If you are reading this article it means that you are looking for the perfect audio editing software for Mac that you can use. But, before you blindly follow the list and start downloading all the audio editing software mentioned here, one thing you should keep in mind is your personal requirements. Before you even begin reading this article, you should know what you are looking for. For example, whether you are looking for audio editing software to edit podcasts or something complex enough to help you score a movie.
You should also keep your budget in mind. No matter how good a software is, the one that you can afford will always serve you better. Finally, you should also keep your skillset in mind and ask yourself whether you are ready to invest time in learning an audio editing software or not. Once you have answered all these questions for yourself, you will be able to find and focus on the software that will help you the most and will not waste time chasing the shiniest audio editing software in the market.
Before we get to the specifics, the simplest program for audio editing is a two-track editor; probably the most famous example here is the free Audacity. While Audacity aspires to some extremely. Audacity is a free music editing software package compatible with both Mac and Windows computers, it's considered the most popular windows audio editor available. The user interface. Music Editor Free or MEF, in short, is an intelligent yet free music editing software available for Windows and Mac platforms. The tool offers all the required editing tools for music such as cut, paste, insert, delete, silence and trim to ensure you get the perfect mix. Most Popular Software for 2016 – MAGIX. Power Director is a video editing software for music videos that provides a unique combination of advanced editing features and high-end performance. With the power of a full-featured software and the ease of an entry-level program, Power Director 15 Ultra is an ideal application for casual users and beginners.
I have tried to structure this article, by keeping all these things in mind. So, you will find the best free audio editing software, the best audio editing software for editing podcasts, best professional audio editing software, and so on and so forth. However, note that all these classifications are not entirely exclusive as most of the audio softwares have features that overlap a lot with each other. At the end of the day, the best audio editing software for you will depend on what you need and feel comfortable working with. With all that said, here is our list of the best audio editing software for Mac that you should use:
- Adobe Audition: Best Overall Audio Editing Software
- Logic Pro X: Best DAW Software for Mac
- Avid Pro Tools First: Best Free Audio Editing Software
- Audacity: Best Audio Editing Software for Podcasters
- ocenaudio: Best Audio Editing Software for Beginners
- RX Post Production Suite 4: Best Audio Post Production Tools
- Fission: Best Audio Editing Software for Fast and Lossless Audio Editing
Note: While I am focusing this article on macOS operating system, most of these apps work on Windows PC too. The only app that doesn't work on Windows is the Logic Pro X.
Best Audio Editing Software to Use in 2020
1. Adobe Audition: Best Overall Audio Editing Software
I want to start this list by using the most obvious and best overall audio editing software that the market has to offer. Whether you want to record and edit audio or want to create a background score for your upcoming movie, Adobe Audition can handle all your needs. Not only the software has all the features that you require from an audio editing program but it also has multi-track recording and editing capabilities which is something that we associate with digital audio workstations. Adobe Audition also offers one of the best audio clean-up and restoration tools on the market. It supports a ton of plugins which add even more power to the software. Whether you want to remove noise with precision or add audio effects, you can find plugins for everything here.
My favorite feature of the Adobe Audition is its waveform editing environment which allows you to pinpoint the problems and apply necessary adjustments. Adobe also brings AI enhanced tools which can make your audio editing life easier. For example, there's an 'Auto Ducking' feature which uses Adobe's AI-based ‘Adobe Sensei' technology to automatically lower the volume of background track to make the vocals more pronounced. Other features of the app include batch processing of audio files, automatic speech alignment, iXML metadata support, synthesized speech, and more. You will also appreciate the clean and user-friendly UI.
Note that Adobe Audition is a pro audio editing tool so users who have never used an audio editing software before might find it a little difficult at the start. That said, Adobe does provide free tutorials for both beginners and experienced users which should get you started.
Pros:
- Good User interface
- Extensive Editing Tools
- Huge plug-in support
- Great audio clean-up and restoration tools
Cons:
- Subscription-based pricing makes it expensive for long-term use
- Hard for beginners
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS
Install:Free Trial, $19.99/month
2. Logic Pro X: Best DAW Software for Mac
I love Apple's software products just for the fact that they integrate so well with the hardware. Final Cut Pro X is my favorite video editing tool as it allows me to edit a 4K video on my 2016 MacBook Pro. The experience is the same for Logic Pro X. Despite being one of the best overall audio editing software on the market, it works without any hiccup even on the older generation of MacBook Pros. That said, let's move away from the obvious advantage that Logic Pro X has over other music editing software and talk about its features, starting with its UI. In my opinion, the user interface of Logic Pro X is probably the best among all the software listed on this list. It is clean and every tool that you want to access is accessible with just a few clicks.
Note that while you can use Logic Pro X for just editing audio files for your podcast or any other similar project, you will be under-utilizing the software and it will be hard to justify its cost. Logic Pro X is a proper DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) which is aimed at music producers. It features a varied instrument library covering almost all music genres. What surprises me the most is how close the virtual instruments sound to their real counterpart. Even people with the most discerning ears will be able to tell them apart. What few instruments or music genres it doesn't support can easily be added thanks to its support for plugins and extensive plugins library that is available for anyone to use.
My favorite music kit is the 'Drummer Kit' plugin which when enabled gives you an AI-enabled drum track (electronic or acoustic) while you add your music on top. Logic Pro X also comes with more than 7000 royalty-free music loops that can automatically conform to the tempo and key of your project. There's also support for patches which allow you to quickly load complex multichannel sounds. There are features like 'Smart Tempo' which automatically manages tempo across all the content in your project, Flex Time and Flex Pitch, Track Alternatives, automation, audio effects, music notation, and more.
The only problem with Logic Pro X is it cost. I think for people who are even going to use 10% of the features of Logic Pro X, the cost is justifiable. It's a onetime fee, after which the software is yours. There's no hidden charges and no subscription. That said, if you just want to use it for normal audio editing this will be an overkill, especially when there are a ton of good options out there.
Pros:
- Flawless integration with Mac hardware and operating system
- A complete DAW
- Drummer Kit
- Over 7000 royalty-free track loops
- Beautiful user interface
Cons:
- High upfront costs make it inaccessible to many prospective users
Supported Platforms: macOS
Install:$199.99
3. Avid Pro Tools First: Best Free Audio Editing Software
Avid Pro Tools First is the free version of 'Avid Pro Tools', a professional grade audio editing software, costing upwards of $500 and used by filmmakers and TV professionals to produce and score music for movies and TV shows. While the 'Avid Pro Tools First' is a toned down version of its paid counterpart, it is more than enough for most of the users. It brings a fast 64-bit audio recording and mixing engine along with a variety of session templates with preloaded instrumental tracks covering most genres so that you can start creating your music as soon as you get familiar with the software.
It brings professional grade editing tools. From editing the MIDI tracks to adjusting tempo to fixing pitch and time, Avid Pro Tools First can handle everything. The software also comes with Avid's Xpand!2 virtual instruments and UVI Workstation 3 sample player, thus giving you access to royalty free loops and beats. This free version even comes with 23 utility plugins allowing you to shape your music just the way you want to. Recording your own music or audio is as simple as connecting your mic or instrument and hitting the record button.
When recording audio, you can take advantage of the loop recording feature which allows you to record multiple takes and then use the one that you like the most. The software is also great for people who like to collaborate with others. If you buy Avid's cloud subscription ($4.99/month), your work will be saved on the cloud. You can then share it with your colleagues to work together. In fact, even the free version which we are discussing here allows you to share up to three projects with other users. So, as you can see, you are getting a ton of professional grade features inside an app made for professionals which are used by the industry leaders and you don't have to pay a penny. That's a deal that I cannot refuse and neither should you.
Pros
- Professional grade editing tool for free
- Free online sync for up to three projects
- Royalty free track loops
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Costs a lot to upgrade to the pro version
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS
Install:Free
4. Audacity: Best Audio Editing Software for Podcasters
Not everyone needs a complete digital audio workstation. In fact, 90% of people who are looking for an audio editing software are looking for a simple program which can help them carry out basic audio editing such as trimming, noise reduction, voice modulation, background score addition, and so on. Whether you are a YouTube or a podcaster or someone who just needs to edit audio for home videos, all of the above-mentioned audio editing software will be a bit of overkill. you need a piece of software which not only enables you to perform these essential editing actions but also which is easy to learn use. For that use case scenario, Audacity is the best tool on the market.
Don't get me wrong, you can use Audacity as a DAW (especially now that it supports MIDI import) but in my views, it's not meant for that. It's simple and approachable UI makes it best for users who don't want to spend months learning an audio editing software. It is an open-source and free audio editing tool which brings a simple and interactive user interface with all the essential tools that you will need. From recording your audio clips to editing it using cut, trim, copy, and paste tools, to using audio effects, generators, and analyzers, Audacity can handle everything. Since Audacity is popular, it is also supported by a host of plugin developers allowing you to find plugins for almost anything that you might need for your project.
Despite being open-source and free, Audacity sees new updates on a fairly regular basis so you are not left using a software of the past. Just recently, Audacity was updated to support the dark mode on macOS Mojave and it looks great. There's also the new spectrogram view which allows you to pinpoint the problems and edit them accordingly. My favorite thing about Audacity is that it will take you just a couple of hours on YouTube to learn the basics and start your editing journey. That alone makes Audacity far more approachable than any other audio editing software.
Pros:
- Free and open-source
- Approachable and simple user interface
- Doesn't require you to do a Ph.D. to start editing
- Large and helping online community
Cons:
- If you are the right target audience, I don't think there are any cons
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Install:Free
5. ocenaudio: Best Audio Editing Software for Beginners
Just like Audacity, ocenaudio is a free and open-source audio editing software that brings a simple to understand user interface. If for some reason Audacity is doesn't feel right to you or you just want to check out other audio editing software before settling on one, ocenaudio should be next on your list. Just like Audacity, ocenaudio features a clean editing environment which makes it easy for beginners to get started. In fact, as far as looks are concerned, ocenaudio looks more modern than Audacity.
Coming to the features, ocenaudio brings all the basic audio recording and editing features. You can just connect a microphone and press the record button and start recording. When you are editing, you can access all the tools including track selection, track cutting and splitting, copy and paste, multi-trackediting and more. Just like Audacity, ocenaudio supports real-time preview for applied effects. Users can not only apply native effects but also use VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plugins to import effects which are not included with the software.
Like Audacity, ocenaudio also supports the spectrogram view. You can use it to analyze the spectral content of your audio signal for getting a better understanding of all the problems.ocenaudio is also good at handling big files. Even after uploading files which were multiple GB in size, the software didn't hiccup. I have a 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro, so it's not even that I was using it on a powerful machine like an iMac.
While ocenaudio is a good audio editing program, there is one big problem with the software that will turn many users off. The app doesn't support multi-track editing which makes it useless for many users including me. I have so much fun when using this program and I prefer it over audacity both for its UI and speed. However, the missing support for multi-track editing means that I cannot use this app for my work. Another drawback of this app is that it lacks is a thriving online community.
You won't find many online video tutorials on this one. If your work involves multi-track editing, you won't be using ocenaudio. That said, for users who are just getting started with audio editing and doesn't require a multi-track editing program, this is the best free audio editing software on the market right now.
Pros:
- Free and open-source
- Modern looking UI
- Easy for beginners
- Support for VST Plugins
- Can easily handle large audio files
Cons:
- Multi-track editing not supported
- Not many quality video tutorials available
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Install:Free
6. RX Post Production Suite 4: Best Audio Post Production Tools
iZotope RX Post Production Suite 4 is without a doubt the best post-production tools available for audio editors. iZotope has been leading the industry when it comes to refining audio for decades now and no other company comes even close to it. The latest version 4 update has made its tools even more potent when it comes to editing audio. The suite comprises of multiple tools namely RX 7 Advanced, Dialogue Match, Neutron 3 Advanced, Stratus 3D, Symphony 3D, Insight 2, and RX Loudness Control. Each tool serves a specific purpose and combined they can fulfill all your post-production audio editing needs.
Starting with the RX 7 Advanced, it brings a powerful repair assistant that can automatically recognize noise, clippings, clicks, hums, and more and remove them with a click. Dialogue Match automatically learns and match the sonic character of dialogue recording. Neutron 3 is a professional tool for building great mixes. It brings a 'Mix Assistance' which can listen to all the tracks in your mix and gives you a balanced starting point. Similarly, the rest of the tools in the suite bring features to tackle a specific part of audio post-production.
But only the power of tools is not what iZotope known for, it's also known for the way it presents the tools. All the tools work in a highly visual way, giving you a good look at the problems and what you can do to solve them. Just look at the screenshots above, and see how audio is represented in a detailed way. That said, all this power comes at a cost as if there's one thing more that iZotope is known for, it's for its pro pricing. If your work revolves around fixing audio and audio post-production, these tools can save you so much time while delivering a better product that you can justify the price. However, if you are someone who is just looking to get into audio editing, it will be hard to swallow the bill.
Pros:
- Best audio production tools on the market
- Best noise removal
- Available as plugin for your favorite audio editing software
- Repair and salvage lost audio
- Automatic audio processing tools make it easy to use
Cons:
- Cost is too high
Supported Platforms: Windows and macOS
Install:$1844
7. Fission: Best Audio Editing Software for Fast and Lossless Audio Editing
If you find all of the above audio editing software to be too complex then check out Fission. It's a simple audio editing software that focuses on providing a fast and lossless audio editing environment. You get quick access to all the audio editing tools. You can join, cut, and trim audio, edit audio metadata, use the batch converter to convert multiple audio files at once, and more. I love that it supports multiple file formats and you can easily edit and convert files to MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, or WAV.
For quick edits, you can also use Fission's smart split feature which automatically cuts audio files based on silence. Other features include gain adjustment, cue sheet support, volume normalization, and more. Fission is made by Rogue Ameba, a company that is well known in the Mac community for making splendid audio products, and Fission is no different. If you don't want to invest time in learning audio editing and want a quick and easy-to-use tool, this is the one to get.
Pros:
- Best for quick editing jobs
- Supports lossless editing
- Supports multiple file formats
- Batch processing
Cons:
- No pro editing features presence
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Best Audio Editing Software: Final Thoughts
There are many other pro-level DAW software on the market which have not made the list as I have no experience in music production. The article is for audio editing software and I have tried to keep my list to reflect that. The only reason I have mentioned Logic Pro X is that I know some users will be looking for a DAW software here and for them it's going to be useful. If you are just working with spoken audio and want a free editing app, very few apps can beat Audacity and hence it's on the list.
But I love the user interface and speediness of ocenaudio and hence it made the list too. I guess what I am trying to say is that every person has their own specific requirements and the software you choose will depend on that. I have chosen the seven apps that will meet the needs of 90% of users reading this article. If you want something more specific and don't know where to look, drop requirements in the comments section below and at the least, I will guide you in the right direction.
There is no way you can make it without music in this world. You know sometimes while listening to some music you feel like making some changed in it. Well, this is absolutely possible now with the help of best music editing software.
10 Best Music Editing Software for Windows
Be it about adjusting the tempo of the music or about mixing it with another numbers and making a mash-up. This is absolutely possible to do this all with the help of these programs. So, if you are still wondering what kind of sound editing software would be best according to your system then you can check out the list compiled below.
1. Steinberg Cubase
Website:https://www.steinberg.net/en/products/cubase/start.html
I am sure you must have heard about this amazing platform before and owing to its popularity, I decided to mention it on top of the list of best music editing software. Steinberg Cubase handles everything from creating music to producing and mixing it and then too exporting it out.
Cubase offers various products for the users. These are Cubase Pro for $693, Cubase Artist for $383 and Cubase Elements for $124. There are upgrades available too but those are paid as well.
Top Music Editing Softwares
Currently, it is working on the version namely 9.5 but the earlier version 9 is also available to download. However, there are no free products available and after the trial period expires, you would have to opt for one from the given three products.
Now, talking about the functionality then Cubase has a lot of features to offer. These are edit and sequence audio and MIDI, VST plugins supported, various music effects, expression maps, key editor inspector, music composing and recording in high quality, noise removal, mixing and collaborations, and many more.
Compatible with:
2. Audio Tool
Website:https://www.audiotool.com/
Audio Tool is quite different from the rest of the best music editing software here mainly because it is a web based application instead of being a downloadable program. However, this digital audio workstation is as functioning as any other music editing software and provides all the popular features too.
Although it cannot be used for commercial purposes but this is a completely free to use platform which has really amazing features for personal use.
With the help of this best sound editing software, you can start making music in the cloud and afterwards can edit and mix it through the powerful tools of this production studio. From recording to editing and then to exporting music, Audio Tool takes care of it all.
The features associated with Audio Tool are drag and drop toolbar, more than 250,000 samples and over 50000 device presets, cloud protection, tools like Heisenberg, Pulverisateur, MAchiniste, Beatbox, Bassline etc., complete mixing tools and many more other features along with various music effects are provided handy with this online program.
Compatible with:
3. Audacity
Website:https://www.audacityteam.org/
Audacity is hands down the king of all the other best music editing software for sure. Despite being so advanced it is a completely free and open source program and provides cross platform connection facility too. This program is just perfect for multiple tracks recording, editing as well as mixing.
The complete features are divided into various sub-categories and functions like recording, import and export, sound quality, music effects, accessibility and many more.
Not only Audacity is capable enough to record live audio as well as streaming audio but it can also amplify and improvise it too via noise removal. Other features which you get with it are multiple file format support for import/export, supports 16/24/32 bit sound samples, easy editing tools like draw, envelop, crash recovery etc.
Now, coming on the effects which you can add in music then these are real-time preview, frequency alteration, reducing and isolating vocals, distortion, echo, reverse, chains of effects, voice-overs, podcasts, noise reduction, tempo change and many more. You can also improve the program by adding desired plug-ins in it.
Compatible with:
4. GarageBand
Website:https://www.apple.com/in/mac/garageband/
If there could be a permanent staple for Apple music and sound gears then GarageBand's name would have been on top. This next entry in the list of best music editing software is developed by Apple for especially Mac and iOS operating system and it is one of the most widely known digital audio workstations too.
This is like the ultimate tool used for Apple devices where you get a lot of pre-made effects like MIDI keyboards, pre-made loops, voice recordings, instruments effects etc. which are a big help in music production.
You can download it for free for iOS and Mac devices making it an ideal audio editing software Mac. The features accompanying GarageBand are audio recording with music sequencer for multiple tracks, built-in audio filters, voice enhancement, virtual software instruments, synthesizers, separate section for guitar effects and many more.
GarageBand supports the imitation of the popular music hardware so you do not have to add these hardware and you can use their effects through the program easily.
Compatible with:
5. LMMS
Website:https://lmms.io
It seems like in this section of best music editing software, you get to use a lot of free and open source programs having cross-platform connection too. The idea is pretty simple, you just need to install it in your system and then start from the very basic step of recording.
Interestingly, despite offering so many features with it, LMMS also provides various instruments sound, effective plug-ins, presets, samples, VST support etc. which makes this program a complete package.
Along with LMMS you get features like song editor, native instruments panel, FX Mixer, B&B Editor, automation editor, piano roll editor, sequencing, composing and mixing, import of MIDI files, 32/64 bit VST instrument support, synthesizers and many more.
These were about the tools you get with LMMS. Its simple and straightforward interface allows you to use these tools and features with utmost ease making it one of the most convenient program in this list. From covering functionality tools to recording, mixing and sound effects, you can use LMMS for every music solution.
Compatible with:
6. Free Audio Editor
Website:https://free-audio-editor.com/
Recognized as one of the best audio software which works for free, the Free Audio Editor is loved by millions which is extensively used for editing audio files. Well, actually this is not just about editing files but also about recording and mixing them too.
This is an easy to use software which produces best quality music and with numerous features provided you can customize the file in whichever way you want.
Free Audio Editor can be upgraded to the Delux version which can be bought for $39.95. This is so simple to record sound from various music sources like sound card, mic or streaming sound etc. There are various editing tools available which support multiple aspects of editing and mixing.
Being one of the best music editing software, it also provides various advanced features too. These are audio effects, basic tools like delay, fade, chorus, reverb etc., wide range of audio format supported, audio enhancement, music CDs burning, noise removal, quality presets, one batch process and many more others.
Compatible with:
7. TwistedWave Audio Editor
Website:https://twistedwave.com/
Despite being an easy to use tool, TwistedWave Audio Editor is an extremely powerful and fast program which can be used for sound editing and mixing and all the other related works. So, this next option for the list of best music editing software is not just for editing only but handles a lot of different aspects of music too.
You can record sound, compress, mix and edit it, convert it into desired file format and batch process many of the files together which is kind of a quick process and saves a lot of time too.
However, TwistedWave Audio Editor is not a free tool and provides free trial period for 30 days only. After this, you can buy it for $79.90 which I think is quite an affordable price compared to other software.
This amazing tool offers you features like splitting an audio file into several parts, multiple tracks processing simultaneously, VST plugins supported, ZTX time stretch/pitch shift technology, ringtone maker, process effects in the background, extensive metadata support and many more.
Compatible with:
8. Ableton Live
Website:https://www.ableton.com/en/live/
If you are a regular in sound editing and mixing and you have never heard about Ableton Live then you are missing out on one of the most amazing and beautiful music editing software ever. This is not just about the technology used but also about the workflow and efficiency too.
With Ableton Live you can literally create masterpiece of music and that too with utmost ease and with the use of great creative features.
Live is fast, fluid and very much flexible too which gives the users a customization help to create music of their choice. There are three editions available of Ableton Live which are Live Intro for $99, Live Standard for $449 and Live Suite for $749 where each one has different features.
Now, talking as a whole about the features which makes it the best music editing software are free mixer, MIDI instruments and audio loops, arrangement view for organizing music, software plugins, synthesizer, audio enhancement, any sound on any tempo and many more.
Compatible with:
9. WavePad Audio Editor
Best Free Audio Editing Software
Website:http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/
This audio editor called WavePad by NCH Software is the next option in the list of best music editing software. Those people who are known to the basics and advancements of these music programs, they must be aware about the fact that how amazingly WavePad works for the users.
WavePad is quite easy to use and also professional in the approach too where you can edit music and audio and also do further music production too.
Coming on to the features of this program then they are multiple media file format support, noise reduction, amplification, audio effects, music recording, VST plugins supported and many more. You can either download the free version or can buy the Standard Edition for $60 or Master's Edition for $99.
Other tools accompanied with WavePad Audio Editor are speech synthesis, audio restoration, works with other hardware, easy to use interface, audio bookmarking, searching etc. and many more.
Compatible with:
10. Wavosaur
Website:https://www.wavosaur.com/
Best Free Audio Editing Software
Website:http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/
This audio editor called WavePad by NCH Software is the next option in the list of best music editing software. Those people who are known to the basics and advancements of these music programs, they must be aware about the fact that how amazingly WavePad works for the users.
WavePad is quite easy to use and also professional in the approach too where you can edit music and audio and also do further music production too.
Coming on to the features of this program then they are multiple media file format support, noise reduction, amplification, audio effects, music recording, VST plugins supported and many more. You can either download the free version or can buy the Standard Edition for $60 or Master's Edition for $99.
Other tools accompanied with WavePad Audio Editor are speech synthesis, audio restoration, works with other hardware, easy to use interface, audio bookmarking, searching etc. and many more.
Compatible with:
10. Wavosaur
Website:https://www.wavosaur.com/
And the last one for the list of best music editing software is Wavosaur. This one is an absolutely free and cool music editor which is perfect for sound, audio and other editing and mixing works too. You can record sound from various sources and process it through Wavosaur to make it enhanced and improved.
Along with the Wavosaur you get multiple VST plugins support like compressor, limiter, distorter, phaser, chorus, pitch shift and many more which can be added as per the choice.
This is a special mention as the leading music editing software for windows platform where you get a lot of cool features to make changes in the raw file and convert it into something professional and catchy. It also supports various file formats making it one of the most flexible platform too.
Apart from it, you can also use features like volume envelop automation, auto-slice, various classic editing functions, processing options like mute, conversion, normalization and many more.
11. Reaper
Website:https://www.reaper.fm/
Reaper isn't a very user-friendly application, but is pretty advanced, in a nutshell it's not exactly made for absolute beginners, but once you get the hang of it it's not rocket-science.
The ability to record unlimited tracks on top of one another, overdub, monitor (or not monitor) the track, ease of selecting from hundreds of pre-included effects, and the acceptance of third-party plugins and scripts makes it ones of the best Music editing software for Windows.
Also comes in-built with quite a few tools which let users create their own effects! Advanced features let us record and render to any Bitdepth as well as Sample rate. Allows recording to Multi-channel, Stereo or Surround not just before, but also after the effects have been added.
Live-editing on multiple channels simultaneously is another one of the features I mostly use (considering how my voice is no voice for singing). Other basic features include splitting, gluing, crossfading, time-stretching and so on. PDC (Plugin Delay Compensation), SideChaining, Rewiring are some of the plugin-specific features available.
The visuals of the application are customizable as well, the themes as well as controls (even multiple controls) can be set to be triggered with a single button on the keyboard. The app can either be installed, or run directly from a USB stick (or other removable media).
It's offers two licensed, the Discounted license is priced at USD $60.00 for individuals and smaller businesses, the Commercial license costs USD $225.00 and is for businesses with USD $20,000+ yearly revenue.
Compatible with:
12. FL Studio
Website:https://www.image-line.com/flstudio/
FL Studio is a full-fledged Music editor which lets one edit, mix, compose, record and get everything else done from this one application. It's neither over-simplified, nor extra complicated, the user-interface is alike most other best Music Editing software for Windows on this list.
Its features however are as advanced as possible, the app claims having a user-base which includes Avicii, Savant, Martin Garrix, Steve Duda, Anurag Dixit, Secret Cinema, Andrew Maze and many other Million dollar names.
Let's start with its mixer, this allows us to mix audio and music using Sidechains, , audio sends and effect chains. It also is pre-loaded with as many as 80 plugins which include effects for reverb, distortion, delay, compression, chorus, flanging, phasing etc. Obviously independent plugins can be installed as well, FL Studio supports all VST standards. Furthermore, the entire FL Studio application itself can be used as a VST plugin with other apps!
Its lets us use the tracks to hold not just audio but also notes and automation! Need to write over other elements? Sure you can just overlay over anything and everything! It boasts of having the best Piano roll in the industry, while that's debatable, it surely makes automation and sequencing pretty easy.
It does offer a free-trial, however there are 4 paid packages. The Fruity Edition, Producer Edition, Signature Bundle, and the all powerful 'All Editions Bundle'. They cost USD $99.00 , USD $199.00, USD $299.00, and USD $899.00 respectively.
Compatible with:
13. Adobe Audition
Website:https://www.adobe.com/in/products/audition.html
When 'Adobe' offers something on the creative side, we know it's just going to be worth it. Adobe Audition markets itself as 'A Professional Audio Workstation', a tagline its features completely justify. So much so that the product is claimed to be suitable for post-productions of movies and TV-shows!
Even though the software looks complex (which it probably is due to its extremely advanced features), Adobe made things easier by integrating a step-by-step guide on how to get most things done on the interface.
It comes integrated with over 12,000 free sound-effects to tune the content just to the right mood. The comic effects alone total upto over 250+ sounds, followed by 450+ gaming sounds, and a hoard of other effects for just about every scenario.
Advanced users can make use of the Advanced Spectral Display to remove background noise, white noise and basically get a 'graphed visualization' of the audio. Diagnostics panel, and the Essential Sounds Panel can be used to give the content a touch of professionalism as well. You can even use your Hardware gear with the software to create professional music without leaving your comfort-zone.
Its 'Adobe Sensei AI Technology' helps users automatically mix music, or use the 'Autoducking tool' to identify which sections on the track have background noise, or extra music and lower them down for clearer dialogues.
Layered compositions can be created with its Multitrack editor, or the waveform editor can be used to tweak the audio amplitude. Podcast Templates, Multi-speaker capture, zoom-in on the tracks, nudging clips, and manual keyframe entry are just some of the many other available advanced and user-friendly features.
Obviously isn't free. Does offer a trial-plan. Paid plans can be paid monthly or annually. There also is a one-month only plan. Costs around USD $30.00 if paid monthly, USD $228.00 (approx) if paid yearly.
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14. Reason 11
Website:https://www.reasonstudios.com/
Reason 11, formerly known as Propellerhead is one of the most feature-rich and talked about best Music editing software for Windows. It's primarily known for its 'instruments'. Or in other words, the ability to let users 'create' new music rather than just edit it.
Just some of the feathers in its cap include the Drum designer, Hybrid instrument, Shapeshifting synthesizer, Polysonic synthesizer and so on. Nearly every device or instrument that a music creator can dream of is probably available with Reason 11.
The amount of settings and customization each of these instruments bring with themselves is just unbelievable. There's a NN-19 sampler which helps with modulation, a toolbox providing for easy access to the instruments, and the Drum-designer alone supports over 16 pads!
Advanced users can control their music with curves. They also recently added easy cross-fades for overlapping audio. The best part? It's just Drag & Drop! And who wouldn't like absolute control over every single note? That's available as well.
You can even draw strings of notes and the UI is smart enough to display notes you've played/selected automatically. There sure is a 30-day free trial. However, the three paid plans are named Intro, Standard and Suite, each priced at USD $99.00, USD $299.00 and USD 4499.00 respectively.
Compatible with:
15. Presonus Studio One
Website:https://www.presonus.com/products/studio-one/
Prsonus has a bold marketing claim, claiming to be the 'only DAW' capable of linking songs and stems to finished projects. So the entire process is divided into three primary parts, the initial page > the songs page > the final page. all these pages are interlinked so you do not need to alter the entire project if it's just a small edit/change you need. Each page can be switched to and fro independently.
It features an 'Arranger Pack' which facilitates easily different sections of songs around. A fun-feature I personally love is that we can easily create printable lead-sheets from the music. You can add and use third-party plugins, or blacklist them. A number of instrument-sounds can be simulated using its Impact XT.
It's capable of MIDI support, and converts MIDI audio into high-res 32bit audio from the devices. All the basic enhancements such as scales, randomizing, mirror notes etc. are available. Its advanced Chord track allows for Chord substitution, chord progression, chord follow-up and other similar features.
The final product can be compressed for streaming, or export it with variable bitrates such as ALAC, AAC, MP3 etc. A number of different packages are available. The Studio One 4 Prime is free, while some products such as the Studio One 4 Professional cost up to USD $244.00 (approx).
In a nutshell, it's an advanced music editing software capable of producing commercial-grade music. Its interface features a single-screen, packed with all the features you'd ever need. That includes editing tools, instruments, tracks etc.
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16. Mixcraft 9
Website:https://acoustica.com/mixcraft
Mixcraft's tagline says – 'The Musician's DAW'. So it clearly is a music production tool, and being honest not actually overselling itself. It supports a complete editor which allows recording, editing, adding effects etc. to the music. There also is an in-built library to make effortless transitions from one track to another.
If Instruments are your thing, it offers a number of emulators, synthesizers, samplers and instrument sounds in-built with Mixcraft 9. Additionally, plugins such as G-Sonique, Modular Ignite, Melodyne Essentials, Memorymoon etc. are pre-included!
It brings with itself 3 new editor views, the Piano roll, Notation and Step editor views. It supports launchpads, MIDI Controllers and obviously the keyboards. Over 7500 in-built effects, loop patterns, music beds etc. are packed in as well. Advanced MIDI routing, sidechaining, grouping tracks, nested submixes etc. are some of its other superpowers.
It also focuses heavily on automation, parallel to the same it brought in 'curved automation' in this latest version of Mixcraft 9. Each mixing channel features parametric equalizers, spectral analyzers, and an oscilloscope.
Finally, it even can be used as a video editing suite! While that's not its prime purpose, yet it's a nice Cherry on the top and sometimes is handy. Its 'Pro Studio' sells for USD $149.00, while 'Recording Studio' costs USD $75.00
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17. Magix Sequoia
Website: https://www.magix.com/in/music/sequoia/
Magix Sequoia sells itself as one of the best Audio production, mastering, broadcasting and post-production solution. It offers for a faster editing process by offering Multi-synchronous cut which allows for faster and easier detection of similar audio material.
It also offers dual timelines for the source & destination of a project independently. They can be edited, viewed and 'marked'. Its real-time crossfader makes transitions and cuts even easier. The fade characteristics are completely customizable and it also offers snapshots for better comparisons.
It even supports Videos which come in handy when dubbing for a project. A plethora of instruments can be used with Sequoia as well. Timecode tracking makes post-production easier, while its support for AAF/OMF does the same while shifting platforms.
Hardware controllers from PreSonus, Yamaha, SSL and many other companies are supported. You can set multiple outputs, or automate VST plugins. It has an advance object-editor which allows splitting audio material into any number of parts and edited independently.
You can even create your own custom command sequence. As many as 128 custom macros are allowed which help increase the editing speed significantly.
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18. Sound Forge
Website:https://www.magix.com/in/music/sound-forge/
One of the primary reasons why we picked Sound Forge up was because of its credentials. Its testimonials are from some very reputed professionals (Actors, Game-designers etc). working in some very reputed industries/companies (Star Trek, BMW, Mercedes etc).
It offers tools for recording, editing, restoring, mastering songs and much more. Moreover, it's a tool which can be (and is) used at the highest level of commercial productions.
Some of its features include Oscilloscope which aids in signal visualization, 6-channel editing, 32-bit audio recording, iZotope Ozone Elements, quickFX plugins etc. The user-interface too has been recently upgraded and now supports task-assignment, as well as features a Instant Action window.
Clipping identification, CALM-metering, auto voice detection, spectrum analysis tools are a number of other available features. It even supports VST effects DSD imports and exports, and a number of suits such as the essentialFX, Analogue Modelling, Vintage effects and many others.
There are a total of 5 versions of the tool available, each with their own pricing and feature-limitations. The price ranges from less than a dollar/month, to USD $500.00 (approx) one-time fee depending on the versions.
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19. Bitwig Studio
Website:https://www.bitwig.com/en/bitwig-studio.html
Bitwig is a project from ex-Ableton engineers. It supports 32-bit floating point audio processing, choke groups, clip automation, high DPI support among many other features.
Its touch support is commendable, it's multi-touch enabled and capable of identifying gestures. It does support VST as well as VST3 plugins. It's unique in the sense that it allows you to run both 32-bit and 64-bit plugins simultaneously. Then there's 'sandboxing' it makes sure problems with any single plug-in wouldn't be catastrophic for the entire project.
The interface has been made pretty easy as well. There are search-filters, good categorization of tools, multi-project overview to name just a few of its UI-superpowers. Time-stretching is one of my favorite features and the fact that it can be automated sweetens the deal.
The arranger timeline or audio editor both can be used for crossfades. Crossfading with Bitwig is as simple as dragging and dropping events over one another. It boasts of rare tools such as Micro pitch and layered editing. It's also one of the very few of the best music editors which supports the MPE standards.
A plethora of free sound packs, dual sequencer, and an impressive modulation support there's not a lot you wouldn't like.
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20. Soundtrap
Website:https://www.soundtrap.com/
Soundtrap may not be the best music editing software in terms of features, but what it lacks in features it makes up in ease of use and simplicity. That said, the features are still impressive and chances of you 'not' being able to do something are next to non-existent.
Let's start with its instruments, not only does it bring its own 600+ instruments but also allows connecting your own. Then there's auto-tune powered by Antares which makes you sound good. Quite a bit of automation too is possible. Or you can use it as an amplifier (a really feature-rich amplifier) by connecting your own devices to Soundtrap.
Not very 'creative'? Or maybe you do not wish to waste all your time creating presets and beats? It comes with 4000+ pre-included beats and presets. As many as 150+ sound effects are pre-packaged as well (depending on your plan). Although sure if you'd rather create your own, it has a beatmaker which can be used to do so.
It's compatible cross-platform hence any device can be used to create and access projects, it's all in the cloud. A total of 4 plans exist, starting from USD $7.99/month to USD $13.99/month. Free plan included.
21. Ocenaudio
Website:https://www.ocenaudio.com/
Ocenaudio may not be as advanced as FL Studio or Reaper, but without doubt is still one of the best music editing software for Windows.
For starters, it offers both waveform as well as spectogram views. The spectogram is real-time which keeps the editing as seamless as possible. It features an 'advanced memory system' which makes sure regardless of the file-size or run-time, the system memory isn't clogged up and it doesn't lag.
Furthermore, its 'multi-select' makes it possible to select more than one sections of an audio file at the same time. In addition to selection, editing and playing specifically those sections is possible as well. All of the edits done on the audio is real-time. So, as soon as you slide the gain, frequency or any other blob up or down, it plays the audio in real-time letting you hear the final output there and then.
It totally supports the VST plugins, this offer those additional effects which otherwise aren't available. It's extremely lightweight as well, the size is just around 35Mb, and works with operating systems as old as Windows XP. The tool is also available for Mac and even Linux. More importantly, it's absolutely free.
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Conclusion
I tried to bring together all kind of best music editing software here. Be it for Windows or for Mac or operated from web only, they all are extremely handy tools having their own mobile applications too. If you are an artist trying your lucky for the first time in the field of music then you should definitely check out these programs.
All you need to do is just compare the prices and get best according to your requirements and system compatibility. I am sure you will not get disappointed here at all. Apart from keeping up with the editing, they also focus on other important functions too and for more kindly visit their official website mentioned along with them.
