📝 Quick summary: The best free audio editing software can trim a podcast, clean a voice recording or mix a song without any cost. This guide compares 10 editors, from desktop programs to browser tools, with their real free limits.
You do not need to pay to cut, join and clean sound. Some free editors are full programs that rival paid ones. Others are web tools that are quick but have limits, such as a watermark or a monthly cap.
Free offers change over time, so check each official site before you commit. Facts below come from the official pages of each tool.
🔍 What to Look For in Free Audio Editing Software
- 💻 Platform. Choose a desktop app for heavy work, or a browser tool for quick jobs on any device.
- 🎚️ Tracks and effects. Multi-track editing and plugin support matter for podcasts and music.
- 🧹 Noise clean-up. Check for tools that reduce hiss or even out volume.
- 💧 Watermarks and caps. Some free web tools add a watermark or limit your hours.
- 📤 Export formats. Make sure you can save in MP3, WAV or the format you need.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Access | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Audacity | Free and open source | All-round desktop editing |
| Tenacity | Free and open source | Audacity-style editing |
| ocenaudio | Free download | Fast, simple editing |
| Waveform Free | Free, no track limit | Multi-track music |
| Ardour | Free and open-source software | Recording and mixing |
| BandLab | Free Studio, web and mobile | Music on any device |
| Soundtrap | Free plan, in the browser | Collaborating online |
| Kapwing Audio Editor | Free to start, watermark on exports | Quick online trims |
| Audio.com | Free hosting and AI tools | Sharing and stem splitting |
| Auphonic | 2 hours of audio per month | Auto-leveling voice |
🏆 The 10 Free Audio Editing Software Tools
1️⃣ Audacity
Audacity is the best-known free audio editor, and its site calls it the world’s most popular audio editing and recording app. It has been around for decades, so tutorials are easy to find. You can record, cut, join, fade and clean up sound on one timeline.
It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and supports many plugin types, including VST3 and Nyquist. It can also convert between formats such as WAV, MP3, FLAC and Ogg, and its spectrogram view helps you see problem frequencies. The team says Audacity is and will remain free for everyone.
| 💰 Free plan | Free and open source, with no paid tier |
| 🎯 Best for | Podcasts, voice-overs and general editing |
| 💻 Works on | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 👤 Account | Not needed |
- Completely free
- Huge help community
- Plugin support
- Interface can feel busy at first
- Not built for heavy music production
💡 Pro tip: Record your voice in a quiet room, then use the spectrogram to spot hum or hiss.
2️⃣ Tenacity
Tenacity is a community-built editor that works much like Audacity. It is run by volunteers and is free and open source. If you like the classic layout but want a project with a different direction, it is worth a try.
It handles multi-track timeline editing and recording from real or virtual audio devices. It supports VST, LV2 and AU plugins, high-quality 32-bit float audio and many file formats, which you can extend with FFmpeg. It also has keyboard editing and screen reader support, and you can script it in Nyquist, Python or Perl.
| 💰 Free plan | Free and open source |
| 🎯 Best for | Users who like the classic editor layout |
| 💻 Works on | Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD |
| 👤 Account | Not needed |
- Good accessibility support
- Many plugin formats
- Scripting options
- Smaller community
- Volunteer-driven updates
💡 Pro tip: Add FFmpeg to open more file types.
3️⃣ ocenaudio
ocenaudio calls itself an easy, fast and powerful audio editor. It is a good choice if Audacity feels heavy. The layout is clean, and you can start editing within minutes.
Its download page says you can download it for free for your platform. It supports VST plugins, shows a real-time preview while you adjust an effect, and lets you select several parts of a file and edit them at once. It handles very long files well, and its spectrogram settings update in real time.
| 💰 Free plan | Free download; the licence type is not stated on the site |
| 🎯 Best for | Quick edits and long recordings |
| 💻 Works on | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 👤 Account | Not needed |
- Easy to learn
- Real-time effect preview
- Handles long files
- Fewer advanced music tools
- Licence terms not on the main page
💡 Pro tip: Use multi-selection to apply one fade to many clips at once.
4️⃣ Waveform Free
Waveform Free is a full digital audio workstation (DAW) from Tracktion. The company says it has no track-count limits and no trial expiry, so you can build large projects at your own pace. That is rare for a free DAW.
You get 14 built-in audio effects, 8 MIDI effects, 11 utility plugins and 4 built-in instruments. It supports VST, VST3 and AU plugins. Paid feature expansions start at $30, but they are optional. It runs on macOS 13 or later, Windows 10 and 11, and has been tested on Ubuntu 24.04.
| 💰 Free plan | Free, no track limits or trial expiry |
| 🎯 Best for | Multi-track recording and music |
| 💻 Works on | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| 👤 Account | Free Tracktion account for download |
- No track-count limit
- Built-in effects and instruments
- Plugin support
- More complex than a simple editor
- Some features sold as add-ons
💡 Pro tip: Start with its podcast and singer-songwriter views to avoid feeling lost.
5️⃣ Ardour
Ardour is a free, open-source DAW for people who want deep control. Its site says you can record, edit and mix on Linux, macOS and Windows. It is used by audio engineers, musicians, soundtrack editors, composers and podcasters.
You can add any number of tracks and busses, use non-destructive editing, and work with plugins in AudioUnit, LV2, VST2, VST3 and LADSPA formats. It also has a video timeline for film and video soundtracks. It is licensed under the GNU Public License v2. Check the download page to see how builds are offered.
| 💰 Free plan | Free and open-source software; check the download page for details |
| 🎯 Best for | Serious recording and mixing |
| 💻 Works on | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 👤 Account | Not needed to use |
- Any number of tracks
- Video timeline
- Flexible routing
- Steep learning curve
- Too much for simple trims
💡 Pro tip: Read the Getting Started tutorial before you open your first session.
6️⃣ BandLab
BandLab is a cloud music studio that runs in the browser and on phones. It is a great pick when you work on mobile, since you can start a track on your phone and finish it on a computer.
BandLab describes its Studio as 100% free, with unlimited multi-track projects and free cloud storage. It also lets you invite up to 50 collaborators to a project. The site lists mobile apps for iOS and Android as well as the web version. It also offers royalty-free loops and samples.
| 💰 Free plan | Free Studio with unlimited multi-track projects and cloud storage |
| 🎯 Best for | Making music on a phone or in a browser |
| 💻 Works on | Web, iOS, Android |
| 👤 Account | Free account needed |
- Works on mobile
- Free cloud storage
- Team collaboration
- Needs an internet connection for cloud features
- Account required
💡 Pro tip: Use the collaboration feature to share a project with a friend and trade edits.
7️⃣ Soundtrap
Soundtrap lets you make and record music online with no download. It is popular for group projects because several people can work in the same browser project from different places.
Its site offers a free start with free instruments, loops, drum kits and a vocal tuner. Some features, such as vocal tuning and automation, are tied to paid plans, and the free-plan limits are not listed on the home page, so check the pricing page before you plan a large project.
| 💰 Free plan | Free to start; check the official site for current limits |
| 🎯 Best for | Online music and group projects |
| 💻 Works on | Web browser |
| 👤 Account | Free account needed |
- No download needed
- Free instruments and loops
- Real-time collaboration
- Some tools need a paid plan
- Free limits not clear on the home page
💡 Pro tip: Test a small project first to see if the free tools cover what you need.
8️⃣ Kapwing Audio Editor
Kapwing’s audio editor is a quick web tool for simple jobs. You open it in your browser, upload a file and make basic changes with no software to install. It fits well when you just need to trim a clip.
On the free plan you can trim, split, change volume and speed, and add music. Free exports are basic MP3 or MP4 and carry a watermark. AI features such as Clean Audio for noise removal and Smart Cut for removing silence are part of the paid plan, as are watermark-free exports.
| 💰 Free plan | Free to start; watermark on exports |
| 🎯 Best for | Quick trims and simple edits |
| 💻 Works on | Web browser |
| 👤 Account | Free account for exporting |
- Nothing to install
- Easy for beginners
- Speed and volume controls
- Watermark on free exports
- AI clean-up is paid
💡 Pro tip: Use it for short clips, and use a desktop editor for long projects.
9️⃣ Audio.com
Audio.com is the online companion to Audacity and describes itself as a free audio hosting platform. You can upload sound files online or straight from the Audacity app, then share them with others.
It also offers free online AI tools: a stem splitter, a vocal remover, a voice extractor, an audio converter and speech-to-text. The home page does not list storage caps or upload limits, so check its help pages for current limits. Some add-ons and music packs are paid.
| 💰 Free plan | Free hosting and AI tools; check the official site for limits |
| 🎯 Best for | Sharing audio and splitting stems |
| 💻 Works on | Web browser; Audacity link |
| 👤 Account | Free account needed |
- Free AI tools
- Works with Audacity
- Easy sharing
- Limits are not on the home page
- Some extras are paid
💡 Pro tip: Use the vocal remover to make a practice track from a song you have rights to use.
🔟 Auphonic
Auphonic is a different kind of tool. You do not edit a waveform by hand. You upload a recording and its algorithms level the volume, reduce noise and reverb, and set a standard loudness for podcasts or video.
The free plan gives you 2 hours of processed audio per month, and unused credits do not carry over. It includes the Intelligent Leveler, noise and reverb reduction, filler and silence cutting, API access and a command-line tool. Free productions include an Auphonic jingle, and multitrack productions are capped at under 20 minutes.
| 💰 Free plan | 2 hours of processed audio per month |
| 🎯 Best for | Podcasters who want automatic clean-up |
| 💻 Works on | Web browser |
| 👤 Account | Free account needed |
- Automatic leveling and noise reduction
- Loudness standards built in
- API access
- Jingle added to free productions
- Not a manual editor
💡 Pro tip: Edit your content in another tool first, then run the final mix through Auphonic.
🚀 Tips for Using Free Audio Editing Software
| Tip | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Record in a quiet room | Clean source audio needs less fixing |
| Use a pop filter or speak off-axis | It reduces harsh “p” sounds |
| Edit a copy of your file | You keep the original safe |
| Export a WAV master, then an MP3 | WAV keeps full quality; MP3 is smaller to share |
| Check licences for music and samples | Free software does not give you rights to other people’s music |
Need a transcript of your recording? See our guide to free AI transcription tools. Making videos too? Read about free video editing software and free screen recording software. If a format will not open, try a free file converter. You can also read the official Audacity FAQ for the basics.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free audio editing software for beginners?
Audacity and ocenaudio are good starting points. Both are free desktop editors with simple controls for cutting and cleaning audio.
Is Audacity really free?
Yes. The Audacity team says it has always been and will remain free for everyone, and it is open source.
Which free audio editor is best for podcasts?
Audacity works well for editing, and Auphonic can level and clean the final audio. Many podcasters use both.
Can I edit audio on my phone for free?
Yes. BandLab offers iOS and Android apps, and Kapwing and Soundtrap run in a mobile browser.
Do free web editors add a watermark?
Some do. Kapwing adds a watermark on free exports, while desktop tools like Audacity do not.
What is the difference between an audio editor and a DAW?
An editor focuses on cutting and cleaning single recordings. A DAW, like Waveform Free or Ardour, is built for recording and mixing many tracks and instruments.
Can I remove background noise for free?
Yes. Auphonic includes noise and reverb reduction on its free plan, and desktop editors offer noise tools through effects and plugins.
Which format should I export in?
Use WAV for the best quality and MP3 when you need a smaller file to share or upload.
Is open-source audio software safe?
It is generally safe when you download it from the official site. Avoid unofficial download pages.
Can I use free audio editing software for commercial work?
Usually yes for your own recordings, but always read each tool’s licence and check rights for any music or samples you add.
Which free audio editing software works on Linux?
Audacity, Tenacity, ocenaudio, Waveform Free and Ardour all list Linux support.
Do I need a powerful computer?
Not for simple editing. Large multi-track music projects in a DAW need more memory and a faster processor.