Useful resources I have made or found that should be accessible to anyone who wishes to pursue a similar career in Sound Design, Engineering and Composition for Theatre, Film, TV, Media, etc.
*at the bottom of the page you will find links to Youtube playlists I have compiled
Free DAWs For Mac and Windows
Waveform Free – https://www.tracktion.com/products/waveform-free
Reaper – https://www.reaper.fm
GarageBand (Mac only) – https://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/
Free Virtual Instruments
Pianobook – https://www.pianobook.co.uk
Spitfire Audio Labs – https://labs.spitfireaudio.com
Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover – https://www.spitfireaudio.com/bbc-symphony-orchestra-discover
Vienna Symphonic Library Big Bang Orchestra – https://www.vsl.co.at/products/free/bbo-free-basics
Orchestral Tools Sinefactory – https://www.orchestraltools.com/sinefactory
Orchestral Tools Berlin Free Orchestra – https://www.orchestraltools.com/berlin-free-orchestra
NI Kontakt 8 Player – https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/samplers/kontakt-8-player
Free Plugins
Blue Cat Audio (in my opinion the best free VST bundle out there) https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/Bundle_FreewarePack/
Analog Obsession (a collection of vintage-modeled audio plugins) – https://analogobsession.com
Kilohearts Essentials (a free collection of extremely useful effects) – https://kilohearts.com/products/kilohearts_essentials
Freequel Bundle featuring Ruina – https://noiseengineering.us/products/the-freequel-bundle-sinc-vereor-virt-vereor-ruina/
Spectral Plugins (Reverb, Tape Emulator and Transient Shaper) – https://spectral-plugins.com
Valhalla DSP (three powerful free VSTs and several $50 Industry revered Reverbs) – https://valhalladsp.com
WaveArts Convoxology XT (Free Convolution Reverb) – https://wavearts.com/products/plugins/convology
Free and Useful Music Tools & Resources
Berklee Free Music Theory Handbook – https://cloud.info.berklee.edu/bol-music-theory?
Open Music Theory – https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory
Young Composers – https://www.youngcomposers.com
Arnold Schoenberg Fundamentals of Musical Composition – https://monoskop.org/images/d/da/Schoenberg_Arnold_Fundamentals_of_Musical_Composition_no_OCR.pdf
The Orchestra, A User’s Manual – https://andrewhugill.com/OrchestraManual/index.html
The Exciting Universe Of Music Theory – https://ianring.com/musictheory/
Society of Composers & Lyricists – https://thescl.com
IMSLP Free Sheet Music – https://imslp.org
Opportunities
American Composers Forum – https://composersforum.org/resources/opportunities
The Composers Site – https://live-composers.pantheonsite.io
Further Reading
Essential Dictionary of Orchestration – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/593664.Essential_Dictionary_of_Orchestration
The Emerging Film Composer Richard Bellis – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1512226.The_Emerging_Film_Composer
The Score: Interviews with Film Composers – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1194585.The_Score
Sounds & Scores Henry Mancini – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2097049.Sounds_and_Scores_
In Good Hands The Making of a Modern Conductor Alice Farnham – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61083346-in-good-hands
The Oxford Harmony Morris – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14815114-the-oxford-harmony
Orchestration by Walter Piston – https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/445369.Orchestration
Advice to Young Musicians Robert Schuman – https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/6856226-musikalische-haus–und-lebens-regeln
Playlist of Really Good Youtube Videos For Virtual Instruments / Music Composition
Playlist of Composer Interviews & BTS Content I love
Adam Gibson Sound 