Audacity

Audacity turns a Windows PC into a flexible audio recording and editing workstation. It can be used for simple tasks such as trimming a recording as well as more extensive projects involving several audio tracks.

Audio appears as a waveform on the timeline, making it easy to select individual sections. Parts can be cut, copied, moved or faded in and out. Volume can be adjusted and recordings can be cleaned up using effects and filters.

Audacity is useful for recording speech, editing podcasts, preparing music, removing unwanted sections from recordings or combining several audio sources.

Multiple tracks can be arranged within a project, allowing voice, music and effects to be edited separately before the final result is exported.

Why we selected it

Audacity manages to offer a substantial collection of audio tools without requiring a professional recording studio. Beginners can start with basic cutting and recording, while more experienced users can work with effects, plug-ins and multitrack projects. For Windows users who occasionally or regularly need to edit sound, it is an excellent introduction to open source audio production.