Audio recording software is a necessary thing when it comes to audio recording and related tasks. Whether it is for the basic sound recording needs or professional audio production, these software tools will help you in the process. They will not only help you to record audio but will also let you create professional outputs by letting you edit them as per your needs. But as the audio recording is our primary intention, we are now concentrating on the 12 best audio recording software.
12 Best Software to Record Audio
Most of the below-listed items are free recording software so that you don't have to worry about the money. However, it may include some paid applications as well because the quality of the service is also a factor that we considered during the sorting process. If you are not planning to buy a premium audio recording tool, you may skip the paid tools. Below is the best audio recording software.
Record stream audio (such as music)online. Record other system audio from your PC sound card. Record both in and out voice and mix it to be a song. Best Recording Software for PC: With the right setting window interface, we can know the features of this recording software easily. You can change the audio source at pleasure. We look at 3 best free audio recording software for windows 10. If you're looking for free audio editing software for windows 10 and free audio recording sof.
1. Audacity
Audacity is a free open source digital audio editor and recording software developed by The Audacity Team. The software was first introduced on May 28, 2000, which makes it 17 years old as of now. Audacity lets you record audio from multiple input devices such as an external microphone, a built-in microphone, or even the PC streaming. The high-quality sound clips will be added to the interface allowing you to edit them further. You can control many audio features such as amplification, noise reduction, silence removal, etc. Smultron 10 1 1 download free.
The software is available for Windows, OS X, Linux, and other operating systems and supports almost all popular audio formats including such as MP3, WAV, FLAC, and OGG. So, if you are searching for the best audio recorder, Audacity is the answer.
2. MixCraft
MixCraft is nothing less than a fast, reliable, and efficient audio recording tool. MixCraft is developed by the Acoustica team well known for its software contributions. Powered by a lightning-fast sound engine, it is a complete audio production suite. Unlike Audacity, you have to pay a few dollars to enjoy the complete benefit of the software. However, a free trial version is provided by the company. Mixcraft is available for all the Windows versions and supports almost all of the popular formats.
3. Presonus Studio One Free
Free dvd compression software. Presonus Studio One is a professional audio editing software which also allows recording it. Available for both Windows and Mac versions, this software is a dream of any DAW user. It contains a bunch of professional functions all are helpful for producing high-quality music content. If you are not satisfied with the free features of the Presonus Studio One, you could go for the premium version where tons of new features added.
4. Sonar
Sonar provides the most advanced audio editing environment among the software on this list. Mojave 2009 macbook pro. It supports some extra audio formats such as WAV, ASF, WMA, and AIFF. It is available for all Windows versions including Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP. Sonar The software consists of numerous functions like mixers and MIDI keyboards which are all helpful to product stunning audio outputs. In addition, virtual machines like samplers, drum machines, and synthesizers are also there in the software.
5. Reaper
Reaper is a lightweight audio editing application with a simple interface and comparatively professional functions. The clean interface is the most attractive feature of this sound tool. You could control the audio features like the stereo, surround sound, as well as the effects like pitch shift, cross-fade, and snap to grid. Reaper is available for both Mac and PC systems and supports audio formats including FLAC, MOV, W64, AIFF in addition to the usual formats.
6. Muse
Muse is an audio sequencer and recorder software dedicated to the Linux OS. If you are a Linux user, you should consider Muse above any of the above applications. You can record from the input sources in both stereo/mono modes. It also supports real-time audio recording. It is a free audio recorder and has no premium versions to upgrade. So, it is very likely for Linux users.
7. Ocenaudio
Ocenaudio is a good audio editing software with a good number of useful features. Being a fast audio editor, the software performs quite nicely in the recording part as well. The software offers numerous audio effects like 31 band equalizer, flanger, chorus, multiple filters, etc. It is one of the most popular audio editing tool for PC, Linux, Ubuntu, and Mac operating systems. Ocenaudio is completely free to use and supports the formats including MP3, WAV, and AIFF.
8. AudioDope
AudioDope is yet another tool that allows editing music files or other audio files. With minimal features, the software is still helpful for both basic audio editing needs and advanced needs. It contains a full audio waveform analysis to improve the quality of the recorder audio file. It features numerous audio filters and effects like high/low pass filters, normalization, pitch scale, chorus, and reverb. AudioDope is currently available for PC and completely free to use. The software also supports extending the features using the VST plug-ins like compressors and phrases. It is a must-try.
9. Wavosaur
Free Computer Music Recording Software Reviews
Wavosaur is another free audio editor in this list for editing, processing, and recording sounds. The best thing that we attracted to this tool is its small file size. The software is only about 1.5MB in size and allows editing huge audio files. The lightweight interface is a sweetening factor of this tool that never failed to provide extreme performance on the editing and recording process. It has no price and is available for all Windows versions.
10. Ardour
Ardour is an open-source DAW available for the Mac and Linux operating systems. It has the most useful multi-track recording feature alongside many other useful functionalities. Some cons of the software include the lack of built-in effects and filters and the unavailability of the Windows version. If you are ready to adjust to these issues, Ardour also is a good software to record audio.
11. NCH Music Recording Software
NCH is a very old program that allows different operations related to recording music, mixing audio, editing music, etc. It is available for both Windows and Mac platforms with professional functions packed inside. If you are not a fan of any of the above-listed programs, the NCH music recorder is a good choice. A free trial version is available in case you want to give it a try before paying some of your hard-earned money on it. So, don't hesitate to try NCH.
12. Rosegarden
Rosegarden is another music editor and recorder software which is specially developed for the Linux users. So if you are a proud Linux OS user, you should try this recording software for Linux. The powerful recording system on this tool is capable of capturing crystal clear sound. After finishing the recording, you will be able to edit the recordings as per your requirements. It is a must-try for the Linux users.
Which one is your favorite audio recording software?
Which audio recorder software will you choose for your audio editing needs? Would you go for free software or a premium one? Let us know your thoughts. Also, don't forget to recommend any other tools which we missed to include in this top audio recording software list.
If you're a serious musician, podcaster, or budding audio engineer, you care about the quality of your recordings–or you should. And that's why the audio recording programs you use matter.
However, I'd like to add that it's not the software that makes the music. It's your skills as an audio engineer.
To illustrate, I'd like to tell you a story of an interesting email thread a while back. This guy was looking for a home studio, and he was asking around for where to go.
An acquaintance of mine chimed in with his answer, with some details about studios and such but there was one comment that infuriated me:
'You might want to have someone who's recording onto protools. (sic)'
Ugh…
Now, I know that not all musicians are engineers so I should let that slide. And this person is a great musician, but he's a little off in what makes up a great studio.
The thing that bothers me is that software companies are so good at brainwashing the public into believing that their software is crucial to the makings of a good record.
It REALLY isn't.
It doesn't matter whether you use Pro-Tools, Nuendo, Cubase, Sonar Producer, Logic Pro, Digital Performer, GarageBand, Live, or any of the other software that's for sale out there.
It's the least important thing in the grand scheme of:
'hey I want to know how to record my songs or have someone do it for me….what should I buy first?'
The software isn't going to tell you what sounds good. How to update macbook ios. It's not a robot that knows how to engineer a great guitar sound. It can't tell you if you're overcompressing your drums or flooding your vocals with reverb. This is something that the engineer needs to know. This is the skill of the engineer, regardless of what software he's using.
Pro-Tools is not going to make your music sound any better.
Ask yourself:
If you install [insert preferred software here] onto your computer, is it going to make the acoustics in your room any better?
No.
Is it going to make the sound of your pre-amps any better?
No.
Will it walk out of the computer, look at your monitors and say, 'Gee, maybe you should space those monitors a little further apart for better imaging.'
No, it's not some mega nerdy Cylon engineer.
It'll just do what you tell it to do. And if you feed it garbage it will give you trash.
Skills Make Sounds – Not Software
Free Computer Music Recording Software Download For Chromebook
So think more about what skills you need to record a great sound than the software that 'they' tell you that you desperately need to get.
Yes, you need software. But any software is great if you, or the engineer you hire, is excellent at using it. I use Logic. Do I recommend Logic to everybody. Not really.
My philosophy is that any software that you're comfortable using is the best software for your situation. The skills and knowledge of engineering are infinitely more important than any audio recording software that's out there.
Now that we've got that rant out of the way let's talk about what software solutions you have available, both free and paid.
A quick search on Amazon will show you a lot of different options that will give you decision anxiety, so we've compiled a list for you to reduce your hyperventilating so that you can go back to what you set out to do before, make music.
71 Free Shortcuts to Easy Separation and Balance in Your Mixes
If you've been struggling to hear all the instruments in a mix, my EQ cheatsheet will help you out.
- Learn to clean up your low-end, reduce bleed in your drums and eliminate annoying resonant frequencies from your recordings.
- Get rid of muddiness in your low-mids, tame the harshness in your mix, and get rid of your boxy sounding drums.
- Learn where to add presence to your vocals, brilliance to your acoustic guitars, thickness to your keyboards or weight to your bass. These tips are broken down by instrument and help you fix your frequency problems with simple solutions that you can use right away.
Top 5 Free Audio Recording Programs
Most run-of-the-mill, audio recording apps that come pre-installed on your computer just won't cut it (with the possible exception of GarageBand for Macs, a reasonably high-quality recorder for simple projects), and you also may not be willing or able to spend an arm and a leg for professional grade software.
However, you're in luck. There are some great free tools that actually don't suck and can produce the kind of quality recording that will make anybody who listens to your works of art — or wit if you're a podcaster — it up and take note of what you have to offer.
Here are some of the very best, completely free recording tools that will help bring your sounds to life.
6. Muse
Muse is an audio sequencer and recorder software dedicated to the Linux OS. If you are a Linux user, you should consider Muse above any of the above applications. You can record from the input sources in both stereo/mono modes. It also supports real-time audio recording. It is a free audio recorder and has no premium versions to upgrade. So, it is very likely for Linux users.
7. Ocenaudio
Ocenaudio is a good audio editing software with a good number of useful features. Being a fast audio editor, the software performs quite nicely in the recording part as well. The software offers numerous audio effects like 31 band equalizer, flanger, chorus, multiple filters, etc. It is one of the most popular audio editing tool for PC, Linux, Ubuntu, and Mac operating systems. Ocenaudio is completely free to use and supports the formats including MP3, WAV, and AIFF.
8. AudioDope
AudioDope is yet another tool that allows editing music files or other audio files. With minimal features, the software is still helpful for both basic audio editing needs and advanced needs. It contains a full audio waveform analysis to improve the quality of the recorder audio file. It features numerous audio filters and effects like high/low pass filters, normalization, pitch scale, chorus, and reverb. AudioDope is currently available for PC and completely free to use. The software also supports extending the features using the VST plug-ins like compressors and phrases. It is a must-try.
9. Wavosaur
Free Computer Music Recording Software Reviews
Wavosaur is another free audio editor in this list for editing, processing, and recording sounds. The best thing that we attracted to this tool is its small file size. The software is only about 1.5MB in size and allows editing huge audio files. The lightweight interface is a sweetening factor of this tool that never failed to provide extreme performance on the editing and recording process. It has no price and is available for all Windows versions.
10. Ardour
Ardour is an open-source DAW available for the Mac and Linux operating systems. It has the most useful multi-track recording feature alongside many other useful functionalities. Some cons of the software include the lack of built-in effects and filters and the unavailability of the Windows version. If you are ready to adjust to these issues, Ardour also is a good software to record audio.
11. NCH Music Recording Software
NCH is a very old program that allows different operations related to recording music, mixing audio, editing music, etc. It is available for both Windows and Mac platforms with professional functions packed inside. If you are not a fan of any of the above-listed programs, the NCH music recorder is a good choice. A free trial version is available in case you want to give it a try before paying some of your hard-earned money on it. So, don't hesitate to try NCH.
12. Rosegarden
Rosegarden is another music editor and recorder software which is specially developed for the Linux users. So if you are a proud Linux OS user, you should try this recording software for Linux. The powerful recording system on this tool is capable of capturing crystal clear sound. After finishing the recording, you will be able to edit the recordings as per your requirements. It is a must-try for the Linux users.
Which one is your favorite audio recording software?
Which audio recorder software will you choose for your audio editing needs? Would you go for free software or a premium one? Let us know your thoughts. Also, don't forget to recommend any other tools which we missed to include in this top audio recording software list.
If you're a serious musician, podcaster, or budding audio engineer, you care about the quality of your recordings–or you should. And that's why the audio recording programs you use matter.
However, I'd like to add that it's not the software that makes the music. It's your skills as an audio engineer.
To illustrate, I'd like to tell you a story of an interesting email thread a while back. This guy was looking for a home studio, and he was asking around for where to go.
An acquaintance of mine chimed in with his answer, with some details about studios and such but there was one comment that infuriated me:
'You might want to have someone who's recording onto protools. (sic)'
Ugh…
Now, I know that not all musicians are engineers so I should let that slide. And this person is a great musician, but he's a little off in what makes up a great studio.
The thing that bothers me is that software companies are so good at brainwashing the public into believing that their software is crucial to the makings of a good record.
It REALLY isn't.
It doesn't matter whether you use Pro-Tools, Nuendo, Cubase, Sonar Producer, Logic Pro, Digital Performer, GarageBand, Live, or any of the other software that's for sale out there.
It's the least important thing in the grand scheme of:
'hey I want to know how to record my songs or have someone do it for me….what should I buy first?'
The software isn't going to tell you what sounds good. How to update macbook ios. It's not a robot that knows how to engineer a great guitar sound. It can't tell you if you're overcompressing your drums or flooding your vocals with reverb. This is something that the engineer needs to know. This is the skill of the engineer, regardless of what software he's using.
Pro-Tools is not going to make your music sound any better.
Ask yourself:
If you install [insert preferred software here] onto your computer, is it going to make the acoustics in your room any better?
No.
Is it going to make the sound of your pre-amps any better?
No.
Will it walk out of the computer, look at your monitors and say, 'Gee, maybe you should space those monitors a little further apart for better imaging.'
No, it's not some mega nerdy Cylon engineer.
It'll just do what you tell it to do. And if you feed it garbage it will give you trash.
Skills Make Sounds – Not Software
Free Computer Music Recording Software Download For Chromebook
So think more about what skills you need to record a great sound than the software that 'they' tell you that you desperately need to get.
Yes, you need software. But any software is great if you, or the engineer you hire, is excellent at using it. I use Logic. Do I recommend Logic to everybody. Not really.
My philosophy is that any software that you're comfortable using is the best software for your situation. The skills and knowledge of engineering are infinitely more important than any audio recording software that's out there.
Now that we've got that rant out of the way let's talk about what software solutions you have available, both free and paid.
A quick search on Amazon will show you a lot of different options that will give you decision anxiety, so we've compiled a list for you to reduce your hyperventilating so that you can go back to what you set out to do before, make music.
71 Free Shortcuts to Easy Separation and Balance in Your Mixes
If you've been struggling to hear all the instruments in a mix, my EQ cheatsheet will help you out.
- Learn to clean up your low-end, reduce bleed in your drums and eliminate annoying resonant frequencies from your recordings.
- Get rid of muddiness in your low-mids, tame the harshness in your mix, and get rid of your boxy sounding drums.
- Learn where to add presence to your vocals, brilliance to your acoustic guitars, thickness to your keyboards or weight to your bass. These tips are broken down by instrument and help you fix your frequency problems with simple solutions that you can use right away.
Top 5 Free Audio Recording Programs
Most run-of-the-mill, audio recording apps that come pre-installed on your computer just won't cut it (with the possible exception of GarageBand for Macs, a reasonably high-quality recorder for simple projects), and you also may not be willing or able to spend an arm and a leg for professional grade software.
However, you're in luck. There are some great free tools that actually don't suck and can produce the kind of quality recording that will make anybody who listens to your works of art — or wit if you're a podcaster — it up and take note of what you have to offer.
Here are some of the very best, completely free recording tools that will help bring your sounds to life.
1. Audacity
Available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux
Audacity is the go-to open-source audio recording application, and as long as your goals aren't overly ambitious, it puts an enormous amount of power in your hands. It can record just about anything you throw at it, whether it's from a microphone, through the line-in jack, or live streaming audio (if supported by your sound card), all in a lightweight and clean interface. Many recording enthusiasts, especially podcasters, appreciate Audacity's uncomplicated user experience and ease of use.
Audacity supports recording in sample rates from 44.1 to an excessive 192 kHz, which sets the stage for studio-caliber and even ultrasonic recordings if you have the hardware to handle it. Also included is support for 32-bit floating point, providing ample headroom for your recorded signal.
It comes with effects such as an equalizer with helpful presets, pitch, speed and tempo controls, delay, reverb, compressor, fade in/out, and a noise remover. You can expand this palette thanks to Audacity's generous support of VST, LADSPA, Nyquist and Audio Unit plugins.
Audacity's strength is its simplicity. While you can make it do multi-track recording if you're so inclined, it will never gain centerpiece status in a true recording studio. However, it is beginner-friendly, easy to use for quick edits you need to make on the fly (whether that means filtering out unwanted noise, boosting vocals or other frequencies through equalization, or just cutting and pasting), and extremely well-suited for hobbyist and podcast recording applications.
2. Garageband
Available for Mac OS only
Garageband comes free with any Mac computer and is pretty legit for most recording needs.
Although it can't do major processing like its big brother Logic, it's more than able to do any multi-track recording and minor mixing work.
Highly recommend for the bedroom recordist that's just starting out and needs a simple solution to lay down some demos.
3. Traverso
Available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux
Traverso, another fully featured DAW that's sure to meet common recording needs, is all about convenience.
This program eschews a traditional 'menu' structure in favor of innovative keyboard and mouse shortcuts, which brings a crisp immediacy to recording tasks. There's no doubt about it–there will be a bit of a learning curve–but the developers claim to have integrated input and execution so seamlessly that you practically learn how to do things as you go along. Furthermore, users have an array of options that make recording demo CDs a snap. You can create tables of contents and burn discs without ever leaving Traverso.
Other features that dovetail nicely with the 'stay out of the way' philosophy behind Traverso include non-destructive editing, or the ability to use plugins and make edits without changing the actual sample, and lockless real-time audio processing, which reduces latency and streamlines performance. Traverso's commitment to intuitive recording and mastering controls makes the program stand out among its similarly free counterparts.
4. Ardour DAW
Available for Mac OS and Linux
Ardour is yet another great free DAW: one that is taking aim at cream-of-the-crop professional software and is promising for real studios with low budgets.
It features non-destructive editing, 32-bit float, supports unlimited tracks, and has extremely flexible routing capabilities. With support for LADSPA, LV2, and VST plugins, you'll be able to make your favorite customizations without a hassle. Synchronization with video is supported, and full handling of MIDI recording, playback and editing are expected with the highly-anticipated release of the third edition of Ardour.
The thing that sets Ardour apart from the rest of the pack is what's under the hood. It runs on JACK, an underlying sound server that facilitates low-latency audio recording and communication among various programs. Although Ardour itself only runs on Mac OS and Linux at present, a Windows port has been conceptualized, and efforts towards building one are in full swing as of June 2012, and JACK is already a true cross-platform utility that runs on the aforementioned systems as well as Windows. JACK is excellent at handling MIDI so that Ardour will take full advantage of that upon the release of the third edition.
Ardour is complex and certainly not for newbies. Some have complained about the potentially confusing graphical user interface (GUI), which is quite inaccessible to someone who's never seen or seriously worked with a DAW before. But if you're an audio engineer of any level of experience and strapped for cash, you may find that Ardour fits the bill for your projects quite nicely.
5. Jokosher
Available for Windows and Linux
Jokosher is billed as the 'musician's DAW' and the Linux alternative to GarageBand, the standard, pre-installed, easy-to-use workstation for Macs. Here, you won't find advanced editing and mastering tools by the names that most engineers know: it's a program that speaks in a music maker's language.
While not as heavyweight as its counterparts, Jokosher takes a lot of the guesswork out of the recording process for people who are new to it. All of the basic, expected editing tools are at the user's disposal. Startup is fast, easy and straightforward. Tracks are called 'instruments,' and you can set them up based on the type of instrument you intend to record. If it's an acoustic guitar for example, simply select 'Acoustic Guitar,' and the track will be clearly labeled as such with a cute picture to boot, providing an excellent visual layout of instruments used in the mix.
Jokosher supports LADSPA plugins only, and as of June 2012 it's still in its early development stages. But for musicians and podcasters who want to record simple products and get a first taste of manipulating tracks in a DAW, this simple program is hard to beat.
Alternative to Pro-Tools That Won't Break the Bank
Most of the big pro studios are using Avid Pro Tools to make all the records going to the radio these days, but it's slowly losing its status as an industry standard due to the quality of its competitors. There are plenty of lower-cost DAWs and a wealth of free and inexpensive plug-ins that bring professional studio sound right to your computer.
Even though Pro Tools is the premier name in the industry, there is really no special voodoo under the hood. It is simply a graphical user interface that lets you move some bits (and thus sounds) around inside your computer. There is no difference in the way Pro Tools sounds and the way any of its competitors sound, period.
So you can comfortably make a foray into saving money by purchasing one of the many alternatives to Pro Tools –none of which will cause even your fans to hear a difference.
1. Steinberg Cubase
Music Recording Studio App Free
There is the perennially popular Steinberg Cubase, which is perhaps the granddaddy of them all so to speak. The German-engineered application is perhaps the Mercedes-Benz of DAWs, offering pioneering technology and reliable performance.
And if you need a guide to Cubase, my buddy Chris Selim over at Mixdown Online has just the training you need. (affiliate link)
2. Logic Pro X
Apple has two DAWs in its stable: Garageband, a veritable staple discussed before, and Logic Pro. In both cases, the quality of these programs is very high and both will work with a wide assortment of audio hardware.
3. Cockos Reaper
Perhaps the best-kept secret in the world of DAWs is Reaper. Reaper is a heads-on contender for any other DAW on the list, including Pro Tools. The best part is that Reaper is not only among the best, it is also one of the least expensive, coming in at only $60 for the discounted license. All the features are there: real-time recording and editing, unlimited track count, VST and DX plug-in support, and more.
4. Studio One
Presonus's Studio One is a great option as well. It contains everything you need to produce music and seems very intuitive and easy to use.
In fact, it's probably the only DAW that might make me switch from Logic. A lot of my producer and engineer friends use it, and they swear by it, citing its ease of use, sound quality, and simplicity with production.
There is nothing wrong with using Pro Tools, of course. But if you can't afford to shell out the big dollars for the industry's biggest name, you still get the great results with the above applications.
Audio Recording Programs for Any Situation
All of the above are solid apps with unique feature sets and strengths, dedicated fan bases, and active support and development teams. The free DAWs don't have the advanced functionality of much more expensive, industry-standard solutions, but depending on your needs I'm sure you'll find something that works for you.
Try them out and decide which combination of user experience and specific features works best for you.
Happy recording!
Parts of this post were contributed by Daniel Kimbrel and Jessica Josh. If you would like to submit a guest post, check out the guidelines here.
Daniel is a movie buff and freelance writer. He contributes to a number of music sites online. Jessica Josh is an Australian freelance writer and blogger. Since 2007 she has been writing about weddings, fashion, and music.
Image by: Shawn Econo
