15 Best Audio Editing Software to Record, Edit, Mix, and Master

Do you have a knack for sounds with a keen interest in creating a masterpiece?

You’ll agree that the audio needs to be flawless and clear whether you are creating an instrumental piece or the next big podcast. 

We know how terrible it might feel when a background or low pitch noise harms your audio recording.

Thanks to technological advancements, some audio editors are very helpful to save you in such cases. But often, the free audio editors are hard to use if you are inexperienced. If your budget is too low, it can become challenging to discover the most suitable audio editor.

Best audio editing software – Free options

Irrespective of popular belief, finding the right Software for audio editing isn’t that difficult. You can find some highly usable DAWs that are either fully free or are based upon free-market. They may not have the hardcore most premium suite bells and whistles, but these are some of the finest apps you can afford.

We have compiled a list of the best audio editing software available in the market for you to try your hands on.

1. Audacity

Audacity does almost everything you want from a DAW. You can do post-processing in software competitions in addition to recording and editing, except for the high-end technical suites. All the key features that you will need are available to you through a few taps. It is available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. It is by far the most popular option on Linux as premium suites are not available on this platform.

2. Garageband Apple

Apple has been doing astonishing things over the years with GarageBand, and you just cannot find a simpler audio editor. Garage Band is designed for complete newbies but versatile enough to handle complex tasks. Numerous podcasters and musicians use Garageband as their publisher because it is highly polished and accessible. It is incorporated within an iOS app, which is not as functional as a desktop but can still produce amazing results.

3. WavePad

Wavepad is one of the most efficient audio-editors available in the market. It has a user-friendly interface that is divided into two sections. The first section is a collection of tutorials with videos and interactive wizards, which teach you how to use the app. The second option shows you all your stories and waveforms.

Wavepad includes smartphone applications, but only for Android and Amazon Kindle, and does not support iOS. Also, while WavePad is free and full-fledged, the unlicensed version is for non-commercial use only. 

4. PreSonus One Prime Studio

The program PreSonus Studio One is split between 3 variants. The Prime edition is free but restricted in terms of features. PreSonus is available for both Mac and Windows. Simultaneously, there are many features for artists and professionals, depending on the version you are using. 

Its feature places it in competition with Audacity and GarageBand. While there are not many features missing from this app, the rich library of effects that come together in other applications to perform astonishing results is not available on this platform. 

PreSonus will do about anything you want unless you mix and set up automation and macro/scripts for fairly heavy functionality, where PreSonus will find itself at a loss.

5. Ocenaudio

Accessible on Mac, Windows, and (as Audacity) on Linux, Ocenaudio is available for everybody. Ocenaudio boasts the same interface between Linux, Mac, and Windows. 

Like in any other app, platform-specific compromises are made most of the time, but Ocenaudio still retains quite a similar interface throughout. 

Also, the program itself works extremely well and doesn’t get stuck easily.

Best Premium Audio Editing Software 

There are plenty of premium mixing choices for those who need a little more strength behind their punch. It is difficult to tell the best audio editing software in the market since the competition is so tough. Whenever you record audio, your sound is essentially in good hands if you choose from the choices mentioned below.

6. Logic Pro X

Logic Pro is the popular and older sibling of Garage Band. The difference between the two apps will be obvious from the moment you load and enable advanced features. You get a UI that can handle anything you throw at it with advanced features. You can stack tracks that combine into one later or separate different mixes and projects, and you are also ready to go if you need them, just in case.

7. Adobe Auditions

Adobe Audition has been a much more viable and open choice since the introduction of Creative Cloud than before. You have an option to pay only $19.99 a month to start using Software rather than hundreds of dollars in advance. That is the situation in most cases.

It does almost everything that Pro does. You can edit, post-process, and play with layers. You can even reduce different levels of humming from the background for better quality. 

8. Reaper

Reaper is a full-functioning DAW that can do everything that other applications can do except a few top-level apps. It is quite handy when you want to cut and break audio tracks. There are several advanced features, including spectral editing and in-app scripting support for Python or EEL macro creating and complex automation.

9. Izotope RX6

Finally, it’s the RX Post Production Suite 2 of Izotope. If there was ever genuinely cutting-edge audio editing software, it is Izotope which sells for $1.499. Izotope has made a name for itself in the market for providing genuinely successful apps, including the RX6 and RX8, amongst others.

RX suite is designed to facilitate your work, enabling you to completely cut, snippet, paste, and even out the audios. Automatic dialogue and algorithms are available to help you automatically adapt to the standards of your specific industry. Other available tools and supreme user-interface make managing tasks much faster and effective than with other audio editors.

10. Avid Pro Tools

Avid Pro Tools comes from a long line of successful video editing softwares and performs exceptionally well. It is both intuitive and feature-packed that makes it best for getting superb results. It has an easy-to-understand and clean interface that will maximize your workflow. It also supports fast 64-bit recording and mixing, which makes it great for professional-level editing.

11. FL Studio

FL Studio is one of the most popular audio editing software in the EDM industry used by big artists such as Martin Garrix and Porter Robinson. It is a highly-advanced software that can easily handle large complex audio files. It supports multitrack recording, pitch shifting, and time stretching. It also has a mixer that is equipped with features such as automation, effect chains. While you can avail of a free trial of this tool, you’ll eventually have to buy a premium membership to continue enjoying its benefits.

12. Ableton Live

Ableton is very popular in the music industry because of its feature-packed interface. It supports unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, but it can also support 256 mono input and output channels. You also get 70GB worth of pre-recorded sounds containing 15 software instrument sounds and 46 audio effects. 

This tool also offers a free trial for you to try your hands on, but you’ll eventually have to get a paid membership.

13. Cubase

Cubase is a Steinberg product used by several major artists such as Zedd, Junkie XL, etc. It has a unique frequency editor that can edit sensitive frequency tracks and an auto-pan feature that can make playing with the tracks easy for you. This power-packed tool offers a free trial to its user for 30 days after which, you’ll need a premium membership to continue.

14. Hindenburg Pro

Hindenburg is available in both Windows and macOS that comes with non-destructive multitrack recording. This Software can import and edit 24-bit audio files that not many softwares offer. Other features include excellent compressors, EQs, third-party plugin support, and a loudness meter. You can get the trial version from their official website to give it a test-run, after which you can decide whether you want to buy it or not.

15. Ardour

Ardour is a robust audio editing software that has multi-platform support. It offers all the textbook features that will make recording and editing easier for you. Several easy and overlooked transitions, such as cuts, crossfades, transposition, etc., make editing simpler and more fun. This tool is most suited for those users who don’t have any budget restraints.

Points to remember when selecting your audio editing software

Here are some features that you can look for to make this choice easier.

• Find a tool that focuses less on creating music and more on audio.
• Search for a program that supports easy file-transfer.
• Nothing is more frustrating than a continuously crashing application. 
• Your audio editing software should support multiple file formats.

Conclusion

When selecting a good audio editing software that best fits your requirement, it is important to understand your requirements. You should make a list of the tasks that you need to perform and then compare the options. This will help you decide the best option, especially if you are choosing a premium application.

However, if you are looking for something free, you can always use it and then change if it doesn’t meet your expectations.