In this blog post we will show you the top eight options for free podcast editing software, along with their pros and cons. 8️⃣
Don’t worry– everything we review in this section are legitimately free, zero cost, $0 price options:
- Audacity
- Auphonic
- GarageBand
- OcenAudio
- WavePad
- Avid Pro Tools Intro
- CyberLink AudioDirector Essential
- Ashampoo Music Studio
After that we will also cover four software options that have free trials. If you have several people on your podcast team, each of you can do a free trial offers over time to maximize how long your podcast can use the software:
- Adobe Audition
- Hindenberg Pro
- Alitu
- Reaper
Ready to check out free podcast editing software? Let’s go! 🚀
The Best Free Podcast Editing Software
Audacity
Audacity is an free podcast editing software that has been around for decades. It launched at the same time as podcasting technology, with the vision of creating an internet that democratized media and creative tools. There have been updates over the years. It is open code. 😍
Features 🛠️
Audacity’s features include:
- Import/Export: Can work with different types of audio files
- Sound Quality: High-quality resampling
- Plug-Ins: Extended Audacity’s functions like noise reduction and filtering
- Editing: Create clips to move around, delete, duplicate, etc.
- Effects: Change pitch and tempo, adjust volume, alter frequencies, etc.
- Accessibility: Works with screen readers and can fully run through keyboard commands
- Analysis: Visual spectrum views to analysis and select frequencies
Compatibility 🤝
Audacity is compatible with:
- Windows
- Mac
- Linux
Pros 👍
This audio software has very solid fundamentals when it comes to typical editor features. It has a robust equalizer, as well as a compression and normalization tools. It can handle multiple tracks and support different kinds of files.
Cons 👎
Audacity is not intuitive. Users need to have some significant knowledge of audio editing terms and tools in order to work with it, or be willing to spend some time learning them.
Auphonic
Auphonic is an Austrian company that started in 2013. It now has 300,000 users across the globe. Its specialty is its algorithms— Auphonic has trained its software for years so it can now automate many of the tasks done by audio editors. 🤖
Features 🛠️
Auphonic’s features and tools include:
- Intelligent Leveler: Makes sure all speakers and music levels are balanced in terms of overall loudness
- Noise Reduction: Identifies and eliminates background sound
- Filtering and Auto EQ: Makes voices sound nice and easy on the ear
- Video Support: Pull audio from video, edit audio, then resync it with video
- Audiograms: Creates video files with soundwaves or other images
Compatibility 🤝
Auphonic is web-based so hardware compatibility is not a significant issue.
Pros 👍
Auphonic does a lot of the work for you. It can save podcasters a lot of time and makes editting audio quality easy. You do not need to be an audio professional to use it– just add you files, click some options, and the software itself does the advanced work.
Cons 👎
Auphonic’s free plan allows you two hours of audio work per month. Only twenty minutes of that can be multi-track. If you are efficient, you can make this work, but it can be difficult.
GarageBand
GarageBand comes for free with Apple computers, laptops, iPads, and iPhones. You can work on the same project on multiple devices by saving your work to the iCloud. GarageBand is made for musicians and music producers, but it does have functions specifically created for podcasters. 🎸
Features 🛠️
- Multi-track Editing: Up to 225 tracks in a single project
- Essentials: Reverb, visual EQ, volume levels, etc.
- Podcast Track: Has a special interface for podcast editing to be more intuitive
- Templates: Create and save episode templates with intor/outro music, etc.
Compatibility 🤝
GarageBand only works on Mac machines.
Pros 👍
One of the best things about GarageBand is its tutorials and support. GarageBand is a powerful audio editor. Beginners usually need instruction to really get started. Apple provides this kind of help on its website.
Cons 👎
You cannot add the metadata you need to for podcasts in GarageBand. Metadata is critical to podcast search engine optimization. You will have to add it in a different program.
OcenAudio
A group at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil)first made this software a few years ago to suit their own needs. Now they provide the tool for free to everyone. 🌎
Features 🛠️
OcenAudio has a number of features:
- Preview of Effects: Hear the changes you are making as you make them
- Multi-Selection: Select multiple portions of a file to apply an edit to
- Large Files: Edit hours-long audio with no software lag
Compatibility 🤝
OcenAudio is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Pros 👍
OcenAudio is a light and simple free podcast editing software. It does not slow your computer down. You do not need to be a editing professional to use it. Also, it can support MP4 files, meaning you can edit videos on it.
Cons 👎
OcenAudio does not have a lot of built-in effects. It also does not have any algorithms that do the work for you. It just sticks to giving you the basic tools you need to edit a podcast episode.
WavePad
WavePad Audio Editing Software is free for non-commercial use. That means you can use it for your podcasting work, if you do not plan on monetizing your podcast. It is part of the NCH Software suite of audio and video tools. 🌊
Features 🛠️
WavePad has these features:
- Video: Edit audio synced audio from video files, plus create videos with waveforms
- Podcast Sound Effect Library: Free sounds and royalty-free music
- Editing and Effects: All the basic functions you need to structure and mix your podcast audio
- Bookmarks: Scrub, search, and mark sections to make editing easier
Compatibility 🤝
WavePad is compatible with Windows and Mac.
Pros 👍
This software’s batch processing is fast an powerful. If you need to convert a bunch of files at once, or if you want to apply an edit to them, batch processing can save you a lot of time.
Cons 👎
WavePad does not include a mixer. Instead it has a link to the paid mixer software that it sells. It also has frequent pop-ups, asking you to buy the more advanced version of WavePad.
Avid Pro Tools Intro
Avid is a very well-respected video and editing software. Avid’s Intro version is its free audio editing software. You get limited features compared to its paid audio editing software tiers: Pro Tools Artist, Pro Tools Studio and Pro Tools Ultimate. 💵
Features 🛠️
- Eight Audio Tracks: Edit up to eight different tracks in one project
- Plug-Ins Included: Use 36 Avid Plug-Ins including effects, EQ, etc.
- No Latency Clip Special Effects: Hear effects as soon as you apply them
Compatibility 🤝
Avid Pro Tools is compatible with both Windows and Macs.
Pros 👍
This is a great software for podcasters who are just starting to get into editing and envision themselves growing from here. Mastering the free “Intro” version is a great first step into Avid, an industry leader. Then you can easily move up to the paid levels that have more features: Avid Pro Tools Artist, Avid Pro Tools Studio, and then Avid Pro Tools Ultimate.
Cons 👎
This is first and foremost a DAW (digital audio workstation). It is made more for recording music than editing podcasts. But it is still doable!
CyberLink AudioDirector Essential
CyberLink is a software company that specializes in audio and video creations and consumption technology. Its AudioDirector Essential is a stripped down version of its paid AudioDirector 365 software. However, for the first 30 days of AudioDirector Essential, users can access all the tools included in the paid version. 🧰
Features 🛠️
CyberLink AudioDirector Essentials has features including:
- Ripple Editing: Automatically adjusts all your clips on a timeline after an edit to get rid of any gaps between clips
- AI Noise Reduction: Automatically removes unwanted background sound
- AI DeVerb: Automatically removes any reverb or echo from audio
Compatibility 🤝
CyberLink AudioDirector Essential is only compatible with Windows operating systems. To use its AI features, Windows 10 or above is required.
Pros 👍
With its AI features, AudioDirector Essentials can do a lot of the work for you. You will not have as much control over the finished product, but it will save you a lot of time and energy.
Cons 👎
It can be confusing to understand what features come for free and which ones you have to get the paid version for in order to access.
Ashampoo Music Studio
The last free podcast editing software we will cover is Ashampoo Music Studio. This software is more built for ripping, creating, and burning music CDs than podcast production. However, its basic features can be enough for a super simple podcast format. 💿
Features 🛠️
- Cover Design: Make your own cover art with templates and effects
- Metadata: Add and edit your metadata
- Basic edits: Cut, paste, volume adjustment, etc.
- Video Extractions: Extract sound from video files to edit
Compatibility 🤝
Ashampoo Music Studio is made for Windows only.
Pros 👍
Ashampoo Music Studio is very simple with limited editing options. With click-into-place track editing, plus its support for several different file types, everything stays easy to do.
Cons 👎
You can only edit one track on this free podcast editing software. That means rather than creating different layers with different effects, you just have one, linear track.
Now we will cover some editing software that is not free, but does have free trials. ⬇️
Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition offers a seven-day free trial option. Audition is a very well known and respected audio editing software. A lot of podcast agencies and other professionals use it. It is part of Adobe’s all-compassing Creative Cloud, but you can get a subscription just for Audition for $20.99/month. 🎙️
Features 🛠️
Adobe Audition is packed with features:
- Dynamic Link with Adobe Premiere Pro: Edit video sound without ripping and re-uploading.
- Waveform and Spectral Frequency Displays: Visually analyze the audio and make changes using the visual interface.
- Essential Sound Panel: Everything you need to mix audio, with intuitive tools.
Compatibility 🤝
Adobe Audition can be used on Windows and Mac operating systems.
Pros 👍
This software is everything you need to make a podcast. It even has a tutorial specifically for creating podcast episodes. Also, with Adobe Audition you have options whether you want the software to do a lot of the work automatically or if you want to dive into the weeds yourself to get it perfect.
Cons 👎
There is a bit of a learning curve for beginners on Adobe Audition. You will need to watch some of the tutorials and practice until you can start using it smoothly.
Hindenberg Pro
Hindenberg offers a free thirty-day trial for its Pro software (formerly named Hindenberg Journalist Pro). After that you have to pay $12/month. Hindenberg is a Danish company founded by a former radio journalist. 📻
Features 🛠️
Hindenberg has advanced features:
- Magic Levels: Automatically cleans up audio in one click including mic bleed, ducking music for voice audio, mixing, etc.
- Clipboard: Allows you to easily store and organize clips you plan to use and reuse
- Cross Compatible Sessions: Seamlessly share your work file with others, even if they are using a different software like Adobe Audition.
Compatibility 🤝
Hindendberg Pro works on Macs and Window PCs.
Pros 👍
This software much made for podcasting or any other similar work. It even has one-click publishing to some hosting platforms.
Cons 👎
If you are accustom to all the DAW tools often used to record and edit music, you might be frustrated with Hindenberg’s simplified interface.
Alitu
Alitu offers a seven-day free trial option. It is a software that is specifically made for podcast content. After the free trial, it costs $38/month because it also includes recording, hosting, and transcription tools. 💻
Features 🛠️
Alitu’s features are:
- Audio Clean-up: Automatically reduces background noise, plosives, and sibilances
- Easy to Use Tools: Drag and drop organization, highlight to delete gaps, simple clipping
- Smooth Imports and Exports: Works with several different file types and always exports to industry standards
Compatibility 🤝
This is a cloud-based software so it can work on any computer.
Pros 👍
Alitu is made to save you time and energy. Almost all of its editing functions are automated. in a few clicks, your editing process is over.
Cons 👎
You do not have much control or options when it comes to editing. Everything is automated which means you get whatever the software thinks is good enough.
Reaper
Reaper offers a sixty-day trial for you to test it out. It is a Digital Audio Workstation. After you have tested it out, they ask that you pay $60 if you are using it for personal work and $225 if you are using it for commercial work. 🧑💻
Features 🛠️
Reaper has the basic features of a DAW:
- Built-in Effects: Change how your audio sounds with just a click or two
- Plug-in Support: Use various plug-ins to increase this software’s capacity
- Multiple Media Formats: Can import, work with, and export a variety of files
Compatibility 🤝
Reaper works on Macs, Windows, and Linux.
Pros 👍
This software gets up and running fast. It does not take a long time to load everything it needs to. Also, Reaper provides the same product to everyone– its highest quality software– all for the same price.
Cons 👎
This software is primarily made with music production in mind, not podcast recording. Users need to have a pretty decent grasp of audio editing or they will face a big learning curve.
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How to Get Started
No matter which free podcast editing software you choose, it is always a good idea to go through any tutorials available. Even the simplest one might have tools and tricks that you would otherwise miss. 🤓
Also, do not get disheartened if at first it takes you a while to get good at using the software. You will learn with practicing. And your podcast quality will be better for it.
Soon you will have the best content out there. 🧑🚀💜
And don’t forget: Editing software is just one of many podcast tools you need in your tool box. Be sure to pick your tools well and take time to hone your craft.
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