Free Sound Software For Mac

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Smooth workflow is one of the reasons why Audio and Video Professionals prefer Mac to Windows. As long as you have the right apps, you wouldn’t face any glitches, per se. If you want to record audio for music production, podcasts or something else, you need the best audio recording software for Mac.

By default, Mac allows you to record audio from Mac internal mic, which is fine if you want to take quick audio notes. However, if you want professional audio quality, we recommended using a USB mic like Blue Yeti. If you want to record system audio, install Soundflower on your Mac. Most the following Mac Audio recorder allows you to change audio source. Down below, we have covered some of the best audio recording software for Mac that you can use.

Read: 10+ Best Voice Recorder Apps For iPhone

Best Audio Recording Software for Mac

1. QuickTime

Best for – simple audio recording

QuickTime, as you may know, is an inbuilt utility in macOS. It’s usually used for video/audio playback but it lets you record audio content as well. Just so you know, QuickTime also lets you record video using a webcam or a connected device. Now, coming to the audio recording feature of QuickTime, everything is super-easy. You have a really intuitive interface with minimal customization options.

It’ll take you a few extra clicks to start recording audio with QuickTime. First, launch the app from the Spotlight, and go to File > New Audio Recording.

For instance, QuickTime lets you change the recording source — pick between the internal microphone and the system audio (with SoundFlower). You can also change the Recording quality between High and Maximum. Once these are set, just hit the Record button. As the program records your voice, you can see the size of the recording file also. Once you’ve recorded the whole thing, you can export the file as MPEG-4 Audio file. However, there is no option to pause audio recording, you can only stop it and start a new one.

Pros

  • Really easy-to-use interface
  • Built-in macOS
  • Ability to record from different sources including an external Mic

Cons

  • Limited customization options, no option to pause recording
  • The interface isn’t suitable for professionals
  • Limited options for exporting audio

The Verdict

QuickTime is the best Mac software for casual audio recording. It gets the job done — with minimum things at stake. You don’t have to worry about complex customizations or exporting. Everything you record will be available in a single file. That having said, we would not recommend QuickTime for professionals.

QuickTime Comes Built into Mac

2. Audacity

Best for – recording voice over and editing

Audacity is a free and open source audio recording software for Mac. We use for recording audio for our YouTube channel. You have an option to choose the recording source (we use it with Blue Yeti mic), recording channel type, audio type etc. As you can see below, it does offer a wider range of control as well. But, the best part about Audacity for Mac is that it comes along with a bunch of editing tools. In fact, Audacity is a digital audio editor, first, and recorder later.

Unlike QuickTime, Audacity lets you perform basic audio editing tasks like editing. You will also find options like effects, voice generation, noise removal, and track-based management. In case you are into professional audio recording and editing, there is a wide variety of Audacity plug-ins to choose from. Another bright side is that you will be able to export the audio recording in almost any format.

The reason, why we prefer Audacity is because it’s cross-platform support (available for Windows, Mac, and Linux) Just as Photoshop save the file in PSD and have all the properties intact, you can save audacity files in AUP, which can be later open and edited from any computer that audacity installed in it.

Pros

  • Professional features for recording & editing
  • Multiple audio recording and editing options
  • Free, Open Source and Cross-platform

Cons

  • Audacity doesn’t have an intuitive interface
  • Takes time to get used to

The Verdict

As we said, Audacity is made for professionals. Did we say that Audacity is free to use? It’s free, open-source and cross-platform. Considering the features you get, it’s an awesome deal as well. At least, you would not have to worry about paying a huge amount for your DAW.

Check Out Audacity (Free and Open Source)

3. Simple Recorder

Best for – quick audio recording

Simple Recorder is a truly simple solution for audio recording in Mac. It doesn’t come with many bells or whistles, but it gets the job done. Unlike QuickTime and Audacity, which takes multiple mouse click to start the recording, Simple Recorder sits in the menu bar and can start the audio recording in just two clicks. Best solution when you want to take quick notes.

You can select the source of recording from the drop-down menu. It also lets you set up the volume. In just a single button, Simple Recorder would start the recording process. In the Preferences section, you can pick the recording format, Sample Rate, Channel etc. There are some Pro features like Status Icon, Shortcuts and some levels of Automation.

Pros

  • Quick and Easy to use
  • You can manage all the actions from the icon menu itself
  • Offers support for different sources and standard customization

Cons

  • Doesn’t offer basic Editing options

The Verdict

Simple Recorder is the best Mac audio recording app for the intermediate users. Unlike QuickTime, it offers a standard set of customization options. That having said, unlike Audacity, the features aren’t that suitable for professionals either. So, if you think you need somewhat control over recording, go for this.

Check Out Simple Recorder (Free, offers a Pro plan as well)

4. GarageBand

Best for – recording audio for music production

Technically speaking, GarageBand is a digital audio workstation, not a digital audio recorder (like QuickTime) or a digital audio editor (like Audacity). In simple words, if you are into recording audio for music production, GarageBand is one of the best choices in town. It’s rich with features and offers the best level of compatibility. Last but not the least, you’d not have to pay a single penny for this program.

Like Audacity, GarageBand supports MIDI recording and editing out of the box. However, unlike Audacity, GarageBand has a smaller learning curve and is more stable. Also, it’s compatible with any iOS device.

Although it’s a fully-fledged DAW, you don’t need rocket science to record audio using GarageBand. It even has a dedicated mode for Voice, where you can also select the type of voice recording. For instance, it offers different options for recording Narration Voice and Bright Voice. Just hit the Record button and you can do the exporting part later.

Pros

  • GarageBand is a fully-fledged audio recorder
  • Comes with built-in audio editing features
  • Well-suited for professionals

Cons

  • GarageBand isn’t suitable for Quick Recordings
  • Getting used to the interface may take some time

The Verdict

GarageBand is the recommended choice for professionals out there. If you need the best quality, control as well as performance, you should go for this built-in tool. Although the UI is simple, learning GarageBand will surely help you as an audio professional.

Check Out GarageBand (Free, Built-in in Mac)

5. Piezo

Best for – recording podcast

Piezo from Rogue Amoeba is a simple and wonderful audio recording software for podcasts. If you want to make some amazing podcast recordings with precision, you can count on Piezo. Unlike all of the tools we’ve talked about earlier, Piezo lets you record voice from popular apps like Chrome, Skype, FaceTime, Messages etc. It is one of the best features for getting precise podcasts, you know.

Settings in Piezo are very easy to manage. That having said, it lets you change the Music Quality only. Still, you don’t have to do guesswork here. Piezo has set up some quality pre-sets for music, audio, spoken word etc. By default, the recordings will be saved in MP3, which is convenient for most people. Just as you can see, the interface is a bit unconventional.

Pros

  • Really easy-to-use Interface
  • Quality Presets are useful for quick recording
  • Supports recording from individual apps

Cons

  • Could have better-exporting options

The Verdict

Piezo is the best audio recording software for doing podcasts on Mac. You can simply record your own voice or get inputs from common apps like Chrome or Skype. It is basically minimal but you have options to extend the capabilities of Piezo.

Check Out Piezo ($23, free trial available)

6. Macsome Audio Recorder

Best for – recording audio from multiple sources

Macsome Audio Recorder is one of the voice recorders that promise to do almost anything. Without bringing all the professional features, Macsome Audio Recorder lets you record audio from multiple sources such as the internal microphone, different apps on your Mac and other hardware. Unlike some other apps, however, it doesn’t offer any kind of optimization.

Despite all these features, the program has a minimal footprint to offer. Did we say mention that Macsome Audio Recorder has one of the best recording management interface as well? You can even use ID tags for organizing your recording files. We really liked how Macsome Audio Recorder works. You can add separate recording profiles for apps/hardware and start the recording process in a single click.

Pros

  • Simple but effective interface
  • Supports recording from individual apps/hardware
  • Super-easy management of recording profiles

Cons

  • The Recording screen isn’t intuitive

The Verdict

As it promises, Macsome Audio Recorder is one of the best all-in-one audio recorders for Mac. It might not have the best UI in town, but there are many productive features. When you want a tool that records podcast, music, and speech with the same efficiency, Macsome Audio Recorder would be our take.

Check Out Macsome Audio Recorder ($29.95, Free Trial available)

7. Audio Hijack

Best for – advanced video recording

We already talked about Piezo from Rogue Amoeba, right? Audio Hijack is also from the same developer but it offers advanced features and control. Inside a nice package, you will find tools for recording almost every type of audio from your Mac. You can even use Audio Hijack for scheduling recordings. It would be the best option when you’re recording audio from the web.

The best part is that Audio Hijack comes with different session templates — you have one for internet radio, DVD Audio, Application audio and Web Audio etc. When it comes to Application mode, you can pick an app from the list and start recording. You can also check out a bunch of built-in effects and filters in Audio Hijack. It also has an interesting UI that lets you manage how the recording process works. Overal Audio Hijack is one of the best audio recording software for Mac if you are looking for advanced features.

Pros

  • Professional Interface and Intuitive UI
  • In-built options for filters and sound effects
  • Advanced options are available

Cons

  • None worth noting

The Verdict

Audio Hijack is one of the very few Mac audio recording software that is worth paying for. You get a whole bunch of features like filters, effects, and top-to-bottom control. Even if you’re not into it, you can get a cool audio recording and management experience.

Check Out Audio Hijack ($59, Free Trial available)

8. AudioNote

Best for – take audio notes during lectures

AudioNote lets you combine a note-taking app and audio recording app. This is how it works: you can open AudioNote and start recording the lectures, interviews or something else. When you make notes on the screen, it will be synced with the audio. So, during the playback, you can listen to the audio as well as seeing all the notes on the screen.

There are some really cool features too. For instance, you can tap on one section of your notes to jump into the corresponding section in audio. As a note-taking software, you can bring text, shapes, annotations and a lot more things. Once you are done, you can also convert your notes to a PDF document. The best part is that you have everything in sync.

Pros

  • An excellent way to record and sync notes
  • Easy interface
  • iCloud integration

Cons

  • None worth noting

The Verdict

AudioNote is the best option for students and professionals alike. With this tool in your hand, you don’t have to worry about getting the list in the notes. You would know what the professor was talking about when you’d written something. Pretty cool, isn’t it?

Check Out AudioNote ($14.99)

Best Audio Recording Software for Mac

Well, these are the different kind of audio recording software for Mac, for different needs. For your day-to-day casual recording needs, Simple Recorder is the best option, indeed. On the other hand, if you are into the world of podcast recording, go for Audio Hijack from Rogue Amoeba. Options like GarageBand as well as Audacity are for those who need professional-quality control over the recording quality and process. Still, you can take an effort to step up the game.

Read: 4 Best Voice Recorder Apps for Android

Version: 1.9.7Updated on February 28, 2020 [changes] Price: Free

MediaHuman Audio Converter is a freeware application for Mac OS X and Windows. It can help you to convert your music absolutely free to WMA, MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, OGG, AIFF, Apple Lossless format and bunch of others.

  • Simple and intuitive interface
  • Converts between all key audio formats
  • Splits tracks by CUE sheet
  • Exports to iTunes
  • Converts multiple files simultaneously
  • Keeps the folder structure
  • Extracts audio track from video
  • Absolutely FREE!

Main Features:

Batch conversion

Free Sound Editing Software For Mac

Add all files you want, select the output format and click Start – the program takes care of the rest.

Support for lossless formats

You can directly convert one lossless format to another, without intermediate conversion. For example, you can turn FLAC to Apple Lossless supported by most Apple devices.

Automatic CUE splitting

The program locates .CUE files in the folder and suggests splitting the image to individual tracks if some are found.

Free Sound Software For Mac

Search for disk covers

If a file contains ID3 tags but lacks the cover art, the program tries to retrieve one using several Internet services.

iTunes support

Apple fans will admire the option to add converted files directly to iTunes multimedia library. You can also choose a specific playlist.

Retain folder structure

Command the program to keep the structure of your folders when running conversion. A must have option for those who store music in Artist/Album folders.

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System Requirements:

Music Software For Mac

  • Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP for PC systems (32bit/64bit)
  • macOS 10.15 (Catalina), macOS 10.14 (Mojave), macOS 10.13 (High Sierra), macOS 10.12 (Sierra), OS X 10.11 (El Capitan), OS X 10.10 (Yosemite), OS X 10.9 (Mavericks), OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion), Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion), Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
  • About 60 Mb of free hard drive space

Step-by-step instructions:

Testimonials:

  • Thank you MediaHuman - you are the only fast and reliable WMA to MP3 converter I've found - you just made my life a whole lot easier! Janine Charles
  • I have been using SoundConverter on my OSX-Lion iMac but it wasn't doing a satisfactory job on FLAC files. MediaHuman is fast and does two files at once! Superior to SoundConverter! Mark S Ver Steeg
  • The audio converter app works perfectly-i finally found a freeware to convert FLAC to Apple lossless and keep the tags. Branden Baxley
  • man i am loving this program i am using media human audio converter and i am convertings 186 music files it has taken less than 5 minutes usually the other programs i use if i was doing this it would take about an hour to an hour and a half this programs is the best. Mina Armanious
  • Hey! The software is awesome. It took me so long to find an audio converter that wasnt crammed full of useless, superfluous features that I couldn't possible care about. Euan
  • Wanted to convert some audio files. Used MediaHuman today after struggling with several other apps and tools for the past 4 days. Gosh! Can't tell you what a relief it is to get the job done so easily as I had thousands of sound clips. Thank you guys!!! Divya Raghuram
  • I am converting thousands of iTunes files to .ogg so I can take my show on the road with Traktor. UR the only 1 that works! DJ-KT
  • Thanks for the fantastic audio converter! I have a number of AACs that I needed to make to MP3 and this is doing it perfectly... thanks again! Dustin Hamilton
  • First of all, I love your audio converter. I have used it to successfully convert most of my FLAC collection to ALAC in order for it to be playable on my Ipod. It's all quite intuitive, I love it! Rory
  • I just wanted to thank you for this software's existence - I used to use QuickTime 7 (and it was clunky!) to convert audio, but when Apple made it slightly harder to get QuickTime Pro I sought out MediaHuman Audio Converter, and have never looked back. It's saved me plenty of times. Thanks! Josh W.
  • That is a truly great product, much better than Switch, which I thought too expensive to pay for. I know it is freeware, but couldn't resist a small donation when I saw how beautifully written the software was. Thank you. Jim S.
  • I have been using your product for a couple years now. I just wanted to tell you folks how much I like it. It is absolutely my goto software for any media conversion. I don't have any money to contribute, but I wanted you guys to know how much I appreciate your software. Thank you very much. Mathew M.
  • The best WMA to MP3 converter, period. I have more than 10Gb of WMA files to convert to MP3. Your software is just making it a breeze. Having struggled with all the major 'recommended' freewares available, I can say without a doubt that yours is just the best for the task. Many thanks from France. Arnaud
  • Hi Folks, I just wanted to let you know that your Audioconverter is truly excellent. The GUI is simple and selfexplaining, very clever! Also thanks for implmenting CBR at 320kbps. I converted AIFF files to mp3 and they sound much better than converted with my old iTunes. The mp3s sound loud, clear, fresh and have a punchy bass. Heavy recommendation guaranteed :-) Ernst M.
  • I just want to congratulate you for the MediaHuman Audio Converter. Variety of choices for audio quality, file extension type and multiple cpu core choice. And checkbox for adding to iTunes while converting. Genius. You saved me from hours of waiting. Well done. Maximos H.
  • I have to say that this converter, is by far THEE best i have ever used. i had to use this in exchange for the built in iTunes converter because it would chop songs into 0:23 seconds after they were converted and that obviously wasn't the whole song. your converter has done its justice to the shitty apple conversion and hence, why i'm writing this review because it's so damn fast AND it also converts as many files as needed with no ads or requiring a license! it's truly and awesome freeware program!! :) Nic
  • MediaHuman Audio Converter là ứng dụng chạy trên các thiết bị sử dụng hệ điều hành Mac OS X và Windows, hỗ trợ người dùng chuyển đổi các tập tin âm nhạc hoàn toàn miễn phí sang các định dạng MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC, WAV, OGG hay AIFF hay Apple Lossless, cùng nhiều định dạng khác. Taimienphi
  • Downloaded this morning to convert a batch of files, 680+, from WMA to MP3. As a bit of background I started developing software over 40 years ago, which makes me rather picky about how software works. Just wanted to let you know that I am more than pleasantly surprised, this is a great piece of software. I had spent about 3 hours trying other products prior to finding yours, and by far yours is the most full featured and easy to use. Just wanted to drop you a 'thank you', I was looking for a place to leave a review for you, please let me know if there is a place you would like me to leave one. Thanks! Bill D.
  • MediaHuman Audio Converter is brilliant. It's so good to find really well developed software - so intuitive and therefore a pleasure to use. I've been looking at audio converters for a while now and not found anything that comes even close to your great product. I've been involved in software development all my life and rarely see software that gets the user's experience 'just right' Audio Converter does exactly that. Congratulations. John

Best Free Music Software Mac

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