Whether it's professional editing like movies, music or video equipment, or just making phone ringtones, an audio editor is what you essentially need to get started. When creating an audio track, you need to make sure the soundtrack is perfect and clear. You don't want a squeaky noise or low pitch to ruin your hard work on recording.
Hence, audio editors come to your rescue. You can save a lot of time and effort by using reliable audio editing software. However, the complex features of some audio editors can be a little intimidating for beginners.
But, if your job requires you to work with audio files regularly, it would be smarter to get used to audio editing software. While there are many audio editors, they may not all be easy to use. But, with the free alternatives available these days, there's little to worry about on the budget. Here is a rundown of some of the best free audio editors.
Audacity is another popular free and open source audio editing software. This cross-platform audio tool is easy to use and offers multi-track audio recording and editing for all major platforms (Windows, Linux, etc.). It has the ability to record live audio using a microphone or mixer and can even convert the recording from other different media into digital versions.
It also allows you to import, edit and merge audio files. In addition, it offers support for 16, 24 and 32-bit quality, offers effortless editing using the cut, copy, paste and delete function, provides support for LADSPA, LV2, Nyquist, VST and Audio Unit effect plug-ins and can do much more for free.
Price: free and open source
FL Studio is a household name in the audio industry and is arguably one of the best audio editors of recent times. In addition to offering high quality performance in the DAW category, it also offers features such as pitch shifting, multitrack recording, etc. In addition, it is also equipped with a powerful mixer that offers automation, delay compensation, etc.
Not only that, it also comes with over 80 ready-to-use plug-ins including compression, sample manipulation, and more. Although it offers the option where tracks can save notes, audio and automation, it also supports all VST standards 1, 2 and 3. Vector interface which can be resized and rearranged, option to capture live control movements and edit, multi-touch support or live DJ control are some of its other main features.
Price: Free trial available; the upgrade starts $ 99
It is a free and perfect audio editor for those who are looking for reliable and efficient audio editing software for free. This easy-to-use tool mainly focuses on removing unnecessary audio sections and splitting audio files. It comes with a simple yet responsive interface where it shows the waveform of the audio pieces. This feature helps you (whether you are a beginner or an expert) to visually edit the audio file.
The software can also help you convert audio to many different formats, adjust audio volume, and / or allow you to use labels or selections to relax your work. It offers support for a wide range of formats including MP2, MP3, WAV, AAC and others. Best of all, it's free from spyware and adware, and completely safe to download and install.
Price: free
If you like music production, you can also try Ableton Live. It comes with tons of features that are worth checking out. It now offers some new devices such as Drum Buss, Pedal and Meet Wavetable which offer a wide range of amazing new sounds with its wonderful range of instruments and effects.
It can be immediately played as installed. While it allows you to use MIDI to capture your ideas, you can also work with several MIDI clips at the same time in one view. It comes with an improved Arrange view that helps you edit quickly with more efficient music creation. From browser collections with all your devices, plug-ins and samples, close to you or instant renaming, to the volume automation offering, there's a lot more to explore.
Price: Free trial available; the upgrade starts at $ 99
This is another free and complete professional editing software for audio and music. It is specially designed for Windows and Mac. With this software, you can capture and edit voice and other audio recordings. You can also cut, copy and paste sections of recordings and then implement echo effects, noise reduction, etc. when editing audio files.
Although it works automatically as a wav or mp3 editor, it also supports a wide range of different file formats such as vox, gsm, wma, real audio, au, aif, flac, ogg and more.
Price: Free download available; the pro version starts at $ 39,95
It is one of the leading and most dynamic audio editing programs in the world, best known for its skills in creating music. It comes with a range of an unrivaled set of customizable tools that help you quickly create any type of music. It features a host of effects, virtual instruments, and many other sounds that are useful for both beginners and experienced composers.
It also comes with a unique feature called "plugin sentry" which automatically scans any plugin to make sure it is authentic and harmless to your system. The Audio Inputs feature, on the other hand, allows you to use filters and effects individually on your audio pieces. The frequency equalizer for smooth changes is another of its useful features.
Price: Free trial available; the upgrade starts at € 99
Ashampoo Music Studio 2018 is dynamic and robust software that helps you record, organize and edit music efficiently. It is a proven and capable application that helps you edit your files and even burn them. Enables quick ripping of audio discs and automatically fills in missing track details based on a large online database. It also supports a wide variety of formats so that you can convert or burn files in all those formats.
The audio editor allows users to edit or delete separate passages by allowing them to divide tracks into separate sections. Organize music collections, ability to edit metadata, easily mix songs with fade effects, ease of designing covers easily using the built-in cover editor or APE support are some of its other main features.
Price: Free trial available; Price of $ 19,99
If you are looking for an audio editor that will help you edit your audio files directly in the browser, Audio Cutter is your best choice. You can simply install this application in your browser and it helps you to cut and edit audio, smoothly, from your browser. This free app offers support for 300 file formats and also comes with ring quality presets and features like fade in and out.
Some of its other features include getting an audio track from a video, cutting an audio track in a few clicks without any installation, secure process with access to the file only for you once uploaded, automatically removed from the server when finished. and create a ringtone with one click.
Price: free
It is a free online program that can be used to assemble several audio tracks into one. While it provides support for crossfading and all other major file formats, the application can also join different music online without installing anything on the system. Also, you can adjust the determined playback range for individual tracks with the help of the blue sliders which can be moved with the arrow keys.
With the cross fade function, you can merge songs for perfect flow. The best part is that you can join unlimited tracks. This easy-to-use application is developed for a single purpose and offers support for over 300 audio formats. Also, protecting your privacy and keeping your data safe is your top priority.
Price: free
This easy-to-use audio editing software seamlessly blends the proven studio model with the beat and loop-based production process of modern times to actually generate musical ideas much faster. It comes with a high quality single screen interface. Infinite tracks, responsive editing tools and high-quality virtual instruments are built into this single screen.
It now comes with a new and improved Impact XT drum module and offers 20 new features including tempo quantization and real-time stretching. This allows you to creatively add loops and beats to your song. Among its other main features are optimized multiple editing, several macro toolbars, etc.
Price: free version available; the upgrade starts at $ 99
Reaper is one of the other popular audio editing tools that offers a complete digital audio production process for systems. With this software, you can use MIDI recording, editing, processing, mixing and mastering utilities. It offers support for a wide range of hardware, digital formats and plugins. This can also be extensively extended, planned and modified.
It is a very efficient program that loads quickly and is heavily coded. It is a portable program and therefore can be installed and run from a mobile or network unit. It offers solid audio and MIDI routing while offering multi-channel support. With 64-bit internal audio processing capability, it allows you to import, record and convert to various multimedia formats.
In addition, it also offers support for a wide range of third-party plug-in effects and virtual instruments such as AU, VST, DX, etc. With hundreds of studio-quality effects to choose from and the option of automation, scripting, surround, custom skins and more, you have a lot to offer.
Price: Free trial available; the upgrade starts at $ 60
If you like making beats, this is a perfect app for you. This collaborative online music production software can be used directly in your browser. It is very similar to the Apple Garageband application. It is a simple yet efficient application that comes with an attractive interface where you can easily create complex audio pieces. Best of all, you can also add more than 14 effects to your pieces.
You can learn how to use the instrument by following the instructions on its Wiki page, for example, how to set up your MIDI controller and more. Once you're done creating the beat, you can export the audio as an MP3 file.
Price: free
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There are many other audio editing programs available online; however, it can be difficult to find one that is powerful, efficient, and that helps you generate the best results in minimal time and with minimal effort. The above list of the best free audio editors will not only help you choose the most efficient and reliable tools for your audio task, it will also ensure complete safety. So, choose one of your options and turn your musical ideas into reality.
