12 Best Free Audio Editing Software for Beginners in 2024

Some artists dish out thousands of dollars on sound engineers and recording studios to achieve professional-level audio. But what if we told you anyone can create high-quality audio content from the comfort of their home without paying a dime?

While it is true that high-ticket packages can be worth the price, there are many free audio editing software that are surprisingly feature-packed. They also come with the bonus of being much easier to use. 

However, not all free audio editors are created equal, and there's no shortage of options. That's why we've put together this quick guide to the best free audio editing software available today.

• Snapshot of Our Top 3 Free Audio Editing Software
• How to Choose the Best Free Audio Editing Software?
• How We Test the Best Free Audio Editing Software
• Best Free Audio Editing Software Comparison Chart
• The Best Free Audio Editing Software for Beginners - Ranked
• What is the Best Free Audio Editing Software?
• Free Audio Editing Software FAQ

Snapshot of Our Top 3 Free Audio Editing Software

How to Choose the Best Free Audio Editing Software

There are many different reasons you may need to edit audio, and not all the options on our list will suit your needs. Here are some things to look for when choosing the best free audio editing software for you.

Ease of Use 

While all the free audio editors on our list are appropriate for beginners, some are simpler than others. Some are for beginners hoping to become professional audio editors or music producers. They are pared-down and no-cost versions of professional software that would be too complex for someone who just wants to clean up some dialogue. Others have quick and simple tools, so even first-time users can jump in and edit audio right away. In each of our reviews, we lay out exactly how easy (or not) each free audio editor is going to be for most beginners. 

Tracks 

It is important to know how many tracks you think you will need when you edit audio. The free audio editing software on our list range from a single track to unlimited tracks. If you edit audio for a single speaker, such as an audiobook or sermon, then one track will suffice. However, if you are editing a music recording with instruments, or a podcast with multiple guests, you will require more tracks. 

Audio Restoration Tools

Unless you have access to a professional recording studio, your audio will probably need some help. We highly recommend choosing a free audio editor with audio restoration tools, especially if you didn’t record in a sound-proof environment. These tools can eliminate wind, background voices, sirens, airplanes, and even bird sounds from your recordings. They can also clean up audio by removing plosives, hisses, hums, and more that can occur even in a professional setting. 

Compatibility

We always recommend checking the System Requirements of any free audio editing software before attempting to use it. Our reviews will let you know if the program works on Windows, Mac, Linux, or online, but sometimes a specific version of your OS is required, and some of the online tools only work in certain browsers. Some free audio editing software require a large amount of computer space, or even additional hardware to work properly. 

How We Test the Best Free Audio Editing Software

We’ve compiled the best free audio editing software by evaluating features, performance, and workflow. Here's a breakdown of how we approach this:

Test and Compare Features

First, we test the free audio editor’s ability to perform common tasks like cutting, splitting, trimming, and inserting audio clips. Next, we experiment with adding effects like EQ, reverb, compression, and noise reduction. We want to see how easy it is to apply and adjust these effects and check the accuracy and sound quality of the results.

Check Functionality

While testing key features, we are also looking at the overall functionality of each software. We check if it supports non-destructive editing and multitrack editing. We decide if it is appropriate for music production, podcasts, videos, etc. We look at the intuitiveness of the user interface and the supported file formats.

Rate Performance

We check the system requirements to see how much CPU, RAM, and storage space the free audio editor needs to see if the average desktop can handle downloading and using the software without interruption. We test for crashes and bugs while using the software by trying audio files of varying sizes and complexities. Finally, we evaluate the responsiveness of each free audio editor during playback and while applying effects in real-time.

Best Free Audio Editing Software Comparison Chart

The Best Free Audio Editing Software for Beginners - Ranked

1. AudioDirector

Best For: Streamlined AI-Enhanced Cartoon Transformations

AudioDirector is a multi-track audio recorder, editor, and mixer for Windows. This beginner-friendly free audio editor is an audio restoration powerhouse, with AI-powered tools like noise reduction, speech enhancement, wind removal, and spectral recovery. With the new AI Restoration Assistant, you can auto-detect background noises and restore audio with recommended tools for dialogue or music. Insert or remove silences, automatically match ambient noise across all your audio clips, and modify voices with preset voice effects. It's a virtual Swiss army knife for audio production, making it our #1 pick for the best free audio editing software.

This free audio editor has full integration with PowerDirector, PC Mag Editor’s Choice for the best video editing software of 2024. Using the 2 programs, you can sound design films and create industry-standard foley sound effects and voiceovers. You can import one video file and up to a hundred audio files to the editing timeline. You can even create ambisonic soundtracks for immersive 360-degree videos. Creating a final mix is a straightforward process, and you'll have all the needed formats to choose from when exporting your mastered tracks. It’s an excellent way for filmmakers, podcasters, and YouTubers to edit audio.

AudioDirector also comes with a vocal balance and removal tool to extract vocals or instrumentals from any song. It's perfect for creating your own cover, parody, or karaoke tracks for your next house party. Since our last round of testing, AudioDirector has added new features like Voice Changer, Breath Control, and Noise Reduction, and enhanced the Vocal Remover and Vocal Boost tools. This free audio editing software has all the audio editing tools a professional needs for sound recording, editing, mixing, and restoring in a beginner-friendly package. 

Key Features:

• AI Wind Removal: Remove destructive background noises
• Remove clipping, hum, click, hiss, and plosives with audio restoration tools
• Simulate the characteristics and sound qualities of phones and radios from different eras
• Create templates from your average frequencies with EQ Match
• Contour dialogue by changing pitch and intonation

Compatibility: Windows

TechRadar Rating: 4/5

Beginner-Friendly Tools: 5/5

Price: Free
*Premium subscription available for $4.33/month

Download AudioDirector, our #1 pick for the best free audio editing software today.

2. MyEdit

Best For: Streamlined AI-Enhanced Cartoon Transformations

MyEdit is a web-based audio editor that requires no installation and doesn’t leave a footprint on your computer. It is the best free audio editing software if you have small files that need quick edits, such as trimming clips or removing background noise. Its powerful AI algorithms speed up the audio editing process for busy professionals, and the intuitive interface includes only the most necessary features, making it a great choice for first-time users.

This free audio editing software has everything you need to restore and edit audio files. Trim clips, find BPM, and change pitch using MyEdit’s general audio editing tools. We used Noise Gate and Noise Cancellation to produce crisp audio tracks with manual tools, then tried AI restoration tools for an automatic solution, including Audio Denoise, Wind Remover, and Speech Enhancement. We were shocked at the audio quality we achieved from a simple free online tool.

We think MyEdit shines when it comes to accurate, one-click AI tools. Remove or extract vocals, automatically convert audio to text in a variety of languages, or change text to speech with realistic AI vocals. There’s even a sound effects generator, that generates 3 options from a text prompt - the perfect tool for gamers or filmmakers trying to produce a specific sound. MyEdit includes many AI tools in its free version, including the generative AI features. You can also get 3 free credits per day to use with premium AI tools. Since our last review, MyEdit’s file size limit increased from 100MB to 300MB, with audio clip length extending from 10 minutes to 30.

Key Features:

1. Generate scripts or video captions using Speech-to-Text
2. Automatically find the tempo of any music track in seconds with the AI-based BPM detector
3. Change your voice with a variety of voice filters and AI voice avatars
4. Remove the vocals from your favorite tracks to create a karaoke version

Compatibility: Web Browser

Outside Reviewer Rating: No reviews available at this time

Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4.5/5

Price: Free

Premium subscription available for $4/month

Give it a try now!

3. Acon Digital Acoustica

Image from acondigital.

Best For: Splitting audio

Acoustica from Acon Digital is a free audio editing software and post-production tool. Its Remix feature can split a mix into 5 stems, so you can edit them independently. It also uses machine learning tools to separate distracting sounds from dialogue. These tools include DeBuzz, DeRustle, DeWind, DeClick, DePlosive, and even DeBird, which removes bird sounds from your audio. If you are a podcaster or VO artist, these tools can work wonders for your recordings.  

This free audio editor offers non-destructive, multitrack drag-and-drop audio editing, with an unlimited number of undo and redo levels. You can fade in/fade out with 5 different curves, and batch-process audio files. We found it had some helpful tools for CD creation, including a Cleaning Wizard that helps make the LP/Tape to CD transfer a smooth process, supports buffer underrun protection, and saves/loads CD projects for further editing. 

Acoustica is a great way for professionals or beginners to edit audio for music, VO, podcasts, films - you name it. The newest version of the software added Speech-to-Text, waveform drawing, and interface improvements. Acoustica does not have a dedicated free version, only a free trial. And while the price for the Standard edition is affordable compared to other audio editing software of this standard, most of its fantastic audio restoration tools and spectral editing are saved for the Premium version. 

Key Features:

1. Automatic speech recognition for creating captions for videos
2. Processing tools such as time stretching, pitch shifting, sample rate conversion, etc.
3. Spectrum, spectrogram, and wavelet analysis

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

TechRadar Rating: 4.5/5

Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4/5

Price: 30-day free trial, then $59.90 for Standard, $199.90 for Premium, and $299.90 for Post Production Suite

4. WavePad Audio Editing Software

Best For: Audio effects

Based on our testing, WavePad is the best free audio editing software for audio effects. If you are a beginner who wants to try out different audio effects, you’ll love WavePad’s extensive toolbox,  including amplify, normalize, equalize, envelope, echo, reverb, reverse, and more. All the effects are easy to use and quickly applied. WavePad also has a voice changer and text-to-speech options. 

WavePad has many audio editing tools such as cut, copy, paste, delete, insert, silence, auto-trim, compression, and pitch shifting. We like the royalty-free sound effects, music library, and tool that allows you to create ringtones from your music files and recordings. 

Like AudioDirector, WavePad Audio Editing Software is packed with great features for a wide range of users. It is especially great for novices who have never used free audio editing software because it is so easy to use and has a robust free version. However, WavePad has a few drawbacks such as prolonged rendering times and no mixer.

Key Features:

1. Edit multiple audio files simultaneously with batch processing
2. Audio restoration tools including noise reduction and pop removal
3. Scrub, search, and bookmark audio clips for quick edits

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

TechRadar Rating: 4/5

Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4.5/5

Price: Free
*Premium versions available for $50 for Standard Edition and $80 or $4.44/month for Master’s Edition

5. GarageBand

Best For: Editing music

Apple’s GarageBand is an excellent free audio editing software for those who want to quickly create and share music. It has a large instrument sound library and more than 255 audio tracks so you can re-create the sounds of a full orchestra with no instruments. Easily organize multiple takes for easy editing.   

We found that you can use the free Logic Remote app on your iPhone or iPad to control the free audio editor from across the room. GarageBand has simple tools to edit audio as well as some advanced features, such as Flex Time which allows you to drag out-of-time notes into place.

GarageBand is a quick yet robust free audio editing software. It has tons of music options and third-party plug-in support. However, it lacks the quality sound you would get with more professional software. It’s also slightly harder to learn than our first four offerings.

Key Features:

1. Virtual session player that features 28 beat‑making drummers and 3 percussionists
2. Built-in effects like compression and visual EQ, plus plug-in support for additional effects
3. Move your audio between right and left channels with Stereo Panning

Compatibility: Mac

G2 Rating: 4.3/5

Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4/5

Price: Free

6. Auphonic

Best For: AI-powered audio editing

Auphonic is free audio editing software for beginners or busy editors who need a fast solution. It comes loaded with AI tools so you can edit audio quickly, with no prior experience. Utilize auto speech recognition and transcription in over 80 languages, or use AI denoising algorithms to reduce background noise and eliminate hum. Auphonic is for speech only, and we recommend it for podcasts, sermons, audiobooks, and videos. 

This free audio editor uses an intelligent leveler to automatically balance levels for different speakers, and adjust the volume of background music. It processes multiple tracks at once, including recordings from different microphones, phone calls, or video chats. Auphonic includes a Global Loudness Normalizer and True Peak Limiter so you can pass admission criteria for your favorite platforms. 

Auphonic’s automated features will appeal to beginners, but experienced users may want to edit audio with more control. These users may prefer an AI-powered free audio editor like AudioDirector that also features manual controls for additional tweaking. We also found that although Auphonic works wonders with loudness control and balance, its AI tools did little to enhance low-quality audio, and in many cases only made it worse. That being said, it has moved up a spot on our list of the best free audio editing software due to rising online review scores. 

Key Features:

1. Decrease crosstalk, reverb, and background noise with adaptive noise gatese
2. Use OpenAI to create speech-to-text transcripts that differentiate between speakers
3. Automatically filter out uwanted sound signals

Compatibility: Web Browser

G2 Rating: 4.2/5

Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4/5

Price: Free for up to 2 hours of audio processing per month
*Monthly plans available by the hour ($11/month for 9 hours, $24/month for 21 hours, and so on)

7. OcenAudio

Image from Software Advice.

Best For: Editing speech

OcenAudio is a multitrack free audio editor with a wide range of features for content creators. You can edit the audio from videos or podcasts with speech enhancement and restoration tools. It also handles large files with ease, so an hour-long podcast would be no problem. We think it is one of the best free audio editing software for beginners because it is incredibly simple to use and has a clean interface.  

A popular feature of OcenAudio is that it allows you to preview your sound effects in real time. When you edit audio, you can adjust the playback parameters from the timeline without modifying your original audio file. That allows you to quickly and easily edit audio with different effects until you find the one that works best for your project.

With the OcenAudio interface, you can import files from cloud servers or your local storage while using keyboard shortcuts to save time. This free audio editor lacks multitrack editing and other advanced features found in AudioDirector or Audacity. However, Audacity users will find it has a much cleaner and more appealing interface, which is why we placed OcenAudio higher on our list of best free audio editors for beginners. 

Key Features:

1. Select different parts of an audio clip and edit them simultaneously
2. Support for waveform and spectrogram views
3. Remove background noises using automatic or manual controls

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

Capterra Rating: 4/5

Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4/5

Price: Free

8. Audacity

Best For: Big audio projects

During our testing, we found Audacity to be one of the best free audio editing software for big audio projects. The program is extremely lightweight, so it can handle long audio recordings such as an audiobook or hours-long podcast without crashing (and if it does crash, the automatic crash recovery tool is there to save your bacon). We recommend it for advanced users on a budget who want a powerful free tool for professional projects. 

This free audio editing software includes unlimited audio tracks, restoration tools, batch processing, spectral/spectrogram views, and audio effects like reverb and distortion. You can also edit audio with basic tools such as cut, copy, paste, and delete. 

Audacity has a streamlined user interface that is similar to professional DAWs. In a recent update, it even added musical features, including a beats and measures grid and time stretching. We think it’s a good tool for beginners hoping to learn audio editing, simply because of its free price point. But those beginners should be prepared to spend some time learning how to use it. 

Key Features:

1. Support for 16-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit audio processing
2. Support for LADSPA, LV2, Nyquist, VST and Audio Unit plug-ins
3. Automatically lowers background music track when dialogue begins

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

PCMag Rating: 4/5

Beginner-Friendly Tools: 3.5/5

Price: Free

9. Ashampoo Music Studio

Image from Ashampoo Music Studio.

Best For: Creating and burning CDs

Ashampoo Music Studio is a comprehensive program for managing and editing your audio files. It is the best free audio editing software for making CDs. With Ashampoo, you can design CD labels, rip and burn discs, record and edit audio, and create mixtapes or playlists. 

Unlike the other free audio editing software in this guide, you can also use Ashampoo Music Studio to play and organize audio files. You can edit file metadata tags and extract audio tracks from a video file using this free audio editor. 

Audio producers will mainly use the Modify and Record features, but the other features can also be helpful. If you are a hobbyist or your audio editing needs are relatively straightforward, Ashampoo Music Studio is a viable choice. But for professional-sounding results, something more comprehensive such as our top choice for best free audio editing software, AudioDirector, may be necessary. 

Key Features:

1. Use tempo analysis and smart synchronization to easily mix tracks
2. Search for pauses and split audio into smaller parts to edit audiobooks and podcasts
3. Convert audio by selecting frequency and bitrate or choosing a preset format

Compatibility: Windows

TechRadar Rating: 3.5/5

Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4/5

Price: Free
*Premium version available for $44 or $12/year

10. Avid Pro Tools Intro

Best For: Aspiring professionals

Avid Pro Tools is often considered the industry standard for music production. Future music producers now have the opportunity to learn Pro Tools on a pared-back and completely free version of the software. Not only do we recommend it for beginners who want to learn professional software, but also for professionals looking for a free audio editor. In fact, if your Pro Tools subscription lapses, it will default to Pro Tools Intro so you can continue using familiar tools for no charge. 

You can edit audio in countless ways with precision and endless flexibility with this free audio editing software. Fix, enhance, tweak, and mix audio and MIDI files with the same GRAMMY-winning tools used by pros. 

If you don’t need endless audio tracks or surround sound, then Avid Pro Tools Intro should more than cover your audio editing needs. However, as you’d expect from something so close to professional software, there is a learning curve and high system requirements. Anyone looking for a quick and easy free audio editor should look elsewhere. But those hoping to enter the business of music production or feature film sound editing should take the time to learn. In our updated list, we moved Avid Pro Tools Intro above the similarly-rated Audiotool. While they both have a learning curve and high system requirements, Pro Tools is closer to professional software and more worth the effort. 

Key Features:

1. 36 plug-ins such as virtual instruments, loops, reverb, and delay
2. Hardware support for third-party software with Core Audio, ASIO, or WASAPI-compatible interfaces
3. 8 audio tracks, 8 MIDI tracks, and 8 instrument tracks available

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

TechRadar Rating: 4/5

Beginner-Friendly Tools: 3/5

Price: Free
*Premium subscriptions available for $99/year for Artist, $299/year for Studio, and $599/year for Ultimate

10. Audiotool

Image from Chrome Web Store.

Best For: Artist collaboration

If you are making and producing music on a budget, Audiotool could be the best free audio editor for you! It is our pick for the best free audio editing software for artist collaboration because Audiotool was built to connect artists and allow collaboration in real-time. Invite other producers to your online studio and work simultaneously on projects. There’s a built-in publishing platform so you can release your work and get instant feedback. If you need inspiration, you can listen to over 1 million songs on Audiotool for free and even reach out to the artists to use their samples in your projects. This free audio editing software also offers video and audio text chat to offer help when you need it.

This online free audio editing software is a good tool for mixing and sampling music tracks. There are more than 200K presets for synthesizers and effects, a library of user-created samples, and tons of virtual instruments. There are also editing tools to chop, route, split, and merge different tracks. 

Audiotool is a fantastic social platform for artist collaboration and creativity. If you are a beginner and want to get into music production, it can be a helpful tool. However, it has a confusing interface and will take time to learn. It is also very resource-intensive and crashes quite easily.  

Key Features:

1. 28 unique effects including MIDI effects
2. Multiple synthesizers including Bassline, Space, Tone Matrix, and more
3. Professional royalty-free samples from Loopmasters and New Loops

Compatibility: Web Browser

G2 Rating: 4/5

Beginner-Friendly Tools: 3/5

Price: Free

12. AudioMass

Best For: Waveform editing

AudioMass is an open-source, free audio editing software found online. We like it best as a waveform editor, because we could zoom in extremely close on our audio waveform, and had the option to view it horizontally or vertically. You can also apply effects to only a section of your waveform. AudioMass is a quick and free audio editor for beginners and short audio projects. 

This free audio editing software has zero learning curve. We clicked on the site for the first time and began to edit audio in seconds. AudioMass has tempo and rhythm tools, audio effects like distortion, delay, reverse, and reverb, and basic tools such as compressing, trimming, cutting, and copying audio files. 

AudioMass is perfect for beginners to edit audio for short projects. However, it lacks music production tools and would not do for professionals or complex edits. Our #1 free audio editing software, AudioDirector, is a better choice since it offers similar ease of use, but greater functionality.  

1. Measure and display signal strength with the spectrum analyzer
2. Fade in or fade out of intros, outros, and background music
3. Insert and remove silences automatically

Compatibility: Web Browser

Cyberg Rating: 3/5

Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4/5

Price: Free

Key Features:

What is the Best Free Audio Editing Software?

If you are looking to edit audio files, you have plenty of software options. Expensive audio editing software generally offers high-end features that give you the freedom to edit your tracks to perfection—but so do some free programs.

While free audio editing software may not have as many complex bells and whistles, they often offer all the features you need to create podcasts and other professional content while being much easier to use.

If you're looking for the best value and functionality, we recommend AudioDirector. It's hands-down the best free audio editing software for anyone from first-time users to media producers on a budget.

Download AudioDirector today and start producing professional audio content with the best free audio editing software.