Free Audio Software and some Trialware - (Mostly for Windows PCs)
Sound and Music Editing
Some of these are not tested. Every schoolkid will have used 'Audacity' to edit sound clips, although the company takeover has put off many users. I prefer the paid-for Sony Sound Forge ('Studio' version). I also have a cut-down version of the remarkable Izotope RX6 which allows you to graphically remove unwanted sounds. I actually have a 'Certificate of Competence' for Steinberg Nuendo which was used for film sound track-building but I never liked it for wave editing. The posh name for a sound wave editor is a 'Digital Audio Workstation' (DAW) and some of them include multiple track operations and MIDI sequencers.
Key: W = Windows, M = Mac, L = Linux.
- Audio Editing
- Ardour - (M, L, W) (Trialware)
No yet tried by yours truly but a professional digital workstation for audio and MIDI. Unfortunately, the free version is nobbled to go silent after 10 minutes but you can get the paid-for version for as little as $1 a month subscription or $45 outright.
- Audacity - (W 64/32, M, L) For desktop and laptop computers, no mobile version. .
The industry standard but it went through a bad patch for a time when it was moved to another company leading to fears about its security. Now Open Source, it has regained some of its reputation and is recommended again. The program records and edits sounds as a basic wave editor. Being popular in schools, any kid can use it, if the school hasn't gone over to tablets-only. It can use VST plug-in effects for a variety of useful add-on effects and fixes. You can't 'Rip' audio from CDs with Audacity but Windows Media Player or VLC Media Player can do that. See also the note below about recording into Audacity from another source.
- Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve 18 (W, M, L) - Very Pro (Win 64, Mac and Linux). Needs decent hardware for best results. It's really a video editor to edit video and audio in unlimited tracks but you can also use it for audio-only editing using its Fairlight section. Probably not the best app to use for audio. Find Resolve tutorials at Casey Faris, PremiumBeat and old ones at Goat's Eye View.
- Filmora Pro by Wondershare - (W, M) Free video editor for non-commercial use with a video watermark, but also usable for audio editing. Not been tried by yours truly. The interface looks quite Pro and it has a good range of effects and controls. One of PremiumBeat's five best free sound editors. You can download the User Manual (pdf) to get an idea of what it does.
- OcenAudio - (Win, M, L) Free but donations accepted.
Very bare-bones. Suggested by Computer Active mag as a replacement for Audacity. Much simpler (not necessarily a fault), without the security issues and it supports VST plug-ins. You can copy, paste, trim, fade and apply effects and noise reduction. Multiple timeline selections might be useful too and you can display spectragrams but not operate on them. It is lightweight and won't bog down when editing large audio files. Most versions are 64-bit but older PCs can use the Windows Portable version (32-bit).
- Reaper - (Win from XP to 10, Mac but not Linux) (Perpetual Trialware).
A very professional and well-regarded general DAW and Midi Sequencer. This is not strictly free but you can use it fully functional for a 60-day evaluation. I have an earlier version which works indefinitely without a licence but it nags me on startup and it takes its time to get going. The serious amateur musician would be happy to buy the $60 licence (Commercial Licence is £225). Some of its VST plugins are downloadable from the Reaplugs FX Suite, for use with other DAWs.
- Tenacity -
This is a 'forked' version of Audacity which is still being tested. It comes without Audacirty's possible security problems, if you can any make sense of its download page.
- Wavosaur - (Win only)
Another basic wave editor with support for VST plug-ins and ASIO. Simpler and more lightweight than Audacity but with a useful oscilloscope and spectrum analyser bolted on. Windows only but it appears to work well on Linux using 'Wine' (ignore errors - it still works).
- Avid Pro Tools 'First' - (W & M - Requires an Avid Account)
This is a free, 'lite' version of Avid's Pro Tools, which is an industry standard and used professionally. A sequencer which lets you compose, record, edit, and mix music, so it is also a wave editor. Protools First has some limitations such as saving to the cloud rather than a local drive. It also has 'In-App Purchases' which implies something about the Account setup.
- Music Creation
- Acid Express - (Win only - Requires registration to download prog and loops)
Loop-based music creation and Midi sequencer. This is actually a free 'taster' to get you to purchase Acid Studio or Acid Pro and some features are blocked, such as VST plug-ins and multi-track recording. Note the URL change here which might be for an older version (do a virus check). It was originally Sony, later Magix, but the free version is not visible on the official Magix website.
- LMMS - (W, L, M) (Mac added recently)
A nifty Midi Sequencer with wave capture, particularly good for looping. LMMS is 'Linux MultiMedia Studio' but an identical Windows version is available and it's a lot more 'Pro' than most Linux apps. Its demos are good and it supports MIDI, VST and VSTi. It looks good for loops/samples but lacks direct audio recording. Audacity would cover that. Some tutorials can be found at brycecoulson.com and the supplied sample sounds are out of this world. Great fun. Read a review.
- Media Organisation and Players
- Media Monkey - (W only) Trialware
Not tried personally but this was recommended somewhere as a useful utility to organise audio (and video) files and will download Gracenote information. It comes with a CD/DVD ripper, file conversion, auto re-namer, find duplicate files and some other goodies. The free version is a cut-down version of the paid-for 'Gold' version, which is not expensive (use Paypal). Some features, such as the MP3 encoder, will time-out after 30 days in the free version.
- VideoLan VLC Media Player - (W, M, L)
This the Industry Standard Media Player and still free. It easily surpasses Windows Media Player and plays just about any video or audio file format. You can even view those amateur smartphone videos that are always 90 degrees on one side, to save your neck muscles. Probably the very first thing you would install on a new laptop or PC.
Recording into Audacity from Another Source
Supposing you are playing a Youtube video and want to record the sound, you can do that with Audacity. According to a v e r y s l o w Youtube tutorial (yawn), you set the input audio source to 'Windows WASAPI' and whatever 'loopback' option there is in the speakers selection box. It is tempting to skip forward in the tutorial video (to stay awake) but the details are all there.
The input and output selections used to be at the top of the Audacity screen in old versions but you get there via: 'Edit' > 'Preferences' > Audio. It also uses the 'dark' theme if your system is using that already. Try a few settings with music playing in VLC to find the best one. Also make sure that the input is set for stereo recording, and away you go. With it set up, press 'Record' (red dot icon) in Audacity first, then press 'Play' on the source app (VLC, Youtube or whatever). Press 'Stop' (small square) then top and tail the recording to remove long silences.
VST Plug-ins.
There are hundreds of free VSTs out there to bung into your DAW editing app such as Audacity. The plug-in is often just a 'dll' file download that you copy straight into your VST folder, no matter which system you use. If it is in the right folder, your DAW will usually discover it on the next start-up. Most plug-ins add a sound adjustment or effect but some might be wave or tone generators. Some modulate the sound with a built-in oscillator. Not all of them work with every DAW but, if they hang or crash, you just ignore them next time.
There are heaps of good, free VSTs out there. Beware that some sites require you to register before downloading (I never do), but you can often find the popular ones on other websites which don't nag. I have not tested most of these. As always, do a virus check first on any downloaded files before installing anything.
- ReaPlugs (FX Suite) - As referred to above, the Reaper plug-ins are good quality.
- GVST - Not tried but a usergroup member recommended them.
- Bluecat Freeware Plug-ins - Six free products in the bundle. Quite a big file. Not tried but a usergroup member recommended them.
- Mellow Mouse - Free equaliser for Mac or Windows. Not tried but a usergroup member recommended them.
- Tokyo Dawn - Some nice freebies, such as a dynamic equaliser.
- Voxengo - A collection of sound tweaks, including a mid-side encoder.
- Wavedraw - I like the look of this VST2 one. Sketch your own audio waveform and then do things to it. A lovely idea.
- Handy Archive - Heaps of VST effects, etc. I tried a few out without any problems.
- VST Warehouse - Free plug-ins with links to various sites. I liked the Kjaerhus Classic Series but the original site appears to have discontinued them.
- DSK Music - Not tried or tested but it looks interesting.
- Crystal VSTi (Instrument) - Another freebie that is well-regarded in reviews.
- Izotope Ozone Plug-in - (Registration needed). Updated to version two in 2019, this stereo-width freebie is from the highly acclaimed Izotope company.
Blogs for Audio, Post-Production and VST Plug-ins:
FX Freebies
Most free sound effects websites require you to register before downloading, but Auntie is more helpful.
- Premium Beat - Lots of useful guides and tutorials for the audio or video-maker, and loads of sound and vision freebies.
- Premium Beat - ... such as this page with 280 free sound FX for non-commercial use.
- Premium Beat - All about sound FX, Jack foley and more.
- BBC Sound FX - 16000 free sound effects from the BBC sound archives for non-commercial use (direct link).
- Pixabay SFX - Free, royalty free sound effects.
- GR Sites - Free SFX again.
- Sound Jay - More SFX, without having to sign in or create an account.
- Sound Bible - Free sound effects but some might require attribution in the cast list.
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