The 7 best Audacity alternatives -

Audacity is the audio editor of choice for many people, and for good reason: it's simple, free, and still reasonably powerful. But with the recent privacy controversy weakening trust in new owners, now is the time to consider alternatives. Fortunately, there are plenty of excellent ones that have rivaled Audacity for years.

But first, let's talk about what won't be included in this list: Audactiy forks. Audacity is open-source, which means that its source code is public and modifiable, directly opening the doors of the forks. A fork is software built from the source code of an open source program. Usually these still share a lot of similarities with the original program but introduce a lot of new stuff.

The reason they won't be covered here, however, is that they are often not as reliable as dedicated software. Forks are typically owned and maintained by the original program's community members, and because of this, can last for long periods of time without updates. Taking a look at one of Audacity's most promising forks, Tenacity, you'll see that the maintainer of the project recently had to step down, which will certainly slow development for a while. Uncertainty like this plagues most forks, which is why they won't be covered here.

What to look for in an alternative to Audacity

Chances are, if you're reading this, Audacity will be your primary tool for anything audio-related, which can make its replacement difficult. But there are plenty of great Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) out there, so here are the items we looked for when reviewing the entries for this list.

• Features: Although Audacity is used across the industry, the ways in which it is used vary a lot. From podcast recording to music creation, people have found plenty of ways to push the relatively limited functionality of Audacity to the limit. For this reason, we've researched a variety of software today, ranging from simple, easy-to-learn audio editors to industry-standard workstations. While the basics like recording audio, multitrack support, splicing and rearranging clips, and applying effects are present in every program here, some go much deeper. If you've hit Audacity's limits, we've got some fantastic audio editing powerhouses here that will expand the scope of your work.
• Open-source: This means that the source code of a program is public and easily modifiable by anyone with the know-how. While this might not seem like much to an average user, being open source makes it much easier for people to create third-party add-ons to a program that can add new functionality. As we talked about earlier, Audacity is open-source, but there aren't many other options that share this characteristic. We've only included one in this article, Ardor, so if it's a high priority for you, you know where to look first.
• Price: Being free is a big selling point for Audacity, so naturally you're probably looking for something free to replace that as well. Fortunately, there are several great editors available for free that we'll cover today. Nonetheless, we've also included a few paid programs if you want to dive into some of the more professional options.
• Platforms: Audacity is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, so to make sure we don't leave anyone behind, most of the programs here support all three platforms as well. The only exceptions to this rule are Adobe Audition which is only available on macOS and Windows, and Apple's software exclusive to macOS.

Easy to use: Ocenaudio (Windows / macOS / Linux)

While some people use Audacity for all of their audio editing, many use it sparingly for simple audio projects. If you're not making music or fine-tuning your vocals to that perfect pitch, you probably just need something to record your audio and then do some simple editing. So if that describes your time with Audacity, then Ocenaudio is what you'll want to get started with - it focuses on simplicity and ease of use above all else. While the user interface looks dated, it's extremely easy to navigate, which means your transition from Audacity to Ocenaudio shouldn't take too long.

But while simplicity is the focus, that doesn't mean Ocenaudio lacks features. You can still apply effects, fine-tune EQ and gain (with realtime preview, so you know what the audio will look like before you make any changes), and use the multitrack design for mixing. There are certainly limits compared to more advanced editors, but if you rarely dive into Audacity's more complex tools, you probably won't notice the limits here.

Ocenaudio is also completely free, so there's no risk in trying it out.

For Mac users: GarageBand (macOS)

When it comes to Apple hardware, Apple software tends to be the best match, and GarageBand is a prime example. While it is primarily designed for entry-level music production, it also works for editing podcasts and voiceovers. You can mix up to 255 audio tracks at a time, record music from digital instruments, and fine tune it all using GarageBand's simple user interface. It can even be used to learn instruments, with entire lessons designed to help you play piano and guitar.

While the emphasis is certainly on music production, the standard editing tools and effects are also present, so GarageBand remains a fairly versatile program. This is a great option if you use Apple devices but still want something free.

Open Source: Ardor (Windows / macOS / Linux)

Ardor is the only open source program, which means it's free and easy to edit, but it's packed with features for all kinds of audio editing. There are an unlimited number of tracks, dozens of supported file formats, and extremely detailed effects and mixing tools to get that perfect sound. Ardor prides itself on adding features its users want and need, creating a great DAW whether you're dealing with voiceovers, vocals, or instruments.

It's further into the professional scene than what's been covered so far, so it'll be intimidating if you're not experienced with a full DAW. There are a lot of knobs, dials, and sliders to play around with, but you can only focus on the simpler tools if they are what you're doing. Whether you push it to its limits or not, Ardor is a real powerhouse in this scene.

The complete package: DaVinci Resolve 17 (Windows / macOS / Linux)

First of all, let's be clear: DaVinci Resolve is first and foremost a video editing program, and a very good program. However, DaVinci Resolve is proud to include everything you need to create a video, including standard video editing, color grading, special effects, and, right now, audio editing. There is an entire DAW hidden in Resolve called Fairlight, and besides a few solid features, it has a clean and simple user interface.

There are special audio effects, you can quickly edit the equalizer and gain, there are many tools to clean up the sound, and you can use over 700 tracks at a time. Although these tools are designed for video production, you can use Resolve only for audio editing. If you are also working with video, then it is extremely useful to be able to quickly switch from video editing to audio editing.

DaVinci Resolve 17 is completely free which is an incredible deal considering the features it offers. Whether you want a clean-designed DAW or you're a video editor with advanced audio needs, Resolve has you covered.

Powerful and Affordable: Reaper (Windows / macOS / Linux)

It's the first paid program we'll talk about, but Reaper always keeps things reasonably priced, especially considering what he's bringing to the table. Reaper is a complete audio production tool for music, vocals, voiceovers, and other audio related projects. It is designed to be as fast and efficient as possible, both in terms of performance and user interface design, with plenty of effects to modify your recordings. It supports over 200 tracks, digital instruments, and physical audio material, and free updates constantly improve the program after purchase. You can also use third-party plugins to further customize the program to your liking, both aesthetically and functionally.

Without a doubt, Reaper is the best solution for professional audio editing without professional prices. It has the tools to compete with the biggest names in this field without breaking your budget. As long as you don't make more than $ 20 per year from creations using Reaper, all you need is the “discount” license. For a one-time price of $ 000, this grants access to everything Reaper has to offer (if you use Reaper professionally and earn more than that, you'll need the $ 60 commercial license). There is also a 225-day free trial if you want to try it out before paying.

Professional grade: Adobe Audition (Windows / macOS)

Audition is an industrial-grade workstation that you should take a look at if you're already using Creative Cloud. Not only does it offer all the tuning tools you need from a DAW (plus a wide range of free sound effects and samples), but it also works in tandem with other Adobe products such as Premiere. Pro and After Effects. Considering the limited audio editing tools found in both video programs, this is a crucial feature for advanced users.

But that doesn't mean Audition can't stand on its own two feet; it is certainly possible; It features limitless multitrack design, in-depth composition and analysis tools, and multiple forms of noise reduction to deal with white noise and hiss. Like most of the other options here, Audition is designed to be a one stop shop for all audio, and it does a great job at that.

Like the rest of Adobe's products, Audition runs on a subscription service, either $ 20,99 per month for Audition alone or $ 52,99 per month for all of Creative Cloud.

Apple Full Offer: Logic Pro (macOS)

Logic Pro is Apple's own DAW. It certainly doesn't disappoint with a simple yet powerful user interface and great performance on Mac devices (especially those with the new M1 chips). Creating music, recording a podcast, and fine-tuning your recordings is as easy as it gets, without compromising the options you need.

You can always fine-tune your audio to your liking, create music with digital instruments, apply effects, and use up to 1 audio tracks (which could just as easily be unlimited). Logic Pro is full of little user interface touches that bring the whole program together and make it a pleasure to work with, whether you do it professionally or as a hobby.

Whatever your reason for using it, Logic Pro will cost a decent amount. You can take advantage of a 90-day free trial, which is always nice to see, but after that it will cost you $ 199,99 for a full license.