Universal Audio’s DAW “LUNA” has been updated to version 3.0, and the free edition “LUNA Free” is still available at no cost.
In this article we cover the free release of LUNA Free along with an overview of what it offers.
1. What Is Universal Audio “LUNA Free”?
LUNA Free is the free edition of LUNA, the DAW developed by Universal Audio. It runs on macOS and Windows and gives you a full-featured DAW with unlimited track count, no watermark on exports and no time limit — permanently free, with no credit card required. No UA hardware is needed either, so it works with any audio interface.
LUNA Free includes eight UAD plugins such as the 1176 and LA-2A, up to 4-part stem separation, smart features like voice control and tempo detection, plus the newly added piano roll and LUNA Play. There are two editions: the free LUNA Free and the paid LUNA Studio. LUNA Studio adds around 30 UAD plugins, the API, Studer and Ampex LUNA Extensions, ARA-compatible partner plugins, hardware inserts, 6-part stem separation, and advanced smart features such as Audio-to-MIDI and lyric transcription.
Key Features
- Permanently free, full-featured DAW: unlimited tracks, no watermark on exports, no time limit, no credit card required.
- VST3 and AU support: use your existing third-party plugins and virtual instruments as they are.
- No UA hardware required: works with any audio interface (with deeper integration on Apollo and Volt).
- Eight UAD plugins bundled: the UAD Explore Free bundle (1176, LA-2A, 610 and more).
- LUNA Play: a voice-memo style app made for music production that automatically detects your instrument, sets levels and even suggests presets using UAD plugins.
- 4-Track Stem Separation: split a song into up to four parts — vocals, bass, drums and other.
- Smart features: voice control, Tempo Listen, smart tempo tools and Instrument Detection.
- New piano roll: scale-aware editing, new tools such as pencil and paint, and Adaptive Grid support.
LUNA Play: Start Recording Seconds After Launch
The newly added LUNA Play is a next-generation voice-memo app built specifically for music production. It automatically detects the instrument coming in, sets an appropriate level and suggests great-sounding presets using UAD plugins. You can start using it right away simply by switching the layout inside LUNA, whether you want to jam along with a favourite track or capture an original idea.
Stem Separation from Minus-One up to 4 Parts
Stem separation ranges from two parts — vocals and everything else — up to four parts (vocals, bass, drums and other). You can use it to re-sing a vocal track, pull out a bass track to practise transcribing by ear, and plenty of other ideas.
Eight UAD Plugins That Bring Classic Hardware Character Into Your DAW
LUNA Free includes the following eight UAD plugins (UAD Explore Free). On top of that, the latest LUNA Free (v3) opens up “Record FX” — which adds analog feel right at the recording stage and was previously limited to Apollo users — to everyone.
- UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection
- UA 1176 Classic FET Compressor
- Teletronix LA-2A Tube Compressor
- Vibe Analog Machines Essentials
- Pure Plate Reverb
- UAD Showtime ’64 Tube Amp
- Century Tube Channel Strip
- PolyMAX Synth
Main Features Added in LUNA 3.0 (LUNA Free v3)
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| LUNA Play | Start singing or playing with great sound within seconds. |
| 4-Track Stem Separation | Split a stereo mix into two to four stems (with a 4-way split you get vocals, bass, drums and other). |
| Folder Tracks | Easier track organisation and routing of audio into folders. |
| Piano Roll | Full MIDI control with new tools and scale-aware editing. |
| Adaptive Grid | Grid values adjust automatically to the zoom level for smoother editing. |
| Clip Gain Automation | Detailed gain adjustment on audio clips before plugins are applied. |
| Record FX | The recording workflow previously exclusive to Apollo is now available to native users. |
| Strip Silence | Automatically detects audio content and removes silent sections. |
| Click Track Automation | Complete control over the metronome for advanced recording workflows. |
| Mono Inputs for Stereo Tracks | Record a mono source into a stereo channel with no extra routing. |
Differences Between LUNA Free and LUNA Studio
LUNA Free and LUNA Studio are the same DAW, and recording, arranging and mixing work identically in both. Think of LUNA Studio as adding a “studio” around that core.
| LUNA Free | LUNA Studio | |
|---|---|---|
| Track count / export | Unlimited, no watermark | Unlimited, no watermark |
| UAD plugins | 8 (UAD Explore Free) | Around 30 (Topline Vocal Tune, Opal, Ravel Grand Piano and more) |
| Stem separation | Up to 4 parts | Up to 6 parts (including guitar and piano) |
| Audio-to-MIDI | — | Yes |
| Lyric transcription / chord detection | — | Yes (Powered by Moises) |
| LUNA Extensions (console & tape) | — | API Vision Console, API Summing, Studer A800, Ampex ATR-102 |
| ARA-compatible partner plugins | — | Celemony Tonalic Essential, Melodyne essential, Synthesizer V 2 Core and more |
| Hardware inserts | — | Yes |
From LUNA Free you can upgrade at any time by purchasing LUNA Studio, or by subscribing to UAD Spark Studio, which includes LUNA Studio.
2. How to Download and Install LUNA Free
You can download and install LUNA Free by choosing Download LUNA Free, which comes together with the eight UAD plugins as “UAD Explore Free”. Create an account and install it through the UA Connect App.
That wraps up the free release information for LUNA Free — a permanently free, full-featured DAW that is well worth adding to your setup.