What are some highly rated studio recording software programs according to experts?

Cubase and FL Studio rank among the digital audio recording industry leaders. Both are considered audio work stations, but the two differ in focus. Cubase tends to emphasize raw audio recording, while FL Studio is more dedicated to electronic music production.

Cubase debuted in 1989, developed by Steinberg to run on the Atari 520ST and 1040ST computers. Many versions have since been published on numerous platforms. FL Studios was first developed by Image-Line in 1997, under the name Fruity Loops. FL Studio has undergone numerous version updates as of 2015 and is available on a wide range of platforms. Both products are widely used, both by amateurs and in the professional recording industry.