# Audacity Reviews **Vendor:** Audacity **Category:** [Audio Editing Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/audio-editing) **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 457 ## About Audacity Audacity is a free, open-source, multi-track audio editor and recorder available for Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. Since its initial release in 2000, it has become a popular tool among musicians, podcasters, and audio enthusiasts for its comprehensive suite of features and user-friendly interface. Key Features and Functionality: - Recording and Playback: Audacity allows users to record live audio through a microphone or mixer, digitize recordings from other media, and capture streaming audio. - Editing Tools: Users can cut, copy, splice, and mix sounds together. The software supports non-destructive editing, enabling adjustments without altering the original audio file. - Effects and Plugins: Audacity offers a range of built-in effects, including noise reduction, equalization, and reverb. It also supports various plugins like LADSPA, LV2, VST, and Nyquist, allowing for extended functionality. - Import and Export: The software supports a wide array of file formats, including WAV, AIFF, MP3, and Ogg Vorbis. With the addition of the FFmpeg library, users can import and export even more formats, such as M4A (AAC) and WMA. - Analysis Tools: Audacity provides features like spectrogram views and frequency analysis, aiding users in detailed audio examination. - AI-Powered Effects: Recent updates have introduced AI-driven capabilities, including music separation, noise suppression, music generation, transcription, and audio super-resolution, enhancing the editing experience. Primary Value and User Solutions: Audacity's primary value lies in its ability to provide a robust and accessible platform for audio recording and editing without the cost associated with proprietary software. Its cross-platform compatibility ensures that users across different operating systems can utilize its features. The extensive support for plugins and effects allows for a customizable experience tailored to individual project needs. Additionally, the integration of AI-powered tools streamlines complex tasks, such as noise reduction and audio transcription, making high-quality audio production more efficient and accessible to a broader audience. ## Audacity Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users highlight the **ease of use** of Audacity, making audio editing accessible for everyone, regardless of experience. (7 reviews) - Users love the **easy editing** features of Audacity, making audio manipulation accessible to everyone. (5 reviews) - Users appreciate the **easy recording** features of Audacity, allowing quick setup and professional-quality audio results. (4 reviews) - Users value Audacity for its **professional-quality audio editing** capabilities, achieving seamless results without the cost. (3 reviews) - Users love Audacity for its **professional-quality audio editing** that rivals expensive software, ensuring outstanding performance and reliability. (3 reviews) - High Quality (3 reviews) - Users value the **diversity of features** in Audacity, achieving professional results without any cost. (2 reviews) - Free Software (2 reviews) - Users love the **ease of noise reduction** in Audacity, making audio editing accessible for everyone. (2 reviews) - Recording Features (2 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users feel that **AI limitations** hinder their experience by lacking automated features for ease of use. (1 reviews) - Users experience **audio issues** that sometimes produce unexpected noise, potentially disrupting their intended sound quality. (1 reviews) - Users find the **editing difficulties** in Audacity frustrating, as mistakes often require re-recording entire scripts. (1 reviews) - Users note **feature deficiencies** in Audacity, finding it lacks advanced tools compared to high-end software like Pro Tools. (1 reviews) - Users find the **detailed interface issues** slightly off-putting, but appreciate the stable functionality amidst updates. (1 reviews) - Users note the **limited customization** in Audacity, as it lacks advanced features offered by premium audio software. (1 reviews) - Performance Issues (1 reviews) - Recording Issues (1 reviews) ## Audacity Reviews ### 1. Indispensable Tool for Indie Artists **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Raine C. | Raine Carosin, Arts and Crafts, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 26, 2026 **What do you like best about Audacity?** I love Audacity. It helps me trim my music to get out rough spots and smooth the production. I love its simplicity—it was easy to start and learn how to use it. It's become an app that I have to have on my computer for any audio trimming. I really value Audacity. Plus, it helps me trim AI music to a suitable size and convert the format of music to a WAV or MP3 and adjust the sample rates. It's actually an all-rounder and a very valuable asset to own. The initial setup was very easy. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** There is nothing that I dislike about Audacity. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Audacity to trim music, remove rough spots, and smooth production. It helps convert music to formats like WAV or MP3 and ensure correct sample rates for platforms. ### 2. Audacity Makes Audio Editing Simple, Though Occasional Noise Issues Persist **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** KOSTIANTYN S. | Creative Copywriter, Marketing and Advertising, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 30, 2025 **What do you like best about Audacity?** Twenty-eight years ago, when I wanted to mix audiotracks, it required asking a friend who had equipment with a CD player and a microphone. Hardly anyone could suggest a way to work with music for one's own needs and not waste extra time. Now, Audacity has simplified the mastering. It places functions that the user requires in a single panel with numerous drop-down menus. When the main track is recorded via, e.g., through the smartphone, you upload it and use it as a basis to create a project. Then, it works as a constructor where you compile tracks and use effects on them. This simplicity is what I like best, and furthermore—what I make with soundtracks using effects and filters. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** Sporadically, the result is not the same as what you expected, e.g., some noise appears in the track, making it sound like an old gramophone's sound. When I was making a musical greeting for my parents' wedding anniversary, it was so. But this effect may be a benefit if you intend to create a nostalgic mood. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** Audacity mixes audio tracks to make effects used in ads, e.g., or create greetings that will not be forgotten. ### 3. Great for Beginners, But Lacks Speed **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Online Media | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 07, 2026 **What do you like best about Audacity?** I use Audacity for producing a podcast (over 300 episodes) and it has worked well to remove noises from my audio files and balance the sound for a professional final output. I like the price point since it is free for the ways I use it, and that is hard to beat. The Noise removal feature is great for eliminating normal background noises like A/C or heater sounds. The Normalize and Compression features have become essential steps in creating a professional-sounding podcast. The initial setup was very simple. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** I would like it if the features I use were a bit quicker while they process my audio files. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Audacity to remove background noises like A/C sounds and to balance my podcast audio for a professional outcome. I have edited over 300 podcast episodes with ease because of the functionality of Audacity. I have a set routine that allows for consistent audio output for my podcast episodes. ### 4. Effortless Mastery and Crystal-Clear Perfection for Soundboard Recording **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** David L. | Senior Campaign Manager, Marketing and Advertising, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 20, 2025 **What do you like best about Audacity?** I was able to master the software completely, even though I had no prior experience. I used it to record scripts for OB marketing calls as part of our older soundboard campaigns. What stood out to me was how clearly the software explained each step as I experimented with the settings, which made it easy to create perfectly recorded soundboard calls for our agents. I write outbound calling scripts for soundboard users. Since its soundboard, I literally record the different prompts in my voice, cut them up, and upload them to our crm. There is nothing to log into in audacity. Its use for us is just hitting record and recording. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** I was disappointed that while recording, if you made a mistake with one of the extra tonation features, you couldn't just fix that part. You had to either keep the recording as it was or re-record the whole script if you wanted to adjust a feature. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** This tool allowed me to record virtually every possible response an agent might need during an outbound call with a prospect. Since my agents were based in India, Belize, and Mexico, having my distinctly American voice pre-recorded for their calls was crucial in keeping leads engaged and on the line. ### 5. Great Results without Breaking the Bank! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mandy H. | T, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 01, 2025 **What do you like best about Audacity?** As a music teacher, I am always looking for innovative ways to keep my middle-schoolers engaged. I had discovered Audacity through a college course years ago, and I had used it for my own personal projects, as well. Naturally, I knew this would be of benefit to my students, so I requested that our IT department add it to my computer (as permission was needed). They complied, and I was able to get started creating units for my students to utilize it! The best part of all of it is that it is free software... but it works! It is easy to create, upload, download, and work through everything. Because it is so easy, neither I nor my students had any difficulties. Implementing it into our music studies routine has been a breeze. While they didn't get to use it extremely frequently, it was great for a project and to keep my students engaged. We use it for one unit, approximately a few days; however, I have new students each marking period. This means it does get used pretty regularly. I cannot attest to customer support, as I have yet to need it. However, the level of care they put into this program makes me believe that customer support would be of great help. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** I cannot say enough good things about Audacity. I don't think that it would be fair to say there is something I dislike. I imagine if I delved deeper into the programming, I could find flaws. However, I'm not interested in finding flaws. It works great. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** This is a quick and easy software program to utilize. I use it personally and professionally. It helps me create my own things, as well as my students. This is a huge win. ### 6. Simple, Straightforward, and It Just Works **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Brian V. | Firmware Team Lead, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 10, 2026 **What do you like best about Audacity?** The simplicity of use. Straightforward, what you need audacity does it simple without flashy stuff. It just works **What do you dislike about Audacity?** Sometimes it's a little hard to find basic stuff around the UI. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** Audacity helps me with edition and refining audio files. This is great for my projects and for some stuff at work that needs to be edited out ### 7. The best free audio processing software **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Claudio G. | Consultant, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 13, 2026 **What do you like best about Audacity?** It's full of usefull features and it's completely free. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** Its GUI is a bit dated, but that's already being fixed in the next major version. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** Audacity helps me process audio files, especially cleaning them and modifying their speed without altering the pitch. ### 8. Professional-Grade Results from Free Software - Audacity Delivers **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Hans A. | Research and Development Editor, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 02, 2025 **What do you like best about Audacity?** As someone with extensive experience using various professional audio editing programs throughout my career, I can confidently say Audacity holds its own against many paid alternatives. Having worked with industry-standard software, I appreciate Audacity's straightforward approach to audio editing. What I like most: Despite being free, Audacity delivers professional-quality results. The interface is refreshingly clean compared to some bloated commercial programs I've used. It handles multiple audio formats flawlessly - something I've seen expensive software struggle with. The program's stability is exceptional; I've never experienced crashes or data corruption, which unfortunately can't be said for all professional-grade alternatives. Key strengths from a professional perspective: • Reliability: Rock-solid performance that rivals paid software • Format versatility: Seamless import/export across all major audio formats • User interface: Intuitive design that doesn't sacrifice functionality • Price point: Unbeatable value - completely free with professional capabilities • Learning curve: Quick to master, even for complex editing tasks **What do you dislike about Audacity?** Professional limitations: While Audacity excels at core editing functions, it lacks some advanced features found in high-end professional suites. The visual effects library and certain specialized filters aren't as comprehensive as premium alternatives like Pro Tools or Adobe Audition. However, for 90% of professional audio editing tasks, these limitations are negligible. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** This results are quick and much easier to use as the time consuming programs that I use professionally. It suffices in it's procedures for tasks that I need immediately. ### 9. Crystal Clear Recordings and Effortless Usability **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Kenya M. | Freelance writer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 11, 2025 **What do you like best about Audacity?** It's easy to use and the recordings are always clear. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** There's really nothing that I dislike about it. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** Sometimes I make recordings to communicate with people because typing out an email would take too long. When I'm talking to someone overseas, it helps to communicate often without worrying about time zones and phone charges. ### 10. Best Professional Software for Serious Users **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Vaibhav S. | published researcher and Github guy, Computer Software, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 25, 2025 **What do you like best about Audacity?** Best professional software for music recording and editing. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** Newer add ons are more commercially inclined but that is not a bad thing **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** Use for music publishing, LibriVox ## Audacity Discussions - [no](https://www.g2.com/discussions/33401-no) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [Audacity noise reduction](https://www.g2.com/discussions/26959-audacity-noise-reduction) - 4 comments, 1 upvote - [Is there a new version more advance than currently available?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-there-a-new-version-more-advance-than-currently-available) - 3 comments, 1 upvote - [Is there a website or list of additional third party plugins that I can use or add to Audacity?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-there-a-website-or-list-of-additional-third-party-plugins-that-i-can-use-or-add-to-audacity) - 3 comments, 1 upvote - [What is Audacity used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-audacity-used-for) - 1 comment ## Audacity Integrations - [Capella](https://www.g2.com/products/capella/reviews) - [GarageBand](https://www.g2.com/products/garageband/reviews) ## Top Audacity Alternatives - [Descript](https://www.g2.com/products/descript/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (855 reviews) - [Adobe Audition](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-audition/reviews) - 4.4/5.0 (407 reviews) - [GarageBand](https://www.g2.com/products/garageband/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (271 reviews)