Flip4Mac has been completely rewritten to meet the new requirements in OS X 10.7 and 10.8. Flip4Mac 3.0 includes an option to install Microsoft Silverlight which is Microsoft's answer to Adobe Flash although you don't have to install it. However, it's useful to have it as some video streaming events on the net use Silverlight to deliver content.

First some background to Flip4Mac. WMV is Microsoft's own video format which by default, won't play on Macs since Apple's own video format is QuickTime. The most common solution for users has been to install a multimedia player such as VLC media player or a plugin such as Perian or Flip4Mac which both allow QuickTime to play WMV files. However, with Perian only supporting older versions of WMA and now no longer being developed, Flip4Mac is set to become the most logical choice for users, especially because it is officially endorsed by Microsoft and effectively, the official Windows Media Player for Mac.

Flip4Mac 3.0 is not just a plugin for QuickTime however. For the first time, it introduces its own player - Flip Player - but it will still allow you to view WMV videos in QuickTime. The difference from the previous version of Flip4Mac however is that it now leaves a watermark in the top right-hand corner of QuickTime although Telestream say they hope this will be gone when the public beta is released. Flip Player doesn't feature this watermark with the additional bonus that it has some powerful added extras although many of them are only available in the Pro version.

The free version of Flip Player in Flip4Mac 3.0 is very clean in appearance and does a good job of not obscuring video content during playback as there are no overlay controls. Instead, the player controls only appear when you move the mouse cursor over it. Flip Player also includes a new "Dim Lights" feature which neatly darkens everything around it so that you focus on just the video. Playback controls are enhanced with slow motion options and most functions can be performed using keyboard shortcuts.

Among the more powerful features of the basic version of Flip Player are the ability to Crop, Rotate, Scale and Trim video which is not possible in QuickTime X. You can also now convert and export WMV video for iMovie and Final Cut Pro but without creating quality damaging H.264 files. Instead, a native AIC (Apple Intermediate Codec) file is created for iMovie to avoid additional transcoding when importing. For Final Cut Pro users, it creates a ProRes file that automatically sets the correct dimensions and native video codec that fit with project settings. You can even export sound from your favorite videos to an iPhone ringtone and use the trimming features to refine it.

If you want to change the general plugin settings of Flip4Mac 3.0, they can be accessed at the bottom of your Mac system preferences under "Other". There are several different configurations options including for the Flip Player media browser, upgrade, update and plugin settings.

Note that Flip4Mac 3.0 no longer supports OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (although version 2.4.4 still does) as its been designed for the new demands of Lion and Mountain Lion such as Gatekeeper aimed at making Macs more secure. The benefit of this is that Flip4Mac 3.0 features much improved 64-bit support for OS X 10.7 and 10.8 although the QuickTime video components have remained 32-bit due to the QuickTime component architecture. However, audio codecs are 64-bit now.

Overall, the introduction of Flip Player is the major innovation in Flip4Mac 3.0. It offers some powerful features that aren't available in the free version of QuickTime, and it's very well designed to suit the look of OS X. However, it lacks some of the features of QuickTime (such as screen recording) and some users may feel it's not quite as slick as Apple's own player.

Flip4Mac 3.0 remains a powerful solution for anyone that needs to play WMV and Windows Media on their Mac and the introduction of Flip Player is a significant enhancement that makes managing WMV files on Mac easier than ever.

Download Flip4Mac for Lion/Mountain Lion 3.2.0.16 in Softonic

Slick and easy to use

DM1 - The Drum Machine delivers an experience that's a pleasure to use in a slick interface that's very similar to the iOS version. Starting a new drum loop is easy and you'll soon have fun mixing and matching beats.

Midi In & Out

DM1 - The Drum Machine supports both Midi In & Out and provides a perfect mix between fun and powerful features that even professionals will appreciate. You can also export beats to Logic Pro if you're a professional producer.

5 Main Sections

DM1 - The Drum Machine has 5 main features:

Step sequencer: To create random beats and rhythms
Drum pads: Let your fingers be your drumsticks
Mixer: Adjust the volume, pitch, pan, sample length and drum of your mixes
FX trackpads: Distort, modulate and transform your beats with Overdrive, Delay, Reverb, Phaser, Dalek, Formant, Resonant Filter & Compressor.
Song composer: Drag and drop patterns onto your timeline.

Great sound

The sound you get out of DM1 - The Drum Machine is very impressive. The beats have lots of bass and sound realistic and combined with the ease of use, make creating music a lot of fun.

Conclusion

DM1 - The Drum Machine is a fun app that makes creating music on your Mac a lot of fun.

Download DM1 - The Drum Machine in Softonic

Logic Pro for Mac includes a huge collection of instruments, effects, and loops, making it surprisingly easy to create professional sounding compositions. There are even production templates which do a lot of the hard work for you leaving you to fill in the blanks to make the song yours.

Specifically, there are 40 built-in instruments including synths, vintage keyboards, a drum machine and sampler. In addition, there are 80 effects including reverbs, delays, EQs, dynamics, amps and stompboxes. In total, there are over 1700 sampled instruments to choose from.

Logic Pro for Mac is also integrated with GarageBand meaning you can import projects into it instantly. Logic Pro is quite a CPU intensive application however. It's recommended you have at least 4GB of RAM although 2GB should be enough. You'll also need 6GB of disk space plus 19GB for optional content available via in-app downloads.

Logic Pro for Mac is one of the best musical production studios available for Mac.

Download Logic Pro 9.1.8 in Softonic

Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro HD includes an option to install Microsoft Silverlight which is Microsoft's answer to Adobe Flash although you don't have to install it. However, it's useful to have it as some video streaming events on the net use Silverlight to deliver content.

First some background to Flip4Mac. WMV is Microsoft's own video format which by default, won't play on Macs since Apple's own video format is QuickTime. The most common solution for users has been to install a multimedia player such as VLC media player or a plugin such as Perian or Flip4Mac which both allow QuickTime to play WMV files. However, with Perian only supporting older versions of WMA and now no longer being developed, Flip4Mac is set to become the most logical choice for users, especially because it is officially endorsed by Microsoft and effectively, the official Windows Media Player for Mac.

Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro HD is not just a plugin for QuickTime however. For the first time, it introduces its own player - Flip Player - but it will still allow you to view WMV videos in QuickTime. The difference from the previous version of Flip4Mac however is that it now leaves a watermark in the top right-hand corner of QuickTime. Flip Player doesn't feature this watermark with the additional bonus that it has some powerful added extras that are only available in this Pro version.

Amongst the advanced features of Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro HD are the ability to Crop, Rotate, Scale and Trim video which is not possible in QuickTime X. You can also convert and export WMV video for iMovie and Final Cut Pro but without creating quality damaging H.264 files. Instead, a native AIC (Apple Intermediate Codec) file is created for iMovie to avoid additional transcoding when importing. For Final Cut Pro users, it creates a ProRes file that automatically sets the correct dimensions and native video codec that fit with project settings. You can even export sound from your favorite videos to an iPhone ringtone and use the trimming features to refine it.

Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro HD includes all features of Flip4Mac Player Pro plus it adds the ability to create Windows Media files using your own high definition, two-pass encoding profiles. Export WMV including VC-1 and WMA Standard, Professional and Lossless files directly from media encoding applications, such as QuickTime 7 Pro, Flip Player Pro in OS X 10.7 and 10.8, ScreenFlow, Compressor and more.

If you want to change the general plugin settings of Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro HD, they can be accessed at the bottom of your Mac system preferences under "Other". There are several different configurations options including for the Flip Player media browser, upgrade, update and plugin settings.

Note that Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro HD no longer supports OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (although version 2.4.4 still does) as its been designed for the new demands of Lion and Mountain Lion such as Gatekeeper aimed at making Macs more secure. The benefit of this is that Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro features much improved 64-bit support for OS X 10.7 and 10.8 although the QuickTime video components have remained 32-bit due to the QuickTime component architecture. However, audio codecs are 64-bit now.

Overall, the introduction of Flip Player is the major innovation in Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro HD. It offers some powerful features that aren't available in the free version of QuickTime, and it's very well designed to suit the look of OS X. However, it lacks some of the features of QuickTime (such as screen recording) and some users may feel it's not quite as slick as Apple's own player.

Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro HD remains a powerful solution for anyone that needs to play WMV and Windows Media on their Mac and the introduction of Flip Player is a significant enhancement that makes managing WMV files on Mac easier than ever.

Download Flip4Mac Studio Pro HD 3.0.2 in Softonic

Flip4Mac WMV Player Pro includes an option to install Microsoft Silverlight which is Microsoft's answer to Adobe Flash although you don't have to install it. However, it's useful to have it as some video streaming events on the net use Silverlight to deliver content.

First some background to Flip4Mac. WMV is Microsoft's own video format which by default, won't play on Macs since Apple's own video format is QuickTime. The most common solution for users has been to install a multimedia player such as VLC media player or a plugin such as Perian or Flip4Mac which both allow QuickTime to play WMV files. However, with Perian only supporting older versions of WMA and now no longer being developed, Flip4Mac is set to become the most logical choice for users, especially because it is officially endorsed by Microsoft and effectively, the official Windows Media Player for Mac.

Flip4Mac WMV Player Pro is not just a plugin for QuickTime however. For the first time, it introduces its own player - Flip Player - but it will still allow you to view WMV videos in QuickTime. The difference from the previous version of Flip4Mac however is that it now leaves a watermark in the top right-hand corner of QuickTime. Flip Player doesn't feature this watermark with the additional bonus that it has some powerful added extras that are only available in this Pro version.

Amongst the advanced features of Flip4Mac WMV Player Pro are the ability to Crop, Rotate, Scale and Trim video which is not possible in QuickTime X. You can also convert and export WMV video for iMovie and Final Cut Pro but without creating quality damaging H.264 files. Instead, a native AIC (Apple Intermediate Codec) file is created for iMovie to avoid additional transcoding when importing. For Final Cut Pro users, it creates a ProRes file that automatically sets the correct dimensions and native video codec that fit with project settings. You can even export sound from your favorite videos to an iPhone ringtone and use the trimming features to refine it.

If you want to change the general plugin settings of Flip4Mac 3.0, they can be accessed at the bottom of your Mac system preferences under "Other". There are several different configurations options including for the Flip Player media browser, upgrade, update and plugin settings.

Note that Flip4Mac 3.0 no longer supports OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (although version 2.4.4 still does) as its been designed for the new demands of Lion and Mountain Lion such as Gatekeeper aimed at making Macs more secure. The benefit of this is that Flip4Mac 3.0 features much improved 64-bit support for OS X 10.7 and 10.8 although the QuickTime video components have remained 32-bit due to the QuickTime component architecture. However, audio codecs are 64-bit now.

Overall, the introduction of Flip Player is the major innovation in Flip4Mac WMV Player Pro. It offers some powerful features that aren't available in the free version of QuickTime, and it's very well designed to suit the look of OS X. However, it lacks some of the features of QuickTime (such as screen recording) and some users may feel it's not quite as slick as Apple's own player.

Flip4Mac 3.0 remains a powerful solution for anyone that needs to play WMV and Windows Media on their Mac and the introduction of Flip Player is a significant enhancement that makes managing WMV files on Mac easier than ever.

Download Flip4Mac WMV Player Pro 3.0 in Softonic

Flip4Mac WMV Studio includes an option to install Microsoft Silverlight which is Microsoft's answer to Adobe Flash although you don't have to install it. However, it's useful to have it as some video streaming events on the net use Silverlight to deliver content.

First some background to Flip4Mac. WMV is Microsoft's own video format which by default, won't play on Macs since Apple's own video format is QuickTime. The most common solution for users has been to install a multimedia player such as VLC media player or a plugin such as Perian or Flip4Mac which both allow QuickTime to play WMV files. However, with Perian only supporting older versions of WMA and now no longer being developed, Flip4Mac is set to become the most logical choice for users, especially because it is officially endorsed by Microsoft and effectively, the official Windows Media Player for Mac.

Flip4Mac WMV Studio is not just a plugin for QuickTime however. For the first time, it introduces its own player - Flip Player - but it will still allow you to view WMV videos in QuickTime. The difference from the previous version of Flip4Mac however is that it now leaves a watermark in the top right-hand corner of QuickTime. Flip Player doesn't feature this watermark with the additional bonus that it has some powerful added extras that are only available in this Pro version.

Amongst the advanced features of Flip4Mac WMV Studio are the ability to Crop, Rotate, Scale and Trim video which is not possible in QuickTime X. You can also convert and export WMV video for iMovie and Final Cut Pro but without creating quality damaging H.264 files. Instead, a native AIC (Apple Intermediate Codec) file is created for iMovie to avoid additional transcoding when importing. For Final Cut Pro users, it creates a ProRes file that automatically sets the correct dimensions and native video codec that fit with project settings. You can even export sound from your favorite videos to an iPhone ringtone and use the trimming features to refine it.

Flip4Mac WMV Studio includes all features of Flip4Mac Player Pro plus it adds the ability to create Windows Media files using built-in templates. Export WMV and WMA directly from media encoding applications, such as QuickTime 7 Pro, Flip Player Pro in OS X 10.7 and 10.8, ScreenFlow, Compressor and more.

If you want to change the general plugin settings of Flip4Mac WMV Studio, they can be accessed at the bottom of your Mac system preferences under "Other". There are several different configurations options including for the Flip Player media browser, upgrade, update and plugin settings.

Note that Flip4Mac WMV Studio no longer supports OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (although version 2.4.4 still does) as its been designed for the new demands of Lion and Mountain Lion such as Gatekeeper aimed at making Macs more secure. The benefit of this is that Flip4Mac WMV Studio features much improved 64-bit support for OS X 10.7 and 10.8 although the QuickTime video components have remained 32-bit due to the QuickTime component architecture. However, audio codecs are 64-bit now.

Overall, the introduction of Flip Player is the major innovation in Flip4Mac WMV Studio. It offers some powerful features that aren't available in the free version of QuickTime, and it's very well designed to suit the look of OS X. However, it lacks some of the features of QuickTime (such as screen recording) and some users may feel it's not quite as slick as Apple's own player.

Flip4Mac WMV Studio remains a powerful solution for anyone that needs to play WMV and Windows Media on their Mac and the introduction of Flip Player is a significant enhancement that makes managing WMV files on Mac easier than ever.

Download Flip4Mac Studio 3.0 in Softonic

Flick! helps you document all of your creations and record a wide range of data including medium, dimensions, date and much more. You can also keep track of details of clients, create mailing lists and produce an assortment of useful reports.

Using Flick! is generally fairly easy with a pleasing interface although it can be a bit sluggish at times. This may be partly because underlying Flick! is the FileMaker Pro database engine which makes it rather bloated. However, the workflow is logically organized so that you never wonder what you have to do next to fill in a field or enter data.

One handy feature is the ability to upload pieces of art and work to Flick! which helps you when remembering what is what in your database. This includes images and even video.

Flick! is a niche program that will only appeal to artists with large amounts of work to catalog and apart from the sluggishness, it's a decent app.

Download Flick! 4.0.4 in Softonic

The best part is that RiffBook has powerful searching and browsing features so that you can find your riffs later! Use your computer's built-in microphone to capture audio, or use the built-in iSight camera to record videos showing exactly how you are playing the riff.

Enter transcriptions by dragging and dropping notes onto the staff. Index the riff for later searching by choosing characteristics such as genre, mood, chord progression, and keywords.

RiffBook is great for storing and cataloging riffs that you really like, but have no use for yet in a song. Over time, your riff library in RiffBook will grow.

Later, during the songwriting process, RiffBook can be used to search for riffs that meet certain criteria such as chord progression or musical genre.

The riff library can be browsed in order to generate song ideas. Riffs can be organized into song folders within RiffBook in order to group them and to designate them as being already used.

This management of in-process work allows you to keep track of where you are in the songwriting process. With RiffBook, you can also add linked files to riffs or songs.

When a file is linked with RiffBook, RiffBook makes an "Open" button that allows you to quickly open the file with the application that created it.

This is great for linking files such as Logic Pro recording sessions. With one click, your document opens in Logic Pro. Using linked files in RiffBook, all of your music work can be brought together and organized in one place.

Download RiffBook Professional Edition Macintosh Professional in Softonic

The best part is that RiffBook has powerful searching and browsing features so that you can find your riffs later! Use your computer's built-in microphone to capture audio.

Enter transcriptions by dragging and dropping notes onto the staff. Index the riff for later searching by choosing characteristics such as genre, mood, chord progression, and keywords.

RiffBook is great for storing and cataloging riffs that you really like, but have no use for yet in a song. Over time, your riff library in RiffBook will grow.

Later, during the songwriting process, RiffBook can be used to search for riffs that meet certain criteria such as chord progression or musical genre.

The riff library can be browsed in order to generate song ideas. Riffs can be organized into song folders within RiffBook in order to group them and to designate them as being already used.

This management of in-process work allows you to keep track of where you are in the songwriting process. With RiffBook, you can also add linked files to riffs or songs.

When a file is linked with RiffBook, RiffBook makes an "Open" button that allows you to quickly open the file with the application that created it.

This is great for linking files such as Logic Pro recording sessions. With one click, your document opens in Logic Pro. Using linked files in RiffBook, all of your music work can be brought together and organized in one place.

Download RiffBook Standard Edition Macintosh Standard in Softonic

TOKI Shots is relatively simple to use, but we found it lacks any real explanation, especially for first time users. The fps rate drop down menu is good but it only gives you a choice between 23.976 and 30. We also liked the "delete shots" tools but inserting additional ones didn't really seem to work.

TOKI Shots is specialized in cutting up recordings into scenes and should be useful to people with limited video editors. Those with a top notch video editor probably won't find it necessary though.

Download TOKI Shot 1.3.1 in Softonic

iDrum turns your computer into a slamming beatbox ready to lay down your grooves, your way. From ambient downtempo to bangin' hip hop to frenetic drum and bass, iDrum has got your back (beat).

iDrum runs as both a standalone native OS X application and as a plug-in for Pro Tools, GarageBand, Logic, and Ableton Live. This means you can use iDrum to create beats from right within your favorite music software environment, perfectly synced with your arrangement and always right where you left it when you return to your project after your next world tour.

Don't feel like pushing buttons with your mouse? Prefer to bang on things instead? iDrum has you covered. Use record mode to tap out beats on an attached MIDI keyboard, or even using your Mac's computer keyboard! Store up to 99 patterns in a single iDrum file, along with all of the drum sounds you used to make your beat.

iDrum comes with hundreds of dope drum samples arranged in nearly two hundred iDrum files, each with several preset patterns programmed by some of the best beatmeisters working today. But these beats are just the beginning -- since you can mix and match parts and samples between kits, and even load your own AIFF and WAV drum samples, the possibilities for beat creation are virtually endless. If you ever run through all the drum sounds that come with iDrum (and it will take you a while, believe us), you can drag any AIFF or WAV file up to 2MB in size into iDrum's channel window.

Drum comes with dozens of part presets -- a unique feature that makes it incredibly easy to create amazingly cool beats by simply mixing and matching parts and samples -- even if you've never programmed a beat before. You can even add your own parts to iDrum's part preset library so you never, ever, ever have to program that syncopated disco hat figure again (you know the one we mean :-)).

Download iDrum 1.71 in Softonic

If you feel your Mac is starting to get crowded with Audio Units then this application should help you put some order into things.

For those of you who might not know, Audio Units are a set application programming interface (API) services in Mac OS which generate, process, receive and manipulate streams of audio. They're most commonly used to time stretch audio files, convert samples rates or stream audio over a Local Area Network. To simplify things, if you've listened to a track or a music stream on your Mac, there's a good chance you've used Audio Units, even though might not be aware of it.

Most users will probably not worry about where they're Audio Units or located, or how they're organized, but those of you that have a bit more of technical knowledge and regularly work with audio, let's say in GarageBand or Logic Pro, might be interested. Thanks to a simple interface, Audio Unit Manager will let you manage them easily, reorganizing them by sets, disabling or enabling the ones you select or trashing the ones you don't need.

Limited to more technical users, Audio Unit Manager lets you manage and reorganize all your Audio Units in one simple interface.

Download Audio Unit Manager 2.0.2 in Softonic