HyperEngine-AV is a free video editing software for Mac used to capture, edit, organize the process, and export video, audio, and text to create DVD quality movies and slide shows. It comes with twelve studio-quality effects from Arboretum's Hyperprism suite of audio processors. May 20, 2020 Podcast Recording Software For macOS GarageBand. GarageBand is a free DAW (digital audio workstation) if you have a Mac. This is a great choice for first-time and even experienced podcasters. You can easily create separate tracks for music, intros and outros, ad spots, and more.
- Music Editing Software For Mac
- What Is The Best Free Audio Editing Software For Mac Software
- Best Video Editing Software Mac
If you are reading this article it means that you are looking for the perfect audio editing software for Mac that you can use. But, before you blindly follow the list and start downloading all the audio editing software mentioned here, one thing you should keep in mind is your personal requirements. Before you even begin reading this article, you should know what you are looking for. For example, whether you are looking for audio editing software to edit podcasts or something complex enough to help you score a movie.
You should also keep your budget in mind. No matter how good a software is, the one that you can afford will always serve you better. Finally, you should also keep your skillset in mind and ask yourself whether you are ready to invest time in learning an audio editing software or not. Once you have answered all these questions for yourself, you will be able to find and focus on the software that will help you the most and will not waste time chasing the shiniest audio editing software in the market.
I have tried to structure this article, by keeping all these things in mind. So, you will find the best free audio editing software, the best audio editing software for editing podcasts, best professional audio editing software, and so on and so forth. However, note that all these classifications are not entirely exclusive as most of the audio softwares have features that overlap a lot with each other. At the end of the day, the best audio editing software for you will depend on what you need and feel comfortable working with. With all that said, here is our list of the best audio editing software for Mac that you should use:
- Adobe Audition: Best Overall Audio Editing Software
- Logic Pro X: Best DAW Software for Mac
- Avid Pro Tools First: Best Free Audio Editing Software
- Audacity: Best Audio Editing Software for Podcasters
- ocenaudio: Best Audio Editing Software for Beginners
- RX Post Production Suite 4: Best Audio Post Production Tools
- Fission: Best Audio Editing Software for Fast and Lossless Audio Editing
Note: While I am focusing this article on macOS operating system, most of these apps work on Windows PC too. The only app that doesn’t work on Windows is the Logic Pro X.
Best Audio Editing Software to Use in 2020
1. Adobe Audition: Best Overall Audio Editing Software
I want to start this list by using the most obvious and best overall audio editing software that the market has to offer. Whether you want to record and edit audio or want to create a background score for your upcoming movie, Adobe Audition can handle all your needs. Not only the software has all the features that you require from an audio editing program but it also has multi-track recording and editing capabilities which is something that we associate with digital audio workstations. Adobe Audition also offers one of the best audio clean-up and restoration tools on the market. It supports a ton of plugins which add even more power to the software. Whether you want to remove noise with precision or add audio effects, you can find plugins for everything here.
My favorite feature of the Adobe Audition is its waveform editing environment which allows you to pinpoint the problems and apply necessary adjustments. Adobe also brings AI enhanced tools which can make your audio editing life easier. For example, there’s an “Auto Ducking” feature which uses Adobe’s AI-based ‘Adobe Sensei’ technology to automatically lower the volume of background track to make the vocals more pronounced. Other features of the app include batch processing of audio files, automatic speech alignment, iXML metadata support, synthesized speech, and more. You will also appreciate the clean and user-friendly UI.
Note that Adobe Audition is a pro audio editing tool so users who have never used an audio editing software before might find it a little difficult at the start. That said, Adobe does provide free tutorials for both beginners and experienced users which should get you started.
Pros:
- Good User interface
- Extensive Editing Tools
- Huge plug-in support
- Great audio clean-up and restoration tools
Cons:
- Subscription-based pricing makes it expensive for long-term use
- Hard for beginners
Music Editing Software For Mac
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS
Install:Free Trial, $19.99/month
2. Logic Pro X: Best DAW Software for Mac
I love Apple's software products just for the fact that they integrate so well with the hardware. Final Cut Pro X is my favorite video editing tool as it allows me to edit a 4K video on my 2016 MacBook Pro. The experience is the same for Logic Pro X. Despite being one of the best overall audio editing software on the market, it works without any hiccup even on the older generation of MacBook Pros. That said, let's move away from the obvious advantage that Logic Pro X has over other music editing software and talk about its features, starting with its UI. In my opinion, the user interface of Logic Pro X is probably the best among all the software listed on this list. It is clean and every tool that you want to access is accessible with just a few clicks.
Note that while you can use Logic Pro X for just editing audio files for your podcast or any other similar project, you will be under-utilizing the software and it will be hard to justify its cost. Logic Pro X is a proper DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) which is aimed at music producers. It features a varied instrument library covering almost all music genres. What surprises me the most is how close the virtual instruments sound to their real counterpart. Even people with the most discerning ears will be able to tell them apart. What few instruments or music genres it doesn't support can easily be added thanks to its support for plugins and extensive plugins library that is available for anyone to use.
My favorite music kit is the 'Drummer Kit' plugin which when enabled gives you an AI-enabled drum track (electronic or acoustic) while you add your music on top. Logic Pro X also comes with more than 7000 royalty-free music loops that can automatically conform to the tempo and key of your project. There's also support for patches which allow you to quickly load complex multichannel sounds. There are features like 'Smart Tempo' which automatically manages tempo across all the content in your project, Flex Time and Flex Pitch, Track Alternatives, automation, audio effects, music notation, and more.
The only problem with Logic Pro X is it cost. I think for people who are even going to use 10% of the features of Logic Pro X, the cost is justifiable. It's a onetime fee, after which the software is yours. There's no hidden charges and no subscription. That said, if you just want to use it for normal audio editing this will be an overkill, especially when there are a ton of good options out there.
Pros:
- Flawless integration with Mac hardware and operating system
- A complete DAW
- Drummer Kit
- Over 7000 royalty-free track loops
- Beautiful user interface
Cons:
- High upfront costs make it inaccessible to many prospective users
Supported Platforms: macOS
Install:$199.99
3. Avid Pro Tools First: Best Free Audio Editing Software
Avid Pro Tools First is the free version of 'Avid Pro Tools', a professional grade audio editing software, costing upwards of $500 and used by filmmakers and TV professionals to produce and score music for movies and TV shows. While the 'Avid Pro Tools First' is a toned down version of its paid counterpart, it is more than enough for most of the users. It brings a fast 64-bit audio recording and mixing engine along with a variety of session templates with preloaded instrumental tracks covering most genres so that you can start creating your music as soon as you get familiar with the software.
It brings professional grade editing tools. From editing the MIDI tracks to adjusting tempo to fixing pitch and time, Avid Pro Tools First can handle everything. The software also comes with Avid's Xpand!2 virtual instruments and UVI Workstation 3 sample player, thus giving you access to royalty free loops and beats. This free version even comes with 23 utility plugins allowing you to shape your music just the way you want to. Recording your own music or audio is as simple as connecting your mic or instrument and hitting the record button.
When recording audio, you can take advantage of the loop recording feature which allows you to record multiple takes and then use the one that you like the most. The software is also great for people who like to collaborate with others. If you buy Avid's cloud subscription ($4.99/month), your work will be saved on the cloud. You can then share it with your colleagues to work together. In fact, even the free version which we are discussing here allows you to share up to three projects with other users. So, as you can see, you are getting a ton of professional grade features inside an app made for professionals which are used by the industry leaders and you don't have to pay a penny. That's a deal that I cannot refuse and neither should you.
Pros
- Professional grade editing tool for free
- Free online sync for up to three projects
- Royalty free track loops
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Costs a lot to upgrade to the pro version
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS
Install:Free
4. Audacity: Best Audio Editing Software for Podcasters
Not everyone needs a complete digital audio workstation. In fact, 90% of people who are looking for an audio editing software are looking for a simple program which can help them carry out basic audio editing such as trimming, noise reduction, voice modulation, background score addition, and so on. Whether you are a YouTube or a podcaster or someone who just needs to edit audio for home videos, all of the above-mentioned audio editing software will be a bit of overkill. you need a piece of software which not only enables you to perform these essential editing actions but also which is easy to learn use. For that use case scenario, Audacity is the best tool on the market.
Don't get me wrong, you can use Audacity as a DAW (especially now that it supports MIDI import) but in my views, it's not meant for that. It's simple and approachable UI makes it best for users who don't want to spend months learning an audio editing software. It is an open-source and free audio editing tool which brings a simple and interactive user interface with all the essential tools that you will need. From recording your audio clips to editing it using cut, trim, copy, and paste tools, to using audio effects, generators, and analyzers, Audacity can handle everything. Since Audacity is popular, it is also supported by a host of plugin developers allowing you to find plugins for almost anything that you might need for your project.
Despite being open-source and free, Audacity sees new updates on a fairly regular basis so you are not left using a software of the past. Just recently, Audacity was updated to support the dark mode on macOS Mojave and it looks great. There's also the new spectrogram view which allows you to pinpoint the problems and edit them accordingly. My favorite thing about Audacity is that it will take you just a couple of hours on YouTube to learn the basics and start your editing journey. That alone makes Audacity far more approachable than any other audio editing software.
Pros:
- Free and open-source
- Approachable and simple user interface
- Doesn't require you to do a Ph.D. to start editing
- Large and helping online community
Cons:
- If you are the right target audience, I don't think there are any cons
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Install:Free
5. ocenaudio: Best Audio Editing Software for Beginners
Just like Audacity, ocenaudio is a free and open-source audio editing software that brings a simple to understand user interface. If for some reason Audacity is doesn't feel right to you or you just want to check out other audio editing software before settling on one, ocenaudio should be next on your list. Just like Audacity, ocenaudio features a clean editing environment which makes it easy for beginners to get started. In fact, as far as looks are concerned, ocenaudio looks more modern than Audacity.
Coming to the features, ocenaudio brings all the basic audio recording and editing features. You can just connect a microphone and press the record button and start recording. When you are editing, you can access all the tools including track selection, track cutting and splitting, copy and paste, multi-trackediting and more. Just like Audacity, ocenaudio supports real-time preview for applied effects. Users can not only apply native effects but also use VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plugins to import effects which are not included with the software.
Like Audacity, ocenaudio also supports the spectrogram view. You can use it to analyze the spectral content of your audio signal for getting a better understanding of all the problems.ocenaudio is also good at handling big files. Even after uploading files which were multiple GB in size, the software didn't hiccup. I have a 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro, so it's not even that I was using it on a powerful machine like an iMac.
While ocenaudio is a good audio editing program, there is one big problem with the software that will turn many users off. The app doesn’t support multi-track editing which makes it useless for many users including me. I have so much fun when using this program and I prefer it over audacity both for its UI and speed. However, the missing support for multi-track editing means that I cannot use this app for my work. Another drawback of this app is that it lacks is a thriving online community.
You won’t find many online video tutorials on this one. If your work involves multi-track editing, you won’t be using ocenaudio. That said, for users who are just getting started with audio editing and doesn’t require a multi-track editing program, this is the best free audio editing software on the market right now.
Pros:
- Free and open-source
- Modern looking UI
- Easy for beginners
- Support for VST Plugins
- Can easily handle large audio files
Cons:
- Multi-track editing not supported
- Not many quality video tutorials available
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Install:Free
6. RX Post Production Suite 4: Best Audio Post Production Tools
iZotope RX Post Production Suite 4 is without a doubt the best post-production tools available for audio editors. iZotope has been leading the industry when it comes to refining audio for decades now and no other company comes even close to it. The latest version 4 update has made its tools even more potent when it comes to editing audio. The suite comprises of multiple tools namely RX 7 Advanced, Dialogue Match, Neutron 3 Advanced, Stratus 3D, Symphony 3D, Insight 2, and RX Loudness Control. Each tool serves a specific purpose and combined they can fulfill all your post-production audio editing needs.
Starting with the RX 7 Advanced, it brings a powerful repair assistant that can automatically recognize noise, clippings, clicks, hums, and more and remove them with a click. Dialogue Match automatically learns and match the sonic character of dialogue recording. Neutron 3 is a professional tool for building great mixes. It brings a “Mix Assistance” which can listen to all the tracks in your mix and gives you a balanced starting point. Similarly, the rest of the tools in the suite bring features to tackle a specific part of audio post-production.
But only the power of tools is not what iZotope known for, it’s also known for the way it presents the tools. All the tools work in a highly visual way, giving you a good look at the problems and what you can do to solve them. Just look at the screenshots above, and see how audio is represented in a detailed way. That said, all this power comes at a cost as if there’s one thing more that iZotope is known for, it’s for its pro pricing. If your work revolves around fixing audio and audio post-production, these tools can save you so much time while delivering a better product that you can justify the price. However, if you are someone who is just looking to get into audio editing, it will be hard to swallow the bill.
Pros:
- Best audio production tools on the market
- Best noise removal
- Available as plugin for your favorite audio editing software
- Repair and salvage lost audio
- Automatic audio processing tools make it easy to use
Cons:
- Cost is too high
Supported Platforms: Windows and macOS
Install:$1844
7. Fission: Best Audio Editing Software for Fast and Lossless Audio Editing
If you find all of the above audio editing software to be too complex then check out Fission. It’s a simple audio editing software that focuses on providing a fast and lossless audio editing environment. You get quick access to all the audio editing tools. You can join, cut, and trim audio, edit audio metadata, use the batch converter to convert multiple audio files at once, and more. I love that it supports multiple file formats and you can easily edit and convert files to MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, or WAV.
For quick edits, you can also use Fission’s smart split feature which automatically cuts audio files based on silence. Other features include gain adjustment, cue sheet support, volume normalization, and more. Fission is made by Rogue Ameba, a company that is well known in the Mac community for making splendid audio products, and Fission is no different. If you don’t want to invest time in learning audio editing and want a quick and easy-to-use tool, this is the one to get.
Pros:
- Best for quick editing jobs
- Supports lossless editing
- Supports multiple file formats
- Batch processing
Cons:
What Is The Best Free Audio Editing Software For Mac Software
- No pro editing features presence
Best Video Editing Software Mac
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Best Audio Editing Software: Final Thoughts
There are many other pro-level DAW software on the market which have not made the list as I have no experience in music production. The article is for audio editing software and I have tried to keep my list to reflect that. The only reason I have mentioned Logic Pro X is that I know some users will be looking for a DAW software here and for them it’s going to be useful. If you are just working with spoken audio and want a free editing app, very few apps can beat Audacity and hence it's on the list.
But I love the user interface and speediness of ocenaudio and hence it made the list too. I guess what I am trying to say is that every person has their own specific requirements and the software you choose will depend on that. I have chosen the seven apps that will meet the needs of 90% of users reading this article. If you want something more specific and don’t know where to look, drop requirements in the comments section below and at the least, I will guide you in the right direction.
We all love to listen to some great music and relax with the earphones on. It is quite common that you would love to plug your earphones on and go for a stroll or have a morning jog that would refresh your senses.
We might not be really impressed with some of the track being played on and would put out some suggestions that would help modify the track giving it a more pleasing feel. Well, now with the advancement in digital technology and hardware, users can have a great experience in making the audio track of your choice; provided one has the knack and the passion for it.
The growing proliferation in music technology has only lead to the increase in the demand of sound editors and mixers who are responsible for giving that final touch to the music track that the composes wishes to showcases while ensuring that there are no unnecessary obstructions in the music track that could be the reason for the users not having a great experience while listening to the track.
The job of a music producer awaits you if you are one of those who would love to tinker about with sounds and discover the magical essence of music which binds generations together. We now have a number of software that has made our job to edit the audio files easier than ever before and has given us the liberty to experiment with various sounds at the comfort of our homes.
There has been a proliferation of such software in the market that has given normal people like me who might not really come from a sound musical background to actually experiment with many of the sounds present in the software and come up with our unique masterpieces.
What are audio editing software? Why is there a need to use them?
Audio editing software is coming to the foray in the market in recent times. It allows the users to perform a number of experiments as one starts from a journey from scratch to reach the cusp of composing a masterpiece as per the creative taste of the users.
Many of these software has proliferated at a rapid pace across the market and has rather play the role of bringing a revolution that has changed the face of music in recent times. It has given a huge boost to the electronic music segment while it has been instrumental in making the job of music production easier than ever before.
Passion knows no bounds, while once it was not really possible to produce audio tracks without an expensive studio set-up. Now, with audio editing software, you have the power in your hand to carve out tracks of your choice and gives one a great degree of creative liberty while working around and tinkering with an array of sounds that are available at the disposal of the users.
The need to use them arises from the fact that music production has been made really easy and convenient. It gives you that perfect platform actually to go forward and make an impression through the web which integrates your beautiful musical experience while working with the same.
All, you need is the passion raging in your blood to actually give it your best while you are working on the track. It gives the best output and also helps the users to enhance their creative ability in the long run and also allows one to showcase their works out to the world who would accept quality music with glee.
We have understood the need for audio editing software. Now, we would delve into details about some of the best audio editing software for Windows and Mac; which would give you a great experience and would be that perfect boost for the musical buds out there ready to make their mark.
Let us first look into some of the best audio editing software for Windows:
1. Adobe Audition
A product coming from the Adobe production has quality written all over it. It holds same for the Audition software that comes loaded with multiple features.
It allows you to perform multiple functions like multi-track editing and comes coupled with stability improvements that give the users a smooth and rich experience.
2. Audacity
Audacity is one of the most common audio editing software that is used by many of the users who are starting in the field of music production and comes with a simple interface.
It is one of the best free audio editing software that is perfect for everyone. It might not have the best of an interface, but it still remains as one of the most reliable platforms to work on.
3. Reaper
Reaper is one of the leading audio editing software that allows one to create professionally curated audio files, which can be done easily once you have a professional touch to the work that you do on the software.
It offers you a multi-channel stream for all your experiments and gives one the flexibility to twerk around the various audio files, as it gives one the best output. The professionalism that comes attached to the software makes it one of the best audio editing software for Windows.
4. FL Studio
FL Studio is one of the most professional looking software in the market. It comes with an array of features to work, FL Studio is one of those platforms that has been able to redefine EDM music and is used by many budding EDM artists around the world. Gives you ability to perform tasks using various plugins.
The platform also offers you some of the best sound mixers at your disposal that allows the users to use and experiment with various sound effects.
5. Ableton Live
A vintage name that would come to the lips of any of the music producers who love working around and tweaking with sounds and effects which gives the users a great sense of control while working with the same.
One of the best audio editing software that is available in the market. The vintage software has some of the best features to offer to you while creating your audio.
6. Cubase
Software that is coming from Steinberg, a pioneering name in the field of music. It comes with one of the neatest interfaces among many of the audio editing software that is in the market. It comes with some of the best features; of which some of them are quite unique.
With features starting from frequency equalizer to multiple streaming channels being offered to the users. The name of Steinberg attached to it makes it one of the best audio editing software.
Now, we would be turning our attention to look at some of the best audio editing software for Mac:
7. Logic Pro X
Logic Pro X is a complete virtual professional studio that you can access on mac. It comes with one of the best professional features that one can come across.
It would offer you immersive features and comes with a modern interface that allows you to do the work of editing the audio while at ease. The software with its professional set-up and the modern interface it has to offer; it is one of the best audio editing software available for the user.
8. Garage Band
Garage Band is one of the easiest software that is available at the disposal of the user and allows the users to dive into a feature-rich experience while keeping simplicity at the core of things.
Just like Garage is the spot where you mend your automobiles, the software allows you to go through a number of features while you come up with that perfect audio track. The simplicity that comes with the software makes it one of the best audio editing software.
9. DSP-Quattro
DSP-Quattro is one of the few master audio editing software that is available for use to the users. It offers you an array of options to work with and there is a touch of mastery attached to the output that comes out.
The software also supports a number of plug-ins that enhances your overall experience while you work around with the tools and features in the software. It is one of the software that is highly recommended and is one of the best audio editing software that fits the bill perfectly.
10. Macsome Audio editor
Macsome Audio Editor is specific software that works perfectly with Mac devices while giving the users the best of experience and ensuring that there are no hiccups while performing the requisite tasks.
It comes around one of the most stable software that has made its way out to the market to serve devices with Mac installed on it. It allows you to work around with multiple formats and also convert them if there is a need to do so.
11. AVS Audio Editor
AVS Audio Editor is one the simplest audio editing software that one can access and apply their trade and come up with some of the best audio outputs while going around the software and coming up with something new and interesting.
One of the leading software that is used by beginners to understand the various professional aspects of audio editing. The simplicity of the software makes it one of the best audio editing software.
12. NCH Wavepad
NCH Wavepad is a full-fledged professional software that allows you to work around with a number of effects and also allows the users to come up with a high-quality output while understanding the nuances associated with the same.
It has one of the most modern and sleek interfaces to offer to the users. It can be used for a number of file formats. It can be installed for free but it cannot be used for commercial purposes.
Wrapping it up!!
Audio editing is slowly emerging to be the next big thing in the market. We have more and more youngsters who are flocking towards being a music producer and add something new to the music industry and bring a new taste to the same.
Well, there was a need for a professional recording studio before to actually come up with something called as true professional audio. Now, we have audio editing software which allows the users to work with the intricacies of audio and come up with professional output. We looked at some of the best audio editing software for Windows and Mac that gives one a professional experience.