Having high quality audio is a crucial part of video creation, music production, podcast recording and more. Your intended audience is more likely to turn your audio off if it’s not pleasing to listen to, they can’t hear it or if it’s too loud. Finding the right software to use for your specific project is the next step, as they are not all created equal. In the article below we are focusing on the best audio editing software for windows applications. We have highlighted the pros and cons of each so you have the information you’ll need to make an informed decision.
The top 8 best audio editing softwares for windows
- Audacity – Best audio editing software overall
- Adobe Audition – Best audio editing software for live music
- Hindenburg Journalist Pro – Best audio editing software for podcasts
- Ableton Live – Best audio editing software for music production
- ProTools – Best audio editing software for professionals
- OcenAudio – Best audio editing software for beginners
- AudioTool – Best audio editing software for cloud-based music production
- Acoustica – Best audio editing software for free for professionals
1. Audacity – Best audio editing software overall
PRICING: Free, open-source
Audacity is free in multiple senses of the word. Free to download and use, yes, but also free in the sense that the coding is available for anyone and everyone to use, study, improve upon and share.
KEY FEATURES
- Record live audio
- Convert tapes and records into digital files
- Cut, copy and mix sounds together
- Write your own plug-in effects with Nyquist
REASONS TO BUY
- Very user-friendly interface
- Since it is an open-source software, it is always improving and updates roll-out frequently
REASONS TO AVOID
- Not the number one choice for recording music, as it cannot record more than two tracks.
- Noise separation isn’t a strong point for this software
2. Adobe Audition – Best audio editing software for live music
PRICING: $20.99/month on it’s own or part of the creative Cloud membership at $54.99/month
Adobe Audition is designed with efficiency and quality in mind. This software’s main goals are to have you remixing, cutting and recording audio in no time, without sacrificing the quality of the audio itself. is a comprehensive audio workstation that allows students, teachers, and businesses to create, mix, edit,and restore audio clips. Available separately or as part of Adobe Creative Cloud, the tool includes audio editing tools designed to enhance music, podcasts, and other projects
KEY FEATURES
- Free sound effects
- Record Podcasts
- Noise reduction
- Audio mixing & mastering
REASONS TO BUY
- Great for everyone, beginner or industry professional
- Sound quality you get as the end result is very high, professional industry standard
REASONS TO AVOID
- Price point is a little steep, especially if you don’t use the rest of the creative cloud apps
- Learning the software can seem intimidating for beginners at first, there are many tools and it can seem overwhelming on first glance
3. Hindenburg Journalist Pro – Best audio editing software for podcasts
PRICING: $399 total to buy, $10/month when billed annually as part of a subscription.
Hindenburg is designed to have all the tools you’ll need for broadcasting, podcasting and more, without the cumbersome workings of other software.
KEY FEATURES
- Correct mistakes in audio on the fly
- Import any audio file, including video clips with audio
- Option to use built-in effects or import your favorites
REASONS TO BUY
- Auto-leveling tool helps create a balance in your audio automatically
- Ability to remotely record audio
REASONS TO AVOID
- Steep learning curve, best for intermediate to advanced users
- Not the best software for music production
4. Ableton Live – Best audio editing software for music production
PRICING: $99 to purchase software, upgrades to plans go up to $749
Ableton Live is a great choice for professionals in the music scene. Whether you’re a DJ, budding artist or music producer, this software has all the tools you need to take your audio to the next level.
KEY FEATURES
- 16 audio and MIDI tracks
- Excellent choice of sound effects available
REASONS TO BUY
- Option to record live music, or mix and master your own in the software
- Able to work with multiple tracks at one time
REASONS TO AVOID
- Expensive
- Expert level software
5. ProTools – Best audio editing software for professionals
PRICING: Plans start at $9.99/month and go up to $99.99/month
ProTools is designed for the professionals, filmmaking, studio album producing and more. Not to say that beginner to intermediate users can’t dabble in this software though, as they have two versions, ProTools Artist and ProTools studio for those starting out.
KEY FEATURES
- Great selection of plug-ins
- Ability to share and collaborate with others in the software thanks to their cloud-hosting
REASONS TO BUY
- Excellent selection of editing, mixing and mastering features
- Easy to use MIDI tools
REASONS TO AVOID
- Learning curve
- Cheapest plan option may not have everything you need, making you upgrade
6. OcenAudio – Best audio editing software for beginners
PRICING: Free to download
OcenAudio is a top contender as far as easy-to-use audio editing software goes. This software gives you the tools you need, the speed you want and all for free.
KEY FEATURES
- Opening and saving files will run in the background of the software, allowing you to work on other projects
- Real-time preview of added effects
REASONS TO BUY
- Full spectrogram tool available
- Easy to use
- Multi-selection tool to select multiple parts of different audios to edit together
REASONS TO AVOID
- No auto-save option currently
- Not as many effects as other larger software
7. AudioTool – Best audio editing software for cloud-based music production
PRICING: Free
AudioTool is a web based software, which means you can have the freedom to work on your projects from anywhere at any time. Search audio samples, collaborate with your team, save your favorite presets and more with this free audio editing software. Best suited for freelancers, and small to medium sized businesses.
KEY FEATURES
- Ever-growing library of samples since the software is cloud-based
- Live collaboration, get feedback and work in real-time together
REASONS TO BUY
- Synthesizers included – Heisenberg, Pulverisateur and Space
- Excellent library of helpful tools, downloads, etc. from other users and the software creators as well
REASONS TO AVOID
- Doesn’t have as many tools as an industry standard, professional software
- On-demand recording not available
8. Acoustica Premium – Best audio editing software for free for professionals
PRICING: Free trial to download for 30 days, standard version $59.90, newest version (premium) is $199.90 to download. Options to download older versions, then upgrade over time with smaller price increments.
Acoustica is a professional software that packs a punch with its tool and feature offerings, without the price tag like other software. You’ll be able to create high quality audio, add in plug-ins, and there is a generous time window for you to try out the standard version which costs very little in comparison to the features it holds, before deciding to upgrade or not to the newer version available.
KEY FEATURES
- Automatic noise reduction from dialogue feature available
- Streamlined UI
REASONS TO BUY
- New caption editor tool is now available, making it easier to create and edit captions
- Optional to install plug-ins, available both free and to import your own
REASONS TO AVOID
- Cannot multi-track mix
- Website for the software is a bit hard to navigate
References and Links
- https://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-audio-editor
- https://www.investopedia.com/best-audio-editing-software-5191187
- https://www.audacityteam.org
- https://www.adobe.com/products/audition.html
- https://hindenburg.com
- https://www.ableton.com
- https://www.avid.com/pro-tools
- https://www.ocenaudio.com
- https://www.audiotool.com
- https://acondigital.com/products/acoustica-audio-editor/