If you’re just starting out with audio — whether you’re making game sound effects, podcast episodes, YouTube videos, or simply cleaning up voice recordings — you don’t need to spend a dime to get powerful editing tools. In this article, we’ll look at three of the best completely free audio editing programs that are perfect for beginners.
Each one has its strengths, and depending on your workflow, one might suit you better than the others.
1. Audacity
Best for quick edits and learning the basics
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Website: https://www.audacityteam.org
Audacity is one of the most well-known free audio editors — and for good reason. It’s open-source, lightweight, and does just about everything a beginner needs: recording, cutting, noise reduction, equalization, and exporting in multiple formats (WAV, MP3, OGG, etc.).
Key Features:
- Easy-to-use interface
- Built-in effects and tools (fade in/out, normalize, noise removal, etc.)
- Support for plug-ins (VST, LADSPA, Nyquist)
- Regular updates and huge community support
Tip: If you’re recording voice or trimming sound effects for games, Audacity is an ideal place to start.
2. Ocenaudio
Best for quick cleanup and real-time effects preview
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Website: https://www.ocenaudio.com
Ocenaudio is like Audacity’s sleek cousin. It’s faster, cleaner, and supports real-time effect preview — which means you can tweak EQ, reverb, or filters and instantly hear the result without having to apply and undo changes.
Key Features:
- Real-time preview of VST plug-ins
- Simple waveform editing
- Spectrogram view
- Supports large files and multiple selections
Ocenaudio is great when you need to clean up a voice track, apply quick filters, or process a batch of sound effects. It’s not built for multi-track editing or music production, but for most single-track tasks, it’s fast and efficient.
3. Cakewalk by BandLab
Platform: Windows only
Website: https://www.bandlab.com/products/cakewalk
If you’re planning to work on music, game audio, or complex multi-layer sound projects, Cakewalk gives you professional DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) power—for free.
Originally a premium product (known as SONAR), Cakewalk is now available at no cost through BandLab.
Key Features:
- Full-featured DAW: multi-track, MIDI, automation
- Built-in mixing console
- VST3 plug-in support
- Advanced tools for composition and mastering
Note: Cakewalk is a bit more advanced, but if you’re willing to invest time learning it, you’ll have a professional-grade workflow without spending money.