Best music software for Mac (Free). GarageBand is one of the best tools for Mac users to arrange and combine multiple audios into a single podcast. It offers an easy learning curve and comes with a user-friendly interface. It also offers pre-recorded loops and synths to help you create background music and jingles for your podcast.
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These five FREE audio editing programs will help you create the next great podcast, interviews, and narration.
Macbook air external storage solution. So, if you’re more on the beginner side of things, there’s really no need to pull your wallet out just yet. No matter the type of content you’re going to be editing—whether it’s podcasts or just general narration/VO—you want something that’s going to allow you to make simple cuts, add transitions, and control the decibels. If you’re looking to do anything else, like adding effects, you’ll need to try out one of the paid programs.
![Free podcast editing Free podcast editing](https://support.musicgateway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/adobe-audition-music-editing.jpg)
Now, once you decide to take the plunge and download one or all of these, consider our library for any music you might need. And, if you’re in the business of podcasts and need good music to throw underneath your interviews and stories, check out our incredible stems we offer with almost every song.
- Make Your Voice Heard With the Best Podcast Editing Software. Podcasts have taken over the information superhighway as users search for the play button while cooking, driving to work, or to lull them to sleep. No matter how great your podcast content is, don’t let it be skippable due to bad audio.
- Audacity ® Free, open source, cross-platform audio software for multi-track recording and editing. Free, open source, cross-platform audio software Audacity is an easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor.
1. Audacity
You’ve probably heard of Audacity, as I know many podcasters and anybody needing a transcription service use this program. So, why is it so popular? First, it’s free. Second, it’s actually a well-made digital audio workstation (DAW) that has earned this spot at the top of the list. It’s intuitive—you can use effects like transitions, noise reduction, and even “truncate silence.”
If you want help getting started with Audacity, check out our full guide to learning the program, and what you can expect to see upon downloading it.
2. DaVinci Resolve
This list is supposed to be for “audio editing,” as in NO video editing. But, Blackmagic Design is one of the most generous companies cranking out stellar product after stellar product, and their base software (DaVinci Resolve) is free. The tutorial I linked to above is a lot. It pretty much goes over every single thing you can do for your audio files within the program.
We’ve covered DaVinci Resolve quite a bit on this blog and over on Shutterstock. If you’re new to the program and want a general overview of what to expect when opening it for the first time, we’ve got you covered on all the basics.
3. Ocenaudio
![Best Free Audio Editing Software For Podcasts Best Free Audio Editing Software For Podcasts](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WjzqlRewX8E/maxresdefault.jpg)
This is as bare bones as it gets. This free software allows you to cut up an audio file in a manner of seconds. Don’t expect too much from this one as it’s just for simple editing. However, you can apply some basic effects like fade ins, a graphic equalizer, as well as the ability to reverse or speed up your file. It’s simple. It’s free. Check it out.
4. WavePad – Mac
WavePad has been around for a while, and you’ll notice this based on the look of its interface. However, that doesn’t change the fact that this software will do exactly what you need it to. No matter if you’re uploading .wavs or .mp3s, WavePad allows you to cut it up and export it out just fine. There’s not much frill or fuss with this one.
However, this software is only available for Mac users. So, the question is: If you’re on a Mac, should you just use GarageBand? I’m not terribly familiar with GarageBand and have never cut audio inside it for the purpose of using it in a video. That said, here’s a great tutorial on how to use GarageBand.
5. FilmoraPro
Why not have the total package? Free video editing and audio editing all in one. Wondershare FilmoraPro is an excellent inclusion to this list as it’s meant specifically for video editors. The interface looks a lot like the standard paid NLEs (your Final Cut Pro X, DaVinci Resolve, and Premiere Pro). So, if you’re wanting to switch over to something free, give this a shot. They’ve been perfecting this software for the past few years and I genuinely think people are sleeping on it.
Cover image via Surf Ink.
Want more tips about podcast music? Check out these useful resources:
When looking for free sound production software, there are two main contenders. Others are available, but when looking for a stable programme, with regular updates, a wide range of support materials and lots of plug-ins, the two you will hear time and time again are Audacity and Garageband.
NOTE: Before we continue, Garageband is only available on macOS - if you only have access to Windows then the decision has been made for you - Audacity is the best, free sound production tools on Windows. Best web browser for macbook pro. Period.
Audacity
Audacity is a free, easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to:
- Record live audio.
- Record computer playback on any Windows Vista or later machine.
- Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.
- Edit WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP2, MP3 or Ogg Vorbis sound files.
- AC3, M4A/M4R (AAC), WMA and other formats supported using optional libraries.
- Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together.
- Numerous effects including change the speed or pitch of a recording.
- Write your own plug-in effects with Nyquist.
- And more..
Audacity is open source software - the source code is available for anyone to study or use. The amount of time and resources Audacity team have put in to offer us an extensive and completely free piece of software is amazing - please consider donating to support Audacity development. Anyone can contribute to Audacity by helping with documentation, translations, user support and by testing the latest code. Can macbook pro run microsoft office.
Pros
Audacity is a digital audio editor, not a digital audio workstation like Garageband. It’s mainly designed to manipulate audio data - which is convenient as that's exactly what we need to do when editing a podcast!
It has all the audio tools you'll need: level meters, multi-track recordings, sample rates up to 384KHz and 32-bit depth, true export in lossless formats like AIFF and FLAC, unlimited undo, change pitch and tempo, noise removal, and loads more built-in effects.
It also allows for more flexibility and fine-tuning of tracks than GarageBand.
Cons
Audacity doesn't have the most intuitive or good-looking user interface, and it comes with a learning curve. The sheer number of effects and settings can take a while to get used to if you don’t have any background in audio engineering so expect to spend several days getting comfortable with the software.
Audacity doesn't support MIDI recordings and doesn’t come with any pre-recorded material (e.g., loops) to help new music producers get started. This is a real hindrance if you plan on recording background music or a jingle for your podcast.
Garageband
GarageBand is a fully equipped music creation studio inside your Mac — with a complete sound library that includes instruments, presets for guitar and voice, and an incredible selection of session drummers and percussionists.
Pros
GarageBand’s main job is to help you arrange and combine all of your individual audio sources into a single audio creation. This means that it's really useful when working with multiple tracks like a remote interview or various segments in an episode.
It's very stable and hardly ever crashes - important when you've been editing that 2 hour show all day!
GarageBand has a beautiful interface and smaller learning curve than Audacity - it should take you a couple of hours to find your way around.
It supports MIDI recording, and comes bundled with lots of pre-recorded loops and synths that you can use to make jingles and background music, even without any instruments.
Cons
Garageband is only available on macOS - it's free, but only if you have a Mac. If you have to buy a Mac to use it then it's not really free and stay away!
It's also not open source so Apple is in full control of the development and you may have to wait a long time for updates.
There is less flexibility with audio manipulation. For example, effects can only be added to entire tracks, not just sections. There are work-arounds but a simple thing can quickly get convoluted.
Best Free Audio Editing Software For Podcasts App
If you don't have a Mac then the answer is simple - Audacity is simple enough to use, extremely well equipped, and versatile. With a bit of patience it is easy to master and will have you producing professional standard episodes in no time.
If you are a Mac user then it comes down to preference. Do you prefer versatility and fine-tuning tools, at the expense of usability and appearance? Use Audacity. Do you want simple, pick-up-and-play functionality, with a range of pre-loaded sounds and presets? Use Garageband.