Our verdict: Audacity is the standard free tool for recording and cleaning up audio. It is ideal for podcasts, voiceovers, interviews and quick music edits. It is not a full music production studio, but for editing speech it is hard to beat at this price.
About Audacity
Audacity started in 1999 and is now maintained by the Audacity Team as part of Muse Group, which also develops MuseScore. It stays free and open source under GPLv3.
Most people use it for three things: recording from a microphone, removing background noise, and cutting out mistakes. The noise reduction effect learns a short sample of background hiss and removes it from the whole recording.
What it does well
- Multitrack recording. Record from a microphone or audio interface and layer several tracks.
- Noise reduction. Removes steady background noise such as hum or fan hiss.
- Effects and plugins. Built-in effects plus support for VST3, LV2 and Nyquist plugins.
- Precise editing. Cut, trim, fade and adjust volume with a zoomable waveform.
- Export formats. Saves to WAV, MP3, FLAC, OGG and other formats.
Who it is for
Good fit
Podcasters, teachers, YouTubers and anyone recording voice.
Look elsewhere
Music producers who need MIDI sequencing and virtual instruments like a full DAW.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent for speech editing
- Strong noise reduction
- Supports VST3 plugins
- Free with no limits
Cons
- Not a full music DAW
- Interface looks dated
- MuseHub is offered alongside the installer
How to install Audacity
The download button gets the 64-bit Windows installer directly. Muse Group also promotes its MuseHub app, but you do not need it to use Audacity.
Questions about Audacity
Is Audacity free?
Yes. There is no paid version and no time limit.
Can Audacity export MP3?
Yes. MP3 export is built in on current versions, with no extra library to install.
Can Audacity record computer audio?
Yes on Windows, by choosing the Windows WASAPI host and a loopback device as the recording source.
