7 Best Podcast Recording Software [2024]

Podcast editing software is the first thing you'll need to start your hit show. Whether you are using Windows or Mac, we'll help you find the right product to get your show off to a great start.

So you've got yourself a nice quality microphone and a decent set of headphones. Now it's time to sit down and record the first episode of your podcast. But what podcast recording software will you be using? There are lots of choices out there and most of them will get the job done fine. Each person has their own preferred workflow though, and in this post, we'll help you decide which podcast creation software fits your personality the best.

We are going to look at the top podcast making software. That means that every piece of software that made the list is a good choice. We are presenting them here in no particular order. By narrowing down your choices with our list and reading user reviews of the shortlist, you'll be up and running with your perfect fit in podcast software in no time.

This free and open-source audio editing software is not as feature-rich as some of the other options on the list, but for pure audio editing, it is more than capable. The software is available for PC, Mac, and Linux and has all of the features you need to cut together your podcast. It supports multiple tracks, in case you have multiple hosts or guests on that each have their own microphones. It has built-in filters for de-essing, compression, and EQ so you can give your raw vocal track the polish that it needs to really stand out.

Audacity also features easy and intuitive controls. If you have operated a music player, then you'll already recognize most of the functions that Audacity offers. This is an area where Audacity shines for vocal-only recordings, as software designed for editing music will inevitably be more complicated and have a steeper learning curve.

Podcastle.ai is an all-in-one audio creation platform that combines advanced technology with easy-to-use and intuitive tools. The software is web-based, so you don’t need to download anything. There’s also a Podcastle app for iPhones that makes remote interview recording more convenient. The platform enables multitrack high-quality recording and offers a range of AI-powered tools to polish your audio with minimum effort.

Podcastle features Magic Dust, the automatic noise remover, as well as a silence removal tool. Other than compressing, equalizing and improving the sound of your audio, the software offers transcription and text-to-speech services. You can get automatic transcriptions and summaries for your episodes, as well as record bits for your podcast using human-like voice skins. Podcastle also records and renders video, completing the list of must-haves on the course of your podcasting journey.

Mac users will be familiar with this free program. As the name implies, it is made for creating music, but it can still be useful as podcast creation software. That is because Apple has tried to make things as simple as possible in GarageBand, and because they have a few presets for podcasting / spoken word tracks, you'll be able to quickly dial in something that sounds good whether you are editing a male or female voice.

This ease of use comes at the sacrifice of some features, however. You will not be able to have the rich audio editing capabilities that you would from Audacity or a more full-featured piece of music production software. If you like the workflow that Apple software provides, but feel you have outgrown the usefulness of GarageBand, you may want to consider Apple's high-end digital audio workstation, Logic Pro.

Logic Pro is GarageBand's $200 older brother. The software is used by professional music producers and audio engineers, so it has more than enough power to handle any tasks that your podcasting needs may throw at it. Because it is made by Apple, it is the best tool for those who know their way around GarageBand and are looking to move up to professional audio editing software without encountering a steep learning curve.

The downside to Logic Pro is the same as GarageBand, both pieces of software are only available for Apple computers. This means that if you are running a Windows or Linux machine, you'll need to look at one of the other programs in this list to find the best podcast creation software for you.

This software is built specifically for podcasters and journalists to record and edit on. This singular focus means that Hindenburg Journalist comes with some great features that you'll really appreciate in a podcast recorder. When you import files into the software, you won't need to worry about making sure the sample rates match, it will take care of it for you. It will even automatically set the levels for you, saving you a great deal of time if you are dealing with many different pieces of audio.

If you opt to get the Pro version, you'll get a few more must-have features, such as noise reduction and an automatic EQ that profiles your voice to find the right values to make you sound like a pro. The basic version is $95 and the Pro version is $375. They also have a $500 Narrater version for crafting audiobooks. Hindenburg Journalist is available for Windows and Mac.

Another tool purpose-built for podcasting is Zencastr. This program may be the best for podcasts which plan on frequently having guests or co-hosts. That is because the software records each guest into their own track and has built-in support for voice over IP, so you are not tied to services like Skype. Although there is a free version that limits you to 2 guests and 8 hours of audio, the paid upgrade will get you a number of advanced audio processing features that will make your life easier. These features, like those in Hindenburg Journalist, will automatically process your voice to make you sound as professional as possible. The pro version is $20/month.

Zencastr runs directly in your web browser but will continue recording even if your internet connection goes down. Keep in mind that you will, of course, lose access to any guests that were relying on an active internet connection to talk to you. When a proper network connection is in place, Zencastr streams directly to Dropbox to save you upload time.

This product is web-based like Zencastr. Although Alitu can function as a podcast recorder, they do not recommend using it to record anything other than quick intro and outros. With a limitation of only recording one track, you'll likely want to record the actual content of your podcast in a different program anyhow.

What Alitu does do, is allow you to very quickly edit your podcast. Like some of the other podcast editing software, it will automatically run the filters that your voice needs to sound its best. It will also not only automatically add your intro and outro music, but help you create some with its theme music maker feature.

After you have finished editing your podcast and you have your intros and outros in place, Alitu will automatically publish to a number of supported podcasting platforms. Many of the major platforms are supported so you'll save a lot of time by not having to upload to those services.

Alitu costs $28/month after a 30-day free trial.