Are there any good free music creation programs?
Yes.
There are a couple on Ubuntu, they're not real easy to set up. I'm not sure if you're looking for some kind of loop software, like fruityloops, or if you want to record real instruments. If you're recording real instruments, then use Reaper, with some VST's.
If renzuokun were still here, he'd have you covered... perhaps I'll get him.
ableton
frooty loops studio (fl studio)
reason
magix music maker
sony acid
adobe audition
most commonly used one would be FL studio.
It all depends on what kind of music you are going to work with. I use fruityloops and LMMS for the silly music in the videos... If you are trying to record instruments and vocals LMMS will suck. You will need something like Audition or Pro Tools... but those cost money.
I just want to make Trance Music. I would use my Music Maker Video Jam, but it won't work with a 64-Bit OS
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa384249(v=vs.85).aspx
that maybe help with running 32 bit programs on 64 bit
I don't know any free DAWs, atleast not for the Windows platform. I started out scoring my shorts in soundbooth and/or premiere, which neither are made for music production and I don't recommend them for it. When i wanted to start writing electronic music i got FL studio. The interface is pretty easy to understand and navigate but once I started to get more advanced, I felt like it held me back bit.
After watching videos of people playing with the "Launchpad", a midi controller made by Novation, i decided to get one myself and with it i got Ableton Live Launchpad Edition, which I later upgraded to Ableton Live 8. Learning Live took a while but it sure was worth it. Ofcourse, VST's will work on pretty much any DAW so the sounds you'll get will pretty much be the same, but the interface, the routing options and the "Session view" really sets Live apart. Live is great for live performance aswell. In session view you can launch clips and beats indipendently, with no timeline or cue's. In the recent release of Live 8.4, it now supports 64bit aswell. It still works great in previous versions on a 64 bit platform, but you won't be able to access the extra RAM and 64bit VST's...
Ableton Live got me hooked, but ofcourse it's just my personal preference. I suggest you try demos of the major DAWs ztrain listed before you decide which one you're going with. Every DAW has it's learning curve, some steeper then the other, so picking up more then one is going to take alot of time. And also, take your time learning the program. Experiment and try different things. The foundation is the same in all DAWs so if you have the foundation, the transition to another DAW wont be as hard.
TLDR:
Try different demos before you decide. Free or not, a DAW takes time to learn...
Use Fruityloops!!