Audio Editors

Downloadable Audio Editors

Audacity

Audacity is arguably the best all-round free audio editor. It is open source, easy to use and can record live audio. It can also record live audio. Audacity can convert tapes and records to computer or CD. Audacity can also edit sound files; for example, you can cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together, or split recordings into separate tracks. It also allows you to add effects – for example changing the speed or pitch of a recording. (Audacity has been used to record and mix entire albums.) It is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Best for: Recording and detailed audio editing
Cost: Free and open source
Works on: Windows, macOS and Linux
Worth knowing: Audacity has more features than most beginners need, so its interface can initially feel a little daunting.

Visit Audacity

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ocenaudio

ocenaudio is designed “for people who need to edit and analyse audio files without complications”. As such, it is a lovely, free, fast, easy-to-use audio editor for Windows, macOS and Linux, although it lacks some advanced features. With ocenaudio you can even select multiple parts of a track and apply the same effect to them all. Effects include silence, fades, removing background noise and changing pitch.

Best for: Quick, straightforward audio editing
Cost: Free
Works on: Windows, macOS and Linux
Worth knowing: Its uncluttered interface makes it easier to approach than Audacity, although it is better suited to straightforward edits than complex music-production projects.

Visit ocenaudio

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WavePad

WavePad is a free (for non-commercial home use) audio and music editor for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android that is extremely simple to use. You can record and edit music, voice and other audio recordings. When editing, you can cut, copy and paste parts of recordings, then add effects (e.g. echo, amplification or noise reduction). WavePad supports WAV and MP3 files, plus other formats (including VOX, GSM, WMA, real audio, AU, AIF, FLAC, OGG and more).

Best for: Recording, trimming and applying effects on computers or mobile devices
Cost: Free for non-commercial home use; paid licences are available
Works on: Windows, macOS, iOS and Android
Worth knowing: The free version cannot be used for commercial or business purposes.

Visit WavePad

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Browser-Based Audio Editors

AudioMass

AudioMass is useful for more advanced audio edits. It is free and open source and processes audio entirely in the browser without uploading it – a valuable privacy benefit. You can edit clips and apply effects such as reverb, noise reduction, speed changes and silence removal.

Best for: Editing audio privately without installing software
Cost: Free and open source
Works on: A web browser
Worth knowing: AudioMass processes files locally in your browser rather than uploading them to a server, making it a particularly useful choice for confidential recordings.

Visit AudioMass

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Sodaphonic

Sodaphonic is a simple audio editor designed for recording and making quick changes without a complicated setup. You can cut, copy, trim and rearrange audio, record directly into the editor and export the finished result as an MP3 or WAV file.

Best for: Simple voice recording and editing in a browser
Cost: Free, ad-supported plan; a paid Pro plan is available
Works on: A web browser
Worth knowing: The free plan includes up to one hour of saved audio and one minute of transcription.

Visit Sodaphonic

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AudioTrimmer

If you just want to trim an audio clip, head to AudioTrimmer. It’s easy to use, supports a variety of audio formats and is mobile friendly. It has a 250MB limit and uploaded files are deleted from its server within two hours.

Best for: Quickly trimming the beginning or end of an audio clip
Cost: Free
Works on: A web browser
Worth knowing: Files are limited to 250MB. They are uploaded for processing but automatically removed from the server within two hours.

Visit AudioTrimmer

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Mobile Recording and Editing

Dolby On

Dolby On is a free audio recorder and sound editor for voice, music and video. You can even record in other apps and import the file into Dolby On to edit and enhance your recording. You can then easily share your creations on social channels, send them to collaborators, export lossless audio, or even livestream to Facebook.

Best for: Recording voice, music or video using a phone
Cost: Free
Works on: iOS and Android
Worth knowing: Dolby On automatically applies features such as noise reduction and sound enhancement, which is convenient but offers less precise control than a full audio editor.

Visit Dolby On

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Music Production

BandLab

BandLab is a multitrack music studio for recording, arranging, editing and mixing music. It includes virtual instruments, loops and effects, and allows several people to collaborate on the same project, making it useful for both individual musicians and group projects.

Best for: Creating and collaborating on multitrack music projects
Cost: Free; optional paid memberships are available
Works on: Web browsers, iOS and Android
Worth knowing: A free account is required. Studio projects are limited to 16 audio or MIDI tracks and a maximum length of 15 minutes.

Visit BandLab

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GarageBand

GarageBand provides an approachable introduction to recording and producing music. It includes virtual instruments, loops, amplifiers, effects and multitrack editing, so beginners can create complete pieces of music without needing additional equipment or advanced production knowledge.

Best for: Beginner-friendly music creation on Apple devices
Cost: Free
Works on: Mac, iPhone and iPad
Worth knowing: GarageBand includes instruments, loops and multitrack recording, but it is only available for Apple devices.

Visit GarageBand

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Audiotool

Audiotool is a substantial browser-based music studio and digital audio workstation (DAW) for recording, producing and collaborating on music. An account is required. Audiotool can be used in Chrome or Firefox running on Windows, Mac or Linux. You can use the music you create with Audiotool commercially, as long as you have the permission of any contributors and you know the origin of any samples used.

Best for: Advanced music production and real-time online collaboration
Cost: Free
Works on: A web browser
Worth knowing: Audiotool has no track or project-length limits, but its modular studio is considerably more complex than a basic audio editor.

Visit Audiotool

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Voice Clean-Up and Specialist Tools

Adobe Podcast

Adobe Podcast provides AI-powered tools for recording, editing and improving spoken audio. Its Enhance Speech feature can reduce background noise and echo, making voiceovers, podcasts and audio for training videos sound clearer and more professional.

Best for: Cleaning up voiceovers, podcasts and spoken recordings
Cost: Free plan; a Premium subscription is available
Works on: A web browser
Worth knowing: The free Enhance Speech tool accepts audio files of up to 30 minutes or 500MB, with a maximum of one hour of enhancement per day.

Visit Adobe Podcast

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VoxCut

VoxCut automatically detects and removes silent sections from audio and video recordings. It can save considerable editing time when working with podcasts, interviews, recorded lessons or training videos that contain long pauses or unwanted gaps.

Best for: Automatically removing silent sections from audio or video
Cost: Free plan; Pro is available as a one-off purchase
Works on: Windows and Linux
Worth knowing: Files are processed locally rather than uploaded. The free plan allows files up to 500MB and three exports per day.

Visit VoxCut

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Vocal Remover

Upload an MP3 file and use Vocal Remover to erase the singer’s voice, leaving just the music. It uses AI to separate vocals and instrumentals. You can then download only the vocals, only the music or both.

Best for: Separating vocals and instrumental music using AI
Cost: Free
Works on: A web browser
Worth knowing: It creates separate instrumental and vocal tracks, but the quality of the result will vary depending on the complexity of the original recording.

Visit Vocal Remover

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Online Audio Equalizer

With Online Audio Equalizer you can boost or reduce specific frequencies of any audio file. It is free to use – you don’t even have to register or subscribe to use it. It supports a wide variety of file types. When you have finished adjusting the audio, you can save the result as MP3, M4A, M4R, FLAC or WAV.

Best for: Adjusting bass, treble and individual sound frequencies
Cost: Free to use without registration; an optional 123apps subscription is available
Works on: Desktop and mobile web browsers
Worth knowing: An equaliser can change the balance of frequencies, but it will not repair badly distorted audio or remove substantial background noise.

Visit Online Audio Equalizer

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Audio Converters

fre:ac

fre:ac is a free audio converter and CD ripper with support for most popular formats and encoders. It converts easily between MP3, M4A/AAC, FLAC, WMA, Opus, Ogg Vorbis, Speex, Monkey’s Audio (APE), WavPack, WAV and other formats. TTo convert files, simply drag them into the fre:ac window, select your required output format, then click on the Play button.

Best for: Converting multiple audio files or copying tracks from CDs
Cost: Free and open source
Works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD and Haiku
Worth knowing: fre:ac supports many popular audio formats and batch conversion, but it is a converter and CD ripper rather than an audio editor.

Visit fre:ac

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Audio Players

AIMP

AIMP is an audio player that supports most audio formats. You can customise its interface, and it includes features such as bookmarking.

Best for: Playing and organising a large collection of audio files
Cost: Free
Works on: Windows and Android; it can also run on Linux through Wine
Worth knowing: AIMP includes effects, conversion and audio-management tools, but it is primarily a music player rather than an editor.

Visit AIMP

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Note: please read the disclaimer before downloading or using any software.