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Table of contents:
TL;DR:
- Consider an Audition alternative if you’re looking for a more affordable platform or software with easier features.
- Your best free Adobe Audition alternatives are Audacity, GarageBand, and Davinci Resolve.
- Your best podcasting alternatives for Audition include Riverside, Avid Pro Tools, and Logic Pro.
- Your best alternatives for editing video audio are Final Cut Pro and WonderShare Flimora.
Looking for an audio editing tool that rivals Adobe Audition?
While Adobe Audition is one of the most popular audio editing software, it’s not suitable for everyone. If you’re a beginner you may find it too complex, or you may be looking for something with a better budget.
In this article, we'll cover 8 top free and paid Adobe Audition alternatives to meet your needs. We cover alternatives for podcasting, video audio, and more.
Table of contents:
Why should you consider an Adobe Audition alternative?
Where Audition really shines is its advanced sound removal, noise reduction, and audio balancing tools. However, Adobe Audition does have a few drawbacks.
For instance, its price and subscription-only pricing model could be prohibitive for many users. And if you’re looking for advanced music production features, you’re better off looking elsewhere.
While Adobe Audition is a reliable and popular audio editing software choice, there are several reasons you might want to consider an alternative, including:
- Cost. Adobe Audition is part of Adobe Creative Cloud, which means you’ll need to pay a hefty subscription (anywhere from $22.99/month to $59.99/month). An alternative might offer similar features at a lower cost—or be available as a one-time purchase.
- Features. Depending on your needs, an alternative to Adobe Audition might offer features or tools that are more intuitive for your workflow. This is especially the case if you’re new to editing and need a more simple editing software.
- Support and updates. You might want more responsive support or frequent updates than Adobe Audition offers.
- Community and Ecosystem. Some users prefer alternatives that have a strong community of users and developers, which can provide additional resources and support.
9 Best Adobe Audition alternatives for seamless audio editing
Below, we’ll break down our top Audition alternative choices based on their use case. We’ll suggest a few free tools for those on a tight budget. Then, we’ll cover a few alternatives to consider if you’re a podcaster or video editor.
Best free Adobe Audition alternatives
1. Audacity
Price: Free
Compatibility: Windows, Mac & Linux
Audacity is a free but powerful audio editor that is a go-to for many professional editors. While the platform can be difficult to learn for less experienced editors, pros and those who don’t mind a steep learning curve can appreciate the robust, open-source tool.
Key features:
- Volume fading
- Audio pitch and speed adjustments
- Mix and copy sounds
- Wide range of filetypes
- Ability to layer multiple sound files together
- Large plugin library
Audacity vs Adobe Audition
Audacity Pros
- Free and open-source
- Can add plugins to enhance features and abilities
Adobe Audition Pros
- More customer support
- Offers more advanced editing features
- Better multitrack editing
2. GarageBand
Price: Free
Compatibility: Mac
If you have an Apple computer, GarageBand is probably already installed on your device. The tool was designed to help musicians and producers create and edit audio. It comes with a wide library of virtual instruments, and by using the Live loops feature, you can easily insert pre-recorded drum and bass tracks into your songs.
Key features:
- Basic mixing tools
- Record from electric instruments or microphone
- Extensive sound library
- Live Loops
- Mute and solo tracks
- Automate project volume
- Various sound effects, including reverb and compression
GarageBand vs Adobe Audition
GarageBand Pros
- Free
- Great tools for beginner musicians and producers
- User-friendly
Adobe Audition Pros
- Available on both Mac and Windows
- More advanced producing features
If you'd like to use GarageBand for podcasting, check out our full guide.
3. DaVinci Resolve
Price: Free
Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux
DaVinci Resolve may come with a steep learning curve, but it offers many sophisticated features that let you create a high-quality, watermark-free movie or video for free. It also comes with a clean and intuitive interface that is satisfying to use (once you get past the learning curve). It also requires a minimum of 4GB GPU, 16GB of RAM, and an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7—so check your computer’s specs before downloading.
Key features:
- VFX
- Smart video stabilization
- Built-in audio mixing
- Facial recognition
- Dual timeline
- Color correction
- Cloud-based remote collaboration
- Designated interface for trimming
DaVinci Resolve vs Adobe Audition
DaVinci Resolve Pros
- Free
- Available on Linux
- Many advanced features
- More integrations
Adobe Audition Pros
- More beginner-friendly
- Many video editing features
Best Adobe Audition alternatives for podcasting
4. Riverside
Pricing:
Free for two hours of separate audio and video tracks and video quality up to 720p. Paid plans start at $15/month for no watermarks, up to 4K video and 48kHz audio, and advanced production features.
Compatibility: Windows and Mac
Riverside is an all-in-one audio and video recording, plus editing studio.
You can record with up to 10 participants or channels in up to 4K video and 48kHz audio. Every person’s audio and video records on a separate track so you can edit everything individually without effecting your whole recording.
In our video and audio editor, you’ll have access to an array of AI tools that speed up and streamline your workflow. With text-based editing, you can trim your audio and video by simply deleting text in your recording transcript. Alternatively, our audio and video editing timeline is color-coded by speaker so you can easily merge, cut, and splice your recording.
You can fix up your audio at the tap of a few buttons. We have AI tools to remove background noise, normalize audio levels and remove silences. And, a whole lot more!
Key features:
- Easy to use: Intuitive, user-friendly interface
- High-resolution audio and video: Up to 4K video and 48kHz audio quality
- Seamless editing timeline: Color-coded timeline with chapters for easy navigation when trimming or merging tracks.
- Audio enhancement: Remove background noise and normalize your audio at the tap of a button.
- Remove long silences: Set the pace and remove awkward pauses in one click.
- Filler word remover: Get rid of all your ‘umms’
- Audiograms: Make your audio recording social media ready and turn it into a customizable audiogram.
- Local recordings: Everything records directly on your device instead of relying on your internet connection.
- AI transcription and captions: Download text or subtitle transcriptions or add your own dynamic captions to your recording.
- Media board: Edit live and add sound effects as you record.
- Magic Clips: Let AI turn your long-form content into bite-sized clips for social media.
Riverside vs Adobe Audition
Riverside Pros
- Simple and easy to use
- More affordable
- Plenty of AI-powered editing tools to save you time
- Browser-based software
Adobe Audition Pros
- More advanced editing features
5. Avid Pro Tools
Pricing:: Free (Intro), $9.99/month (Artist), $29.99/month (Studio), $99.00 (Ultimate)
Compatibility: Windows and Mac
Pro Tools from Avid is a great choice for voice-over software for podcasters and other audio producers. With the platform, you can create, edit, and mix audio and MIDI tracks in up to 192kHz. Then, easily add your voice-over as an additional track. The tool comes with plenty of built-in effects and plugins like virtual instruments and audio effects.
Key features:
- Mixing console for automated and manual audio-level mixing
- Voiceover recording
- Audio effects, including EQ, reverb, and compression
- MIDI sequencing engine for MIDI track editing
- Supports MIDI controllers and virtual instruments
Pro Tools vs Adobe Audition
Pro Tools Pros
- Great for voiceovers
- Plenty of features and plugins geared towards musicians
Adobe Audition Pros
- More flexible use cases
- More modern interface
6. Logic Pro
Logic Pro
Pricing:: $199 one-time purchase
Compatibility: Mac
If you’re a serious Apple user who wants to upgrade from GarageBand, give Apple Logic Pro a try. It may be a pricey investment up-front at almost $200, but Logic Pro is one of the best professional audio editing tools for Mac. Keep in mind that the tool is aimed at experienced sound engineers and audio producers, so beginners might be overwhelmed by the robust feature selection and customization options.
Key features:
- Apple Live Loops (pre-recorded backing tracks)
- ‘Logic Remote’ companion app lets you use your iPhone or iPad
- Sampler and Quick Sampler features turn sounds into instruments
- Extensive sound library
- Variety of production effects
Logic Pro vs Adobe Audition
Logic Pro Pros
- Intuitive, Apple interface
- Easy to transition from GarageBand
Adobe Auditon Pros
- Easier to learn
- Less expensive to get started
Best Adobe Audition alternatives for video audio
7. Final Cut Pro
Pricing:: $299.99 annually
Compatibility: Mac
Another Apple-specific product, Final Cut Pro is a powerful video editing software for content creators. If you have editing experience, you’ll enjoy this platform’s range of impressive features that make it possible to create cinematic effects.
Key features:
- Up to 64 video angles
- More than 300 special effects options
- Variable-speed effects
- Magnetic timeline lets you assemble clips and eliminate gaps automatically
- Audio editing and noise reduction tools
- Smart Collections keep your media clips organized
Final Cut Pro vs Adobe Audition
Final Cut Pro Pros
- More collaboration features
- Fast performance and powerful editing tools
- More integrations
Adobe Auditon Pros
- Less expensive
- Not limited to Apple devices
8. Wondershare Filmora
Pricing: Free trial, $69.99 (Standard Version), $99.99 (Pro Version)
Compatibility: Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
If you’re looking for a user-friendly and accessible video editing tool for beginners, Filmora is a great choice. Not only does it have a simple interface that’s easy to learn, but it also comes with plenty of pre-made templates and editing effects to help you speed up your video editing process.
Key features:
- Screen recording
- Text-based editing
- Silence detection
- Audio visualizer
- Motion tracking
- Color correction
- Green screen
- AI music generator
Filmora vs Adobe Audition
Fimora ProsAdobe Auditon Pros
- Straightforward interface
- Extremely user-friendly
- Pre-built templates and effects
- More advanced editing features for experienced editors
FAQs on Adobe Audition Alternatives
Is there a free version of Adobe Audition?
No, you can’t use Adobe Audition for free after the free trial. Audition is part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud ecosystem, so you’ll need to either pay $22.99 for the single app plan or buy it as part of an app collection.
What is the Apple equivalent of Adobe Audition?
Apple’s range of editing software starts with GarageBand, which is a free tool that you can use to record and edit music. Once you’re ready to level up, you can try Logic Pro for audio-focused editing or Final Cut Pro for advanced video production.