12 Best Audio Recording Software for Windows, Mac, Linux
Audio recording software makes it easy to record audio calls, meetings, podcasts, voiceovers, live streams, and more. By clicking the "Record" button, you can extract audio from online and offline sources without quality loss. It would be better if you could trim, convert, and edit audio after recording within the program. If you are looking for the best audio recorder for PC and Mac, you can continue reading to learn more.
Guide List
What to Look for in Audio Recording Software Top 7 Professional Audio Recording Software Top 5 Free Audio Recording Software Common Fixes about Audio RecordingWhat to Look for in Audio Recording Software
Here are essential factors you need to consider when choosing a desktop audio recorder.
- • Recording functions: Record not only the microphone voice but also the system audio.
- • Recording quality: Keep the lossless audio quality.
- • Editing capabilities: You can trim audio, remove audio noise, convert audio, and get more audio editing tools.
- • Export formats: Record and save audio to MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, and more.
- • Budget: Choose from free or paid audio recording software (with a free trial) based on your needs.
- • Easy to use: Beginners can record audio from a computer quickly. There is no steep learning curve.
- • Support: So you can contact the support team to get correct answers about technical issues.
Top 7 Professional Audio Recording Software
Free audio recording software often has limitations in stability, compatibility, long-term projects, and performance. If you want to get a smooth audio recording with fewer bugs or crashes, it is suggested to use paid audio recorders. Because they are regularly updated and optimized for industry standards.
1. AnyRec Screen Recorder
Best for: One-stop audio, video, webcam, gameplay, program, and phone recorder for novices.
OS: Windows, macOS
AnyRec Screen Recorder provides 6 different recording modes for various scenarios. No matter which you choose, you can record audio from internal and external sources flexibly. Moreover, you can reduce background noise, stop audio echo, and optimize more audio recording settings within the program. After recording, you can trim, merge, convert, compress, save, and share your audio file easily.
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- Pros
- Record computer audio and microphone sound from all online and offline sources.
- Get microphone noise cancellation, microphone enhancement, and volume mixer.
- Export audio recordings to MP3, AAC, FLAC, M4A, OGG, WAV, WMA, and more popular formats.
- Cons
- You cannot use one license code in both Windows and Mac versions.
- The advanced editor is available in the Pro version only.
2. PreSonus Studio One
Best for: A fully featured DAW for creators who need advanced editing and recording.
OS: Windows, macOS, Linux beta
PreSonus Studio One welcomes all end-to-end production, meaning you can work on it as your personal audio workstation. It offers excellent interfaces with the best bombastic onscreen speakers. You can use its virtual instruments to build your demo. From unlimited buses for audio mixes to high-quality output, PreSonus Studio One caters to the needs of musicians and producers alike.
- Pros
- Get seamless hardware integration for quick audio recording, mixing, mastering, and performing.
- Have AI-powered stem separation to separate vocals and instruments from mixed audio tracks.
- Cons
- The interface is cluttered, especially with many tracks and effects.
- Not getting better updates, and some updates contain bugs and crashes.
3. Sound Forge
Best for: Musicians and audio engineers can get a one-stop solution to record, edit, mix, master, and restore audio.
OS: Windows, macOS
Sound Forge music recording software is powerful enough to enhance the audio quality to the best level. You can customize your tracks with its features, including equalizers, formats, and more. Moreover, its restoration tools can help you get your captured audio's original quality.
- Pros
- Record audio in high quality up to 32-bit/384 kHz.
- Get sophisticated noise reduction and restoration, which is ideal for voiceover recording.
- Cons
- It takes a long time to open and save large audio files.
- This waveform audio editor cannot handle multitrack work.
4. FL Studio
Best for: You can create beats and electronic music with virtual instruments and sound effects, along with audio recording files.
OS: Windows, macOS
Whether you want to record, compose, or edit a sound, FL Studio audio recording and production software can help you create sound patterns and sequences. In addition to its primary features, it also allows you to add melodies and harmonies to your project.
- Pros
- Record vocals and live instruments across many genres.
- The auto-save function can create backups every 5 minutes or at other custom intervals based on your settings.
- Cons
- You need to pay to upgrade some FL Studio plugins.
- The workflow is overwhelming.
5. Avid Pro Tools
Best for: An industry-standard audio recording software with high-resolution recording, low-latency performance, and editing tools.
OS: Windows, macOS
Avid Pro Tools is also an excellent multitrack audio recording software to work on your audio tracks and recordings. You can invest in this program instead of purchasing expensive instruments. Aside from its practical audio recorder and editor, it will help you broadcast your project worldwide.
- Pros
- Record audio with minimal delay and high resolution (up to 32-bit/192 kHz).
- Edit your audio recording tracks by trimming, compressing, removing silences, batch fading in/out, and more.
- Cons
- If you just need casual recording and editing, it is expensive to buy the Avid Pro Tools license code.
- Require an iLok account for its licensing.
6. Gilisoft Screen Recorder
Best for: Capture system sound and microphone voice with simple clicks on Windows.
OS: Windows
Gilisoft Screen Recorder is suitable for recording audio from your system sound and microphone in two channels. It allows you to save the output to formats like MP3, WAV, and WMA. The Windows audio recording process is more straightforward than expected. There is no maximum time limit. So you can record Skype calls, playlists, podcasts, and more for hours.
- Pros
- Record audio from browsers, streams, external devices, and more.
- Schedule audio recordings to start and stop the entire process automatically.
- Cons
- Lack of audio editing tools.
- The PC audio recording software crashes with long recordings.
7. WavePad Screen Recorder
Best for:
OS: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Kindle
- Pros
- Have voice-activated recording support. WavePad audio recording software can detect and remove silent audio clips automatically.
- Apply noise reduction, amplification, equalization, reverb, and more effects to enhance audio.
- Cons
- The audio recording quality is low when capturing from external sources, such as cellphones.
- The WavePad audio recording app stops working when the phone screen turns off.
Top 5 Free Audio Recording Software
For quick and basic sound recording tasks, you can use free audio recorders. Here are some good software for audio and voice recording that is free.
1. Audacity
Best for: Record computer audio and live audio across platforms for free.
OS: Windows, macOS, Linux
Audacity is a free and open-source audio recording software. You can record computer audio and microphone sound (from speakers and headphones) on your computer by using the WASAPI host. Moreover, it allows users to seamlessly integrate external equipment, providing a versatile platform for recording, mixing, and editing audio to perfection.
- Pros
- It is free to record audio from browsers, microphones, and more sources.
- You can trim, split, copy, cut, or delete the selected audio recording clip.
- Cons
- Compared with other desktop audio recorders, Audacity interface is outdated.
- No real-time preview function. You need to play the music manually to check the effects.
2. QuickTime Player
Best for: Every Mac user can record audio with QuickTime Player for free.
OS: macOS
QuickTime Player is primarily known as Apple’s default media player. But surprisingly, it can also be an audio recording software for Mac, which is easy to use. It can capture high-quality audio from your computer or use a microphone to record your voice.
- Pros
- Record microphone input on Mac and save as M4A files.
- You can trim, split, and rearrange audio clips after recording within QuickTime Player.
- Cons
- If you want to record internal audio on Mac, you need to install a virtual audio driver, such as Soundflower, BlackHole, and more.
- QuickTime Player cannot export audio in MP3. You need to convert M4A to MP3 for better compatibility.
3. Wavosaur
Best for: A portable Windows audio recorder, which can be opened from a USB drive.
OS: Windows
Wavosaur is a free and lightweight audio recorder and editor for Windows. To use this program, configure your audio input first. Later, you can record audio on Windows. If you want to check whether your audio input works correctly, you can click the "Input oscilloscope" from the "Tools" list. Wavosaur allows users to visualize incoming audio signals.
- Pros
- Run fast on low-end computers as Windows audio recording software.
- Expand audio editing functions with VST plugin support.
- Batch convert and process audio files.
- Cons
- Provide basic and outdated features.
- Cannot handle large audio files correctly.
4. Apple Garageband
Best for: Record audio and create music on Apple devices with minimal setup for free.
OS: macOS, iOS
Apple Garageband is equipped with musical features to help you create natural sound and instrumental effects. From guitar riffs to powerful synths, Garageband delivers an immersive experience. So it is an ideal choice for both budding musicians and podcast creators.
- Pros
- Support multitrack recording, podcasting, and music creation.
- Create music with virtual instruments and loops.
- Cons
- Cannot record external MIDI tracks.
- It is lack of noise reduction and advanced audio editing tools.
5. Ocenaudio
Best for: Good for every audio tasks because of the fast audio recording and quick editing.
OS: Windows, macOS, Linux
Ocenaudio positions itself as an intelligent choice for audio recording and editing. It caters to a spectrum of needs from podcast creation to song remixing. With a user-friendly interface, Ocenaudio takes the responsibility of recording and editing audio seamlessly. Ocenaudio offers effective spectrogram and file analysis, making it a go-to for those seeking a balance between innovative features and user accessibility.
- Pros
- Record audio with noise cancellation and real-time effect previews.
- Work with Ocen Framework library.
- Cons
- Your audio edits apply to the original file. It won't create a duplicate recording file automatically.
- No multitrack editing capabilities.
Common Fixes about Audio Recording
How to get rid of background noise or prevent it in audio recording?
Use audio recording software with noise suppression, such as AnyRec Screen Recorder. Click the "Settings" button. Tick the checkmark before "Microphone noise cancellation". Moreover, you can check your environment and equipment to reduce noise.
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How to reduce the file size of a large audio recording?
Record audio and save it as the MP3 lossy audio format. Or you can lower the bitrate, reduce the sample rate, compress the audio, and trim unwanted sections.
How to solve latency and buffer while recording audio?
You can close unnecessary programs, turn off power-saving features, check sample rate consistency, and adjust buffer size. In short, you can fix incorrect settings and insufficient system resources to stop audio lag.
Conclusion
Whether you are podcasters, YouTubers, musicians, or casual users, you can get satisfying audio recording software for Windows, Mac, Linux, and more platforms. If you don’t need powerful DAWs, AnyRec Screen Recorder is a wise choice. You can record what you hear and save it as an MP3 and other popular formats in one stop. The built-in audio trimmer, compressor, and converter are also helpful for quick audio editing. Free download the program and start your free trial now!
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