Selecting files for data and music creation was simple and straight forward. Burning times are fast with no errors or hiccups. Files can be further protected and backed up with high compression and encryption.

For music Ashampoo Burning Studio 2013 supports standard audio CDs, as well as both MP3 and WMA compatible DVD/Blu-ray players. Movies can be burned to DVD from VOB, BUP, or IFO. There is also an option to burn Blu-rays, though we have not tested that feature at this time.

Ashampoo Burning Studio 2013’s virtual disc image selection is rather limited. The software can only read and burn ISO, CUE/BIN, and ASHDISC file formats. If you happen to be using Ashampoo Burning Studio 2013 in conjunction with other disc programs, such as Nero or Daemon Tools, you may need to convert disc formats.

Be careful of the erase disc option. Formatting a DVD is almost too fast and simple; there is even a check box to erase much quicker. It would have been better if there were one or two more confirmations to prevent accidental deletions.

Overall Ashampoo Burning Studio 2013 is a great piece of burning and ripping software for anyone using physical discs.

Download Ashampoo Burning Studio 2013 11.0.5 in Softonic

I have an electronic tuner but I found that AP Tuner worked much better for me because of the sheer amount of options it presents you with, such as the ability to view and listen to a graph of musical notes and a library of sounds that can be customised by the user.

Download AP Tuner 3.08 in Softonic

LMMS includes all the tools you need to create music from scratch (both melodies and background beats), mix and arrange samples and prefabricated sounds and finally producing and exporting the results. What's more, you can connect your MIDI keyboard to the computer and play with it and LMMS – or simply use the onscreen piano roll.

The program features a sleek dark interface that you will likely find overwhelming the first time you run the program. There are loads of menus, tools and other information to pay attention to. Fortunately LMMS is also extensively documented, including not only a complete wiki page about it but also dozens of tutorials and ready-made tracks to get you started.

LMMS features also a bunch of samples, drum loops and other creative material you can use on your compositions. The program is fully MIDI-compatible and its functionality can be easily expanded with plug-ins.

If you like composing, mixing, editing and playing with music on your computer, this is the application you're looking for.

Download LMMS 0.4.9 in Softonic

Even if you're not a nostalgic, it's a fun way to make music by using airplanes, cars and characters from Super Mario Bros. You can create music only in MIDI but this simplicity and Mario theme makes it ideal for kids that just want to have some fun.

To create music, you simply insert characters along the timeline. The different characters represent different sounds in Mario Paint Composer. Images placed on top of the line are high notes and lower notes are placed on the bottom line. Some controls at the bottom give control over playback although they are mainly limited to basic commands and controlling the tempo.

Once you've completed experimenting, simply record your song. The results are very limited in MIDI and you can't export yout creations to play on anything other than Mario Paint Composer.

Mario Paint Composer is a fun app for kids or those nostalgic for it on SNES.

Download Mario Paint Composer 2.00 in Softonic

For those getting into playing electric guitar, gear can get expensive very quickly. AmpliTube aims to provide the same experience of playing a gig with digital effects and equipment. You'll still need a guitar, digital foot pedal to control the program, and a MIDI controller, but that's it.

There are plenty of other guitar interfaces out there, like Guitar Rig but none are quite as beautiful and well laid out as AmpliTube. You can experiment with beautifully rendered amps and other vintage guitar equipment in AmpliTube's Custom Shop and can try out equipment in AmpliTube's store (which unfortunately uses a point system) before buying. Buying new gear can get expensive, especially with an already expensive application, but thankfully, you get a 10 day free trial.

If you're a guitarist who wants to star recording digitally, AmpliTube is a perfect solution. While expensive, this program delivers the most comprehensive set of digital tools for the guitarist.

Download AmpliTube 3.5 in Softonic

While Shazam's mobile version is primarily used to identify specific songs playing while you're on the go, Shazam for Windows 8 is better used as a means of getting even more information on music. You can buy tracks, as well as watch music videos and concerts from YouTube. Users can learn lyrics or read album reviews and artist biographies with ease on Shazem as well.

There's also a social element to Shazam. You can share your music tages on Windows Live, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks.

Shazam for Windows 8 is also nicely designed to make use of the touch screen. You can click a button to identify songs right from the interface, which is convenient. It won't always get a match for lesser known songs and artists though.

For mainstream song information, Shazam is a worthwhile app to add to your Windows 8 Modern UI.

Download Shazam for Windows 8 in Softonic

The Windows 8 Music app has seen quite a few revisions since the first beta release of Windows 8. Now it has matured and morphed into a strong Spotify, Pandora, and Rdio competitor.

Microsoft's attention to interface translates here with a beautiful, full screen photos when browsing the Microsoft music store. Artist bios and discographies are presented with large album art covers. The entire interface is built for touch with big buttons everywhere.

When you go play a track, Windows Music greets you with a full screen of media controls and a wall of randomly generated album art in the background. You can bring up media controls from anywhere by swiping down from the top bezel or right clicking with a mouse.

While the inclusion of Xbox Music is welcomed, Microsoft really needs to create a cross platform solution in order to woo non-Windows users with its excellent music subscription service. Windows 8 users will get 6 months of free music streaming and an ad-supported service after that.

Music for Windows 8 is a solid music player that's friendly to the touch and offers a great music subscription service with Xbox Music.

Download Xbox Music for Windows 8 1.1.139.0 in Softonic

Some people will like the thought of downloading music this way, because as well as hiding possible dangers, P2P downloads are often illegal. The music2pc app is very easy to use, and won't cause you any problems at all. Type the music you want into the search box, choose from one or the other search provider and wait for the available downloads to appear.

Depending on the type of music you are looking for, music2pc can take a few minutes to return results. Once they display, you'll see the artist name, title, duration and bitrate of the song. There'll also be an option to download the song in MP3 format to whatever folder you choose. music2pc's configuration settings are very limited, and just allow you to use a proxy for finding music.

There are two problems with music2pc. Firstly, it's a very limited app. It just allows you to search and download, and there are no nice extras that will make the experience any smoother. Secondly, music2pc doesn't tell you exactly where the music is coming from, making it no safer than other ways of downloading music. On the upside, it's free, and the developer assures that music2pc is also legal.

It's not clear where music2pc's download's come from, but as an alternative source for free music, it's an interesting tool.

Download music2pc 2.13 in Softonic