Aug 27,2019 • Filed to: Record Audio • Proven solutions
We all love streaming music today, the convenience of our favorite audio files to listen to any time without needing to store the files ourselves has changed the way we view our media, but there are still times when having the file available offline can be beneficial. If you want to view on a device that lacks connectivity or perhaps are going on a trip where using online services is impractical for instance, to accomplish this, we have a choice of free audio recording software available, but which is the best option currently available? Read on to have a look.
- In this post, we’ll help guide you through some of the Best free music recording software (DAWs) available on the market.Making music doesn’t have to be expensive! There are so many free DAWs out there, so hopefully by the end of this post you will find the best free DAW for you and you will be able to start recording and making mu.
- Although a Mac comes with built-in audio recording software it cannot support high-end recordings like podcasts and music production. The powerful macOS together with the best audio recording software will satisfy all your requirements smoothly. So without wasting any more time let’s have a look at some of our picks.
- Music-Notation Software. As the most feature-packed and most confounding music application made for the Mac. The program has always had seemingly endless tool palettes and layer upon layer.
The best music players will make listening to music extremely satisfying, convenient, and seamless. That’s why we put together this list of the top music players for Mac. We’re sure one of these apps will resonate with you and be the perfect one for all your needs. Like the Mac mini, the Mac Pro doesn't come with a display, but that doesn't stop it from being a great desktop computer and one of the best Macs for music production. The Mac Pro comes with a 3.5 gigahertz processor, and you can choose between a 6-Core and 8-Core Intel Xeon E5.
Part 1. Top 5 Free Audio Recording Software for Mac (Yosemite)
iMusic
iMusic offers user friendly and zero loss recording from over 500 sites. It can split tracks automatically and strip out ads from the music as it goes. With a choice of either MP3 or M4A file formats it also includes plenty of flexibility, including a selection of quality settings for each format to further help tailor the output to your needs.
In addition, this audio recording software for Mac can recognize and identify tracks as it records, and automatically tag the files with the relevant artist, track title, album tags as it goes. These downloads are fully searchable by artist, title or album, creating your entire music library simply and quickly. Audio Recorder for Mac is a comprehensive and easy to use software package that does everything you could need from an audio recorder. For Windows user, you can also get iMusic for Windows.
Audacity
This audio recording software puts an enormous power into your hands. Besides recording, it is also loaded with audio editing features as well as the ability to export tools that work in tandem with multimedia capabilities of a Mac PC.
Cons:
- Some of its operations are not very intuitive.
- It does not have indicators of record levels, final mix levels or track levels.
Traverso
This free recording software for Mac will meet all of your common recording needs. It gives you a wide array of options that allows you to record demo CDs with absolute ease. Other brilliant features that it has include non-destructive editing, ability to edit audio files without changing their original quality, and lock-less real time audio processing.
Cons:
- It does not have advanced multi-track recording capabilities.
- It can take quite some time to learn especially if you are new to it.
Ardour
This free audio recording software claims to be useful when it comes to recording anything, including a single voice, a band, as well as an entire orchestra. It will also prove to be very helpful if you need music to be edited. It features many great features that include a user friendly interface, multiple track layers, non-destructive editing and real time audio processing.
Cons:
- It does not lock audio to video sometimes when only an audio needs to be extracted from a video.
Zynewave Podium
This free recording programs integrates audio recording and other functionalities such as VST plugins, audio gear and external MIDI. Some of the features that make it outstanding include an integrated sound editor, hierarchic track layout, spline curve automation, surround sound and multiprocessing. It also has a customizable interface.
Cons:
- Its interface allows you to connect only one midi device at a time.
- It does not have multiprocessing for plugins.
- Surround-sound feature is not enabled in the free version.
Part 2. Top 5 Free Audio Recording Software for Windows PC
Apowersoft Free Online Audio Recorder
Apowersoft Audio Recorder for Mac is another quite comprehensive free recording software package that offers easy to use recording in multiple file formats from almost any source you can think of. It includes a built in scheduler to set up recording of specific shows without you needing to be there, offering convenience for users to compliment the easy usability. Finally, it can be used as a voice recorder using your own microphone.
RadioSure
RadioSure is a dual use piece of free recording software that works as both an internet radio player and a downloader. Being able to offer fast searches for radio stations and easy recording once you find them. It can record in several formats and can split music into individual song files as you go automatically. Recordings are made at the source bitrate for lossless recording, ensuring the best quality possible and combined with other features makes this a user friendly package.
Jokosher
Not only does this recording software for PC allow you to record your favorite music from the internet, but it also allows you to edit your own songs very easily. It allows you to edit audio with multiple tracks. Its major highlight is its ease of use. It has a very intuitive and simple user interface that allows you to record and edit your songs without any problems.
Cons:
- Less integration with the desktop.
- Problems with support of some plugins.
Kristal Audio Engine
This is a simple recorder and editor that has everything that is needed for basic mixing and mastering. Its features include a high quality dynamics tool, a powerful multi-track recorder, and an audio sequencer and mixer. It is a very ideal recording software for anyone that is planning to get started with recording or mixing and mastering audio files. Its main interface provides a mixing console. The live audio input and audio sequencer are loaded as separate plugins.
Cons:
- The free version does not unleash its full potential.
- Incompatible with some versions of Windows.
Wavosaur
This recording software for Windows PC can do pretty much everything that you expect a typical audio editor to do. Some of the tasks that it can handle very well include recording sound, editing tracks, as well as processing files. It is equipped with all the basics, including ability to cut, copy, loop, and even batch audio conversions. It is portable, so no installation will be necessary for you to be able to run it in your windows PC. It works on different versions of windows, including vista and windows 7.
Cons:
- Memory problems with large files.
- Does not work with many operating systems.
Part 3. How to Record Streaming Audio for Free
Aimersoft iMusic offers a great interface, a huge range of compatibility with hundreds of different streaming services and other audio sources. It includes a straightforward workflow, great features including being able to remove ads as the recording progresses, as well as identifying individual tracks and splitting them into individual files and tagging them with the appropriate title, artist and album data all automatically. Recording is extremely simple, and can be accomplished in just a few steps.
iMusic - Record Streaming Audio with Original Quality
- Download music from more than 3000 music sites such as YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, Vevo, Hulu, Spotify, and much more through copying and pasting the URLs.
- Transfer music between a computer, iPhone, iTunes Library, iPad, iPod and Android phones making it easy to share songs.
- Record music from radio stations and streaming sites and gets the identification of the songs including the title, album artist, and genre.
- It acts as a management toolbox that lets you manage iPad, iPod, iPhone and Android phones iTunes Library through options like backup iTunes, recover iTunes Library, fix iTunes music tags and covers as well as remove music DRM protection.
- Batch download of files is supported where you can download up to 100 songs at the same time.
- 1 click to transfer downloaded music and playlist to USB drive to enjoy in car.
- Ability to burn downloaded songs and playlists to CDs easily.
Why Choose iMusic
What You Will Need:
A Computer; iMusic
Time Required:
Around 3 mins (Variable depending on the video file size)
Difficulty:
Easy
Step 1. Record Any Audio for Free
Start iMusic on your computer and click 'GET MUSIC' > 'Record'. Click on the red 'Record' button. Launch your browser and navigate whatever audio you are wishing to record, set it playing. Audio Recorder will detect the playback of media and begin recording automatically. It is so straightforward that there are no barriers to having the ultimate media library easily and quickly.
Step 2.Play the Recorded Audio
When the recording is complete, you can click the Library tab on the top of the interface to access the files. To enjoy the music, you can double click on it.
This recording software is not only an audio recorder, but also an ID3 tag editor. It can automatically identify song's information for you and also allows you to edit ID3 tags as you wish. To do this you can click the song and select Edit Music Tag from the drop-down menu. With this smart tool, you can also transfer music to iPhone/iPad/iPod/Android device with one click and burn recorded music to CDs.
By now, you probably know what a powerful creative tool your Mac is. It’s definitely hard to beat when it comes to retouching photos, editing videos, and — naturally — making music.
There are, in fact, so many music making apps for Mac that it’s hard to decide which one to get and what’s the difference between them, especially if you’re just starting out. But don’t worry — below is the ultimate guide to help you pick the best music production software currently on the market.
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The Best Free Music Software For Mac
It’s important to note that no single music creation software is best for everyone. Needs, experience levels, and preferences tent do differ a lot, so the final choice should be different as well. Having said that, there are a few options that have been winning in their respective categories over the years again and again. Here they are.
GarageBand: The easiest way to start
You don’t have to go far for an introductory experience to music making programs — the GarageBand app is already pre-installed on your system.
GarageBand for Mac is a versatile free music making software for beginners. You can use its tutorials to make your first steps into playing an instrument, record your own music (including your voice), add special effects, and produce complete tracks to upload to SoundCloud or beyond.
If you don’t have GarageBand in your Applications folder yet, download it from the App Store for free. When you open the app, it’ll prompt you to get all the available sounds and effects. In the latest GarageBand version for macOS Catalina, Apple has included a fantastic virtual drummer that you can customize to fit your patterns exactly, whether you’re playing rock or hip-hop. The layout of all the GarageBand options is quite intuitive, so you can definitely study the app on your own, learning more as you go.
Some downsides to the GarageBand app are essentially reasons why pros don’t use it: at some point you max out its capabilities and need features like advanced crossfades, for example. When you feel that instead of the music making software serving you, you start serving the music making software — it’s probably time to upgrade.
Ableton Live 10: The best music making software ever
At the other end of the music software spectrum is the industry-standard Ableton Live. First released in 2001, Ableton has been honing its music making software for nearly two decades. It’s not only able to record, arrange, mix, and master your music but also be used at live shows to play that music back, right from the same interface.
Bad news: it’s very difficult to learn Ableton on your own if you don’t have any background in music making. Luckily, there’s a large international community of users, so you’ll likely be able to find either a local or online group in your language, which could become instrumental to getting over various hurdles.
Even more bad news: Ableton is not a free music production software at all. While Ableton Live 9 used to have a Lite version that could be downloaded free, Ableton Live 10 starts with an Intro edition at $99 (then Standard at $449, then Suite at $749). The more expensive the version the more effects, instruments, and sounds it contains.
n-Track Studio: A top recording software for Mac
If the gap between GarageBand and Ableton Live is so wide, naturally there would be some music making apps that would try to fill it up. Enter n-Track Studio.
Make music with n-Track Studio
With this simple app, you can take a professional music recording studio to your Mac. No expensive equipment, no fuss.
n-Track Studio is a music making software free of Ableton’s complexities but with nearly all of its power. You can record songs from live instruments or create complex EDM tracks using virtual tools as well, with the help of a massive library of sound effects. What’s more, n-Track Studio features a free MIDI software built right in and doesn’t require a too powerful of a processor on your machine, since its audio engine is optimized for minimum latency, even when dozens of tracks are played at once.
Starting with n-Track Studio is very easy:
Click the circled plus icon to create a new track, either blank or armed for recording
Right-click on the new track and choose “Add blank MIDI track”
Select your instrument
Play any progression you like, either using your trackpad or a connected controller
Repeat as many times as needed and enhance with other effects
Overall, exploring n-Track Studio is pure pleasure: more freedom than the standard GarageBand without the difficulty and cost of Ableton. Perfect choice!
Make all music sound better with Boom 3D
While selecting the best free music making software is important, it’s equally important to ensure that whatever tunes you create are going to be played appropriately. As most Macs are simply too quiet for all the intricacies of the music software, you need Boom 3D to make it all work.
Boom 3D is a system-wide volume booster and equalizer for your Mac. First, it features a variety of presets to make every genre sound as good as possible, by setting the right midtones, bass levels, and high-pitched notes. Second, it lets you surpass the default volume limit on your Mac to really get the maximum out of your speakers.
Finally, Boom 3D also acts as a nifty little music player that features over 20,000 radio stations from around the world and plays back tracks set in your specific preferences.
So, again, while choosing the best music production software comes down to your level of experience and needs, if you go for a mid-market product like n-Track Studio, you definitely won’t be bored for a long time. Just don’t forget to couple it with Boom 3D for an absolute killer of a sound.
Best of all, n-Track Studio and Boom 3D are available to you absolutely free for seven days during the trial of Setapp, a platform with over 160 apps for your creative self, from music making programs to film editing and drawing. Try Setapp today and unleash you creator spirit. It’s free, so why not at least try?
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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