Top 10 best recording softwares

Compared to cheaper DAWs like Reaper, the visuals are very streamlined.. For big projects with multiple audio files, the workspace is ideal. Also connect your keyboard, to operate virtual instruments via MIDI. Add pre-made compositions to audios.. The automations are also very powerful.. For simple projects, this is likely overkill.. There is no best recording software ever. Lower-tier ones like Reaper take longer to do some common steps, that said..

Whatever the tool, digital audio workstations are typically used for full-scale audio productions that include musical compositions; or at least professional mixing and mastering. If you just need a software that can record, do basic productions, and mix what you have, with effects, the free version of PreSonus is ideal for you. You get a 2GB library of musical content and loops useful for adding outros, intros, and other medleys to your audio creations..

Once upon a time, digital sound recorders were simply a record, play, and pause button with save features. That was it! The audio was typically poor quality, with fizzing in the background white noise , and little to no ability to add effects. Now, there are many powerful free sound recorders like Apple GarageBand and Audacity, which both allow you to apply complicated effects to recordings.

Do the same with reducing white noise in the background. Mix your audio so that there are no loud spikes compression. If you need a complete compositional package, all others in this guide are DAWs.

For recording live, only the starter version of Fruity Loops will be unsuitable. All of the other options in this guide are fine. Every tool on this list has that feature. If you want to learn full audio compositions, it is recommended that you choose a DAW. However you cut it, that will be a learning curve with a DAW.

If you just want to record and do basic edits, GarageBand and Audacity have very thin learning curves and carry out those functions well. Developed by Image line, Image Line FL-Studio has perhaps one of the most unique and recognizable user interfaces among musicians and music enthusiasts with its pattern-based music-sequencer. Image Line FL-Studio comes with a digital piano roll, VST plugin support, 32 inbuilt plugin generators and can record up to audio files simultaneously.

Available on both Windows and Mac, It comes in one free version, and three paid versions. It is quite expensive, and it is not as intuitive as other audio recording software and DAW on this list. Image Line FL-Studio. Ableton Live stands on top of the list of popular DAWs for recording, mixing, and editing live performances. Ableton Live comes with virtual instruments, audio effects, and MIDI effects that are tailored for live audiences. Ableton Live is known for its unique two views; the arrangement view that resembles the layout of other popular DAWs and the session view.

The session view is perhaps one of the main selling points of Ableton Live. This unique feature allows users to mix and edit audio files in short clips that are arranged in a grid to form a complete scene. You can also cue up tracks like a DJ mixer.

The editing software is also quite intuitive, and beginners can easily pick it up. Ableton Live. What makes Reaper stand out is its low pricing amongst its competitors and its unique user interface that is fully customizable!

The color scheme, toolbar, menus, and macro of the entire interface can be customized to suit your exact requirements. However, if you do take the time to customize the interface, the resulting experience makes it worth it.

Although the Cockos Reaper is an audio recording software, it can also be used to edit, cut, and trim video files. Professionals or experts that want a full option DAW at a pocket-friendly price. Cockos Reaper. Known for its amazing music recording, mixing, multitrack editing and mastering capabilities, Ardour has gained a reputation for being a free digital audio workstation, and an alternative to Audacity.

It also comes built-in with virtual instruments, and composers. Ardour makes use of plug-ins for many of its features, and as of , it now supports VST3 plug-ins on all its variants across multiple operating systems.

You can use this free video recorder to capture your whole screen, a window, a selected area, or a webcam. Once the recording finishes, you can trim and crop your video with a simple editor, then export it to YouTube, an FTP server, or your PC.

CamStudio is one of the best free video capture tools to record screen objects and audio activity on your computer and create industry-standard AVI video files. You can choose to use custom cursors to record the entire screen or just a part of it.

CamStudio can also add high-quality, anti-aliased non-aliased screen descriptions to your video recordings quickly. ShareX is a free open source screen recorder for capturing still screen grabs and recording videos. This free recording software can record an entire scrolling webpage, identify text via OCR, and even capture your screen according to a schedule.

You can also use this free video recorder to save your screenshot as a GIF instead of a video file, useful for sharing on forums and social media. After video recording, ShareX allows you to send your captured grabs and videos straight to a file-sharing or social media site. It offers many features ranging from screen recording, video editing, video hosting, and sharing. You can use this free video recorder to capture full screen, window, region, webcam, microphone, and computer sound.

Besides, multiple video editing features are available while recording, such as zoom, trim your recorded clips, add captions, save them to your desktop, YouTube, or the cloud, or share a video link. As the most recommended software in Mac, it is featured with its Lightweight and rich functionality.

You can use it to capture whatever happens on your Mac screen while customizing the recording region according to your preference. You can record the full screen, record part of screen , or a specific application window.

Besides that, you can capture the audio simultaneously. There are several optional audio sources, including system sound, audio in the microphone, and both. If you want to record your voice with more advanced equipment, it's possible to install an external microphone since EaseUS RecExperts can be compatible with external devices like microphones and cameras. If those features help you, you can click on the button below to download this recording tool for free.

To capture the whole screen, click on the "Full Screen" button from the main interface. If you want to customize the recording area, choose the "Region" button. To record the screen with audio, hit the Sound icon from the bottom left side of the toolbar. The audio resources can be your external sound or system audio. Based on your needs, enable the target option. Before capturing, you can change the output format of the recorded video by clicking "Settings" from the main interface.

Then, scroll down the menu of Output format for Video. Choose the output type as you like. All of these features are available in the free version of the app, but you can also install the PRO version to gain access to additional capabilities. A standout feature of the PRO version is that it lets you create scheduled tasks for screen recordings.

Best for : Recording soccer matches, stock trends, etc. Its range of features includes the options to record your Mac at retina resolution, group video components and settings, and add background audio to the recorded footage. Templates, on the other hand, lets users arrange, insert and configure groups of annotations in advance, such as text placeholders and outro segments.

Those who subscribe to the Super Pak version of ScreenFlow a more expensive plan also get access to over , pieces of unique images and audio clips to use in all of their videos. Screencastify is another screen recording application that works via Google Chrome.

You can use it to capture your webcam, entire screen or tab only, as well as narrate to your microphone. Click highlighting, drawing pen tool, and mouse spotlight are all included.

Best for: Recording software demos and creating solution videos. Bandicam is a robust screen recording application that supports screen and gameplay capturing. It utilizes a high compression ratio without compromising video quality. Bandicam makes it possible to capture 4K ultra-high-definition videos at frames per second.

Essentially, you can use Bandicam to record just about anything, including your entire computer screen, Excel spreadsheets, web browser, Powerpoint presentations, and more.

Its free version places a watermark on the videos, so you need to become a paid user to utilize its full potential. Filmora Scrn lets you capture gameplay, webcam, computer screen and audio simultaneously without placing any limits on the duration of the video. It gives you the option to record in frames per second. Higher FPS is ideal for recording gameplay with loads of action. The software also lets you add annotations like text to improve the viewing experience for your audience.

Also, you can modify the size, color and shape of your cursor to make it look unique. It can import from over 50 file formats, and you also get the option to export your recordings in multiple formats as per your requirement. Best for : Recording screen from two devices simultaneously. You can record both audio and video from a desktop or iOS device, and also capture your webcam to infuse a personal element to your recording.