When it comes to creating music with your computer, it can be difficult to know where to start. There is certainly no shortage of titles to choose from, but for anyone that isn't already an accomplished musician, the complexity of much of the music creation software that is available can be off-putting -- hefty price tags can often be an issue as well. MAGIX Music Maker Silver 17 is a little different, in as much as it is not only incredibly easy to use, it is available completely free of charge.

The Silver release of MAGIX music creation software is a somewhat cutdown version of the title's big brother. The number of audio channels you have available to work with has been reduced to four, and the number of samples included has also shrunk somewhat. In the free version of the program, there are only three musical styles to choose from when it comes to samples, and the range of instruments is far more restricted.

If all of this sounds disappointing, think again. Like many of the programs from MAGIX, Music Maker Silver's appeal lies in its ease of use coupled with its surprising versatility and power. The program uses an interface that may appear familiar to anyone who has used sample and loop based music creation software in the past. Creating a track takes little more than dragging samples onto the various track of the timeline and arranging them as requires.

Of course, things are a little more complicated than that in reality. If you would like to break away from the bundled samples, there is nothing to stop you from recording audio from other sources -- this could be a real instrument, a vocal track or an ambient sample recorded with a microphone. Part of the joy of working with MAGIX Music Maker Silver is that experimentation is encouraged. Once you have created something you like, why not try out a few special effects to see what else you can come up with? If you come up with something you like, you can export it as an MP3 and share it with your mates.

To find out more and to download a free copy of the software, pay a visit to the MAGIX Music Maker Silver 17 review page.