of practice. Great for professionals but maybe too much for some.
We use Avid Pro Tools to make music for tutorial videos. Our customers like that we make our own music. We are unable to use popular music because this sometimes results in the videos being taken down - so using our own music solves this problem.
- Avid does it all. No other program has more options!
- The whole setup process can be very tedious. I'm not sure how it could be improved but can be a real barrier to entry.
- Many of our customers purchase our products because of their love for our company - and making our own music for our videos is another reason to love us.
- No more videos being taken down for not having the music rights.