What is the best audio editing software?
Here's my pick of the best audio editing software.
1. Adobe Audition.
Adobe Audition, part of Adobe Creative Cloud (CC), is a tool suitable for broadcasters who want to edit, mix, and restore audio files. You can use Adobe Audition for single-track and multi-track editing. It also allows you to import files into the timeline using a simple drag and drop function, which is an asset for beginners. Its visual interface is modern and simple, allowing you to focus on optimizing your audio tracks.
Features
- Free sound effects - Use hundreds of royalty-free sound effects from Adobe to add professional depth and creativity to your recordings.
- Adobe Sensei - The remix function automatically edits your music according to your needs.
- Essential sound panel - You can use its sound editing tools to adjust your voice recording and remove any unwanted sound from the clip.
Pricing
- Free: It offers a seven-day free trial.
- Business Class: It costs around $20.99 per month per user.
It offers discounts for students and teachers. Businesses that require multiple licenses also receive special discounts.
Start with Adobe Audition ->
2. Avid Pro Tools.
Pro Tools is one of the best professional audio editing software for large studios looking to integrate their hardware with powerful software. Plus, Pro Tools offers a powerful workflow, allowing you to record up to 4 mics simultaneously. Its audio engine offers a 64-bit architecture, capable of dynamically allocating host processing resources, and a low-latency input buffer.
Features
- UVI Falcon - It offers a vast collection of 2.6 GB of synthesizer and instrument samples with approximately 1,000 clips present.
- MIDI editor - You can use its contextual MIDI editor to process all the details of the project. You can also export all sessions as Sibelius files (.sib).
- Mixing window - You can view all audio tracks in the style of a mixer. It offers the possibility of automating any parameter at any location on the track.
Pricing
Pro Tools offers 2 pricing plans:
- Pro Tools: Approximately $29.99 per month per user (it provides essential tools for composing, recording, and mixing audio)
- Pro Tools Ultimate: Approximately $79.99 per month per user (it provides the ultimate tools for professional audio editing)
There is also a free version for beginner level audio editing.
3. PreSonus Studio One.
Studio One is a great audio editing tool for recording vocals and creating stunning beats. He is very responsive and agile. For example, its drag-and-drop interface allows you to configure instruments instantly with a complete graphical representation.
Features
- Mastering - It's one of the only DAWs that allows you to link songs to finished projects. You can also go back at any time to make changes.
- Drag and drop - Its drag-and-drop workflow allows you to easily add virtual instruments, plugins, and loops to the audio clip.
- Arranging track - Edit the mobile sections of your songs with harmonic editing.
- Analog mixing - Its analog input reader modeled by State Space adds the right amount of warmth and grit to the song.
Pricing
Studio One costs $399.95 for a one-time purchase. You can also upgrade to get more advanced features.
There's also the Studio One Artist, which sells for $99.95, and the PreSonus Sphere, with a monthly subscription of $14.95 or an annual subscription of $164.95.
4. Audacity.
Audacity is one of the best open-source, cross-platform audio editing tools for multi-track editing and recording. It offers a user-friendly interface and supports macOS, Windows, GNU/Linux, and many other operating systems. Additionally, you can record live audio via a microphone/mixer, and digitize audio recordings from other media.
Features
- Accessibility - It offers a large number of keyboard shortcuts. You can even manipulate tracks and selections using the keyboard.
- Analysis - You can use its Spectrogram mode for viewing and selecting frequencies. The Plot Spectrum window allows detailed frequency analysis.
- cgi - Control your audio with the real-time preview of LV2, VST, LADSPA, and Audio Unit (macOS) effects.
Pricing
- Free: it is an open-source tool that is available for free.
5. Ableton Live.
Ableton Live is one of musicians' favorite tools for managing live performances on stage in real time. It allows you to automatically dictate your music as audio. Plus, you can transpose everything to MIDI - from melodies and harmonies to sampled rhythms. Simply take audio tracks from libraries and samples and easily turn them into an original creation.
You can also scroll or move audio clips while editing. In addition, it allows automated data to be revealed or hidden with a simple click. It also offers a collection of tools for sequencing melodies, pitch lag, and delays.
Features
- RESUME - Generate and receive control, pitch, clock, and trigger CVs to facilitate the use of modular synthesizers and other devices.
- Surround Panner - It is a multi-channel panoramic device designed to manage installations, shows and theaters. It can handle configurations of 4 to 8 speakers.
- Delai - Easily combine the “Attach Delay” and “Ping Pong Delay” functions. You can also add filter modulation to it.
Pricing
It offers 3 unique pricing plans:
- Live introduction: 99
- Live Standard: $449
- Live Suite: $749
The Live Suite plan also includes 70GB of sound and over 30 audio effects. You can also start with a free trial.
6. Cubase Pro.
Steinberg Cubase is a powerful audio editor for users who want to create, mix, and produce music. When it comes to editing audio, a ton of great features improve the mixing and quality of your recordings. Plus, a host of flexible tools help you create music at a faster pace.
It also offers a variety of effects, virtual instruments, and sounds to help you add depth to your audio. You can also easily edit and sequence MIDI and audio files.
Features
- Drum editor - Create perfect beats and work on grooves and beats to create the type of audio you want.
- VariAudio - It allows you to edit at the micro-pitch level for more precise control of the singer's transitions and drifts.
- Lower zone - You can easily mix the console, lock the piano editor, or anything else under the arrangement window.
- Check-in - Its 64-bit audio engine supports 32-bit, 192kHz recording and 5.1 surround sound. There are no limitations on MIDI, instruments, or audio tracks.
Pricing
Cubase costs $587.98.
7. Sound Forge Audio Studio.
Sound Forge is a great tool for all digital audio editing needs. Its full range of functions and tools allow you to edit your audios using professional effects. Plus, it transforms cassettes and vinyl records into digital audio. You can also burn and create CDs or produce soundtracks for videos.
Features
- Windows context menu - You don't need to open all of the software for common tasks. Simply right-click on the system button to save a lot of time.
- Enhanced VST - It offers improved loading speed for VST plugins to avoid slow performance and potential crashes.
- Oscilloscope - Easily visualize sound wave forms in periodic oscillations or use chain manipulations to display effects in real time.
Pricing
Its prices start at around $59.99 for a one-time purchase. You can also access its free trial.
8. Ocenaudio.
Ocenaudio is an easy to use, fast, and functional audio editing tool for daily use. It has a simple user interface and offers a real-time preview of effects to quickly perform audio editing.
Ocenaudio's keyboard shortcuts also make your editing task faster and more efficient. Additionally, it takes care of files stored on your local machine and files stored in the cloud.
Features
- Cross-platform support - It supports all major operating systems including Linux, Windows, and macOS. It generates native applications for all platforms from a common source for seamless integration and seamless performance.
- Multiple selection - Execute complex assemblies more quickly thanks to this function. You can select different sections of the clip and apply effects simultaneously.
- Thumbnail view - Use the thumbnail view and listen to the effects in the selected audio section.
Pricing
It is free software and available for free.
9. Ashampoo Music Studio.
Ashampoo Music Studio is a great audio editing tool and provides comprehensive multimedia solutions. It allows you to extract audio from videos as well as CDs directly. You can import entire folders or individual audio or music tracks to create playlists.
Its built-in audio editor effectively cuts and cuts audio files exactly the way you want them to. In addition, the editor allows you to adjust the volume, split the music, etc.
Features
- Helium Music Manager - Manage your music library by editing bookmarks and creating categories effectively.
- Burn music - You can easily burn your music to a disc. Its organizer also automatically renames and stores files.
- Prefix Mix Tapes - Create mixtapes for an event with multiple fades and transitions
Pricing
The paid product costs $19.99 per user. It also offers a free trial of the full version of the software.
10. Reaperq.
Reaper is a great digital audio production application for beginners looking for an affordable option. It supports a large number of digital formats, plugins, and hardware. You can also modify, script, or extend the software as you want quite easily. Another positive point is that it is a tightly coded audio editing software that offers great stability and an easy user experience.
You also get powerful multi-channel support as well as audio and MIDI routing. The team also releases regular updates to improve features, add new ones, and fix bugs. Other notable features include automation, grouping, modulation, VCAs, macros, surround, OSC, control surfaces, scripting, custom skins, and more.
You can also connect it to multiple virtual instruments, including VST, AU, DX, VST3, and other 3rd party plugins.
Features
- CC MIDI envelopes - Treat them as continuous data envelopes instead of discrete events. This will help you create smoother effects and musical articulation.
- Auto-Stretch Timebase - It allows you to automatically reconfirm and stretch audio around complex enhancements. You can also work with live-streamed recordings.
- Routing diagram - Modify and visualize project routing thanks to an effective graphical patch using emulation.
Pricing
It offers 2 licensed formulas:
- Discounted license - $60 per license
- Business license - $225 per license
The discounted version of the license is intended for individuals or businesses with a gross annual income of less than $20,000.
11. Sound Forge Audio Cleaning Lab.
Additionally, you can export the restored audio file in any format, including WAV, OGG, MP3, and FLAC. A multitude of advanced audio settings allow you to clean up the sound with a single click.
You also have access to an advanced algorithm for adjusting the pitch and speed of your audio. In addition, its automatic cleaning function performs most audio enhancements independently.
Features
- Spectral cleaning - Visualize the sound of your video thanks to the visual representation of all frequencies. It will help you eliminate noise and improve the sound.
- Catering - Reduce noise, crackles, and mutes to improve speech in audio.
- Importing audio - Import audio directly from a CD to create your audio collection. You can also start editing the audio directly.
Pricing
The paid product costs approximately $89.99 per user. It also offers a free trial.
11. Acoustica.
Advanced audio editing tool with AI-based tools ($75 per user).
Acoustica is an affordable audio editing tool that can help you restore, improve, and mix audio files. It is equipped with a remixing tool based on artificial intelligence 'Spleeter'. Basically, “Spleeter” automatically separates voices and instruments from any audio file. You don't even need any prior technical knowledge as it's an automated function.
It also splits the mixed audio into five stems and remixes the audio in real time. You can also import an audio file from a complex mix into a multitrack session to automatically create separate tracks.
Plus, it automatically suppresses background noise and disturbances. It also offers 7.1 surround sound with multi-channel support. You also get real-time access to analysis tools, including the ITU-R BS.1770 and the EBU R-128.
To summarize, some of its most striking characteristics are compliance with noise intensity measurement, phase correlation measurements, real peak level measurement, and spectrum analysis.
Features
- Audio restoration - It removes all sorts of unwanted speech noises, including sizzling, clicking, and background noise.
- Multitrack editing - Mix audio from different tracks in real time. It also creates crossfades and inserts audio effects into the clip.
- Treatment tools - It is equipped with high-quality processing tools, including the latest suite of dynamic processing tools.
Pricing
It offers 2 versions:
- Minecraft 9 recording studio: $75 per user.
- Minecraft 9 Pro Studio: $149 per user
What is audio editing software?
From manipulating the audio to changing the duration, you need a tool to take care of all of these post-production tasks. And that's not all, you also need to create additional versions, including loops, mix multiple tracks, etc.
And that's where audio editing software comes in. To put things into perspective, you need an audio editing tool to produce and normalize an audio track.
Good audio editing software can help you record from multiple mics, edit them to suit your needs, and process the audio in the required format.
What should you look for in audio editing software?
Below is a list of a few essential functions that are crucial in powerful audio editing software.
- Number of tracks - To have enough space for sound effects, narration, and music, your audio editor must have at least 3 audio tracks. And these audio tracks are separate from the audio in the video.
- Volume control - You may want to mute or lower the volume of certain sections of the audio. A volume control function would be very useful to precisely control the volume of each track.
- Levelling - You can use this function to set the sound of all audio tracks to the same level with a simple click of a button. It is very useful when mixing multiple tracks.
- Anti-noise filter - It will help you improve the sound of a poor quality audio recording.
How do I use audio editing software?
Each audio editing tool works differently. However, most of the way in which each tool works remains the same.
Below is an example of generic functions of an audio editor with Acoustica :
1. Upload the audio file
Simply go to the 'File' menu and select the 'Open' button. You can also use the keyboard shortcut - Ctrl + O. Then select the audio file on your desktop and it will automatically open in Acoustica.
2. Select Regions.
You need to select regions and channels to process any type of audio.
Go to the beginning of the point from which you want to select and press the left click. Now move the cursor to the end of the region without letting go of the click. Release the button and the selected region will be highlighted.
3. Channel selection.
In the screenshot below, you can see that the colors red, blue, and green reflect 3 different waveform areas.
Select the top half of the first channel to edit/select the left audio. Likewise, select the bottom half for the right audio. Select the central part, i.e. the blue zone, to edit the 2 channels simultaneously.
4. Multi-channel recording.
To select or change the region for multi-channel audio, hold down the Ctrl key while selecting the region. You can also use the channel selection buttons to toggle the selection status.
5. Play the recording.
You have the option of playing the entire recording, the selected regions, or the recording in a loop.
As shown in the screenshot below, click the button at the bottom of the menu to select the option, and you're ready to go.
6. Audio recording
Connect the audio source to the input properly.
Here are 3 audio recording options:
- Select File > New to create a new record.
- Select Audio > Record to insert the recording into the existing audio.
- Select the sample format if you want to save it in an empty edit window.
This is how the registration dialog appears.
Click on the recording button (4) to start recording. Once recording is complete, click Insert (5) or Overwrite (6) to insert or overwrite the audio.
With Acoustica, you can edit your audio on all basic and advanced fronts easily. All of these features will help you get started with your audio editing work and explore the software more effectively.
FAQs
What does audio editing software allow you to do?
Audio editing software allows you to edit an existing audio file in any way you want in order to improve it. It also allows you to remove unwanted parts of the soundtrack. The process of editing the soundtrack may include adding or removing music, rearranging, or mixing multiple recorded tracks into a final mix that matches your preferences. There is also a sound restoration and noise reduction function that helps you get rid of white noise and other annoying sounds.
What are the generic features of audio editing software?
The generic tools of audio editing software are: cut, copy, paste, delete, mix tracks, etc. Many of them also have sound effects that can be added to music to make it more appealing. Transposition and amplification are other common functions that are available in most audio editing software. Most audio editing programs now have plug-ins that improve the look and feel of your soundtrack. Expertise in using these editing tools will allow you to easily produce professional-quality music.
Summary
That concludes my list of the best audio editing tools available.
They all have unique abilities and offer different prices. However, it is wiser to choose the software that best fits your needs and budget.
For example, Adobe Audition can meet the requirements of medium-level video production. If you are a beginner on a tight budget, you can try FAE Media. And if you're looking to make beats, FL Studio is a good option.
Remember to review all of these tools carefully before making your final decision.
Further reading: If you want to start a podcast, check out my guides to the best podcast recording software And some best podcast hosting to begin with. And if you want to integrate the video, read my reviews on best video editing software or the best screen capture software to be used this year.
