Intuitive audio editing for storytellers. Hindenburg Journalist lets you concentrate on your story while we ensure audio quality. Hindenburg Radio, Podcast and Audiobook Editing Software. In order to create a podcast, cut the pauses out of a webinar recording, or add effects to a video soundtrack, you'll need audio editing software. Which audio editor you choose ultimately depends on a few factors: what you'll be using the editor for, your overall skill level, and your budget. There's no one-size-fits-all audio editor, but there. As a freelance Audio Engineer & Podcast Producer I have to turn professional software & for me that had to be dedicated editing software & a DAW. Most DAW's are a much of a muchness, I think it really comes down to what you are use to using. So for me it's CuBase because with 20 years experience with it, it becomes second nature.
In the car, on the treadmill, or at work, podcasts are airing in an ever-growing number of earbuds and headphones.
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. 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.
Free Podcast Audio Editing Software
#2. 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.
#3. 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.
#4. 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.
#5. 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
Best Software For Podcast Editing
Got a story to tell? Cad software for mac. 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.
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.
There are three editors that we analyse for podcasting in this podcast episode ranging from free all the way to pay monthly.
Free Audio Editing Software Options for Podcasters
Audacity
Audacity is a great and popular free option when you're just starting a podcast and want to be able to make basic edits. It can be a little complicated to learn but I may be saying that as I'm already used to one workflow in another audio editor and I needed to go through a re-learning process when I use Audacity.
There are not many official tutorials online for Audacity which can make it harder to master initially. Good news is that it is cross-platform compatible and works on Mac, PC and even Linux. I have also created a number of tutorials for beginners here.
Audacity does everything you need to podcast including having compression presets and basic noise reduction. There is also a basic layout on the screen and you can 'multitrack' so to speak which means mixing two different tracks of audio together. It may take longer to do certain processes that you can automate in other software.
GarageBand
This, again, is free but you've got to have a Mac! I love the pretty layout and it even comes with templates designed for podcasters by Apple. If anyone knows how a podcast should sound and the required workflow and track layout it certainly should be Apple.
GarageBand, without doubt is the most beautiful of all the audio editors I've seen. It feels like you are moving a living work of art around on the screen instead of just plain old pixelated waveforms.
The sound effects and musical loops included can be used in a podcast free of charge and without copyright worries. You should be careful though as your podcast won't sound unique – many of the loops will sound familiar and be heard on other podcasts!
GarageBand falls over a little on the granular detail and editing and processes such as noise reduction. I have a set of tutorials for Garage Band here.
Best Paid Audio Editing Software for Podcasters
Adobe Audition
There is no hiding it – I am a huge Adobe Audition fan – I can honestly say that I've not used a better piece of audio editing software.
You pay monthly for a single app subscription or (this is my preferred plan) pay for the full Creative Cloud package. This will give you access to other fantastic software such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Premiere Pro to name a few.
Adobe Audition has world class noise reduction features. As podcasters we sometimes get noise in the mix that can easily be fixed in Audition. It's easy to edit in tiny detail and the multitrack is super user friendly when you want to mix multiple files and reduce the volume of, for example, a music bed.
Best Audio Editing Software For Podcasts
Adobe Audition may seem overwhelming at first but, as podcasters, we really use only a few features the most and it also has an excellent MP3 encoder! Yes, the quality at which you save your MP3 file is important. Once again my YouTube channel will come in handy with many regular tutorials appearing weekly.
Audio Editing Software For Podcasts
(2018 update) Presets For Adobe Audition
Podcast Audio Editing
Because Adobe Audition is increasingly gaining on popularity with podcasters I have been asked to share my workflow when editing podcasts here at Music Radio Creative. This is how Pro Podcast Presets came to be. Now used by thousands podcasters in their workflow, saving you both time and money!
What audio editor do you use for podcasting?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
