Vector 3 is the next generation of our popular audio editing and recording app for the Mac. We rewrote the app completely from scratch and added many new features for version 3.0. Vector is now a full blown audio editor that offers professional features.
Music Memos is designed for musicians and songwriters to quickly and easily capture their impromptu song ideas on the fly, whenever inspiration strikes.
The app has a simple user interface at first glance, with nothing but a small recording button, but tucked away behind tiny icons are several useful features.
Recording
To begin recording, simply open the Music Memos app and tap on the blue circle button. The user interface will turn red while recording. Alternatively, you can tap on the 'Auto' label in the top-left corner and the app will automatically start and stop the recording based on your voice.
As you are recording, the circle will pulsate to your voice, or musical instruments, and there is a waveform at the bottom of the screen. To finish recording, simply tap the red circle button and the snippet will appear at the bottom with a title, playback button, pitch notation, and other options.
Tapping on the guitar or drum set icons overlays the music recording with drums and a bass line to provide a virtual, customizable backing band. Moreover, your snippet can be renamed, deleted, tagged, or rated on a five-star scale. The app also provides visual warnings if it detects your recording is too quiet or too loud.
Editing
Music Memos saves a list of your recordings, accessible by tapping the tray button at the top of the app. Tapping on a snippet's waveform brings up various editing options for tempo, time signature, downbeat, tuning and length.
The app automatically analyzes your recording and displays musical measures and suggested chord names. Any chord names throughout your song can be renamed or provided further detail by tapping on them.
There are also the options to trim the beginning and end of your recording, adjust the tempo, time signature and downbeat, and keep track of comments, lyric ideas, alternate guitar tunings, or capo position.
Tuning
Music Memos includes a built-in tuner for chromatic pitch notation, accessible by tapping the tuning fork button in the top-right corner. The tuner automatically shows a letter note once it detects sound.
There are already several existing tuner apps on the App Store, including Guitar Tuna and Cleartune, but this is a convenient, all-in-one option that songwriters can use to both record musical ideas and tune their guitars.
Exporting and Sharing
Music Memos snippets, which are 24-bit 44.1kHz audio files, can be saved to iCloud Drive, exported to Logic Pro X and GarageBand for iOS or Mac, or shared directly on Apple Music Connect, SoundCloud, and YouTube. Simply tap on the tray button at the top, expand a recording from the list and tap the share button.
Music Memos is free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Whether you want to make music, record a podcast, or just knock together a ringtone, you’ll need a good quality Mac audio editor. There are some amazing audio editors for Mac available that won’t break the bank. In fact, many won’t cost you anything at all.
So, from quick and simple apps to professional level tools, here’s our pick of the best affordable and free audio editing software for Mac.
1. Audacity
Audacity is the first audio editor that most people will stumble upon through a Google search. It’s an easy recommendation. It’s free and open source, has a fairly straightforward interface, and supports a massive number of file types, including MP3 and WAV.
You can record straight into the app (though not using instruments), or edit existing files. There’s an enormous number of effects you can use, a spectrogram for analyzing frequencies, and it supports high quality 32-bit audio as well.
Audacity is a fantastic starting point for anyone who needs a simple editor, but has enough power to grow as you become more experienced. The only downside is that it doesn’t support full non-destructive editing, so make sure you’ve got a backup of your original audio before you begin.
Download:Audacity (Free)
2. WavePad
WavePad is another highly competent Mac audio editor that’s free so long as you’re only using it non-commercially.
It supports a large number of file types. It allows you to work on multiple files at the same time, and you can even batch process thousands of files at once. WavePad supports audio bookmarking, the usual range of effects and some text-to-speech and vocal manipulation tools to boot.
The multi-window interface takes a little getting used to, but as a free WAV or MP3 editor for Mac it’s well worth a look.
Download:WavePad (Free for non-commercial use)
3. OcenAudio
A completely free and feature-packed cross-platform audio recorder and editor from Brazil, OcenAudio is another option for the budget sound engineer. The app supports a huge number of file types including MP3, FLAC, and WMA. It also supports various videos formats including the MKV container.
OcenAudio is often seen as the main alternative to Audacity. It has a similar feature set, but a much more refined interface that makes it super accessible. There’s also support for VST instruments, a range of effects, a fully featured spectrogram, and the ability to edit very large files without kissing goodbye to all of your Mac’s memory.
Download:OcenAudio (Free)
4. PreSonus Studio One Prime
For the best free audio mixing software look no further than Studio One Prime. It’s a free version of a professional suite that would normally set you back $399.
You can create or mix music with the built-in effects, instruments, and loops. And it’s just as good for recording and editing podcasts and voiceovers. It takes some time to find your way around the interface—let alone master. But if you’re willing to invest the time Studio One Prime has got everything you’ll need in a free package.
Download:PreSonus Studio One Prime (Free)
5. Avid Pro Tools First
Best Voice Recording App
Pro Tools is the industry standard for audio production. Pro Tools First is a free, stripped down taster for new users.
It’s feature rich but a daunting proposition, with a complex interface and steep learning curve. It also needs a more powerful computer than the other apps we’ve listed here. There’s a big limitation on free users—you can only save your files to the Avid cloud servers, and you can only have three projects on the go at once.
Pro Tools First is overkill if you’re only looking to edit your podcast. But if you want to try your hand at recording and mixing music you won’t find better free sound editing software.
Download:Avid Pro Tools First (Free)
6. GarageBand
Finally, as far as free audio editors for Mac are concerned, don’t overlook the app you’ve already got installed on your machine… GarageBand.
Although it’s designed primarily as a tool for making music, the app works as basic audio editing software. You can record directly into the app, or import and edit existing recordings. It’s a decent option for podcasters, too, with voice-optimized features built in.
For more, see our guide detailing how to use GarageBand.
Download:GarageBand (Free)
7. Reaper
On to the paid options, and at $60 Reaper is at the upper end of what we’d class as a cheap audio editor. But it comes with a very generous 60-day free trial, so you’ll know whether or not it’s for you long before you have to stump up any cash.
And the signs look good. Reaper is loved by its userbase. It’s a small download, and much lighter than the likes of Pro Tools First. It supports all common file formats at whatever quality you need, and you can use free VST plugins12 Free VST Plugins Every Musician Must Have12 Free VST Plugins Every Musician Must HaveVirtual Studio Technology makes music production easier than ever, and these free VST plugins are the best of the best.Read More, making thousands of instruments and effects available.
What it lacks compared to similar commercial products is a sound library. But the internet is packed with thousands of freely downloadable samples you can use to build your own.
Download:Reaper ($60)
8. Adobe Audition
I know what you’re thinking—no Adobe products are cheap! It’s true that using Audition long term will set you back hundreds of dollars. But if you’re just working on a specific project and you want the best, you can pick it up for a month for a little over $30.
Adobe Audition is a popular choice for all types of audio editing and mixing. It’s great for music and podcasts, and even integrates with Adobe Premiere Pro so you can create soundtracks for your videos. There’s very little it can’t do and very few file types it doesn’t support.
Adobe has even produced a full range of tutorials to get you up and running straight away—in terms of functionality, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Download:Adobe Audition (Subscription from $20.99/month)
9. Fission
Fission is an audio editor that focuses on fast, lossless editing in a neat and stylish package. The app comes with a decent free trial which provides unhindered access to all functions, except for one thing: audio files are saved at lower quality.
Fission has a long list of features including batch editing, simple waveform editing, support for FLAC and WAV (among others), and the lossless editing of already-compressed MP3 and AAC files. You can batch convert from one file format to another, while a handy Podcasts panel makes it easy to package your broadcasts to share online.
Download:Fission ($35)
Video Editor App For Mac
More Mac Software for Creative Types
It’s surprising just how good the free or cheap audio editors for Mac are. There are apps in this list that are suitable for anything, from quick 5-minute jobs to launching your recording empire. However, if you’re planning to use one of these apps to start a podcast, make sure you invest in the best podcasting equipment first.
Apple’s macOS has always been the platform of choice for creative types. If video is more your thing, check out the best free macOS video editorsThe 8 Best Free Video Editors for MacThe 8 Best Free Video Editors for MacNeed to edit video on a budget? These free Mac video editors let you perform essential video editing tasks at no cost.Read More to get started.
Explore more about: Audacity, Audio Editor, GarageBand, .
App To Edit Voice Recordings
Check out Acon Digital's Acoustica (version 7 onwards). It has been completely redesigned and now has a Mac version. I was looking for a replacement for Audition on PC, and after trying so many wave editors, Acoustica 7 was the most promising. I have now switched to Mac, so will be taking the Mac version for a spin.
A huge bonus is that it doesn't look like shareware from 20 years ago (Audacity).Hi,
I am looking for an app that can cut a MP3 in many MP3 automatically based on the silences between the words. Each MP3 will then gets it own id.IMac El Capitane, no experience in audio editing
Rob B:
What you are asking to do is a Two step process, and you are not going to be able to do this on the cheap.
First, you need a proper DAW like Logic or Digital Performer. These are EXPENSIVE, but they WILL isolate the silent bits automatically without you having to do this by hand.
Second, if you want the tagging, you need a Batch Editor, like Adobe Audition. Which will tag all of those bits for you.
Treatment
Wavepad is NOT free. You get a demo that allows you to save/export a very few file. To continue saving, you MUST by the full edition. If you don't, all your work is LOST !!!
:=( (Don't select the main download link. Instead use the link to the free version buried in the text.
I do not know what's going on there, but all the links point to the same apparent file 'http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/wavepadmaci.zip'. However what is downloaded is a dmg file and the installed version finally is a version with limited capabilities after some trial.
Oops! I have to correct myself. The links are different. Although the link of the file showed by the browser is misleadingly 'zip' and the files downloaded have the same name, BUT the free version instance eventually works as advertised.
I cant believe Adobe are trying to charge customers per month for using software? who came up with that pricing model? It wouldn't be so bad if the pricing was sensible, but $20 a month? this needs to be nipped in the bud, and Adobe need to go back to selling products not renting them out! Ridiculous!
I am finally able to enter the digital photography field because of the Adobe CC subscription based model. I am sure you have good reason for objecting, but I get immediate access to thousands of dollars worth of software for an extremely approachable fee.
I believe you can still purchase all their products as always, but the CC model lets the the working class have access too.
I've used Audacity in the past for simple audio conversion and slice & dice, but I've upgraded to Yosemite 6 months ago, but I see there's still no OSX 10.10 support, so I've just downloaded & installed WavePad to give that a try and I have to say it looks better then Audacity.
Seriously the GUI, the icons and the waveform of Audacity looks like it's some crappy Windows software.I have been doing DSP for over 35 years. I remember back in the day before wav files even existed and it was all just raw data. These days, I mostly edit by frequency (spectral editing) instead of amplitude. David Johnston created Cool Edit, then pro before Adobe bought them out. I get free copies from SW companies all the time. I sandbox them all and I must admit that Adobe has kept their word to David that his foundational CEP program will always be the best. Because of the plugs available, Audition is way ahead of them all. I can not only transpose vocal pitch, but I can also manipulate depth, width, and length of the vocal cavity. I know and understand why Wayne Newton sounded like a girl when he was young and I give credit to Adobe for that. Other wav editors cant even come close to that, and many other intricacies that you can do like using plugs to manipulate algorithmic sets to make your edits way over the studio standard. Even if it's only me that can hear these differences. Adobe Audition might cost substantially more money, but you get what you pay for. Just because I am sponsored and get Adobe Audition cost free means nothing. I never asked them for sponsorship, and they know I could care less if they sponsor me or not. As of this 1st day of 2015, Audition IS the best wav editor for single track editing. I use it as my wav editor for Reaper, which I use as a multitrack editor. Adobe is also OK for mastering although I personally prefer doing that task with outboard hardware type gear. Happy New Year! Morph Mode
Mote of a DAW than a simple wave editor, but Reaper is also a pretty amazing value: http://www.reaper.fm/
Are you aware that 'five-finger discount' means theft, usually shoplifting? Your use of the term to refer to 'free for non-comercial use' is a bit disconcerting.
Yes, thank you! I've used several DAWs, but having had several upgraded out from under me (wanting a re-purchase) I've been looking for lower-price alternatives. This article got me to download ocenaudio, and so far, I'm impressed!
BTW, several DAWs have iOs versions. TwistedWave is one. There is an iOs WavePad, but apparently the integration to the desktop is not terribly good (hearsay; I haven't tried it.) Might be a topic for a future article.
That should read *for Linux :)
Hi, have you got a similar article planned or Linux?
Thanks for the reply. WavePad does work (and is also on the iPad), but I will be using it for commercial use and desktop suite integration makes it a bit cumbersome.
Honestly, OcenAudio may be the one. I learned about it from the comments section.
It's incredible because I need very little from the program, as I am only editing the timeline of .wav or .aiff files that are already premixed. I'll be putting OcenAudio to the test tonight!Thanks again for the article.
Good article. I've been looking for a replacement for Cool Edit Pro 2.1 for about 10 years. Audacity is not really an adequate replacement, and there is no way I am paying $20+ a month for any software. I've actually had to install Windows XP just to use Cool Edit because the Wine emulation suffers from latency issues. SMH, SMH.
OcenAudio is free and runs on Mac. It's very slick for a free offering and meets all my needs managing my sample collection when i don't want to open Ableton up. Has the added bonus of metadata handling too. Worth a look!
Don't forget Ardour. Inexpensive and arguably the most powerful editor in the no- to low-cost category.
Agreed. If you're not coming from a DAW background or something like Pro Tools or Logic, Audacity is much more accessible, but they're definitely in two different classes.
To Tim B: you are wrong about this for GarageBand 11, which is pretty new. See Apple Support document http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2008?viewlocale=en_US 'To import an audio file: Drag the audio file you want to import from the Finder into the timeline, to the empty area below the existing tracks. A new Real Instrument track is created, and the audio file appears as an orange region in the track.' You can import many kinds of audio files to GarageBand.
Doesn't Apple's native Garageband come for free? It used to. I'm pretty sure that you can edit sounds and do a lot more with it. Also, there's QuickTime, which I believe comes free on all Macs. It can do basic sound file editing.
What I want is an audio editor that can splice out certain segments. An analogous example would be to cut oot commercials from a TV show. Do any of these do this?