Mac: GarageBand, Apple's free virtual music studio, recently updated its Mac version to include free lessons from your favourite singers, songwriters and rocking-outers. With these Artist Lessons, as Apple calls them, you'll be able to learn a new instrument from some of the best around — including piano legend Ben Folds, actual legend John Legend and other popular bands (like Death Cab for Cutie).

You've dreamed of composing ear-blasting symphonies, but gave up because you didn't want to spend thousands of dollars on equipment and software. Well, GarageBand's Live Loops makes it easy to craft, record and share professional-sounding jams without spending a ton of money. Here's how to get started.

Apple released a version of its GarageBand music creation software for the iPad back in March, and now it has converted that into a universal version that runs on iPhone and iPod Touch as well. As with the original iPad version, you don't get the same range of features as in the original Mac product, but you can export tracks created on your device into the desktop version for further refinement.

With the new, much more guitar-like Rock Band 3 controllers on the market, it's actually possible to configure them to create MIDI music in GarageBand on a Mac. Mac magazine Mac|Life shows us how.

The new release of GarageBand '09 includes "Learn to Play"—piano and guitar lessons from artists like Norah Jones, Sarah McLachlan, and Sting, Gizmodo reports from their live-blog of the Macworld keynote.