The 5 Best Podcast Recording Software to Wow Your Listeners
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By Omar
- Updated on Apr 9, 2023
Podcasts have become popular content amongst creators and consumers.
Data shows there are over 2 million podcasts live today.
With all the podcasts available, sometimes it can be hard to stand out.
Many factors come into play, but the quality has to be one of the most significant non-negotiables. Your podcast quality depends on your audio recording.
If you’re planning to launch a podcast, you’re probably looking for the best software for recording podcasts.
I can help you.
I’ve ranked and reviewed the best podcast recording software. I’ll also explain what makes each one so excellent to help you choose the perfect one for your needs.
Here are the top five at a glance.
An excellent free resource for anyone who wants to dip their toes in podcasting
An advanced remote recording software for people who want to create content at a whole new level
Table of Contents
The Best Podcast Recording Software
Are you looking for great podcast recording tools? Allow me to share my top picks for the best podcast recording software available for podcast production.
Omar's Take
Adobe Audition is part of Adobe’s creative suite (Photoshop, Premiere, Lightroom, and more) and lets users record and edit audio tracks.
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Best For Overall
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Price $19.99 monthly
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Annual Billing N/A
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Promotion N/A
Features
With Adobe Audition, you have automated audio editing tools that let you batch process audio files by adding various effects to audio recordings.
This feature saves you plenty of time when editing a podcast recording.
Adobe Audition also has many editing tools on top of multitrack recording. You’ll have access to several background noise-reduction capabilities, compression, and equalizers.
You also have a content library of different sound effects, additional plug-ins, and third-party integrations to improve the recording and editing process.
You can also use Adobe Audition to edit a video podcast because it has an essential video editor function.
Cons
Adobe Audition is a great option for advanced podcast editors and podcasters. But if you’re a new podcaster who’s just starting off, Adobe Audition can be a little intimidating because of all the advanced functionality.
After all, Adobe Audition isn’t only an podcast recording software. It’s also an audio editing software.
However, as you practice and progress in your podcast production skills, Adobe Audition can quickly become one of the best recording software options for you.
You also can’t use MIDI in Adobe Audition, which could potentially be a deal-breake to most.
Lastly, Adobe Audition can get expensive over time given that Adobe charges you monthly to use the software.
Pricing
Getting Adobe Audition will cost you $19.99 a month if you get it on its own.
However, you also have the option to get the whole Adobe Creative Suite for $52 a month and get access to other tools including the following:
- Adobe Premiere for video editing
- Adobe Photoshop for graphic design
- Adobe Lightroom for photo editing
- Adobe Illustration for graphic design
- Adobe Aftereffects for Animation
- Adobe InCopy for text edits and layout modifications
- Adobe InDesign for graphic design
- And many others
Omar's Take
Garageband is a digital audio workstation for macOS and iOS users that is excellent for recording and editing audio. It has multitrack recording and an intuitive interface that’s easy to use for those new to podcast recording.
What I love about Garageband is how easy it is to edit audio files and then edit them immediately. With Garageband, you can record, edit, and publish podcasts in one go.
Furthermore, the high-quality recordings and advanced noise reduction feature make GarageBand an excellent audio recording and editing tool.
You can get this podcast recording software for free on any Mac device.
Garageband’s editing tools are for music production, making it more of a song recording software than podcasting software.
However, it doesn’t mean you can’t use GarageBand to record excellent podcasts. It’s still one of the best podcast recording software, even if that isn’t its primary use.
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Best For Versatility
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Price Free
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Annual Billing N/A
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Promotion Free Trial
Features
Despite being a free podcast recording software, Garageband has many excellent features for recording and editing audio tracks.
Garageband lets you record and edit podcasts in one go. Its editing capabilities and settings are more than sufficient, boasting excellent equalizers, compressors, various sound effects, and loops for background sound.
This software lets you choose what recording device you want to use and has an excellent sound monitor.
You can easily record podcasts in separate tracks with a high-quality multi-track recorder.
The tool lets you easily share and export audio files between Mac devices.
Cons
Garageband is free to all Mac users. Unfortunately, it isn’t available on Windows computers and devices.
Moreover, the podcast recording software has many limitations in terms of controls over your project. There’s no dedicated mixer screen and limited options on the MIDI editing part.
Editing individual tracks and the whole project isn’t as intuitive as one can often mistake one from the other, causing problems in the mixing. However, once you get a hang of it, you won’t have this problem too often.
Despite all these limitations, Garageband is still a good podcast recording software. In our eyes, it’s still one of the best podcast recording apps in the market.
Pricing
Garageband is available for free on all Mac devices.
Omar's Take
Logic Pro has all the power of an audio recording and audio editing program in one.
I also love the audio quality of Logic Pro’s recordings and robust editing features that help with podcast creation.
Logic Pro is primarily for music recording, which has higher audio recording quality standards than most podcasts.
Like Garageband, Logic Pro is an audio recording and editing software in one. Its audio editing tools are notches above most tools.
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Best For Mac Users
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Price $199.99
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Annual Billing N/A
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Promotion N/A
Features
Logic Pro supports pristine 24-bit, 192kHz audio, making the audio recordings extremely high quality.
The podcast recording software also has an extensive library of free tracks and audio stock files that you can use to spruce up your recordings.
Logic Pro has the Logic Remote App, a companion app for iPhones and iPads that lets you trigger sounds from an iPad, use multi-touch to activate sounds at once, and so much more.
Cons
Logic Pro’s upfront payment can be quite pricey, making it hard for new podcasters to access this podcast recording software. However, Logic Pro does record audio quite well and has many features that make the price worth it.
There is an ongoing debate also on whether Logic Pro is an overkill option for podcasters or not. The advanced features are mostly meant for music production,
The podcast recording software and its editing features are also designed more for someone who might have a higher level of technical expertise.
Pricing
The audio recording software and editor costs $199 per license. You’ll need one license per device that you install the podcast recording software on.
Omar's Take
Audacity is also a free podcast recording software providing high-quality recording, making it one of the best software for a Windows user who wants to save money.
Despite being a free podcast software, Audacity can still provide professional-quality audio if you have the right microphone. You can use Audacity to record podcasts and still have a show with fantastic sound quality.
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Best For Economical use
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Price Free
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Annual Discount N/A
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Promotion N/A
Features
Audacity also has audio editing capabilities that let you post-process your audio file after recording. Its audio editing tools are more than enough to complete an excellent episode.
Audacity is also a free podcast software.
For additional costs, you can download top-tier plugins to help you record and edit your podcast episodes.
Cons
Audacity is a substantial audio recording tool with enough editing tools to make it a decent podcast software. If you’re only starting off, it’s one of the best podcast software to use as it’s straightforward.
However, if you’re particular about user experience, Audacity might fall short. It’s not as well-designed as other podcast software on this list, so you might not like it as much as the others.
And because Audacity is pretty basic, the podcast recording software has limitations in terms of what you can do post-production-wise.
The good news is that there are third-party apps that will improve audio editing capabilities, but you’ll have to pay for most of them. That said, it’s not the best among audio editing programs, but still does a great job on the recording end.
Overall, Audacity is great if you want to record live audio and maybe add some polishing to your audio clips before uploading to your podcast.
Pricing
Audacity is completely free as a standalone podcast recording software. But you will have to pay for plugins and advanced editing tools.
Omar's Take
Riverside is one of the best podcast recording software options for remote interviews and video podcasts.
This podcasting software allows you to record podcast episodes with up to seven people simultaneously, regardless of their location. You can use it to record video and audio files.
With Riverside, you can record uncompressed audio files in audio resolutions as high as 48kHz, ensuring you get the best quality possible.
You can also store local recordings of your podcast files on your device, eliminating the worry of internet connection issues, lag, and unwanted background noise.
Riverside’s free version will have a watermark on the videos, and you can only record for two hours. The time limit shouldn’t be an issue if you’re planning to do audio-only recordings.
This software’s price point isn’t too high, so the investment is worth it if you want excellent-sounding podcasts for remote recording.
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Best For Advanced Remote Podcast Recording
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Price $15 monthly
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Annual Billing $180
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Promotion Free plan with up to 2 hours of recording
Features
Riverside is one of the few options available that has remote recording capabilities, making it great for remote interviews. The remote recording quality is also very good as you can record audio files in high quality.
On top of recording audio, you can also take a video recording, which is handy if you plan to do a video podcast. The paid plans let you can record up to 4K video quality.
Riverside is also one of the more unique audio editing software because it has automated editing tools to speed up your post-production workflow.
With the free version, you can record up to 720p. You’ll be able to capture audio and MIDI tracks in 48 kHz quality.
Riverside also has screen sharing abilities and allows you to live stream to social media with nothing but an account, social media channel, and internet connection.
Cons
Riverside is great if you’re doing remote interviews. But for individual recordings, it can be an overkill alternative.
The podcast software also has some issues when syncing audio and video in some instances, especially if you’re internet isn’t that good.
Also, because it’s cloud-based, you’ll need an internet connection to access it and edit your files. But in terms of remote recording, Riverside is still one of the best podcast software options, blowing out alternatives like Zoom and Alitu.
Pricing
Riverside has several pricing tiers:
- Free Plan – Up to 2 hours of recording (one-off)
- $15 a month – Standard – Up to 5 hours of recording monthly
- $18 a month – Pro – Up to 15 hours of recording monthly
Frequently Asked Questions
What Podcast Recording Tools Will I Need?
On top of podcast recording software you can use, there are other tools you need to record and launch fantastic podcast episodes.
And, no, you don’t need a complete recording studio to create your own podcast! You can record from your home with good noise protection and basic tools.
Here’s a list to complete your recording setup.
Microphone
Quality podcast recording starts with an excellent microphone.
It doesn’t matter how much editing you do on an audio file if you use a poor-quality microphone. The final output still won’t sound good.
Invest in a high-quality microphone you can easily plug into your device and start recording.
Most podcasting microphones should work instantly once connected to your computer via USB or USB-C.
With the right microphone, you’ll have high-quality audio recordings that only need finishing touches on audio editing tools before publishing.
Here are some excellent brands to check out for podcasting microphones:
- Blue Microphones
- Audio-Technica
- Shure
- Rode
- Sontronics
Desktop or Laptop Computer
You must connect your to a desktop or laptop computer to record your podcasts.
Podcast recording doesn’t take up a lot of computing power, so you won’t need an expensive setup to record audio.
If you’re planning to edit the podcasts yourself, picking up a high-RAM desktop is ideal for running editing software. 16 GB of RAM should suffice.
Podcasting Software
Before creating podcasts, you will need other software to complete your recording setup.
Audio Editing Software
With podcast editing software, you can splice, polish, and improve podcast recordings. Use it to add background music, introductions, and closing billboards to your podcast recording.
Podcast Hosting Platform
Podcast hosting software lets you upload your audio files online and distribute them to podcasting directories through an RSS feed.
There are many podcast hosting platforms available.
What File Format Should I Choose When Recording My Podcasts?
There are a bunch of audio formats you should be aware of when you’re recording podcasts.
The three most common ones are AIFF, WAV, and MP3.
Each one is different and has its strengths.
Let’s look at each format in further detail to help you decide which format to use.
MP3s
MP3 formats are compressed audio formats, meaning they have some loss of quality. However, the difference in quality is insignificant to most listeners, as you can often barely tell the difference.
MP3 files are compressed audio file formats, meaning they take up less storage than other audio file formats. MP3 is ideal if you don’t want to take up too much space on your computer or cloud folders.
AIFF
AIFF or Audio Interchange File Format is an uncompressed audio file format. Its sound quality is higher but will also take up more storage space.
Professional audio use cases, including recording and editing music, often use the AIFF format.
WAV
Like AIFF, WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) is an uncompressed audio file format. The file size might be bigger but have better quality.
Many podcasters who want high-quality recording use WAV more than AIFF.
Most podcast software can record and edit all three file formats, so choose whichever you want.
If you want more high-quality audio, WAV and AIFF will be better audio file types.
However, you’ll need more storage space to store all your recordings. Save on file storage by using the MP3 format.
How Do I Edit My Podcasts?
Most of the recording software on this list also have recording capabilities, including Garageband, Logic Pro, Adobe Audition, Audacity, Riverside, and Hindenburg Journalist.
There are many options available for podcasters, radio broadcasters, and producers.
You can also try the following software.
- Alitu
- Auphonic
- Pro Tools
- Descript
- Reaper
Do I Need to Record Podcast Tracks Separately if I Have a Guest?
Most people working on a song production with a recording studio will record tracks separately.
Generally speaking, it is better to record your podcast tracks separately if you can. Doing so gives you more control over what you want to do when editing the tracks later, especially if you’re recording with a guest on your show.
Let’s say your guest coughs or sneezes during an excellent point or insight in the podcast.
You’ll have to lose that portion altogether if you have both recordings on one track. You can keep it, but it won’t be the best quality.
Recording tracks separately also allows you to mix voices individually in post-production. Doing so is ideal if your guest has a softer or louder volume than you or other guests.
By recording tracks separately, you can also easily add sound effects or background music to your podcast.
Thus, recording audio tracks separately while recording podcast episodes with a guest is better. It takes more effort but is worth it if you want more flexibility when editing your podcast.
What Directories Should I Add My Podcasts?
Podcast directories are apps and libraries where people can listen to your episodes. While you don’t store your audio files in these directories, you can point them to your podcast host using an RSS feed.
Spotify has the highest brand awareness for streaming share, with up to 82% of people knowing about its podcasting library.
However, you don’t have to limit yourself to one channel.
Most platforms will submit your podcast RSS feed to as many channels as possible.
You should also be on the following channels.
- Apple Podcasts
- Google Podcasts
- Amazon Podcasts
- Stitcher
- Podcast Republic
- Castbox
- Amazon Podcast
- Deezer
- Anypod
- Podcast Addict
- PlayerFM
- Learning Out Loud
- iPodder
Is It Better To Use Free Podcast Software or Paid Ones to Record?
People often say that paid podcast software is better, but it’s not always that simple. You’ll have to consider your budget, needs, and editing skills.
Furthermore, the best podcast software isn’t necessarily the best one.
If you can create top-notch episodes with free podcast software, the’s shouldn’t be an issue.
However, if free software hinders the quality of your shows, consider paying the premium.
If you’re planning to monetize your podcast, paying for software should be a good investment. Quality will play a crucial factor in your ability to grow your revenue.
The Bottom Line
I hope my list of the best podcast software made it easier for you to choose the one most suited to your specific needs, goals, and budget.
Regardless of which software you choose, remember that the most expensive one isn’t necessarily the best podcast recording software. You don’t have to pay top dollar to get software with all your desired features.
Always find the perfect balance between price point and features.
Omar
Founder of OJ Digital Solutions
