In the car, on the treadmill, or at work, podcasts are airing in an ever-growing number of earbuds and headphones.
Compare the best Podcast Recording software for Mac of 2021 for your business. Find the highest rated Podcast Recording software for Mac pricing, reviews, free demos, trials, and more. Top 10 Podcast Recording Software in 2021 1. Adobe Audition 3. Hindenburg Journalist 5. Distribute your podcast to the most popular listening apps, including Spotify with just a single tap—and host unlimited content completely free, forever. See all hosting and distribution. Compatible with Apple and PCs, Audacity is a free, open-sourced option for multi-track podcast editing software. Available since podcasting's early days of 2000, Audacity is the podcast editing software that many podcasters started out using. It's still a great option for podcasters ranging from beginners to professionals. Best Podcast Recording Software — Mac, PC, Paid & Free By Alyssa Maio on January 10, 2021 T oday, there are thousands of podcasts available to stream on every topic imaginable, and so it’s no real surprise that the market caught up quickly. Scale podcast production without sacrificing quality. Create timely content and publish faster with intuitive and flexible software. Easily generate brand assets. Your podcast is a brand asset, so quality should match. Sound and look your best with studio-quality audio and video. Perfect for teams of all sizes.
With podcasts in 2020 numbering 850,000 and constantly growing, having the best podcast editing software is essential to standing out and competing in this increasingly crowded podcast market. The best podcast software will make your podcast sound better and will give podcasters from beginner to veteran a professional sound that will have listeners coming back for more and advertisers lining up.
However, podcasting editing software can vary in price and function. How can we know what the best podcast editing software is?
In this roundup, we have tested and collected 5 options for the best software for podcast editing that you can choose, whether you are already podcasting professional or planning to start a podcast.
Podcast Profitability: Why Buy Editing Software
The popularity of podcasts and podcasting is growing steadily, according to Statista, with 75 percent of Americans being familiar with the term. More than half of Americans listen to podcasts on subjects including news, sports, interviews, entertainment, and more.
Podcasts are growing in profitability. Podcaster Joe Rogan signed a $100 million deal in 2020 with Spotify that will make his podcast, 'The Joe Rogan Experience,' exclusive to Spotify. In 2019, the creators of the podcast 'My Favorite Murderer' signed a two-year deal with Stitcher worth at least $10 million.
Podcast advertising is growing, too, with a 45 percent increase in ad purchases predicted, up to $1.13 billion in the U.S. Use of smartphones is driving growth in podcast advertising since podcasts are only a tap away on devices that are nearly inseparable from us all.
And that's the very reason why the podcast editing software is worth the purchase: you want a crisp, clear listening experience for your fans (and that million-dollar endorsement deal you're after).
In the following, these 5 options in the software for the podcast editor create a virtual audio workstation. They vary in price, but each of these options offers the ability to record, cut, splice, and edit on multiple tracks, all parts of professional podcast editing.
#1. VideoProc Vlogger
VideoProc Vlogger is a robust yet novice-friendly podcast editing software that provides its users all the necessary tools to create impressive podcasts while keeping everything well organized and never tangle beginners into knots.
With it, you can drag the mouse on the big audio waveform window to select the audio segments that you need to edit. It allows you to handle multichannel audio, move audio from one section to another, start or end a BGM naturally with the Fade in and Fade out effect, and more.
To make VideoProc Vlogger 100% friendly for beginners, its developers preset dozens of equalizer settings. With these presets, you can change the human voice, improve the sound quality, remove background noise, and more in one click. You can also customize the equalizer settings to shape the podcasts as you wish. By selecting the sound effects from the preset 12 options, it's a breeze to add some fun to your podcast.
Pros:
- Free of charge.
- Good sound quality. Export 48kHz audio.
- Convert the voice into man, woman, and robot, etc.
- Support all popular sorts of audio, including the iPhone recordings.
- Support 999+ audio tracks. Add music to podcasts easily.
Cons:
- No ready-stock music.
#2. Audacity
Compatible with Apple and PCs, Audacity is a free, open-sourced option for multi-track podcast editing software. Available since podcasting's early days of 2000, Audacity is the podcast editing software that many podcasters started out using. It's still a great option for podcasters ranging from beginners to professionals.
Podcasters can use Audacity to record their original audio. From there, Audacity can take care of various audio editing tasks such as the removal of background noise and pauses, adjusting levels, and adding music. Audio engineers can even add intros, outros, and advertisements, covering all the needs of a podcaster.
Audacity has remained free for the past 20 years to keep it popular and useful and to promote collaboration. Because of Audacity's open-sourcing, people from all over the world have contributed code, fixed any glitches, and, in general, have enhanced the user experience.
Audacity has enjoyed solid popularity over the years, reaching the milestone of 100 million downloads by fall 2020.
Pros:
- Audacity allows podcasters and audio engineers to record, cut, splice, and edit for free, putting the podcasting experience within reach of everyone.
- Audacity has longevity in the industry, so it's a reliable tool with constant improvements.
- Open-sourcing keeps the functions of Audacity fresh, thanks to contributions from users and fans from around the world.
Cons:
- For podcasters who like to know their tools in and out, the frequent updates with Audacity might not be ideal.
#3. Pro Tools by Avid
Pro Tools by Avid offers full production and sound recording software, forming a virtual audio workstation for podcasting and podcast engineering.
Pro Tools starts with a free version, Pro Tools First, on the Avid website. Upgrading to the full version of Pro Tools requires a monthly subscription of about $25 a month. The Pro Tools HD version is available for about $85 per month.
Podcast editors can try the free version of Pro Tools, take advantage of Avid's online tutorials, and put that knowledge to work if they decide to upgrade to one of the paid versions. Each upgrade builds on the skills built as you work your way up.
Pros:
- Pro Tools by Avid offers some of the most powerful podcast editing tools in the industry.
- Various subscription levels depending on your needs (and budget).
- Even the free option can edit from 16 simultaneous tracks.
Cons:
- Not every podcaster will appreciate having to use MIDI for production.
#4. Adobe Audition
When it comes to podcast editing, Adobe Audition is in a category of its own in terms of its capabilities, according to PC Magazine. You can add music, segue, create templates, and customize your audio editing platform using the software.
This audio workstation is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud plan that offers a suite of Adobe apps for about $50 a month. For one app, such as Adobe Audition, the cost is about $20 a month.
If you're not sure whether Adobe Audition is best for your audio editing needs, it does have a free trial version.
When you have an Adobe subscription, you're assured of having the latest versions of Audition and other software. The latest version of Audition is well-suited for beginning podcasters since it includes helpful tutorials for some of the most common podcast editing tasks such as removing background noise, mixing, and producing.
Walk yourself through some of the Adobe Audition tutorials, and you'll learn the basics of podcast editing. From there, you have plenty of room to grow in skills, and knowledge of podcast editing.
Pros:
- Adobe offers a wide array of functions in its Audition podcast editing software including multitrack mixing, audio spectrum analysis and a large array of digital effects.
- Tutorials help you master the ins and outs of your recording and retouching process.
Cons:
- Some say that Adobe neglects Audition in favor of releasing updates/fixes for other pieces in their software suite.
#5. Alitu
What if you don't know much about sound editing for podcasts and don't want to learn? Alitu was designed for you. This easy-to-use web-based podcast editing software will take raw audio and do all the leveling work for you. It will even publish your podcast once you're ready.
This podcast editing software lets you enjoy storytelling and conversations without having to deal with the sound editing details that the non-engineers of the world may not enjoy. You can even add a special teaser to your podcast using an Alitu template.
Much of the editing can be automated through Alitu, but as you build your skills, you may not want to automate everything. With Alitu, you can edit as much or as little as you'd like, adding music, sound fades and other special effects to make your podcast shine.
Pros:
- Alitu is fun and easy to use, even for those who don't know much about sound engineering or technology.
- Leveling sound, removing background noise, and even publishing your podcast can be automated, but it doesn't have to be.
Cons:
- Inability to tweak audio settings manually; you're at the mercy of pre-sets.
#6. Hindenburg
Hindenburg Systems' software is created for radio use, which is like a first cousin to podcasting. Spoken audio productions are their specialty. Because of this, Hindenburg has features geared toward podcast editing.
An auto-leveling function evens the sound between speakers or headphones automatically, making podcast editing easier. Hindenburg also features an automatic voice profiler that uses EQ and compression to automatically optimize the sound; you can edit your speech with a single click.
Hindenburg's Journalist Pro version, designed for podcasters and audio journalists, has a built-in Skype recorder and a one-click publish function. This will make recording interviews and making your podcast available to listeners easy, a plus if you are a podcaster and engineer all in one.
You can get a 30-day free trial to try out Hindenburg's features and see if they're right for you and your podcast editing. Hindenburg has plenty of tutorials to get you started.
Pros:
- Hindenburg's features are designed with audio storytelling and podcasting in mind.
- Features including auto-leveling, automatic sound optimization of voices, and one-click publishing will make your podcast editing easier.
Cons:
- There's a bit of a learning curve, especially if you start with other tools first.
That's a Wrap
Got a story to tell? You can tell it better by using the best podcast editing software. As a podcast editor, you can make your podcast more competitive by having quality sound and production. You can get this by using the best podcast editing software.
Final cut pro. Both free podcast editing software and paid ones in this list offer online audio editing options for podcasters and audio engineers at all skill levels, whether you're a beginning podcaster or an experienced professional.
When it comes to the best podcast editing and recording software, it’s important that you have something reliable. And just because we’re talking about the best software doesn’t mean it has to be the most expensive or the most complex.
Ultimately, the best software for you and your podcast is the software YOU feel the most comfortable using. Plus, we’re all about simplicity when it comes to your podcast setup.
When you’re first starting a podcast, the software you feel the most comfortable using is probably “none”. If you’re just getting started on your podcast journey, then you’ve likely not had experience with any software.
And depending on your podcast budget, the editing and recording software you choose to start out with might not be the same one you’re using one year from now.
Just getting started on your podcasting journey? Join us in our completely Free Podcast Course and we’ll walk you through how to create and launch your podcast!
Knowing What Software You Need
We’re going to look at the top 3 editing and recording software platforms we recommend so you can make an informed decision when it comes to the best software for YOU. We’ll also look at a few popular options among podcasters today throughout this post.
But before we dive in, let’s back up a little bit.
There are several different podcast formats to choose from when creating a podcast. Depending on what format you choose, the software you use to record your podcast and edit your podcast could be different tools.
The Interview Podcast
For example, an interview-based podcast will require additional software and tools to help you connect with your guest, especially if you’ll be podcasting remotely.
So you might connect with your guest and record your audio interview using one of the following:
- Skype
- Zencastr
- Zoom.us
Then, when it comes to editing the audio, you download the mp3 file from your recording software and edit the audio using one of the following editing software programs:
- Adobe Audition
- Audacity
- GarageBand
The Solo Podcast
On the other hand, if you’re producing a solo podcast – meaning it’s just you on the microphone – then you can record and edit your audio using just one program.
There are endless options when it comes to how you record and edit your podcast, mix in music, connect with your guest, and take questions from listeners. And not all software programs are created equal when it comes to the effects and options you have in post-production (that’s the editing phase).
Remember: the best podcast software for you is the one you feel most comfortable using, so it’s really about testing some different options out and finding the one that works best for you and your setup.
The Best Podcast Software
If you’re producing a solo podcast and using the same software to record and edit your podcast, or you’re looking for the best editing software for your post-production, then these are our top 3 recommendations in order.
1. Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition is our top software recommendation. It’s the software we’ve used to collectively record and edit over 3,000 episodes for our podcasts!
Now THAT is a lot of recording and editing!
We love Adobe Audition because the features are plenty, their templates are easy to create and use over and over again, and the effects are next-level. Once you’ve used this software a handful of times, you’ll be a pro.
As with most things in the podcasting space, software might seem scary in the beginning, but don’t let that hold you back.
Once you dive into Adobe Audition and setup your recording template and your hotkeys, you’ll be ready to rock!
This software is not free, but it is included in the Creative Cloud subscription if you already have that, or you can subscribe separately for $20 per month.
You can use the software on both Mac and PC.
2. Audacity
Audacity is also a great software option, and there are many professional and long-time podcasters who use Audacity and love it.
Podcast Software Mac Free Download
While it doesn’t have ALL the bells and whistles that Audition has, it will get the job done!
A big plus for Audacity is that it’s free, and you can use it on both Mac and PC.
Best Podcast Editing Software Mac
3. GarageBand
GarageBand is for Mac users only and comes pre-installed as an application on your Macbook Pro or Macbook Air laptop and on your Mac Desktop. For a free software, it’s definitely one to check out if you’re a Mac user.
GarageBand also has a great mobile app if you’re interested in using a quick and easy software on-the-go to record at events, conferences, or while traveling.
Other Podcast Software Options
As I mentioned earlier, there are endless options when it comes to editing and recording software for your podcast. And as someone who guests on a lot of other podcasts I’ve had the opportunity to test out several recording software options that I’ll share here.
SquadCast
SquadCast is a recording software that helps you connect with your guest and record audio interviews. It supports up to 3 people on at the same time and also allows for scheduling your sessions in advance right inside the software.
SquadCast doesn’t currently support video recording, but it does give you a video player so you can see others while recording your audio. This is helpful because visual queues are important when communicating with multiple people so you don’t talk over one another.
From a guest perspective, joining the podcast host and conducting the interview via SquadCast was a breeze. And every podcast host I’ve ever talked to who uses SquadCast has given it 5 stars. Network controller driver windows 10 64 bit download dell.
They do offer a 7-day free trial, then pricing is based on the number of hours you record in a given month. You can check out SquadCast here.
Hindenburg Journalist
I have not personally used Hindenburg Journalist, but I’ve stopped by their expo table at several podcasting events to check out their software.
From what I can tell it’s quite similar to Adobe Audition in that it gives you an entire toolset and multiple effects to really bring your audio story to life in post-production.
Hindenburg Journalist offers a 30-day trial, then you can choose from 3 options starting at $95. You can learn more about Hindenburg Journalist here.
Auphonic
Auphonic is a unique post-production software tool that helps clean up your audio files with levelers, normalization, and restoration. You can think of it as an audio upgrade – after-the-fact.
While Auphonic can’t save you from every recording or audio disaster, it does a good job of helping you clean up audio quickly. I’ve tested it out on a few different audio clips of my own before, but because I do a solo podcast and record directly into Audition with a good microphone, I’m not a great Auphonic candidate.
However, as an example, if you record interviews and feel like you and your guest’s audio levels are drastically different than. your own, then running your audio file through Auphonic could be a huge lifesaver.
You can also fix these type of issues with the click of a couple buttons in any editing software, but Auphonic will do it all for you with the click of one button.
Auphonic is free for up to 2 hours of audio per month, then plans start at $11 per month. You can learn more about Auphonic here.
Reaper
While I’ve heard Reaper mentioned in the podcasting space a few times, I haven’t tried it myself. We do have a couple of podcasters in our membership community, Podcasters’ Paradise, who use the tool and who have good things to say about.
But if you ask me, it’s not going to beat out Adobe Audition. Because I can’t speak to the tool myself, I’ve copied how they describe the software on their website:
REAPER is a complete digital audio production application for computers, offering a full multitrack audio and MIDI recording, editing, processing, mixing and mastering toolset.
Reaper has a discounted license you might be eligible for that is $60; otherwise the cost is $225. You can learn more about Reaper here.
Logic Pro
Logic Pro is an Apple Mac software product and is focused on professional music production, which is why I haven’t mentioned it up until now.
Yes, as podcasters we’re very creative people, and producing a single episode with music and all the fade-in and fade-out effects can sometimes feel like we’re composing an entire piece of music. It’s an art!
However, I’m in the camp of using software and tools that are built for specific uses. Logic Pro – and other software tools like Pro Tools – are no doubt high-quality software options. But they’re built for music production – not podcast production.
Of course, this isn’t to say it won’t work for you, so if you want you can check out Logic Pro here. They do offer a free trial, and then it’s $199.
The Best Mobile Podcast Recording Apps
Now that we’ve covered an extensive list of desktop apps for editing and recording your podcast, let’s look at some alternative options if you’re an on-the-go podcaster and want to record from your mobile device.
As previously mentioned, GarageBand has a great mobile app, so to keep things clean and simple we’d recommend using it if you’re going to go with GarageBand anyway.
Recording on-the-go podcasts
- Backpack Studio (formerly Bossjock)
Note: some of these mobile apps also offer podcast hosting. We do not recommend any of the above for podcast hosting; our top podcast hosting recommendation is Libsyn because they’re 100% focused on podcasting and have been for many, many years.
If you do decide to go with Libsyn, use our Libsyn promo code FIRE and get the rest of this month AND next month free! Just be sure you don’t switch your plan during the promo period or else the promo will go away :(
There are also some great hardware tools you can pick up to help you record podcasts on-the-go, like the H4N Zoom Handheld Recorder. This allows you to record great quality audio from anywhere, then download it onto your laptop or desktop for post-production.
Recap: The Best Podcast Software
I know – that was a lot to take in. But don’t feel overwhelmed by the multiple options for editing and recording your podcast. We specifically shared our top 3 with you so you don’t have to wade through too many options – unless you like that sort of thing…
Software Review
Before we go, let’s do a quick review of your recording software options based on your podcast format. Note: for all formats below we recommend you do your editing and post-production using one of our top 3 recommendations.
Remote Interview Podcast
Record your audio using a tool like Skype, Zencastr, or Zoom.us. If you want to also record video, try Zoom.us.
Solo Podcast
Record and edit your audio using one of our top 3 recommendations: Adobe Audition, Audacity, or GarageBand.
Q&A Podcast
Receive voicemails from your listeners to capture their questions via audio using a tool like SpeakPipe.
On-the-go Podcast
Record your audio using a tool like Ringr App, or go for the handheld recorder option we recommend: H4N Zoom.
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Don’t Over-Complicate!
Finding the best editing and recording software can seem like a tough decision, but please don’t over-complicate this step in the process! Your software is something you can switch at any time.
And if there’s a software or set of tools you’re currently using and love – but you don’t see it mentioned here – that doesn’t mean it’s not the best software for YOU! Remember, the best editing and recording software is the one YOU feel most comfortable using.
Now that you have all the info you need to make an informed software decision for editing and recording your podcast, head over to our podcast equipment page to complete your podcast setup!
Questions about your podcast setup? Reach out to us anytime! We’d love to hear from you and are here to help support you on your podcasting journey!
Frequently Asked Questions
What software do you need for podcast?
Depending on your podcast format, you may only need podcast recording and editing software, like Adobe Audition. If you are doing an interview-based show, or a show with multiple hosts and guests, then you’ll need a couple of other pieces of software in your setup.
Can I record a podcast on my phone?
Yes, you can use podcast recording apps like Ringr or the GarageBand app to record a podcast on your phone.
What is the best free podcast software?
The best free podcast software is Audacity and works for both PC and MAC.
Can you record a podcast remotely?
Yes, you can record a podcast remotely using tools like Zoom.us to connect with your guest and record the interview.
What’s better audacity or GarageBand?
GarageBand will only work on a MAC, so if you’re using a PC, go with Audacity, and if you’re using a MAC, go with GarageBand.