15 Best Audio Recording Software (Free and Paid)

Audio recording software can help you in many ways. You can convert cherished vinyl records into digital audio formats, record podcasts remotely, create captivating voice-overs for video projects, capture important audio calls, and make impactful audio ads. The possibilities are endless and growing! But which paid or free audio recording software should you download? With a multitude of paid and free audio recording software available, selecting the right one can be a time-consuming task. Therefore, to help you find the best one quickly, I've made a list of the top 15 best audio recording software and discussed their features, pros, cons, prices, and every other detail you may be curious about in this post.

What Is Audio Recording Software

Audio recording software refers to computer programs or applications designed to capture and record audio signals from various sources, including microphones, instruments, and system speakers. Its primary purpose is to convert these audio signals into digital audio files, which can be stored on a computer or other storage devices. This software is widely utilized in music production, podcasting, voice-over work, sound design, and various other audio-related projects.

List of Best Audio Recording Software (Free & Paid)

1. VideoProc Converter AI

Best for recording audio from your speakers, mic, or both with crystal-clear quality.

VideoProc Converter AI is the go-to option because it offers the best user-friendly audio recording experience, even to first-time users. This remarkable audio recording software enables you to record internal sound from your computer external sound from a microphone, or both simultaneously. Moreover, it allows you to adjust the volume level from different audio input or output devices, ensuring optimal audio performance. One of the best parts of VideoProc Converter AI lies in its ability to convert your recordings to popular audio formats like MP3, AAC, FLAC, OGG, WMA, Vorbis, and more. What's more, you have the flexibility to customize settings such as bitrate, channel numbers, and sample rate, ensuring that you can always enjoy your audio recordings with the desired sound quality.

Features:

• Great sound and picture quality
• Record whatever you see or hear: live streams, video calls, voiceovers, etc
• Optimize audio recordings with speed-up, split, trim, merge, and more tools
• Take full control over the audio format, bitrate, sample rate, metadata info
• An ultimate solution to record, download, and convert videos & audio

Pros:

• Self-explained and clutter-free UI
• Record audio from the speaker, microphone, or both
• Output 370+ audio and video formats

Cons:

• Lack of ready-stock sound effect

2. Audacity

Best for users who want free, fully-featured audio recording.

Audacity, renowned for its impressive range of features catering to recording and editing needs, is a top choice for beginners and semi-professional users looking to capture podcasts, vinyl records, computer sound, and live-stream audio. While its user interface may appear slightly outdated, it compensates with a host of user-friendly features designed to simplify complexity. For instance, Audacity provides meters for precise volume level monitoring before, during, and after recording. It also enables you to schedule recordings by specifying recording times on your digital video or cassette recorder. Furthermore, you can set an Activation Level, beyond which Sound Activated Recording automatically starts. Moreover, Audacity supports the simultaneous recording of multiple channels, depending on your hardware capabilities. In terms of editing, Audacity offers a comprehensive toolkit, allowing you to cut, copy, paste, modify individual sample points, and seamlessly fade volume levels for a polished result.

Features:

• Record multiple channels simultaneously
• Dub over existing tracks for multi-track recordings
• Can record at 24-bit depth for the excellent sound quality on Windows
• Alter audio tempo, pitch, frequencies, volume, and more
• Noise reduction capabilities and other audio enhancements
• Plenty of audio editing tools and built-in sound effects
• Export in lossy/lossless formats such as WAV, AIFF, and MP3

Pros:

• Open source and free of charge
• Provide a comprehensive user guide
• Compatible with all major sound cards and devices
• Support third-party plugins and extensions

Cons:

• Steep learning curve

3. VideoProc Vlogger

Best for quickly recording podcasts, voiceovers, music, live streams, voice calls, etc.

VideoProc Vlogger is a free video editing program that comes with a handy audio recording tool, with which you can capture whatever is playing on your computer, be it music, streaming audio, or other sounds, as well as anything from your microphone, such as your voice and the ambient sound. You have the freedom to record multiple audio clips and place them on the same or different tracks. The best audio recording software doesn't impose limits on the number of audio tracks you can add. Moreover, you can edit each audio track individually using tools like split, voice changer, fade in/out, normalize, and sound effects. In addition to mixing multiple audio recordings, you can also mix audio with visual elements. This means you can combine audio, music, voiceovers, sound effects, pictures, and videos to create professional-level audio ads, music compositions, podcasts, slideshows, vlogs, and more.

Features:

• Record voiceover or computer sound with an easy click
• Customize the audio sample rate, bitrate, codec, and more properties
• Split, trim, change speed, sound effects, and more audio editing tools
• Advanced tools to reduce background noise, detect music beats, etc
• Support waveform and multitrack display for mixing and editing audio

Pros:

• Free of charge. No watermark or limit
• The easiest audio recording software
• An abundant of video and audio editing tools

Cons:

• Not support VST plugins

4. FL Studio

Best for instrumentalists and vocalists producing music.

FL Studio is a versatile music production environment that empowers users to record and create professional-grade music tracks. It has earned its reputation as an excellent choice for instrumentalists and vocalists. With FL Studio, you can record both external audio sources connected to your audio device inputs and internal audio generated by the virtual instruments. It supports capturing all the inputs on your audio interface at once. The loop-recording feature is particularly useful, allowing you to repeat a specific phrase or section until you achieve the perfect take. You can also loop record all or part of the Playlist, making time selections and layering previously recorded loops for "sound-on-sound" recording. Unfortunately, FL Studio may be overwhelming for beginners seeking to perform basic tasks like recording voiceovers for YouTube videos. The interface of this one of the best audio recording software appears pretty complex, even a little messy. FL Studio does offer a detailed step-by-step guide for recording audio. However, it includes numerous technical terms that can be challenging for beginners to follow.

Features:

• Record, edit, mix, process, and master audio in one place
• Top quality with support for 32-bit floating-point recording
• A lot of effect plug-ins: luxeVerb, Maximus, Fruity Delay, etc
• Tons of instrument plug-ins: MiniSynth, SliceX, Speech, etc
• Advanced features like ASIO mode, channel rack, and step sequencer
• Add real-time audio effects while mixing and remixing audio

Pros:

• A wide selection of music-creation features
• Complete set of audio editing tools
• Make virtually any sound with 30+ software synthesizers

Cons:

• High price tag
• Not as intuitive as regular multitrack recording
• Support utmost 125 mixer channels and 10 plug slots

5. Ableton Live

Best for EDM music production.

Ableton Live is a versatile audio recording software that has gained popularity in the EMD industry since its launch in 2001. has a unique Live Session View, allowing you freely mix and match musical ideas without the constraints of a timeline. With a plethora of virtual instruments, loops, and sounds at your fingertips, the creative possibilities are endless. Unlike most digital audio workstations (DAWs) that follow a linear timeline, Ableton Live can record and playback along an overall timeline. Ableton Live supports multitrack recording at up to 32-bit/192 kHz, ensuring high-quality sound output. Advanced features like real-time MIDI recording and tempo following are all included in this one of the best audio recording software.

Features:

• Loads of presets of instruments, audio effects, MIDI effects, etc
• Time-stretch audio clips without altering the original pitch
• Live listens to and adjusts tempo based on incoming audio in real time
• Customize bitrate, channel, sample rate, buffer size, and more properties
• Support lossy and lossless formats like WAV, AIFF, MP3, and Ogg Vorbis
• Multiple warp modes: beats, tones, texture, re-pitch, and more
• Include Max/MSP that allows for designing personalized audio plugins

Pros:

• Fast workflow for turning your ideas into songs
• Rich extra features: record, mix, and edit audio

Cons:

• A computer resource hog that may slow down your PC
• No support for pitch correction
• Not user-friendly for editing linear audio tracks
• Difficult for beginners to master

6. Garageband

Best for macOS users making songs.

GarageBand, a complete music production studio that comes pre-installed on Mac computers, makes creating your own music project from scratch as easy as possible. With this capable software, you can effortlessly start a new project, incorporate loops, record vocals or instruments, arrange and mix your composition, and easily share the outcome on platforms like Apple Music, iCloud, or SoundCloud. When it comes to audio recording capabilities, GarageBand allows you to capture your voice and any sound you can record with your microphones. Additionally, you can record software instruments using the vast array of virtual instruments available, such as pianos, synthesizers, keyboards, guitars, drums, horns, and more.

Features:

• Includes 28 drummers and 3 percussionists for creating beats
• Offer 100 synth sounds inspired by EDM and Hip Hop genres
• Support recording in 16-bit and 24-bit at a fixed sample rate of 44.1kHz
• Provide built-in audio filters like echo and reverb to enhance recordings
• Offer a diverse collection of lessons for piano and guitar

Pros:

• It's completely free to use
• User-friendly for creating music projects
• Capable of recording audio in good quality

Cons:

• Exclusive to Mac users
• Absence of live loops view
• Limited and basic functionality for audio mixing

7. Reaper

Best for designing sound for video gaming projects.

Reaper is a versatile and powerful digital audio workstation (DAW) program. It's widely used by musicians, producers, and audio engineers recording, editing, mixing, and producing audio projects. As one of the most powerful audio recording software, it can record multiple audio inputs simultaneously, limited only by your hardware capabilities. This means you can capture various sources at the same time with ease. Additionally, Reaper allows you to record directly to a variety of supported audio formats, giving you flexibility in choosing the desired sample rate and bit depth. It supports stereo, surround, and multichannel recording, both before and after applying effects processing. Once you've captured your audio recordings in Reaper, you can refine your recording with plenty of audio editing and mixing tools, such as crossfade, split, merge, resize, trim, cut, and time stretch.

Features:

• Record audio coming from your microphone, speaker, and more sources
• Save your recordings in trendy audio formats at desired bit depth and sample rate
• Support for thousands of third-party plug-in effects
• Work smoothly on portable devices and less-powerful machines
• Mix your recordings with music, ambient sound, and more audio tracks

Pros:

• Faster your workflow with a customizable interface
• A free trial of 30 days

Cons:

• Difficult for beginners to learn

8. Pro Tool

Best for making professional and high-end music and sound.

For more than three decades, Pro Tools has reigned supreme as the pioneer of digital audio production, establishing itself as the gold standard in the music industry, especially within professional recording studios. With an extensive array of tools at your disposal, this Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) empowers you to tackle virtually any audio-related project with finesse, from crafting infectious beats to capturing pristine vocals and instruments and even seamlessly blending hundreds of tracks within a single session.

It supports punching recording, loop recording, automatic playlist tracking, and other advanced audio recording techniques. It takes sound quality very seriously, allowing you to record audio in 32-bit floating/192 kHz audio resolution. There are three plans, starting at $99 annually to $599 annually. There is also a free editing software, Pro Tools Intro, which offers a good entry-point, albeit with basic functionality. However, it's worth to note the free plan only opens the first 8 tracks existing in the larger session, and it can record utmost 4 inputs simultaneously.

Features:

• Loop recording for making time-based selections and recording multiple takes
• Unlock a vast library of diverse sounds to enhance your composition with Xpand!2
• Supports a variety of free and paid plugins, such as Signal Generator and Time Shift
• Fine-tune your recordings with advanced editing features for professional-level results
• Easily stream audio between Pro Tools software and other applications with Aux I/O

Pros:

• Industry-leading tools for editing and mixing audio tracks
• The streamlined editing process with integrated ARA2 technology
• Rich learning sources

Cons:

• Limited input recording tracks
• Incredible difficult for beginners to use
• Relatively higher cost compared to other DAWs
• Reported issues with bugs and occasional slow performance

9. OBS Studio

Best for live audio streaming.

OBS Studio, an open-source program, is a powerful tool specifically designed for screen recording and broadcasting. With its support for VST filters, scene creation using multiple sources, and high-performance real-time video/audio capturing and mixing capabilities, it has become the go-to choice for gamers looking to live stream their gameplay on popular platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook. When it comes to recording, OBS Studio excels in capturing your screen along with audio from your computer, programs, and microphone. Notably, it allows simultaneous recording of up to six separate audio tracks. Its user-friendly audio mixer, complemented by a range of filters, makes it easy to achieve the desired audio mixing results. What may disappoint you is OBS cannot save your recording in the audio format. However, luckily, you can easily turn video to audio using a video-to-audio converter like VideoProc Converter AI.

Features:

• Easily record your screen with your face, voice-over, and system sound
• Create multiple scenes and transition between different scenes with transitions
• A few audio and video filters, such as noise suppression and color correction

Pros:

• Free or charge
• Record multiple audio tracks
• Many customizable video & audio recording options

Cons:

• Difficult to manipulate things in real-time
• Random crashes. It may lag your PC
• Can't record audio only
• Lack of basic audio editing tools

10. DaVinci Resolve

Best for recording audio (voiceover) for adding to a video.

From professional video editing and color grading to VFX compositing, DaVinci Resolve deals with all things related to video post-production. Did you even aware it's also one of the best audio recording software too that can help you record audio in a timeline directly? This versatile tool allows you to directly record audio in a timeline, whether it be from a USB microphone or system microphone, in stereo or mono. If you don't mind the complications, you can capture internal computer sound using this free audio recording software. Asides, it provides advanced recording capabilities, including automatic dialogue replacement (ADR) and multitrack music recording. Once your voice-over is recorded, you can refine it using an extensive array of pro audio editing tools. However, it's worth noting that despite DaVinci Resolve's ability to handle everything from simple voice-overs to symphony orchestras, it cannot record multiple audio sources simultaneously. That is to say, if your goal is to record both computer audio and microphone output together, then you have to turn to another audio recording software listed in this post.

Features:

• A professional mixer with channel strips for timeline tracks and buses
• Real-time equalization and dynamics processing for every track
• Fairlight FX plug-ins for sound cleanup and repair
• Industry-level video editing and VFX composting tools
• Leading color-grading toolset for precise color manipulation

Pros:

• Free availability
• A comprehensive range of audio editing and mixing tools

Cons:

• Initial setup and usage can be challenging
• Requires significant system resources
• Incapable of simultaneous audio recording from the PC and microphone

11. Ocenaudio

Best for recording your voice or computer sound easily.

Ocenaudio is a lightweight and intuitive audio recording program. It's for single-track audio recording and editing, so you cannot find any pro features like recording multiple tracks and mixing vocals and music. It gives the basic options to customize the audio sample rate, buffer size, and recording device. Before saving the recording as digital audio formats like MP3, RAW, and AC3, you can make basic edits to shape your recording using quick editing tools like cut, delete, normalize, reverse, and fade in/out. To help you edit complex audio files more efficiently, this free audio editing software even supports a fully featured spectrogram view and multiple-selection feature.

Features:

• Record voiceover or system sound with a simple click
• Select multiple different segments of an audio file for listing and editing
• Supports VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plugins

Pros:

• Easy enough for beginners to master
• Low CPU usage

Cons:

• Can't record audio from two or more resources

12. Apple Logic Pro

Best for mixing and making organic-sounding music.

Apple Logic Pro is a trusted and widely acclaimed digital audio workstation (DAW) that stands at the forefront of professional music production. From virtual instruments and effects to advanced MIDI sequencing and automation, Logic Pro empowers users to unleash their creativity and bring their musical ideas to life with unparalleled precision and quality. In addition to its comprehensive music production capabilities, Logic Pro offers a range of audio recording features. For example, it supports loop recording and recording audio from multiple sources simultaneously. Whether capturing vocals, instruments, or any other audio source, Logic Pro provides the necessary tools to achieve professional-grade results effortlessly. Furthermore, you can make your recordings sound professional with noise reduction, equalization, dynamic range control, and a plethora of audio editing tools.

Features:

• Creative tools for designing sound, making beats, and creating MIDI mockups
• Preset a raft of plug-ins, sound effects, transitions, and EQs
• Allow you to save your music creation as Dolby Atmos spatial audio files
• Support up to 1000 audio tracks and up to 1000 virtual instrument tracks

Pros:

• Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio tools
• Copy-protection free
• 2800 additional producer samples

Cons:

• An overkill for day-to-day audio recording
• Consumes a lot of RAM

13. Sound Recorder

Best for recording audio on Windows 11.

Great news for Windows 11 users! You have already installed one of the best audio recording software available in the market: Sound Recorder. This program comes pre-installed in Windows 11 and serves as an excellent tool for capturing streaming audio, video calls, and various internal or external audio sources. Sound Recorder offers an impressive array of audio file formats, including popular options like MP3, AAC, and WMA, as well as lossless formats such as FLAC and WAV. Furthermore, it allows you to select the desired audio quality, offering options like Auto, Best (highest quality with larger file size), High (recommended), and Medium (smaller file size).

Features:

• Graphical waveform representation for visual reference
• Place markers on the waveform to highlight the important sections
• Multiple microphone options to choose from
• Adjustable playback speed ranging from 1/4x to 4x

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Completely free to use

Cons:

• Lack of trim, merge, and other basic audio editing tools
• Limited compatibility, works only on Windows 11

14. MixPad Multitrack Recording Software

Best for recording audio for sharing on YouTube.

MixPad Multitrack Recording Software provides a comprehensive solution for recording, loading, mixing, arranging, and editing audio. It can record multiple tracks for your audio projects without any limitations. With this capable audio recording software, you have access to a range of audio effects, such as EQ and reverb, as well as a library of royalty-free sound effects and music clips to enhance your productions. Creating your own beat patterns or professional-level audio mix can be easy as walking in the park, thanks to the support for automatic tempo and beat detection, pitch manipulation, and VST plugins. This remarkable audio recording software empowers you to preserve your audio recordings in pristine, lossless formats such as WAV, supporting sample rates of up to 96kHz and 32-bit floating point depth, ensuring you can save your recordings with the utmost desired sound quality.

Features:

• Mix an unlimited number of audio, music, sounds, and voice tracks
• Extensive collection of royalty-free sound effects and a music library
• VST plugin support for extra studio effects and instruments
• Instantly share the audio recording on YouTube, Google Drive, etc

Pros:

• Access to a variety of royalty-free sound effects
• Instant sharing capabilities

Cons:

• Free version available only for non-commercial home users
• Absence of basic audio editing tools
• The unintuitive interface may pose challenges for beginners

15. Voicecoach

Best for recording your voice online.

If you want to record your voice quickly and share a link with your friends, give Voicecoach a chance. This user-friendly online video recording software is completely free and compatible with major browsers like Safari, Chrome, and Microsoft Edges. It enables you to capture your voice with a simple click. Once you've completed your recording, you have the option to download it in either WAV or MP3 format or share it directly with your friends. It's worth noting that your recordings remain private and are not uploaded to any servers unless you choose to share them online.

Features:

• Quickly record your voice on your browser
• Instantly share your voice recording

Pros:

• No extra setups. Start recording instantly

Cons:

• No extra tools to edit or enhance the audio recording
• Cannot record internal sound from the computer
• Limited customization options for sound quality
• Only supports saving recordings in OGG, WAV, or MP3 formats

How to Choose the Best Audio Recording Software

The number of audio recording software available is astounding. It can be challenging to know which paid or free audio recording software is the best and has all features you need. Here are some factors you can focus on to help you find the right app to meet your needs:

Ease of use: This is a critical factor, particularly for beginners who want to start recording quickly without getting tangled up in complex settings. As for advanced users who are focused on creating innovative audio projects, a self-explained audio recording program can help devote your attention to the creative process instead of getting caught up in convoluted menus or confusing controls.

Supported recording devices: The audio we intend to record can originate from various sources, such as the system speaker, microphone, or other connected devices. However, not all software provides the capability to record audio from all these sources. For instance, most online audio recording software can only record voiceover from the microphone and can't be used for recording the music played by your computer. Therefore, it's crucial to select the audio recorder that supports recording audio from your desired target device(s).

Sound quality: The primary purpose of audio recording software is to capture and preserve high-quality sound. The software should ensure accurate and faithful reproduction of the audio signals without introducing distortions, noise, or loss of fidelity. Whether you're working on music production, podcasting, voice-over work, or any other audio-related task, having software that prioritizes sound quality will ensure that your recordings sound professional and meet your expectations.

Extra editing features: Regardless of whether you're creating a podcast or voice ads, the ability to edit your audio recordings is paramount. Look for software that offers a comprehensive range of editing tools, including options to cut, copy, paste, trim, fade, and normalize. These features allow you to refine and enhance your recordings to achieve professional results. However, don't get me wrong, I don't mean more extra features are always better. If all you need to record your voice and the computer sound, then the extra tools like VST plugins and MIDI editor can cause a lot of mess and confusion.

Export file types: To ensure you can share, edit, and enjoy your recordings across various platforms and devices without encountering any frustrating compatibility issues, you'd better pick the audio or voice recording software that supports mainstream audio formats like MP3, FLAC, AAC, OGG, and WMA.

Support and updates: Assess whether the software provider offers regular updates, bug fixes, and reliable customer support. A responsive and supportive customer service team can prove invaluable if you encounter any issues or have questions regarding the software. Additionally, staying up-to-date with software updates ensures that you have access to the latest features, improvements, and security enhancements.