Top 15 Free Sound Editor Software: must have for all Mac and Windows devices

Sound editor software allows generation of audio data and editing it. You can use these software fully or partially as a library or computer application and web application.

You can use it for live audio recording and prerecorded files as well. Some of the few specific functions for which they are mainly used include virtual audio mixing for live instruments or microphones and virtual instrument rack.

It can also be referred as the process of manipulating audio to alter its length, speed and other attributes.

Audacity

Audacity is possibly the best free sound editing software out there. It has a simple easy to use interface that is good for both beginners and professionals.

Pros:

• It supports multi-track editing and recording in many formats. It also supports various plug-ins for you to choose from. Gsnap lets you add auto tuning effects to your audio.
• It lets you write your own plug-in too. Its plug-in manager is capable of dealing with a wide range of plug-in installations.
• You can choose from a variety of audio sources like microphone, mixer, among others.
• It also has 16 bit, 24 bit, 32 bit support. This lets you generate high quality sound at all times.
• While editing, you can go back and forth through any number of actions. This is very convenient while comparing during editing and rectifying errors.
• Audacity is completely free and compatible with GNU/Linux, Windows, Mac.

Cons:

• The interface looks primitive and unappealing.
• Nowadays, faster free audio editing softwares are available.

GarageBand

GarageBand is one of the best free sound editing software in the Mac environment. It has a modern GUI that allows you to conveniently add effects and mix recordings.

Pros:

• You can multitrack several instruments. You can use a plugged-in instrument, an ambient microphone, or a MIDI keyboard.
• Apple keeps adding to its vast sound effects and loops library on a regular basis. This allows you to easily produce wonderful audio without having all the instruments.
• It supports 24 bit recording. This enables you to produce clear audio.

Cons:

• It is compatible only on Mac devices.
• You do not have absolute control over your project.
• It lacks a specific mixer screen.
• It does not come with too many options for MIDI editing.
• It is less versatile than its paid counterparts such as Logic Pro X and Adobe Auction.

Ocenaudio

Ocenaudio is a new and more advanced free sound editor. It is also much faster and lighter compared to Audacity.

Pros:

• The interface is simple and handy. It offers a range of keyboard shortcuts too.
• Unlike most free sound editors, it does not add the effects straight to the original audio. This enables you to adjust the different settings and listen to the changes right away.
• It also offers a range of filters that you can apply to your audio.
• It has Virtual Studio Technology plug-in support. Hence, you can use your own plug-ins too.
• It is faster than Audacity. It is also not as heavy as it.
• It works on several platforms like Linux, Windows and mac.

Cons:

• It does not support multi-track editing. It supports single stereo/mono files only.

FAE Media

FAE media is also one of the nicest free music editors. It is short for free audio editor. It offers a very simple interface that is easy to navigate through. This makes it perfect for beginners.

Pros:

• It can capture audio from many different sources.
• It compresses the audio clip without compromising with its quality. This way you can save a lot of space without degrading the value of your work.
• You can automatically get rid of any noise in your audio such as pops and rustles.
• You can customize your bit rates between 24 bit and 32 bit. This enables you to record audio with high quality. Sample rates go up to 192 kHz.
• It supports several audio formats. You can integrate audio of various formats into a single file.

Cons:

• It does not offer any free filters.
• It does not let you edit stereo tracks one at a time.

Nero Wave Editor

Nero Wave Editor is a very basic free sound editor software.

Pros:

• It is perfect for basic editing. It does not over-complicate your work with over-the-top editing effects that you don’t need.
• It lets you apply effects without causing any harm to the quality of your audio clip.

• It lets you design your own presets.

  Cons:

• It does not offer cross platform support. It is available on Windows only.

WavePad

WavePad is one of the best free sound design software that has been around for a while now. It has both basic as well as advanced tools. Its installation and operation is easy.

Pros:

• It offers you a bunch of effects like noise removal, reverb etc.
• You can change the speed and pitch of your audio clip.
• It offers audio scrubbing.
• It lets you process a bunch of audio clips together. This proves to be a huge time saver.
• It works on Mac, Windows and Android.

Cons:

• It does not support multi-track editing.
• It is older than most other audio editing softwares in the market. Thus the interface is not as modern-looking as the others.

CDex

CDex is the perfect free audio mixing software for beginners.

Pros:

• It can read the contents of a CD automatically and rip them.
• It supports many audio formats like MP3, WMA, WAV etc.
• It can record several tracks.

Cons:

• Its design is for beginners. Hence, the finish is not professional.

Zortam MP3 Media Studio

Zortam MP3 Media Studio lets you rip audio off your CDs, normalize MP3 and many more handy features.

Pros:

• You can import 50000 audio files with great speed.
• The user interface is very strong and helps you organize your files.
• You can also use it as an YouTube MP3 Converter.
• It supports many audio formats like MP3, FLAC, WAV, WMA etc.

Cons:

• It has an irregular font issue.
• It does not have an Album Artist tag.

DVDVideoSoft Free Audio Editor

DVDVideoSoft Free Audio Editor is a free sound design software. It is very easy to use and houses some basic features. Its main function is to trim and split audios.

Pros:

• The interface is simple.
• It lets you convert between different audio formats.
• It lets you select sections of the audio clip and add tags.
• It supports many audio formats like MP3, WAV, AAC, M4A, etc.

Cons:

• It is not available on Mac.
• It does not offer advanced editing tools.

TwistedWave

TwistedWave is a free sound editor that works on Mac. On other devices it operates as a web-based application.

Pros:

• You can save your work to cloud or Google Drive.
• Uploading files is very easy.

Cons:

• Your browser must have Javascript built-in for this to run.
• The free version permits you to edit audio up to 5 minutes only.

Wondershare FilmoraPro Audio Editor

Wondershare FilmoraPro offers sound editor free installation. It offers almost all the best premium editing features for free.

Pros:

• It lets you add audio to videos.
• It compresses and synchronizes audio automatically.
• It has a huge library of royalty-free tracks.

Cons:

• It is great for audio processing for video production. It is not quite efficient as an audio editor exclusively.

MP3 Direct Cut

Despite what its name suggests, MP3 Direct Cut does a lot more than just cutting audio clips.

Pros:

• It can detect gaps and pauses in audio automatically.
• It suggests where you might want to cut the audio.
• It supports batch processing. This saves a lot of time.

Cons:

• The interface is not very simple. It is not ideal for people who are not tech savvy.

Wavosaur

Wavosaur is the best sound editor software if you are looking for something simple that is not large.

Pros:

• It enables you to work on multiple files at once.
• The audio processing takes place in WAV or MP3 formats. This makes the entire process smooth and hassle free.
• It supports Virtual Studio Technology (VST) plug-in.

Cons:

• In spite of having VST support, it does not come with any plug-ins of its own.
• It does not let you redo the changes that you have made.

Power Sound Editor Free

Power Sound Editor Free by Power Media lets you record and process audio. It has a very simple interface that is convenient for beginners.

Pros:

• It can capture sound from multiple inputs in high quality.
• It offers more than 25 audio effects.
• It supports most major audio formats.

Cons:

• It supports a smaller range of audio formats than other free sound editor software.
• It is perfect for beginners but lacks essential features for professional purpose.

Acoustica

Acoustica is premium audio editing software. It has all the advanced features needed by professionals. The newest version requires subscription. However, you can use the older versions for free.

Pros:

• The interface looks modern and professional.
• It offers an Effect Chain feature. This lets you layer various effects one on top of another. You can then add this blend on your audio clip.
• It is also a good audio mixing software. It has an AI powered remix tool called Spleeter.
• You can also “unmix” a complicated mix of audio and segregate them into separate clips.
• It offers 7.1 surround sound and multi-track editing.
• It also erases noise and plosives automatically.

Cons:

• You cannot access the latest version for free.

MixPad

MixPad is a painless sound editor software. It has largely simplified audio processing and mixing. The program’s user interface is simple and elegant.

Pros:

• It enables multitrack editing with unlimited number of clips simultaneously.
• It supports almost all audio formats.
• It offers ASIO support. This enables editing with precision.
• It offers a bunch of other editing effects too.

Cons:

• The highest sample rate here is 96 kHz. Most other software offer higher sample rates.
• You can only export audio files below 32 bits.

All the apps in this list stand out with their unique characteristics and features. We hope that with this article, you now have a good idea about how to choose the best free sound editing software for you. It is entirely based on the aspects and features that you desire. Do remember to look for all the features and specifications. And then compare them, before you get the best fit for yourself. No matter which sound editor you settle for, we hope this article has helped you in making the right decision. Happy editing!