So you want to start editing audio? Maybe you‘re looking to clean up podcast recordings, splice together sound clips, or apply some effects to music tracks. Whatever the case, audio editor software provides the tools to make this possible. But with so many options out there, it can be tricky to know where to begin.
This guide will walk through the key things you need to understand as an audio editing newcomer, recommend some of the most beginner-friendly software choices, and share tips to help you avoid common pitfalls. Let‘s dive in!
What Is Audio Editor Software?
In simple terms, audio editor software allows you to open up audio files like MP3s and WAVs, view the waveforms visually, and then edit, manipulate and enhance the audio through cut/copy/paste functions, effects, mixing capabilities and more. This lets you carry out tasks like:
- Trimming down long recordings
- Removing unwanted sections
- Fixing issues like clipping or background noise
- Adding effects like reverb and EQ
- Mixing multiple tracks together into one seamless audio file
Advanced audio software used for music production is often referred to as a "Digital Audio Workstation" or DAW. But for general editing purposes, often a more lightweight program is all you need.
Who Needs Audio Editing Software?
While advanced musicians and podcast producers are obvious users, even casual users can benefit. For example:
- Content creators – cleaning up audio from videos, voiceovers etc
- Musicians – editing rehearsal recordings, adding effects
- Business users – editing pre-recorded presentations
- Personal users – removing unwanted sections from interview recordings
The common thread is that whenever you need to tweak or improve audio files, an editing software gives you the power to do so.
Types of Audio Editor Software
There are a few main categories:
- DAWs – Fully featured software for music production and editing. Examples are Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live.
- Loop editors – Specialized DAWs for loop sampling and music creation. Examples include Sony Acid, Apple Logic.
- Restoration tools – Focus specifically on audio cleanup and repair. Examples are iZotope RX, Acon Digital Acoustica.
- General editing tools – Lightweight software for more casual editing needs. Examples are Audacity, Ocenaudio.
As a beginner, DAWs may overwhelm you, while restoration tools are overly specialized. General editing tools are often the best place to start – offering a balance of usability and key features.
Core Audio Editing Concepts
Before diving into specific software options, there are some key audio editing concepts worth understanding as a new user:
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Waveforms – The visual representation of your audio file. These show amplitude over time and are essential for precise editing.
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Effects – Tools that alter the properties of your audio, such as reverb (simulates a space), compression (evens out volume differences) and EQ (controls frequency levels).
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Mixing – Blending together multiple tracks into one cohesive piece. Balancing volumes, positioning elements in the stereo field (left/right placement) etc.
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Mastering – The final polishing process to optimize the audio quality. May involve subtle effects and conversion to a distribution format.
That covers some of the key terminology! Next let‘s look at some specific software options worth considering as a newcomer…
Best Audio Editors for Beginners
Here are five user-friendly editors that offer a solid starting toolset while remaining easy to use even for fresh users.
1. Audacity
Audacity is the long-time audio editor stalwart, popular thanks to being fully open source. The interface is clean and well laid out, making it relatively intuitive even for newcomers.
Key features:
- Record audio directly
- Strong selection of effects
- Support for VST plugins
- Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux)
- Completely free
As an open community product, their forum also offers a wealth of tutorials and troubleshooting tips. For a totally free option, Audacity is hard to go past.
Good for: Podcast editing, basic multi-track mixing, format conversion
2. Ocenaudio
A tidy single-window interface sets Ocenaudio apart visually from typical audio editors. The uncluttered style makes it easy for beginners to find their way around.
Key features:
- Streamlined interface
- Robust effects and editing tools
- Real-time previews enable easy testing of changes
- Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux)
- Free with premium offering
Ideal for users who want something more modern looking than Audacity, but still simple. Just be aware buffer sizes impact real-time performance on some systems.
Good for: Voiceover editing, applying sound effects, audio book processing
3. Apple Garageband
Garageband is the starter DAW included free with every Mac. The close integration with Apple‘s ecosystem makes it uniquely streamlined for Mac/iOS users.
Key features:
- Huge library of loops, instruments and sounds
- Effective built-in effects
- Seamless iOS integration
- Curated sound packages for easy song creation
- Distinctive Apple aesthetic appeals to some
Just be warned – the approachability does come at the cost of losing advanced functionality offered in pro DAWs. But for dipping your toes in, Garageband disarms novices nicely.
Good for: Podcast editing, ringtone creation, song demos
4. Avid Pro Tools First
Pro Tools First gives you a taste of Avid‘s industry leading Pro Tools system – for free! Navigating can be less intuitive than other options, but power users can unlock glimpses of the capabilities relied on by pros.
Key features:
- Built on the backbone of the Pro Tools ecosystem
- 16 audio and MIDI tracks
- Avid Audio Engine powers real-time effects
- Seamless transition to paid Pro Tools
- Free version available
As your skills progress, upgrading to paid Pro Tools gives you the same workflow – just minus previous track limits. Worth checking out for aspiring audio engineers.
Good for: Recording demos, sampling beats, testing the Pro Tools waters
5. WavePad from NCH Software
Boasting one of the more polished interfaces among free audio editors, WavePad makes basic editing operations pleasingly smooth.
Key features:
- Intuitive visual editing tools
- Robust audio restoration capabilities
- Integrated library of sound effects
- Batch processing automation
- Free version available
For users struggling with other free options, WavePad should feel less clunky and more streamlined. The advertisements in the free version detract a little, but the superior interface may outweigh this for some.
Good for: Audio book editing, sound design, YouTube video editing
Feature Comparison of Top 5 Editors
These core software options represent some of the more accessible tools currently available. But looking under the hood, there are some notable differences in capabilities that power users will want to factor in.
| Feature | Audacity | Ocenaudio | Garageband | Pro Tools First | Wavepad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum audio resolution (bit depth) | 32-bit float | 32-bit float | 32-bit float | 64-bit float | 32-bit float |
| Maximum sampling rate | 384 kHz | 192 kHz | 192 kHz | 384 kHz | 192 kHz |
| Latency | High | Moderate | Low | Low | Moderate |
| Effects quality | Good | Moderate | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate |
| Included instruments/sounds | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Plugin support | VST | No | AU only | AAX only | VST, AU |
| Paid upgrades | No | Yes | No | Yes (Pro Tools) | Yes |
Pro Tools and Garageband stand out in some areas like sound quality and accelerators. Audacity‘s open architecture enables more customization. For tracking vocals or instruments, sub 15ms latency is crucial – giving Pro Tools and Garageband an edge. It depends ultimately on your priorities.
How AI is Enhancing Audio Editing
Beyond sheer editing capabilities, there are also major strides being made leveraging artificial intelligence to improve audio work flows:
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Smart noise reduction – Machine learning trains software to eliminate repetitive unwanted sounds like computer fans far more intelligently.
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Source separation – Isolate specific audio elements like vocals from complex musical tracks in a few clicks.
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Dialogue isolation – Zero in on speech while suppressing distracting background texture.
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One-touch clean up – Apply quick improvements for noise, clipping, EQ by detecting audio issues algorithmically.
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Synthetic fill – Even reconstruct corrupted sections via generating missing frequencies.
These innovations look to supercharge editing efficiency to reduce repetitive manual clean up. Software like Lalal.ai and Demucs lead the way, with logic likely to be integrated into future mainstream releases.
Applying Audio Editing Software
While standalone audio editors serve many uses, it‘s helpful to think through some real world applications to know what to focus on. Common scenarios where audio software plays an invaluable role include:
Podcast Editing
Typical priorities for getting podcast recordings radio-ready involve:
- Noise reduction – mitigating background hiss
- Compression – evening out volume differences
- De-essing – smoothing out "S" sounds
- EQ – subtly boost clarity
- Ducking – automatically lower music beds under speech
This polished treatment as a standard makes the difference between amateur and professional podcasts.
Music Demo Production
Budding musicians can leverage editors for:
- Multi-track recording – capture multiple instruments/takes
- Comping – combining the best sections of different takes
- Quantization – perfect timing and pitch of performances
- Virtual instruments – add supplemental keyboard, drums, strings over top
- Automation – program muting, panning, volume changes
The goal is expanding limited equipment capabilities during homemade demo development.
Vintage Audio Restoration
For archivists, historians, and hobbyists restoring aged recordings, audio editors empower:
- Noise removal – clean hisses, pops, clicks
- Hum filtering – ground loop, power interference
- De-crackle – suppress vinyl record crackles
- Declip – reconstruct distorted wave tops
- EQ matching – restore high/low end
Careful work reclaiming old tapes, records, films and more for modern enjoyment.
Radio Ad Production
Advertising producers require creative sound design including:
- Multi-track – background, voiceover, jingles isolation
- Metadata – encode details like title, album, artist
- Dynamics – compress for consistent loudness
- De-ess – soften vocal "S" sounds
- Reverbs – match perspective and space
- Ducking – lower music for voice pop
- Downsampling – convert to 128kbps MP3 broadcast standard
Tight 30 second mixes can be rendered for station delivery.
Live Event Streaming
For concert, conference and online event production:
- EQ – tuning room acoustics
- Gates – reduce stage bleed noise during changes
- Compression – prevent clipping from sudden peaks
- Limiting – cap master output preventing distortion
- Reverbs – enhance space‘s natural acoustics
- Delays – push sound for interesting effects
All contributing to quality production values.
Understanding these context-specific goals helps identify which software capabilities to prioritize learning.
Paid vs. Free Considerations
A key choice picking audio editing software is whether to utilize free options or invest in premium toolsets. What do you get by paying?
Benefits of paid and premium software:
- No artificially imposed feature limits
- Access to high quality instruments, effects and sounds
- More advanced editing capabilities
- Lower latency performance
- External hardware compatibility
- Ongoing customer support
Downsides of paid software
- Can be prohibitively expensive long term
- Overkill features for simpler needs
- Free open source alternatives exist
Many paid packages offset cost through offering:
- Perpetual fallback license tiers
- Short-term monthly subscriptions
- Tiered pricing by capability
Evaluating technical necessities alongside budget is recommended. For later upgrading, tools like Pro Tools First now offer easy paid unlocking of limitations in familiar environments.
Market Size and Adoption Stats
The audio software industry continues experiencing strong market growth:
- 9% CAGR industry expansion over 5 years [1]
- $1.4 billion in global recorded revenue by 2028 (projected)
- 15 million monthly active Audacity users as of 2021 [2]
Survey data also confirms a rise of home hobbyist adoption:
- 17% of consumers now edit audio on computers [3]
- 25% increase in home music production over 2 years [4]
The mass market has clearly embraced audio editing software across both professional and amateur contexts.
New Innovations to Watch
While conventional DAWs currently dominate, the next wave of disruptive audio advancements is emerging from new fronts:
Conversational AI Assistants
- Provide intuitive voice-driven workflows
- Contextually follow commands like "delete this section", "fix background noise"
- Lead in productivity compared to manual UIs
Generative Audio
- Allows spontaneously generating sound effects
- Enables creating unlimited music variations
- Could automate repetitive audio tasks
Accelerated Compute
- Leverages GPU and cloud processing for real-time editing of thousands of tracks
- Reduces CPU bottlenecks holding creativity back
- Democratizes high performance beyond only wealthy studios
Integrating these technologies stands to revolutionize future digital audio workstation capabilities.
The world of audio software offers an immense toolbox for manipulating sound – which can feel equally daunting and empowering as a beginner. Hopefully this overview has demystified some core concepts and editorial options to set you up for audio editing success.
The last step is to simply give it a go! Download a free trial of something like Audacity, load up an audio file, and familiarize yourself with the interface. Some great beginner activities are slicing out sections, applying fun effects and attempting to remove background noise.
Feel free to use the comments below to let me know if you have any other questions too! Now let‘s get editing.
