What Audio Editing Software Is Best?

How to select the best audio editing software

Audio editing software is a basic and moderately effective way to record and modify sound. You can find audio programs that will help you to edit your old vinyl records or tapes, and they also have tools for recording podcasts.

These sound editors are easy to use and can even restore simple, horrible recordings to a better quality. The majority of expert audio programs that we reviewed have tools to eliminate hum, hiss or pops associated with terrible recordings.

Podcasters love the power of audio editing programs. Sound editors can be used to record a variety of sounds at once. There are fewer tools than you would need to edit sound, which is an advantage over a digital audio workstation (DAW). To record a podcast, all you need is a USB mic, sound editor, and something interesting to say.

Check out our other articles to learn more about sound editors and podcasting.

Even though audio editing software looks identical to DAWs it is actually two different units. DAWs have the ability to record unlimited numbers of sound sources simultaneously. DAWs offer many tools and plugins that allow you to create your own music.

DAWs can be costly, even for the initial versions. Expert audio editing programs are much cheaper. A preliminary DAW will cost $100, while an expert-level audio editor will cost less than $50.

In the event that you are looking for an advanced grade DAW, which can be as high as $550 and consume significant amounts of storage on your computer, it is worth considering. However, a solid editorial manager will not take this option. For more recording options, check out our Recording Studio Software site.

How it works: Licensing music for video editing - What it is

Music licensing is complex and can be difficult to understand. You need to be aware of your rights before you download any music.

It is best to be cautious. If you're unsure whether a particular piece can be used for your video, contact the artist to let them know. They will let you know if your idea is allowed or not.

Many of the music featured on this site is licensed under Creative Commons, meaning you can freely share and download it. There are many Creative Commons licensing options, each with their own requirements.

These five are the ones you'll most often see:

CC0 - Completely free. You can freely download, remix, copy, share, and do any other thing with the track. The artist is not required to credit you.

CC-BY : Attribution. This can be used however many times you want, but you will need to give credit to the original artist.

CC-BY–SA : ShareAlike This license lets you make whatever uses the same piece of music.

CC-BY–NC: NonCommercial. Without permission from the artist, the track cannot be used in any form that is not intended for monetary gains, such as YouTube videos that are monetized.

CC-BY-ND: NonDerivative. This track can't be included in a video without permission.

There are also other Creative Commons Licenses. Wikipedia provides a helpful list that includes both the most widely used CC licenses (and other less popular options).