The reasons one may need a multitrack audio editing software are endless. The purpose of audio editing software is to provide you with the tools to generate new audio. Some software comes equipped with tools that others don’t, so picking which software is best for you can be an uphill battle for beginners or people not deep into the industry. Ensuring that the software can operate on your preferred platform is the first step while digging into the tools and features would be the next. The best audio editing software comes with cut, trim, paste, delete, and copy features as well as advanced tools such as background noise removers and pitch and speed change.
Top 6 best multitrack audio editing software
- Audacity – A free, open-source software with live audio recording
- Adobe Audition – multitrack audio editing software with nondestructive editing
- Ableton Live – Well-reviewed software great for musicians who like to create and record
- Pro Tool – A software with an easy-to-use UI and cloud collaboration
- Reaper – A high-value audio editing software with a fully customizable interface
- Apple Logic Pro – Well-reviewed audio editing software for Mac users
1. Audacity – A free open source software with live audio recording
PRICING:
- Available for free
Audacity is a well-known multitrack audio editing software that is free of cost and enjoyed by millions around the globe. The software is open source and has a team of devoted developers constantly making noticeable improvements. The software’s live audio recording feature, single-click editing features, easy installation, and low learning curve make this an industry leader when it comes to free audio editing software. Audacity is lightweight and operates on any platform. The software supports plugins for anything it may not be capable of.
KEY FEATURES:
- Live audio recording feature
- Real-time previews that show sound effects
- Unlimited undo command
- Single click button to change pitch and speed
- Features 16bit,24bit,32 bit capability
REASONS TO BUY:
- Open-source software
- Supports numerous plugins
- Easy installation and download
- Supports all operating systems
- Can be fully manipulated with a keyboard
REASONS TO AVOID:
- No app for IOS or android
- Lack of support team
- Limited mixing capabilities
- Several known and unknown bugs
2. Adobe audition – multitrack audio editing software with nondestructive editing
PRICING:
- Monthly – $31.49
- Annual paid monthly – $20.99
- Annual paid once – $239.88
Adobe Audition is a well-known, super reliable, multitrack editing software that offers a mixture of unique features that suit well for creating podcasts, editing audio within videos, creating sound effects, and more. Upon paying its steep monthly subscription fee, you’ll have access to drag and drop non-destructive editing that is very powerful once you’ve gotten the hang of it. With specialized tools for repairing and restoring audio and the ability to toggle between waveform editing and multitrack view editing this software is unique and in a class of its own. Audition comes with a strip silence feature that is great for editing interviews or podcasts.
KEY FEATURES:
- Nondestructive editing
- Toggle between waveform editing and multitrack view editing
- Drag and drop capabilities
- Strip silence feature that is great for editing interviews/podcast
- Specialized tool for repairing and restoring audio
- Useful visualization tools
REASONS TO BUY:
- Syncs with Adobe Creative Cloud
- Comes with professional sound effect design features
- Great for crafting podcasts, final videos, video game sound effects, etc.
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Lack of music composition tools
- Lack of pitch correction
- Lacks MIDI support
- Only available via expensive monthly subscription
3. Ableton Live – Well-reviewed software great for musicians who like to create and record
PRICING:
- Live 11 intro – $99
- Live 11 standard – $449
- Live 11 suite – $749
Ableton Live is a well-reviewed software that comes with live recording capabilities and many features to create your own music. This software would appeal to music makers in any genre, but specifically electronically made music due to its modern synths and other instruments included within the software. With linked track editing, a spectral resonator, and the ability to comp tracks this software comes jammed with tools to enhance your music-making abilities. While it is expensive, you can put their 90-day money-back guaranteed offer to the test to ensure you are happy with your purchase.
KEY FEATURES:
- Record live or create new music
- Ability to comp tracks
- PitchLoop89 – advanced pitch-shifting device
- Linked-track editing
- 6 playful instruments upon download
- Spectral resonator
REASONS TO BUY:
- Easy and quick to record and compile audio
- Runs on Windows and Mac
- The suite version comes packed with samples
- Unlimited audio tracks
REASONS TO AVOID:
- High cost for upper versions
- No pitch correction
4. Avid Pro Tool – A software with an easy-to-use UI and cloud collaboration
PRICING:
- Monthly – $39.99 per month
- 1 year paid monthly – $31.99 per month
- 1 year upfront – $299
Pro Tools by Avid is an affordable multitrack editing software with an easy-to-use UI and a well-reviewed cloud collaboration feature. Pro Tools has 64-bit audio recording and even has an entirely functional mixing engine. With non-destructive editing, users can ensure they’re able to use their creativity without ruining their audio files. Pro Tools support more than 23 plug-ins and while they can sometimes get expensive they are available and useful. Drag and drop features do help aid the user experience, but there is still said to be a general learning curve to the software. Different than Adobe Audition, The Pro Tools software does come with a MIDI sequencer.
KEY FEATURES:
- MIDI sequencer
- Cloud collaboration
- Nondestructive editing
- 64-bit recording
- Mixing engine
REASONS TO BUY:
- Easy to use UI
- More than 23 plugins
- Drag and drop features
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Only available on Mac
- The instrument package isn’t great
- Lug ins can get expensive
- Slight learning curve
5. Reaper – A high-value audio editing software with a fully customizable interface
PRICING:
- Discounted license – $60
- Commercial license – $225
Cockos by reaper is a powerful multitrack audio editing software that has built a name for itself in the industry ever since its launch as a small California-based company. The reaper software is quite powerful as it comes equipped with a full mixing engine, live audio recording, and unlimited audio tracks. With impressive customization options, this software is very flexible for software that is not open-source. Its lightweight memory footprint and low-cost start-up fee make this an appealing option for beginners or users who are on a budget.
KEY FEATURES:
- Unlimited audio tracks
- Notation editing
- Full mixing engine
- Live audio recording and virtual instrument recording
REASONS TO BUY:
- Ability to customize interface – menus, toolbars, macros, interface color scheme, and more
- Free and paid third-party plug-ins
- Lightweight memory footprint
- No need for an upgrade path, one-time purchase for the full software
REASONS TO AVOID:
- No built-in instruments or loops
- Unappealing interface
6. Apple Logic Pro – Well-reviewed audio editing software for Mac users
PRICING:
- $199 one-time fee
Apple Logic Pro is Apple’s premier multitrack audio editing software. New users can download for a valuable price of $199 while users who have older versions can enjoy the newest versions for free. The upgrade path from Apple’s free GarageBand software is seamless as the UI is quite similar and files from GarageBand can be easily imported into Logic Pro. With useful bundled instruments, audio effects, and thousands of loops to choose from this software comes packed with professional audio editing tools. Its spacial audio support is one of its new standout features while users also enjoy its live loops feature.
KEY FEATURES:
- 22 bundled instruments with 58 bundled audio effects
- Unlimited audio tracks
- Pitch correction
- Notation editing and a mixer view
- Spacial audio support with Dolby Atmos
- Live Loops view
- Mixing engine
REASONS TO BUY:
- No copy protection
- Flex editing and smart tempo features are helpful
- 50 different built-in plugins
- User-friendly interface
- 20,000+ loops in the sound library
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Available only for Mac users
- It uses a lot of RAM
References and Links
- https://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/best-audio-editing-software/
- https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-audio-editing-software
- https://www.guru99.com/best-audio-editor-software.
- https://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/audacity/