The 7 Best Audio Recording Software for Quality Output

Do you need help finding the best audio recording software? I know what that’s like, and it can be a head-scratcher. Finding the best solution for your specific needs can be daunting.

That’s why I’ve put together a complete guide to help you find the best software for voice recording.

Whether you want to record podcasts, musical tracks, talk shows, interviews, or any other audio format, these options should do an excellent job for you.

I’ve ranked and reviewed seven of the best voice recording software in the market, but here are my top five picks.

Adobe Audition helps you achieve top-level audio recordings that your listeners will love.
Logic Pro is a powerful Mac-based audio editing tool that helps create professional recordings.
The open-source software Ardour lets you easily record and export sound in multiple file formats.
WavePad is a highly customizable tool that lets you tailor-fit your recording workflow.
Start recording easily with Garageband, a tool perfect for beginners and hobbyists.
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What Is an Audio Recording Software and Why Do I Need It?

What Is an Audio Recording Software and Why Do I Need It?

Have you gone to a seminar or meeting and struggled to keep track of thousands of pages of notes?
Or maybe you were planning to start a podcast, and the audio quality on your phone recorder didn’t cut it?

In situations like these, what you needed was a quality audio recording app or software. People use audio recording software to create audio files and content.

Audio recorder software helps you capture audio tracks and prepare them for posting or editing for others to listen to online or offline.

You want that recorded audio to be clear and isolated, so capturing the information relayed in your audio files would be easy.

Some of the most popular use cases for good audio recording software include the following:

  • Record audio from important meetings
  • Record class and seminar audio for review
  • Create podcasts
  • Record music and songs for artistic or commercial use
  • Dub audio for films and documentaries
  • Record instructional audio for employee onboarding

There are many other use cases for audio recording, but these are the most popular. And in all these cases, you’ll need top-quality recorder software.

The good news is that there are many options available to you.

So let’s go straight into the most popular audio recording software and what makes them great options for digital audio recording solutions for you.

The Best Audio Recording Software

Best Audio Recording Software

Here are my picks for the best tools. Let’s break down these best recording software for vocals and more to help you land on the best possible option.

0
out of 10

Omar's Take

Adobe Audition is the overall best recording software for PC and Mac in many ways.

It's a complete solution that records great-sounding audio tracks. Plus, it has a wide array of audio recording and editing tools to make your audio sound crisp and professional.

:
Audio engineers and producers
:
Starts at $20.99 a month
:
Up to 35%
:
Free 14-day trial

Adobe Audition is excellent for all users who want to record audio tracks for their music, podcasts, interviews, voice-overs, and other projects.

The audio recording software also has a broad collection of editing features for audio restoration and mixing work on your recorded audio.

As one of the best recording software for Windows and Mac users, Adobe Audition has a multitrack recording workflow that gives you a lot of flexibility and control. You can also record multiple tracks at once.

adobe audition

Features

  • Ability to set gain levels appropriate for each track and then set individual EQ levels and processing treatments
  • Excellent main vocals isolation
  • Background noise removal features
  • Option to add sound effects and loop tracks to your audio files to add style and substance and turn your audio recordings into professionally sounding ones
  • Saves your voice and audio files in multiple audio formats, including mp3, WAV, AICC, WMA, and WMP

Cons

Adobe is great for professional audio recording. However, as an audio editing software, it can be quite overwhelming, especially for beginners.

That’s not to say it’s not a good audio editing software, but the audio recorder software is just so robust that you’ll need some time to explore and maximize its features.

Moreover, there’s also the problem of not being able to open MIDI files on Adobe Audition. Apart from that, it’s one of the best audio recording software.

Pricing

adobe audition pricing plan

Here are Adobe Audition’s pricing plans.

  • Monthly plan - $31.49 monthly (You can cancel anytime with no fee)
  • Yearly plan (billed monthly) - $20.99 monthly (fees apply if you cancel)
  • Yearly plan (prepaid upfront) - $239.88 yearly
0
out of 10

Omar's Take

Logic Pro is another excellent audio capture software and digital audio workstation from the creative minds of Apple for people looking to record music, podcasts, and many other audio types.

The recording software has stellar multi-channel audio recording and produces some of the most high-quality audio recordings. It’s the best option if you’re looking to produce music.

 

:
Songwriters and musicians
:
$199.99
:
N/A
:
Free 90-day trial

Logic Pro is one of the most powerful tools for audio recording. It’s also one of the best music recording software because of all the music recording and editing tools that help you make professional-sounding tracks.

The voice recording software hosts all sorts of automation to help you save time and energy when recording audio for music, podcasts, and voice-overs.

logic pro

Features

  • Flex time and pitch feature that lets you efficiently fix issues in post-production
  • A host of automation you can fully utilize when recording audio
  • Quick swipe management for better comping to quickly compare takes and select the best one for perfect recordings
  • Additional recording functionality, including Quick Punch-In, Autopunch, advanced recording commands, and automatic coloring
  • Step input recording to manually enter MIDI events instead of recording in real-time
  • Virtual instruments, including piano and drummer roll interfaces

Cons

Logic Pro is great, but it’s pricey upfront as it holds a $199 price tag. But because it’s a one-off purchase, you save money over the long term as there are no monthly subscriptions.

And then there’s the issue of the sound recording software only being available on a Mac.

Plus, the program is quite powerful compared to other audio recording software, so it will take up a lot of processing power and storage.

Logic Pro requires the latest macOS or iOS versions, 6 GB of storage for the program, and 72 GB for the entire sound library.

If you’re planning to use it only for audio recording, the software could be a bit of an overkill.

Pricing

Logic Pro is available for a one-off price of $199. You can try it out for free for 90 days.

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out of 10

Omar's Take

Ardour is also one of the best audio recording software for PC users. It’s compatible with Mac and Linux, making it one of the most versatile voice recording software options. Best of all, it’s free to use!

:
Those on a budget
:
Free
:
N/A
:
Free

Ardour is an audio editing and recording software that appeals to many composers, audio engineers, podcasters, radio producers, soundtrack editors, and musicians. You can use it to record audio with relative ease.

The free audio recording software is an open-source product born out of the collaborative effort of musicians and programmers to come up with the best software for recording audio.

ardour

Features

  • Open source code to customize features and capabilities with the help of a programmer
  • Flexible input monitoring options that can handle recordings with individual monitor buttons
  • Set the punch-in and out points on the free recording software in many ways and combine your tracks with a loop playback
  • Stop and forget feature that lets you get rid of bad recordings and free up storage instantly

Cons

Ardour is excellent for audio recording but lacks substantially on the audio editing front. You can use it to edit audio files, but it won’t be as polished and easy to use as other programs.

Because it's a free recording software, expect that the technical support won’t be as good. However, there is a supportive user community that’s ready to share knowledge and best practices.

Pricing

As an open-source software, Ardour is available for free.

0
out of 10

Omar's Take

WavePad is one of the most intuitive audio recording software options, making it great for people who want a clean and basic user interface.

:
Beginners
:
Starts at $60
:
N/A
:
Free version available

Despite the tool's simplicity, WavePad is one of the best free audio recording tools.

It packs advanced features and capabilities for audio recording and mixing. You’ll definitely end up with really great-sounding audio content with WavePad.

wavepad

Features

Wavepad has a customizable toolbar to remove and configure tools on the audio recorder to fit your preference and convenience. This allows you to personalize your workflow.

The intuitive split-and-mix functions also help to further improve your audio recording workflow.

It also comes with a set of audio editing capabilities, including over 20 filters and tons of effects to polish your audio recording. Some effects include distortion, reverb, amplification, fade-out, and a sound equalizer.

Cons

WavePad is excellent when you record and mix audio. However, exporting can be challenging as they take significantly longer than most expect.

It also isn’t the best audio editing software as it lacks multitrack mixing and batch processing functions, which could slow down your post-processing workflow.

Pricing

Wavepad’s pricing plans

Here are Wavepad’s pricing plans.

  • A free plan
  • WavePad Sound Editor (Standard edition) - $60 one-time payment
  • WavePad Sound Editor (Master’s edition) - $99 one-time payment
0
out of 10

Omar's Take

Garageband is a free music recording software available on any Mac device for no cost. It’s
one of the best music recording software for beginners and hobbyists, as it can quickly record multiple tracks and mix audio quite intuitively.

The digital audio workstation is also one of the most reliable digital audio workstations. It has a massive free sound database with virtual instruments, loops, and sound effects.

:
Hobbyists
:
Free
:
N/A
:
Free to all Mac users

This free audio recording software has one of the most extensive libraries of audio effects and loops, making it great for people who want to build demos for fun.

You can choose from all sorts of electronic sounds to create music as much as you like.

garageband

Features

  • Easy-to-use multitrack recording dashboard that lets you record voice and instruments relatively easily
  • Massive library of audio loops and free audio effects to add life to your demos and recordings
  • Virtual instruments with excellent sound quality, especially a virtual keyboard and drumset to add electronic accompaniment to your track
  • A free audio recorder that connects with multiple audio inputs and easily records sound alongside your virtual instruments or other audio files
  • Adds tracks and individually mixes audio files with the audio recorder, then exports them in various formats for publishing and distribution.

Cons

While Garageband is the best program for recording music for fun, the free software is probably not the best option for professional music production.

And although the vocal recording software can capture high-quality audio clips, there are many limitations to its editing capabilities.

However, it’s a great resource if you’re a starting musician building EPs or a podcaster.

Lastly, Garageband may be the best free audio recording software for Apple products, but it’s available only to Mac users.

Pricing

This free audio recording software is free for all Mac users.

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out of 10

Omar's Take

Riverside is an audio recording software with cloud-based functions. You can access it anytime and anywhere through an internet connection. You don’t need to download the program, freeing up local storage for other files.

This audio recording software is arguably one of the best for browser-based audio recording as it provides high-quality audio recording. It also allows you to record video files for podcasts, interviews, vlogs, or training videos.

:
Web-based audio recording
:
Starts at $19 a month
:
Up to 21% off
:
Free plan for the first two hours of recording

Riverside is one of the best audio recording software for remote interviews and recordings. They’re perfect for creating video interviews, panel discussions, and podcast guestings.

riverside

Features

Cloud-Based Recording
Because Riverside is a cloud-based recording software, you can also store your recordings online. All files will securely live in your Riverside account.

But if you’d like to take out your recordings, you can also do so by downloading them into your device.

Invite Links
These provide an easy way to invite guests to a recording session on the audio recording software and record audio content. You just copy the join link and share it with your team or guests.

High-Resolution Video Recording
This is an excellent option if you’re recording a webinar, video podcast episode, or training video for your team.

Computer Screen Sharing and Recording
This feature is handy if you want to share slides or demonstrate something on your computer.

Live Streaming Capabilities
Riverside isn’t just an audio recorder software; you can also stream live to your social media platforms.

This allows you to build and engage a social media following by providing value through talk shows, tutorials, and other forms of valuable content.

Cons

Riverside is a cloud-based platform and doesn’t work when you don’t have an internet connection. You’ll have to be connected to use its services and features to the full extent.

Pricing

riverside pricing plan

Here are Riverside.fm’s pricing plans:

  • Free - Up to 2 hours of recording one-off
  • Standard - $19 monthly (5 hours of recording per month)
  • Pro - $29 monthly (15 hours of recording per month)

For more monthly recording hours, you can contact Riverside’s sales team for custom plans.

0
out of 10

Omar's Take

A significant chunk of people who record audio has most likely used Audacity at some point.

It’s one of the most popular free sound recording software in the market because of its broad range of editing tools. It’s also highly accessible, easy to learn, and comes up with great sound recordings.

:
Recording on a budget
:
Free
:
N/A
:
Free software

Audacity is also an open-source program born out of the collaboration of many users and experts who have helped make the software the solution it is today.

It has an array of audio mixing, recording, and publishing tools, making it a highly flexible option. Because it’s free, many people begin their recording journey with this software.

audacity

Features

  • Can be used to record live audio through a microphone or mixer, or digitize recordings from other media
  • A selection of LADSPA, LV2, VST, and Audio Unit (macOS) effects
  • Support for LADSPA, LV2, Nyquist, VST, and Audio Unit effect plug-in
  • A spectrogram view mode to visualize and select frequencies
  • Ability to import, edit, and combine sound files
  • Ability to export recordings in various audio formats, including multiple files at once

Cons

As a voice recording program, Audacity does the job exceptionally well. However, on the editing side, there are many limitations.

Because Audacity is a free open-source program, it currently does not offer telephone or email support. You can, however, access community pages to ask other users your burning questions.

Pricing

Audacity is available for free. However, you can pay extra for third-party upgrades and features to improve your experience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What Are the Benefits of Using Audio Recording Software?

What Are the Benefits of Using Audio Recording Software?

There are several benefits to using audio recording software to record audio clips, some of the most compelling reasons being the following:

Ease of Use

Audio recording software makes it much easier to record an audio file and prepare it for editing or publishing. The convenience allows a more efficient way to record music or voice for all sorts of use-case scenarios.

Music and radio producers and podcasters use audio recording software because of how much time and effort it saves.

Sound Quality

Audio recording software helps produce better quality computer audio clips when you use it to record sound, mainly if you do so with a good microphone.

An audio recording tool also helps you process data from an audio input. That way, your computer can support all microphones when recording sound on your desktop or device.

Editing Capabilities

Many of the best audio recording software programs are also podcast editing software.

This multifunctionality lets you mix audio, balance various audio sources and files, apply effects, and do other enhancements.

This lets you improve the style and substance of your audio content. It’s also helpful for audio restoration and enhancement.

Collaboration

Your audio recording doesn’t just stop with you. You can better collaborate with people, primarily if you use remote voice recorder software.

You can also share a computer audio file more efficiently than analog recordings, as you can send them virtually.

Compatibility

Using an audio recorder also improves compatibility because it lets you export your audio files in various formats.

How Do I Choose the Best Audio Recording Software?

How Do I Choose the Best Audio Recording Software?

While all audio recording software have standard features, it’s crucial to determine which one will best meet your company’s needs. Here are some factors to consider when deciding on the best audio recording software.

Check for Software Compatibility.

Check that the software is compatible with your computer’s operating system and any other software you may be using.

Apart from the OS, check if you have the proper specifications to run audio recording programs, which usually require a lot of processing power and storage.

Determine Non-negotiable Features.

Determine what features you need and search for software that provides those capabilities.

Editing tools support various file formats, and the ability to apply effects are all standard features to consider.

Check the Learning Curve.

Another consideration is the software’s interface and how simple it is to use. Remember that software programs with more advanced features have a steeper learning curve.

Check if you find the user interface comfortable and if you can use the tool well. Thankfully, most audio recording software options have a free trial, so you can test them before paying for your top choice.

Read Reviews.

Read credible reviews about the software you intend to use for recording. Identifying the software’s strengths and weaknesses will help determine whether it fits your needs.

When you’ve decided on a few options, look for a demo or trial version before you pay for a subscription. This will give you a clearer understanding of the software you intend to integrate.

Consider Your Budget.

After you have done your research to find the best audio recording software for your business, take another look at your budget.

It would be unwise to pay for expensive audio recording software with advanced features that you’ll only end up unable to use. Make sure to choose one that meets both your budget and purposes.

What Equipment Do I Need To Record on My Computer?

What Equipment Do I Need To Record on My Computer?

Before using audio recording software, you’ll need a few things before getting started, including the following:

  • A computer with the correct specifications
  • An audio interface with microphone inputs and outputs for speakers or headphones
  • A clear microphone to ensure that you record a crisp sound
  • Speakers, headphones, or both
  • Other optional equipment like a pop filter, a windscreen, a microphone stand or boom arm, a shock mount, and a mixer to adjust the levels of multiple audio sources

Final Thoughts

So there you have it—the best sound recording software for producing quality audio output. Hopefully, this list is an excellent place to start for finding the best software for your needs.

Remember to consider each software’s aspects to ensure you strike the perfect balance between price and performance.

Looking for more options for creating fantastic podcasts? Check out my guide on the best podcast editing software in the market.

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Omar Founder of OJ Digital Solutions

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