Music-making technology has improved dramatically in recent years, and software and hardware tools even play a bigger role in the production processes of huge bands ranging from Coldplay to Metallica. Free and open source music making and production technologies have also become very sophisticated, and are worth looking into. If you play and produce music here are some must-have free tools that you can leverage.

Remember the days when dealing with music and media on computers and digital devices meant interminable wait times and guaranteed headaches. Only a few years ago, the web was teeming with sites and applications that claimed to provide streamlined video and audio experiences when the experiences were in fact filled with hiccups. That has changed in a big way, though, and now your digital devices are probably the primary gatekeepers to your daily interaction with music and media. In this post, you'll find many of our favorite applications and tools for making the most of your media.  

If you think back to what you were doing digitally 10 years ago, and then think about what you're doing today, odds are that you work with video, graphics and audio much more than you ever did before. Within the world of open source, there are not only outstanding free applications that can improve your experience in these areas, but there are many free guides and tutorials to get you going with them. In this post, you'll find a huge number of resources for pumping up your multimedia muscles. Spend some time with these, and you'll collect some rich dividends.