I spent five years as editor of Audiotuts+ and other audio blogs, so I’m familiar with the entire range of audio software and digital audio workstations.

Today, your computer can act as a powerful recording studio, offering power and features that weren’t even dreamed of in professional studios just a few decades ago. I experimented with computer programs as at first they allowed you to work with sound through MIDI, and then directly with audio. In the early 80s, cassette-based machines like Tascam’s PortaStudio allowed you to record and mix four tracks of audio in your home - and up to ten tracks using a technique called “ping-ponging”. My name is Adrian, and I was recording and editing audio before computers were up to the task. How We Tested and Picked These Audio Editors.The Industry Standard: Avid Pro Tools (and Other DAWs).For Creative Cloud Subscribers: Adobe Audition.Best Audio Editing Software: The Competition.Best Value Cross-Platform DAW: Cockos REAPER.Best Audio Editing Software: The Winners.What You Need to Know Up-Front about Editing Audio.Why Trust Me for This Audio Editor Guide.Cockos’ Reaper will give you similar power at a more affordable price. If you work with music, a digital audio workstation (DAW) like Apple’s Logic Pro X or the industry standard Pro Tools will be a better fit. If you already subscribe to Adobe’s Creative Cloud, have a look at Audition, which is more powerful and may already be installed on your computer. Because it has fewer features, you’ll find it easier to do basic editing. It will meet the basic needs of many people, but lacks the power of other options we cover in this review.Ī free audio editing tool like Audacity is easier to work with, especially if you’re working with speech rather than music. It’s versatile, allowing you to produce music and edit audio, and comes preinstalled with macOS. If you own an Apple computer, GarageBand is a great place to start. Do you just want to make a ringtone out of your favorite song? Are you editing speech, music, or special effects? Do you need a quick tool for an occasional fix or a powerful workstation for serious work? Are you looking for an inexpensive solution or an investment in your career? Being clear about your needs and expectations is an important first step. People need audio software for all types of reasons.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the options - from simple, free apps all the way to expensive digital audio workstations - and make some recommendations to help you come up with the right tool for your needs. Whether you’re creating podcasts, videos for YouTube, voiceovers for presentations, or music and special effects for games, you’ll need a decent audio editor. Do you need to work with audio files? More and more people do.

What is a good audio editing software