🧰 5 FREE TOOLS Every Indie Recording Artist Should Be Using

Level up your music career without spending a dime.

πŸŽ™οΈ BandLab – Record, Mix & Master Vocals Anywhere

Your mobile recording studio. πŸ› οΈ www.bandlab.com
BandLab lets you lay down vocal ideas, hooks, verses, and full songs straight from your phone or laptop β€” no studio needed.
You can record over any beat, stack your vocals, mix them, and even get instant mastering β€” all in one app.

πŸ”‘ Why It’s Essential:

  • Record demos or full songs anytime, anywhere

  • Great for rough takes before hitting a pro studio

  • Collab with producers or other artists remotely

🎀 Got a song idea at 2am? Don’t let it fade β€” record it on BandLab before it’s gone.

πŸ”— Linktree – One Link for All Your Music

Make it easy for fans to find you. πŸ› οΈ https://linktr.ee
Linktree creates a clean landing page with all your important links β€” Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, IG, merch, music videos β€” everything in one place.

πŸ”‘ Why It’s Essential:

  • Add 1 smart link in your bio β€” instead of switching it every drop

  • Boost streams, views, and conversions

  • Looks professional and works across every platform

πŸ“± Think of it as your music business card β€” always on, always clickable.

βœ‚οΈ CapCut – Easy Video Editing for Reels, Shorts & TikToks

Turn your song into content that moves. πŸ› οΈ https://www.capcut.com
CapCut is a powerful (and free) mobile app that makes it easy to edit performance videos, lyrics clips, behind-the-scenes content, and visualizers. Add transitions, captions, effects β€” no editing experience needed.

πŸ”‘ Why It’s Essential:

  • Quickly create high-quality content to promote your songs

  • Works seamlessly with TikTok, IG Reels, and YouTube Shorts

  • Helps you stay visible without hiring an editor

πŸ“Έ You already have the music. CapCut helps you show it off the right way.

🎨 Canva – DIY Cover Art & Promo Graphics

Make your brand look like a major artist β€” for free. πŸ› οΈ https://www.canva.com
With Canva, you can create single covers, story flyers, release announcements, lyric visuals and more β€” no Photoshop needed.
Use drag-and-drop templates to stay consistent and professional.

πŸ”‘ Why It’s Essential:

  • Clean visuals = more clicks, more plays, more followers

  • No design skills or software required

  • Stand out in a crowded feed with pro-level visuals

πŸ–ΌοΈ Your music might be fire β€” make sure your artwork matches the energy.

πŸ—‚οΈ Trello – Organize Your Drops Like a Boss

Treat your next release like a rollout β€” not a random upload. πŸ› οΈ https://trello.com
Trello helps you plan your singles, albums, content calendar, email blasts, collabs, and shows β€” all in one place.
It’s like your personal music manager in app form.

πŸ”‘ Why It’s Essential:

  • Stay on top of what needs to be done, and when

  • Avoid last-minute scrambles during a drop

  • Build momentum with structure, not stress

πŸ“… If you're serious about music as a business, Trello is your operations hub.

These tools won’t just save you money β€” they’ll help you move like a major, even if you’re indie.