Welcome to Audacity Audacity® is free, open source, cross-platform audio software for multi-track recording and editing. Audacity is available for Windows®, Mac®, GNU/Linux® and other operating systems. Check our feature list, Wiki and Forum. Download Audacity 2.1.3 Mar 17th, 2017: Audacity.
Although there are a lot of audio recording programs out there claiming to record almost any sound play on computer, the fact you should always keep in mind is that only a few of them promise capturing high quality audio. Therefore, if you care much about the quality of your recordings, choosing a proper high-powered audio recorder could really matter. Are you just looking for such recording tool but with a low budget? Luckily, among the numerous audio recording software available on internet, we are glad to see most of them are offered for free. To help you quickly pick up the best free streaming audio recorder online, we complied a list of top 5 most popular free audio recording programs that can record streaming music, radios, in-game sound, music in videos, and any other sound play on Mac and Windows with high quality.
- Top 1. Audacity (Mac & Windows)
- Top 2. Apowersoft Free Online Audio Recorder
- Top 3. Ardour (Mac & Windows)
- Top 4. Aktiv MP3 Recorder (Windows)
- Top 5. Traverso DAW (Mac & Windows)
- Alternative - TunesKit Audio Capture [Best]
The Two Best Free Recording Software Studios #1) Garageband. For: Mac Since its release in 2004, GarageBand has arguably become the most popular DAW. Smooth, intuitive, and more powerful than you’d expect from a free piece of software, it is the perfect centerpiece for any budget home studio. The Two Best Free Recording Software Studios #1) Garageband. For: Mac Since its release in 2004, GarageBand has arguably become the most popular DAW. Smooth, intuitive, and more powerful than you’d expect from a free piece of software, it is the perfect centerpiece for any budget home studio. If you’re familiar with Apple (who isn’t?), you know they are really good at.
Top 1. Audacity (Mac & Windows)
As a well-known open source free audio recorder, Audacity is capable of recording and editing anything you throw at it, including audio through microphone and sound card all in a few clicks thanks to the clean interface. It also allows users adjust pitch, bass, and treble, or normalize noise and add effects like reverb and phasing to the recordings. In addition, it supports multi-track capturing to save a lot of time for you. And unlike most other free audio recorders which are free for a limited time or free with locked features, Audacity is a real free of charge audio recording application offered in full free version. Overall, Audacity offers one of the most robust packages available among free recording programs.
Pros:
1. Totally free and extremely easy to use;
2. Support recording any sound on computer;
3. Edit recorded audio's quality with many effects;
4. Support multi-track recording.
2. Support recording any sound on computer;
3. Edit recorded audio's quality with many effects;
4. Support multi-track recording.
Cons:
1. Require plugins to accomplish optimal functionality;
2. Can't export audio recordings to MP3;
3. Effect editing is destructive to original audio track.
2. Can't export audio recordings to MP3;
3. Effect editing is destructive to original audio track.
Top 2. Apowersoft Free Online Audio Recorder
Differing from Audacity or other free audio streaming recorder, Apowersoft Audio Recorder is a free online recording solution that needs no plug-in on Windows or Mac. It allows you record any sound from system sound card and microphone in high quality within 3 steps only. It fully supports capturing streaming music, radio stations, music in games, voice chats, etc. playing via devices like Windows Media Player, QuickTime, iTunes, Tablets, Chromebook, Android smartphones, iPhone, Windows Phone and more. Besides, it offers additional recording functions like converting audio records to MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, WAV, M4A, OGG, adding ID3 tags, sharing recorded audios online, playing recordings in real time, etc.
Pros:
1. Free and no need to install setup file on computer;
2. Support any sound sources;
3. Save recordings in multiple popular formats;
4. Support extensional functions for recording.
2. Support any sound sources;
3. Save recordings in multiple popular formats;
4. Support extensional functions for recording.
Cons:
1. Can't edit output audio quality;
2. Multi-track recording not supported.
2. Multi-track recording not supported.
Top 3. Ardour (Mac & Windows)
Ardour DAW is another great open-source audio recorder with professional music recording features and no cost. Developed by Paul Davis, Ardour is aiming at providing powerful recorder for studios who are at low budgets. Featuring highly versatile multi-track audio recording, Ardour can record and edit audios non-destructively or destructively. Its use of Jack, an underlying sound server, makes it compatible with a number of outside applications as well. With the release of third edition, Ardour is supposed to import video for film scoring purpose and record, edit MIDI without a hassle. However, unlike most of other free DAWs, Ardour comes with a confusing graphical user interface which is inaccessible for beginners. It's more like a professional tool developed for musicians or audio engineers.
Pros:
1. Free and professional;
2. Support multi-track recording;
3. Edit recorded tracks non-destructively.
2. Support multi-track recording;
3. Edit recorded tracks non-destructively.
Cons:
1. It's complex and difficult for newbie;
2. No built-in effects or instruments.
2. No built-in effects or instruments.
Top 4. Aktiv MP3 Recorder (Windows)
If you are looking for a free streaming music recorder that can convey CD, tape, DVD, live performance, TV, Internet radio, streaming music, video games and any other sound source into popular audio formats like MP3, WMA, OGG, VOX, AU, AIFF, then you can't miss Aktiv MP3 Recorder. As a full-featured audio recorder, the big difference between Aktiv and other free recording tools is that it comes with recording scheduler which provides you the ability to record streaming audio at certain times according to your requirements.
Pros:
1. Free streaming audio recorder;
2. Support most popular output formats;
3. Provide schedule recording tasks.
2. Support most popular output formats;
3. Provide schedule recording tasks.
Cons:
1. Available for Windows only;
2. Installer contains some extra software.
2. Installer contains some extra software.
Top 5. Traverso DAW (Mac & Windows)
Traverso DAW is another cross-platform free multitrack audio recording and audio editing suite with support for CD mastering and non-linear processing. Traverso is different with other in UI as it offers a unique user interface using both the mouse and the keyboard together for precision and speed. In addition, Traverso includes non-destructive editing, the ability to use plugins and make edits without changing the actual recorded sample. Also it is offering full support for ALSA, Jack and PortAudio, and lockless real-time audio processing.
Pros:
1. Fullfeatured free recording app;
2. Innovative keyboard and mouse shortcuts;
3. Support non-destructive audio editing.
2. Innovative keyboard and mouse shortcuts;
3. Support non-destructive audio editing.
Cons:
1. Take some time for users to get used to the shortcuts;
2. Need plugins to edit audio non-destructively.
2. Need plugins to edit audio non-destructively.
More Professional Audio Recorder for Low Budget - TunesKit
Of course, no piece of free software is without its shortcomings. So do those free audio recorders. They are not as advanced as other paid software in functionality. In case you are searching for such paid recording products with reasonable price, we highly recommend a best free sound recorder to you. The renowned program is called TunesKit Audio Capture. It's available for both Mac and Windows platforms. It costs $19.95 but with more powerful features, including multi-track lossless recording, automatically fulfilling ID3 tags, editing output quality, splitting or merging recorded tracks, etc. You can download the free trial versions as below to test it out by yourself. For complete tutorial, visit this user guide.
Conclusion & Suggestion
As you can see, all the above recording tools are free of charge to meet most of your recording needs with options of recording audio, adding effects, and cutting waveforms, as well as other basic recording tasks. To conclude, if you are referring an all-in-one application that combines easy operation and high performance, Audacity and Aktiv MP3 Recorder could be the best audio recording software. But if you concern more about the professionalism and quality, you are suggested to go for Ardour or Traverso DAW that are more professional oriented. Or alternatively, Apowersoft Audio Recorder could be a great choice if you don't want to install any software on your computer. If you still have no idea which one to choose, simply try them out one by one and decide which works best for you.
Nick Orin is a review writer, software geek and Mac OS enthusiast. He spends all his free time in searching useful software and gadgets to share with others.
Thanks to advances in computer software, it has never been easier to record your own music from home or on the go. When it comes to the search for a free and reliable Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) to record music, the internet has a lot to offer.
GarageBand is our top pick because it’s free, easy to use, and comes with an extensive variety of effects and virtual amps to choose from; but it isn’t the only offering on the market. Check out our other picks for the best free recording software below.
Further reading
GarageBand
Although MacOS isn’t always the only platform for great software, when it comes to free recording applications, it has the best of the bunch. GarageBand is an Apple-exclusive program that gives you a full audio-creation suite with features for audio recording, virtual instruments, and even music lessons built right in.
Part of the appeal of GarageBand is how simple it is to get going. Its interface is intuitive and easy to learn, and if you want to record something, you just plug in your instrument or device and get started. There is a wide variety of virtual amps and effects you can use, as well as drum tracks that sound like they were performed by real musicians.
The sound and loop library that’s available for editing into your own tracks is growing all the time, and you can even bring in your iOS devices for wireless control of your setup. GarageBand is the most fully featured free application on this list. While you will need to have an Apple device to run it, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better application that doesn’t force you to get out your credit card first.
![Free Sound Recording Software Free Sound Recording Software](https://www.freesoundrecorder.net/wp-content/uploads/freesoundrecorder-large-1.png)
Avid Pro Tools First
Pro Tools First is a limited version of the main Pro Tools and Pro Tools Ultimate applications, but it’s still pretty capable in its own right. Aimed at “students, musicians, and podcasters” who are just getting started with audio recording or want to try out the software before buying, its main limitation is that you can only store three projects in the cloud. You’re also limited to 16 simultaneous audio tracks, four inputs, and 16 instrument tracks.
Beyond that, though, you’ll still have access to a great number of the same features and capabilities as in the other paid versions of Pro Tools, giving you a good idea of what the software can do. For example, you’ll still have access to non-destructive editing, a MIDI editor, and support for AAX Native and AAX AudioSuite.
If you do choose to upgrade to the standard or Ultimate paid versions further down the line, they’ll set you back $30 and $80 a month, respectively.
Audacity
First released in 2000, Audacity has gone on to become one of the most popular pieces of free software around — and for good reason. The open-source program gives users a wide range of options for recording and editing audio, all tied together with a simple interface. Plus, everything Audacity has to offer is free of charge. Compared to other notable DAWs such as ProTools and Sound Forge, Audacity’s layout is very minimalist. There are toolbars for navigating tracks, editing them, and mixing. When tracks are loaded, they will appear as waveforms, and users can edit specific sections of a track by highlighting the appropriate section of the waveform.
Of course, no piece of free software is without its shortcomings, and despite Audacity’s many virtues, it has some issues. The most notable problem is that Audacity uses “destructive editing,” which means that when users add effects to a track, they are actually altering the waveform; these changes happen to the original file, so undoing unwanted effects can be tough. This isn’t necessarily a problem if you’re carrying out simple tasks — such as editing pauses out of a podcast — but more complex actions like mixing might be difficult.
Ardour
Ardour is an open-source DAW available for Linux, MacOS, and Windows. Its developer, Paul Davis, also invented the Jack sound server for Linux and worked previously as one of the original programmers at Amazon.
Ardour has highly versatile multi-track recording features that include the ability to import video for film scoring, to record and edit nondestructively, and to prepare any combination of individual tracks for recording. Its use of Jack makes it compatible with a number of outside applications as well. However, unlike other DAWs, Ardour does not come with any built-in effects or instruments and relies instead on the installation of third-party software.
Zynewave Podium Free
In 2005, programmer Frits Nielsen left his position as a user interface designer with TC Electronic. He wanted to focus his efforts on a recording application he began developing back in the early 1990s. Nielsen started a company called Zynewave and released a program called Podium. Podium was a fully functional DAW with a 64-bit sound engine, MIDI capabilities, VST, and third-party plug-in compatibility. Ahead of its time, Podium also had several other advanced functions. Plus, its price was a mere $50.
Zynewave now offers a free version of its software called Podium Free. Granted, it comes with some limitations — Zynewave has disabled Podium’s multiprocessing capabilities. The block hinders the program’s performance under pressure, which is one significant drawback. Zynewave also disabled the surround-sound playback capability. Other freezes on the 64-bit mixer engine and ReWire also limit the scope of the program. Further, the MIDI interface setup only allows one input and one output. Otherwise, though, Podium Free is identical to Podium. The learning curve might be steep here, due to the program’s quirks.
Once users learn how to use it, they will find that Podium Free offers an interface that excels in customization. It provides a suite of effects and other features on par with premium DAWs.
PreSonus Studio One 5 Prime
Free Audio Recording For Windows
Studio One 5 Prime is PreSonus’ free version of its Studio One software. And though it doesn’t cost anything to use it, it still comes with a long list of recording and editing features including: a drag-and-drop interface, unlimited instrument and audio tracks, over 2GB of bundled loops and content, unlimited virtual instruments and FX channels, and advanced audio editing and grouping. You can also expect other notable features such as Presence XT and MixVerb. Presence XT is the software’s polyphonic sample player for synth and keyboard sounds. MixVerb is Studio One’s reverb feature that allows you to adjust its pre-delay, size, and dampening.
Free Sound Recording Software Windows 10
Studio One 5 Prime is only available for devices that run the 64-bit versions of Windows 10 and MacOS (10.13 or higher). You’ll also need at least 10GB of hard drive space.