Long-established open-source audio editor for recording and cleanup.
Why we recommend it
Most designers only need audio occasionally — cleaning up a voiceover, trimming a podcast clip — and this covers that without a subscription.
Strengths
- Effective noise reduction and normalisation
- Multi-track recording and editing
- Mature and extremely widely documented
Drawbacks
- Destructive editing model by default
- Interface shows its age
- 2021 telemetry controversy under new ownership unsettled parts of the community
Audacity alternatives and related tools
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FreeFreepik
Massive stock library of vectors, photos, PSD files, and icons with a generous free tier.
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