The different audaciy alternatives includes wavepad, oceanaudio, Wavosaur, frinika, av audio editor and BounceCast. A few days ago we told you about the new times that were opening for Audacity, the most popular ‘open source’ audio editing tool for PC on the market, after its acquisition by the MUSE Group.
Precisely there have been previous controversies of these new owners (specialized in the field of music software) that have put the user community on guard. Well, that, and that one of their first decisions was to add telemetry functions (user usage tracking).
Voices are already beginning to be heard asking to launch a ‘fork’ of the code, which this time remains in the hands of the community. In the meantime, if you want to know if there are Audacity alternatives to the, we bring you a few so that you can value them :
WavePad: an improved Audacity (if you’re not using it for commercial purposes)
If the use that you are going to give it is personal, we summarize it quickly: WavePad is an improved version of Audacity. If you are going to use it for commercial purposes, however, it will cost you between $ 60 and $ 99, compared to the 0 that Audacity has been costing you.
It is not available for Linux (yes for Windows and Mac OS X), but it makes up for it with mobile versions for iOS and Android.
WavePad’s interface, clear and simple, hides many more options than meets the eye. Along with the more standard options, it offers others such as:
- A complete collection of audio effects (reverb, echo, etc).
- Native support for VST plugins.
- Compatibility with almost all popular audio formats.
- Spectral analysis functions comparable to those of Audacity.
- Text-to-speech synthesis and voice alteration tools.
Another remarkable element of this software is that it is installed together with a tool that allows you to edit the audio of the videos without first having to separate the audio track.
Oceanaudio: fast and uncomplicated
Oceanaudio is probably another of the great alternatives to Audacity for most users: a lightweight, stable, free and cross-platform audio editor (it is available for Windows as well as for Linux and Mac OS X).
It is also very easy to use… maybe so easy that it doesn’t stay as versatile as the ‘original’: do you want to record an interview for your podcast? Use it; Do you need it for a music production project? Well Oceanaudio does not measure up.
One point in its favor, of course, is its advanced memory management system, which makes it easy to edit large files for a long time without running the risk of being corrupted. That, and that aesthetically it is much more ‘apparent’ than Audacity.
Wavosaur: the lightest on the list
The 64-bit version of Wavosaur occupies 1.3 Mb, which makes it possibly the lightest audio editor on the market. Despite its size, it has – in addition to the standard tools – some advanced features such as mute removal, VST plug-ins, and ASIO drivers.
One of its great attractions is that it facilitates simultaneous work with several projects, by allowing them to be managed within the same tab.
In addition, its creators also offer a tool for generating ringtones from audio files, Generatosaur, on the same website.
The negative aspect is that it does not stand out in the field of multiplatform: it is only executable (it does not need to be installed) on Windows systems.
The 64-bit version of Wavosaur occupies 1.3 Mb, which makes it possibly the lightest audio editor on the market. Despite its size, it has – in addition to the standard tools – some advanced features such as mute removal, VST plug-ins, and ASIO drivers.
One of its great attractions is that it facilitates simultaneous work with several projects, by allowing them to be managed within the same tab.
In addition, its creators also offer a tool for generating ringtones from audio files, Generatosaur, on the same website.
The negative aspect is that it does not stand out in the field of multiplatform: it is only executable (it does not need to be installed) on Windows systems.
Frinika: Much more than an editor
The popularity of Audacity in Linux environments has caused that not many alternatives to it have been created for this operating system. One, of course, is the aforementioned Oceanaudio. But if you can’t settle for something simpler than Audacity, you’re going to have to go for something more complex, with no middle ground.
And that’s where Frinika comes in, which more than an audio editor is a workstation for audio with all the laws, with support for VST, musical notation, sequencer, an Amiga style tracker, etc.
Of course, like Audacity, Frinika is also ‘open source’ and cross-platform, being available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.
AV Audio Editor: only edit, no record
Like Wavosaur, AV Audio Editor is only available for Windows systems, makes it easy to work on multiple projects at the same time, and has advanced audio editing tools. Like Oceanaudio, it is easy to use, with a very clear interface.
Unlike all the others, AV Audio Editor does not include an audio recording function, although it does have a sister program ( AV Audio and Sound Recorder ), which not only offers this function but goes much further, allowing you to record from multiple microphones and audio sources at the same time.
BounceCast: for content creators with $ 99 in your pocket
BounceCast is a tool specifically focused on podcasters and youtubers who seek to edit the audio of their content. Its interface, although modern, is extremely simple, so forget about most of the usual audio editing functions.
Its great attraction is the automated tools to improve the clarity of the audio and eliminate noise disturbances (hums, clicks, etc)… the negative part is that these tools are not accessible in the free version of the software , and you will have to pay $ 99 per year for the Premium plan. Available for Windows and Mac OS X.