Get 8 UAD plug-ins + LUNA! Download UAD Explore FREE

UAD Explore FREE

Get 8 Free Plug-Ins + LUNA DAW

Get Now FREE

No Credit Card Required. Terms Apply.

UAD Explore FREE

Get Now FREE

Recording Software

LUNA – The DAW Built for You

Create with incredible analog sound and AI-powered workflows that make recording easier. LUNA unlocks your creativity and helps you sound like the records you love.

UAD Explore FREE in Action

The Stories Behind the Sounds

Getting Started with UAD Explore FREE

Want professional mixes? This free plug-in bundle packs everything you need. 

Making Music with UAD Explore FREE Plug-Ins

Want incredible mixes at no cost? We show you exactly how to use free UAD plug-ins in your music productions. 

 

What's New in LUNA

Discover how the the latest LUNA features unlock your creativity and help you sound like the records you love.

No Credit Card Required

Frequently Asked Questions

Click the download button and sign in or create a free Universal Audio account. After completing a short questionnaire, your UAD Explore FREE plug-ins will be available to install via the UA Connect app — our free license and download manager. You can also watch our Getting Started video for a step-by-step walkthrough.

UAD Explore FREE includes eight professional UAD plug-ins: the 1176 Classic FET Compressor (compressor), Teletronix LA-2A Tube Compressor (compressor), UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection (preamp/EQ), Pure Plate Reverb (reverb), Vibe Analog Machines Essentials (tape/modulation), UAD Showtime '64 Tube Amp (amp simulation), Century Channel Strip (channel strip), and PolyMAX Synth (synthesizer). You also receive the LUNA recording DAW at no charge.

No Apollo or UAD hardware is required. UAD Explore FREE plug-ins are UAD Native plug-ins, meaning they run entirely on your Mac or PC using your computer's own processing power, just like any standard VST3, AU, or AAX plug-in. If you do have an Apollo audio interface, select plug-ins can also run on its onboard DSP for an ultra-low-latency realtime recording experience.

UAD Explore FREE plug-ins work in any DAW that supports VST3, AU, or AAX plug-in formats — including Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Pro Tools, Cubase, Fender Studio Pro, Reaper, and more. The LUNA DAW is also included free of charge.

Yes! UAD Explore FREE is completely free of charge. There is no purchase cost, no trial period, no subscription, and no credit card required. All included plug-ins are full, unrestricted versions — not lite editions or time-limited demos.

UAD Native plug-ins and LUNA DAW are supported on current versions of macOS and Windows. A free iLok account is required. No physical iLok USB dongle is needed. If you don't already have an iLok account, we’ll help you create one during setup. Visit our Knowledge Base for complete system requirements.

If you already own any of the included plug-ins, you keep them. The bundle will add only the titles you don't yet have to your account. Plug-in substitutions are not available.

Check our Knowledge Base for additional questions

The UAD Explore FREE bundle program is an incentive program under which participants receive a perpetual license to a bundle of software in exchange for providing their respective names, email addresses and brief survey responses. UA will determine how long the program runs and may terminate the program at any time, in its sole discretion.

Your participation in the program is entirely optional. Before deciding whether to participate, you should review our EULA, Privacy Policy, and Knowledge Base, as they contain important terms relating to participants’ rights and obligations under the program. If you decide to participate, you will have 90 days from the time you complete the survey to download your copy of the UAD Explore FREE bundle before the license expires.